OPINION:
With 2024 behind us, many Democrats are still crying in their eggnog. Not only did we fail to win back the House of Representatives, which seemed likely last January, but we also lost the Senate and frustratingly lost the White House again — including the popular vote. Three issues add to our tears as we enter 2025 in the political wilderness.
We are leaderless. During this presidential transition, there is one president — and that appears to be President-elect Donald Trump. From meeting with world leaders in France to his team negotiating to end wars and driving economic news, Mr. Trump controls and dominates news cycles. Conversely, President Biden is largely MIA, as is Vice President Kamala Harris, who is reportedly debating whether to run again for president in 2028, for governor of California in 2026 or leave politics.
Meanwhile, Democratic congressional leaders Sen. Charles E. Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries remain invisible, taking the temperature of colleagues and privately planning for 2026. Then there are governors thinking about 2028 who want no public role in the party’s soul-searching.
Democrats also have message and message-delivery problems. Whether reflecting on “woke” issues, debating if we are economically too liberal or too moderate or unsure how to address chaos foreign (Israel and Ukraine) and domestic (immigration and public safety), Democrats are uncertain of their message.
Equally concerning, in this last election cycle, Democrats were largely unable to engage with popular podcasts and influencers, many of whom knew their audiences were uncomfortable with Democratic positions. There was no hesitation in hosting Mr. Trump, who consistently engaged them for the last four years. Audiences saw him authentically sharing their values, a cornerstone of voter intensity and engagement.
Democrats need to solve their new media problems of today and figure out the influential platforms of tomorrow.
Finally, Democrats lack an agenda. I spend most of my day consuming, analyzing and discussing politics. I have no idea what Mr. Biden or Ms. Harris would have done had they won. What motivating principles, other than defeating Mr. Trump, made them want to get out of bed every day? Democrats offer few, if any, bold ideas that inspire the party faithful, let alone the majority of voters.
While the glass appears half empty, I am optimistic. In defeat, the party can consider new voices, examine how to expand its coalition, seek a new message and propose a fresh agenda.
Who are the candidates we should watch for? I don’t know, and that’s a good thing. Professionals should not have the answers readily available, which has been part of the problem for the last 10 years. Winning candidates understand their community, its people and their issues and offer clear, bold solutions.
In 2013, the Republican National Committee spent millions of dollars on an autopsy of Mitt Romney’s failed presidential campaign, culminating in a set of solutions to win in 2016. Many GOP candidates for president embraced most or all of that report.
One candidate, however, did not. He went in the opposite direction, proposing to aggressively curb illegal immigration, redo free trade deals and end the forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Republican establishment and its traditional media allies were aghast at these ideas, believing they would lead to a generation of failure.
That candidate’s name was Donald Trump.
• Dan Turrentine is a former Democratic strategist. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
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