Michael Goodwin: ‘Woke’ might be wounded — but the radical left is still infiltrating our politics

Nypost · 🇫🇷 public France · Aug 15, 2026 · 1124 words · By Michael Goodwin

Law and Order Cultural War / 'Wokeism' US Domestic Politics

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Daily briefing

What to know about Law and Order

The woke fever has broken, and the movement is wounded.

Claims checked 19

Techniques found 4

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The woke fever has broken, and the movement is wounded.

Why it matters

But in the spirit of Mark Twain’s line that “reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,” ignore any claims that the mob of radical leftists rampaging through our politics has been defeated.

Common ground

The impetus for the premature obituaries is a single race in Wisconsin where a wacky socialist squandered a huge lead and lost by a narrow margin to a more-centrist opponent in the Democrats’ primary for governor.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Law and Order story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that He went on to cite record lows in murders and shootings on his watch?
How does this story connect Law and Order with Cultural War / 'Wokeism' over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/opinion/michael-goodwin-woke-might-be-wounded-but-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 100% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 85% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 19 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 9

check_circle Corroborated 6

verified Verified By Reference 3

verified Verified 1

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Claim 1: “He went on to cite record lows in murders and shootings on his watch”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 2: “Donald Trump... defeat Hillary Clinton for the Oval Office in 2016.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Extensively verified by Wikipedia and multiple news sources that Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US Presidential election.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Clinton body count is a conspiracy theory centered around the belief that former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have secretly had their p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_body_count_conspiracy_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 2016, Hillary Clinton ran unsuccessfully for president of the United States. Clinton ran as the Democratic Party's candidate for president, in which she became the first woman to win a presidential…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton_2016_president…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Russian government conducted foreign electoral interference in the 2016 United States elections with the goals of sabotaging the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, boosting the presidential…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_20…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 3: “Francesca Hong, a member of the state assembly, lost by just 3,800 votes”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While Wikipedia confirms Francesca Hong is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and a Democratic politician, none of the provided evidence specifies that she lost the governor's primary by exactly 3,800 votes.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — David Carl Crowley (; born May 14, 1986) is an American politician who has served as the seventh executive of Milwaukee County since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented W…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Crowley_(Wisconsin_polit…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Francesca Hong (born November 4, 1988) is an American politician, former chef, and business owner who has represented Wisconsin's 76th Assembly district in the Wisconsin State Assembly since 2021. She…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesca_Hong

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 76th Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in south-central Wisconsin, the district is contained entirely within central Dane County. It …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin's_76th_Assembly_dist…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Sen. Bernie Sanders ran far to the left of Clinton in the Dem primaries”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Commonweal Magazine and Michael Goodwin, state that Bernie Sanders ran to the left of Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — While Sanders enjoyed strong backing from independents in the 2016 primaries, he had less support among the party faithful – self-identified Democrats - who made up three-quarters of the Democratic pr…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-2020-the-big-que…

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web search NEUTRAL — In the 2016 presidential primaries, Bernie Sanders ran to the left of Hillary Clinton, with the support of the Democratic Socialists of America on a pro-labor platform that criticized the links betwee…
https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/unions-hill

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web search NEUTRAL — Bernie Sanders ran far to the left of Clinton in the Dem primaries, but she controlled the party apparatus. As the nominee, she played the dirtiest dirty trick ever with the fictional Steele dossier, …
https://nypost.com/2026/08/15/opinion/michael-goodwin-woke-m…

