What will Democrats do if they regain the levers of governmental power? Where is their governing plan? What policies, programs, and priorities will they pursue during the first two years? This is what Americans are waiting to hear. Yes, we want the MAGA regime reined in immediately. And there needs to be accountability for the grift and corruption that have been so pervasive during the second Trump administration. We get it, Trump is bad for America. That will get many people to vote in November, but Democrats need more to engender the enthusiasm needed for a blue wave that will capture the Senate as well as the House. Democrats currently hold a commanding 6-point lead in the generic ballot.
While voters are more inclined to vote for Democrats in November, they are not happy with the party overall: 36.5 percent approve of the party’s performance, while 56.1 percent disapprove of how it is handling its job. They are, in fact, doing slightly worse than Republicans, who 38.6 percent of voters approve of the way they are doing their job, compared to 55.3 percent who don’t approve of their performance. Overall, just 10 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is doing its job, while 86 percent disapprove.
Let’s just say Democratic leadership is not inspiring confidence. According to RealClearPolitics, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has an abysmal average favorability rating of 25.1, with 49.4 percent finding him unfavorable. I guess a quarter of the country is not paying attention. His counterpart in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, is doing about the same, with 28.8 percent approving of how he’s doing his job and 38.8 percent disapproving. More than a third had no opinion. Schumer has been leading Senate Democrats since 2017, making him one of the longest-serving party leaders. Jeffries has been leading Democrats in the House since 2023 and has 13 years of congressional service. Democrats are missing effective leadership.
I went to the Democrats’ website to find out what messages they are sending to voters. The big headline: What We Are Fighting For sums it up as: Democrats believe that every American deserves a fair shot at the American dream. That seems positive. It provides a succinct agenda focused on lowering costs, improving healthcare, creating jobs, ending corruption, and protecting democracy, all worthy aspirations. It states: Republicans work for billionaires; Democrats fight for working people. It goes on to give generic descriptions about what that means. You can read it for yourself.
As NBC’s Kristen Welker so eloquently challenged Trump on Meet the Press: where’s the evidence? Exactly how are you fighting for working people? Exactly what do you plan to do should American voters return control of the House of Representatives to you? And the Senate? I understand the problems are many and enormous. Tackling rampant economic inequality is not easy. A recent national poll found that 65 percent of middle-class Americans are struggling financially. Forty percent of all Americans are unable to plan beyond their next paycheck. There is no easy fix.
I understand that in such a diverse and complex society as the United States, it is often difficult to articulate policies clearly for many voters, even for those who consider themselves well-informed. What works for some households won’t work for everyone. So it can be challenging to arrive at a consensus. So don’t promise to solve everything in your first term. Prioritize. Pick one or two or three policy initiatives that can be accomplished or at least acted on in the first two years. Maybe a real tax cut for the middle class and working poor? Perhaps a plan to help states and localities generate much-needed affordable housing? Childcare support, anyone?
Democrats say they are fighting to save democracy. Let’s start with something most Americans agree with: there is too much money in politics. A recent Politico poll found that 72 percent of Americans agree that there is too much money in politics, with just 5 percent disagreeing. Majorities say billionaires wield disproportionate influence over politics. American Promise has been leading a national movement for a constitutional amendment to restore Congress’s and the states’ authority to regulate political campaign spending. To date, 23 states have passed resolutions in favor of such an amendment.
It is time to move beyond advocacy into action. That does not diminish advocacy; it clarifies its purpose. There is a difference between expressing dissatisfaction and producing change, between raising awareness and changing policy, and between winning an argument and improving people’s lives. There is even a difference between being morally right and being strategically effective. Democrats do not need to promise everything. They need to tell Americans clearly what they will do, why it matters, and how they intend to get it done.