While I don't believe the Squad truly represents the future of the Democratic Party, I do believe they foreshadow a progressive movement overall, similar to what the Tea Party did for the Republican Party. And that's a good thing, because the Democrats have been pushed far to the right under the Clinton Third Way Doctrine, abandoning its former constituency, the working and middle class. Ironically, despite its heightened focus on winning over people of color, the policies they pursued showed they only gave lip service to the concerns of the people their rhetoric claimed they wanted to help.

By not rolling back the "trickle down" system which sucks the wealth from the bottom to the top, the Democrats have aided and abetted in the suppression of well being and advancement of all people not in the 1%. What good is fighting for and expanding equal opportunity if the "opportunity" only gets you a seat on the stalled train of economic progress?

Leaders like the Squad realize this "dirty little secret" of the Establishment, and are ripping the covers off it. While the Green New Deal may be more bold than can be implemented in its purest form, it certainly addresses the fact that it's only by gaining economic equality that people can truly become equal partners in the system. This is why the agenda pushed by Sanders and Warren is so important, and resonates with so many people, even those who lean toward the conservative end. These young ladies are onto something.