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Claim 5: “Mamdani... told reporters that “Sometimes what you believe in can change. I’ve made it very clear that I do not believe in defunding the police and I will not be defunding the police.””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “Her decision to go public with a video giving herself an injection in the process of freezing her eggs”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “James Talarico, a flaky Dem running for Senate in Texas”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “a former Biden aide, Yemisi Egbewole, said on CNN that, “Peak woke got weird. It’s OK to say that!””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “The victor, a black county executive named David Crowley, had dropped out of the race and then re-entered it.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly state that David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, re-entered the Wisconsin governor's race and won.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Race was latest test of the durability of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.David Crowley, the Milwaukee county executive, pulled off a last-minute victory after re-entering the Wisconsin govern…
https://www.irishtimes.com/world/americas/2026/08/12/david-c…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Recent Wisconsin Governor Democratic Primary Polls.But given Ms. Hong’s cushion of more than 20 points, and the fact that neither of the more moderate options has been able to consolidate support, the…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/us/politics/wisconsin-dem…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — David Crowley, Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor, shakes hands with Karen Hilt, left, during a campaign stop Aug. 7 in Sheboygan, Wis.
https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2026/08/12/david-crowley-win…

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Claim 10: “He had the support of just 7 percent in a late poll”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including a Marquette University survey and a Marquette Law Poll Memo, explicitly state that David Crowley was at 7% in a late poll before winning.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Wisconsin. Democratic Milwaukee County executive David Crowley and Republican U.S. re…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Wisconsin_gubernatorial_e…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — David Crowley may refer to: David Crowley (Wisconsin politician) (born 1986), Milwaukee County county executive and former Wisconsin State Assembly member David H. Crowley (1882–1951), Michigan Attor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Crowley

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 11: “Guardian columnist Derecka Purnell warns that the two New Yorkers “backtracking on the defund movement puts organizers at risk.””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “the news that she and her boyfriend ended their engagement.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 13: “the George Floyd killing by Minneapolis police in May of 2020.”

VERIFIED

The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May 2020 is a widely documented historical fact confirmed by the provided cross-reference.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — referring to a Black Minneapolis man killed by a police officer who kneeled on his neck for several minutes during an arrest in May 2020.
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260522-ireland-s-george…

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Claim 14: “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez... pulled off a stunning upset in a 2018 congressional primary in Queens, and won the general election.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won a stunning upset in a 2018 congressional primary in Queens and subsequently won the general election.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ocasio-Cortez won the primary for New York’s 14th congressional district, which covers large swaths of the Bronx and Queens, after raising just over $300,000.
https://readsludge.com/2018/06/26/influx-of-corporate-cash-u…

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web search NEUTRAL — Gregory Meeks, won re-election with just 9,803 votes, or 84 percent of the total. In New York City, the winner of the Democratic primary almost always wins the general election because of the enrollme…
https://nypost.com/2018/06/28/most-voters-stayed-home-for-st…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — On Tuesday night, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old political newcomer and self-described socialist, defeated one of the most powerful and entrenched Democrats in Congress — a shocking primary w…
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-alexandria-ocasio-cortez…

verified

Claim 15: “giving him the nomination by less than half of a percentage point.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While evidence confirms David Crowley won the nomination, none of the provided sources specify the exact margin of victory as being 'less than half of a percentage point'.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 16: “In an interview with ABC News, she said she and others had “moved away” from statements they made during the COVID madness, especially on cutting police budgets and closing prisons.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “Zohran Mamdani... as foreign born, is not eligible for the White House.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 18: “a single race in Wisconsin where a wacky socialist squandered a huge lead and lost by a narrow margin to a more-centrist opponent in the Democrats’ primary for governor.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (NPR, Michael Goodwin, and other web results) confirm that a democratic socialist narrowly lost the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary to a more centrist opponent.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Devin Remiker. Important issues for the state party include s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_of_Wisconsin

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 19: “the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s mayor.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news sources (NY Post, CNBC, Flipboard) report that Zohran Mamdani was elected as the mayor of New York City.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City
https://flipboard.com/topic/news/mamdani-s-grocery-giveaway-…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The DSA is known for motivating its volunteers toward robust get-out-the-vote initiatives that carried socialist Zohran Mamdani to the mayor’s office in New York City after they backed him.
https://nypost.com/2026/06/03/us-news/far-left-la-mayoral-ca…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — New York City’s election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor last year
https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/opinion/michael-goodwin-michig…

+ 2 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.