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After a presidential election, the losing party finds itself at a crossroads. The message from voters is clear: look in the mirror, recalibrate, and prepare to come back stronger by the midterms.
Too often, this process devolves into internal blame games, leadership shakeups, and ideological purges that resemble therapy sessions more than strategic planning.
Having debated Trump surrogates more than 200 times on right-wing networks, I have seen first-hand how Republicans exploit frustration to energize their base and broaden their appeal. Over the course of countless conversations this year, it became clear to me that Donald Trump and his campaign were not offering unique solutions or innovative policies. However, what they have offered – better than many Democrats – is a winning narrative built on the scale of change voters seek.
Former President Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Although we are the party of progressivism, we are reluctant to move forward in a changing political world. We reuse the same candidates, the same message and the same strategies, in the hope of obtaining new results. For many voters, our party represents the status quo.
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Our political opponents use terms like “establishment” and “swamp” to describe our leaders to skeptical voters. Voters seeking change or a sense of real progress often feel frustrated by what they perceive as an establishment using a repetitive approach to power.
Democrats have the policies to solve the country’s biggest problems, but politics alone don’t win elections. Elections are about telling a story. It’s about meeting voters where they are and integrating their concerns into a compelling and relevant message.
During my time in the State Senate, I saw this dynamic play out during the Great Recession. My constituents care deeply about affordability. As I worked on environmental protection, health care reform, and infrastructure, I reframed these priorities through the lens of what mattered most to voters’ lives: their wallets.
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This cycle, Democrats have struggled to communicate with voters on this same pressing concern: affordability. Despite the Biden administration’s strong economic indicators – falling unemployment, GDP growth and slowing inflation – many Americans have not felt the recovery. The costs of gas, groceries and housing were more important on their minds. Republicans have not come to the table to resolve these issues; they simply expressed them better, positioning themselves as champions of change.
Our challenge now is not to redefine who we are but to refocus on the way we communicate. At its heart, the Democratic Party is the party of working families, union workers, and equal opportunity. Yet we have allowed these core values to be buried under competing narratives, leading to confusion among voters about what and who we stand for.
Engaging voters requires stepping out of our comfort zone. As someone who has represented Democratic ideals on right-wing platforms, I have learned the importance of listening to and debating opposing viewpoints. Trump surrogates have often reframed issues to put Democrats on the defensive, assuming we would fall back on moral arguments rather than practical ones.
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To influence these debates in hostile territory, it was necessary to remain anchored in solutions that corresponded to the daily concerns of voters. This approach – engagement rather than withdrawal – must guide the party going forward.
It is not a sign of weakness to address the concerns of voters who did not choose us. That’s leadership. By engaging the skeptics, we build trust, strengthen our policies, and show Americans that we are fighting for everyone, not just those already on our side.
Operating exclusively inside an echo chamber only leads to infighting and the exclusion of coalitions from the Democratic Party.
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The future of the Democratic Party is not about rewriting our core principles. It’s about better understanding voters’ frustrations and aspirations and responding to them with empathy and clarity. Acceptance is key: acceptance of the election results, the concerns that have driven voters this cycle, and the various coalitions that have called this party home.
Now is the time to look outward, not inward. Meet voters where they are and show them we are the party of inclusion, empathy and solutions. We have spent too much time looking in the mirror.
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