As this historic 2024 political year comes to a close, many Democrats are crying in their eggnog. Not only did we fail to win back the House of Representatives (this prospect seemed likely in January), but we lost the Senate and frustratingly lost the White House again — and the popular vote. Three issues add to our tears as we enter 2025 in the political wilderness.

We are leaderless. During a 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, Trump is controlling and dominating news cycles. Conversely, Joe Biden is largely MIA, as is Kamala Harris, who reportedly is debating whether to run again for president in 2028, for governor of California in 2026, or exit politics.

Meanwhile, congressional leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries remain invisible, taking the temperature of colleagues and privately planning for next year. 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 being 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 Trump, who consistently engaged with them for the last four years. Audiences saw him as 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 next influential platforms for tomorrow.

Finally, Democrats lack an agenda. I spend most of every day consuming, analyzing and discussing politics. I have no idea what Biden or Harris wanted to do if they won. What were the motivating principles, other than defeating Trump, that made them want to get out of bed every day? Democrats offer few, if any, bold ideas that inspire the majority of voters, let alone the party faithful.

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 and 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. However, one candidate did not. He went in the opposite direction, proposing to aggressively stop illegal immigration, redo free-trade deals, and end the "forever wars" of 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.

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Dan Turrentine is a former Democratic strategist. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.

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