For the better part of two years, Democrats told voters that their country was on the brink of destruction. Party leaders insisted victory in November was essential. Failure would spell disaster not only for America's democratic system, but also for its economy and working-class people.
Under normal circumstances, political parties that failed to prevent such a crisis would be expected to seriously reflect on what went wrong. Changes in leadership are expected. Like the Republicans in the aftermath of 1960, or Even in 2008the party will fundamentally reevaluate the decisions that led to this moment.
Not so in this Democratic Party, where longtime leaders are plodding forward as if nothing has happened. From a former Harris campaign staffer's departure from the press to a leadership race in Congress that rejects even the premise that anything has to change, Democrats are choosing to turn a blind eye to structural problems at the top of their party. The accountability seems to lie with someone else.
it doesn't solve anything.
Recent media interviews have revealed that party elites see themselves as passive observers rather than change-makers in the Democratic Party. This is hardly reassuring to voters who are relying on Democrats to rally and launch an intensive campaign to take back Congress in 2026.
On Monday, Kamala Harris campaign manager Rob Flaherty lamented to Semaphore that Democrats:loss of culture.In other words, Democrats showed no response to Donald Trump's nonstop digital and alternative media onslaught, especially his appearance on Joe Rogan's show. highly influential podcast. Flaherty acknowledged that “the system that has historically given Democrats the ability to influence culture is losing relevance.” It's been a while, cable news.
But as Harris' digital guru, shouldn't Flaherty have acted on these insights during the campaign? The men and women at the top of the vice president's disastrous campaign understood that President Trump was using the following methods to make inroads into the Democratic coalition: YouTube influencers like Theo Von and podcasters like Rogan. However, they passively provide explanations for Harris's inaction, as if they were not the decision-makers in the situation.
I'm not trying to bash Flaherty personally. He seems like a thoughtful and introspective person, and perhaps more influential advisors like Jennifer Palmieri also seemed that way. Inactive at this time. And at least Flaherty and Palmieri seem to be aware of it. The same cannot be said for the elected leaders of the Democratic Party. They largely ignore any sense of responsibility for the party's failed efforts to control the House and Senate. In recent weeks, there have been many examples of how divorced the reality in Washington is from that of the angry voters they serve.
The same Democrats who oversaw a painful defeat in last month's election are not only back in leadership positions, but more firmly entrenched than ever. Just ask Sen. Chuck Schumer. Re-elected unanimously (!) He opposed his role as Democratic Party leader, even though he helped develop a Senate campaign strategy that would take away the party's majority. Or just don't ask him. Schumer has so far avoided answering tough questions from reporters about what went wrong, what he learned and what he plans to change going forward.
Things are not much better in the House, where Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Old Guard are leading the charge to prevent the next generation of party members from claiming committee leadership roles. Nowhere is this more evident than in the battle over the ranking of Democrats on the Oversight Committee, which has exploded into public view since Pelosi took office. Organize a vote against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, lost to 74-year-old Gerry Connolly on Tuesday. By a vote of 131-84.
The result is a further divide between the bottom and the elite, with ordinary voters wondering why the most visible young voices in the party are once again being sidelined, and why the same group of burly septuagenarians are being sidelined. I'm wondering if I support it. The Democratic Party's leadership election, which maintains the status quo, is understandable for a party that has exceeded expectations. But the party just lost the White House and the Senate, destroying any real chance it had of taking back the House.
Instead of listening to the voices of demoralized and dissatisfied Democratic voters, party elders chose to protect a leadership that had lost the public's trust. Even if the party has learned its lessons from the November 5 fiasco, it is certainly not acting as such.
Last month's election proved that voters are not willing to wait until Democrats get the message that it's time for change. The sooner Democrats realize that, the better for the party and for our democracy.
Max Burns is a veteran Democratic strategist and founder of Third Degree Strategies.
