DSA is its own party; DSA affiliated candidates only run as democrats because the US system basically all but disallows third party success. I guarantee you that DSA members would not associate themselves with neoliberal Democrats at all, given the choice.
How is that different than the Tea Party republicans?
Smartening up in the sense of winning elections? Or serving their constituents?
They have been winning elections.
Trump and MAGA also won elections. My point is winning with a shitty plan is not smartening up, unless your only goal is winning the current election. The Republicans committed suicide, we saw it live.
And (in Ossof and Mamdani’s cases) serving their constituents.