Democrats may be riding high now, but one of their top strategists says the party is on track to crash in 2028 unless it overhauls itself fast. In a New York Times op-ed, David Plouffe—who helped run three recent Democratic presidential campaigns, including Kamala Harris' 2024 bid—argues that despite strong showings against President Trump and MAGA-aligned candidates, Democrats have "no credible path" to long-term control of the White House and Senate. Plouffe warns that Electoral College shifts after the next census could make the map even harsher: A Democrat could win every state Harris took, plus Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and still miss 270 electoral votes, he writes. That matters, he says, because sustained power is needed to shape the Supreme Court, which could otherwise drift toward an 8-1 conservative majority over the next decade.
The party's task, in his telling: Stop coasting on Trump's unpopularity and rebuild a brand that can win "in politically unforgiving, even hostile, territory." His prescription is blunt and policy-heavy. Step one: Tie Trump and congressional Republicans to everyday frustrations—prices, wars, economic turbulence—and make them "own everything." Step two, which he calls harder: Confront how Democrats are perceived and offer a sharply focused agenda that voters see as immediately useful, not ideological. That means simple, easily communicated plans to cut living costs, from housing to child care to home health costs; aggressively build the workforce with needed jobs ( such as nurses, teachers, mechanics, plumbers); and regulate AI before it accelerates job loss, misinformation, and higher energy use.
Plouffe even envisions campaign ads that accuse Republicans of siding with "AI greed" and billionaire tech interests. He also urges Democrats to stop acting like guardians of a distrusted system. He calls for an anti-corruption push—term limits, lifetime lobbying bans, trading restrictions for lawmakers, even reconsidering presidential pardons—and for candidates to openly challenge their own party's leadership, programs, and red tape. Voters, he argues, want reformers who will "blow the whistle" on broken policies and prove they can spend new tax revenue effectively. Both parties, in his view, are in deep holes. The difference, he says, is that MAGA is stuck as long as Trump dominates it. Democrats, he concludes, have a brief window to move while their opponent can't. More here.
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