Latest news with #DemocraticNationalCommittee
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Democrats' 2024 Autopsy Is Described as Avoiding the Likeliest Cause of Death
The Democratic National Committee's examination of what went wrong in the 2024 election is expected to mostly steer clear of the decisions made by the Biden-turned-Harris campaign and will focus more heavily instead on actions taken by allied groups, according to interviews with six people briefed on the report's progress. The audit, which the committee is calling an 'after-action review,' is expected to avoid the questions of whether former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. should have run for re-election in the first place, whether he should have exited the race earlier than he did and whether former Vice President Kamala Harris was the right choice to replace him, according to the people briefed on the process so far. Nor is the review expected to revisit key decisions by the Harris campaign — like framing the election as a choice between democracy and fascism, and refraining from hitting back after an ad by Donald J. Trump memorably attacked Ms. Harris on transgender rights by suggesting that she was for 'they/them' while Mr. Trump was 'for you' — that have roiled Democrats in the months since Mr. Trump took back the White House. Party officials described the draft document as focusing on the 2024 election as a whole, but not on the presidential campaign — which is something like eating at a steakhouse and then reviewing the salad. Producing a tough-minded public review of a national electoral defeat would be a politically delicate exercise under any circumstance, given the need to find fault with the work and judgment of important party leaders and strategists. It is particularly fraught for the new D.N.C. chairman, Ken Martin, who promised a post-election review from his first day on the job but whose first few months in the role have been plagued by infighting and financial strains. 'We are not interested in second-guessing campaign tactics or decisions of campaign operatives,' said Jane Kleeb, the Nebraska Democratic chairwoman, who heads the association of Democratic state chairs and is a close ally of Mr. Martin. 'We are interested in what voters turned out for Republicans and Democrats, and how we can fix this moving forward.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
NBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Democrats in a key state want to see their leaders 'fight' — and reach across party lines
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Democratic strategists, elected officials and voters in South Carolina are already eagerly looking forward, hunting for the next leader of their party after their 2024 presidential loss. They haven't had to look far: Prominent Democratic officials have flooded into the state, which was the first to vote in Democrats' 2024 presidential primaries, in recent weeks. Democratic Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gavin Newsom of California and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have all crisscrossed South Carolina so far this year, while Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is also planning an event just outside of Charleston this weekend. As potential candidates test themselves out in South Carolina, state Democrats are considering whom they want to see leading them into a post-Donald Trump era. In conversations with more than a dozen Democrats across the state, two themes emerged: They want someone ready to 'fight,' but they also want someone who can appeal across party lines. And while the two concepts might have seemed like an implausible match in the past, in today's populist political moment, the pairing makes more sense. Tyler Bailey, a civil rights attorney and Columbia City Council member who attended Beshear's event here, said he's looking for 'somebody who's not gonna just come in there and just say I'm not for Trump. It can't just be an anti-Trump message.' There is 'a hunger of people wanting to see some real leadership on the Democrat side,' Bailey added. Spoiling for a fighter Over and over, in interviews across the state, Democratic leaders had one word on their lips: fight. 'People want somebody who's going to fight,' former Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison told NBC News in an interview following Beshear's Columbia event. 'If there's a theme that I am constantly getting, it's they're tired of the party being a doormat for Republicans. They want somebody who's gonna give the Republicans just as much hell — if not more — and fight for them and their families and their communities.' Harrison, who once chaired the South Carolina state party, said anyone without a case to make that they were strongly standing up to Republicans shouldn't bother hitting the campaign trail. 'If you're coming here and your backbone is like a wet noodle or spaghetti, you might as well just not even — save your airfare,' he said with a laugh. Christale Spain, the current chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, echoed Harrison, telling NBC News in an interview at the party's headquarters that this moment calls for someone who is 'going to fight back against the current MAGA Republicans. We're looking for a leader that is a fighter.' Spain added that the desire for a 'fighter' has 'been clear to me for the last few months, just going around the state myself, talking to voters and seeing how they respond to different things.' Governors who have visited the state have consistently rebuked Trump, positioning themselves against his tariff agenda, against his cuts to the federal workforce and against the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' the massive GOP domestic policy package that congressional Republicans passed earlier this month. 'Make no mistake,' Beshear told union members at the South Carolina AFL-CIO's annual convention in Greenville. 'What Trump and his congressional enablers have just done is a direct attack on rural America and on Southerners like us. It is a betrayal.' Speaking across party lines Beyond looking for a fighter at this moment, Democrats in South Carolina are also looking ahead to a post-Trump era, when dozens of national Democratic leaders seem poised to throw their hat in the ring in a 2028 presidential primary. And former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, the last Democrat to serve in the state's governor's mansion, summed up what he thought his fellow primary voters should be looking for: someone who 'knows how to win.' For a lot of Democrats who spoke to NBC News, that means a focus on who can draw in voters of all political stripes. 'I hear several things consistently. … It's critically important that we choose well in this next election cycle, whether we pick somebody who can draw independent voters, rally the base and get some Republican votes,' Hodges told NBC News in an interview following Beshear's Wednesday meet-and-greet. Towner Magill, a Democrat who attended Beshear's meet-and-greet in Charleston on Thursday, echoed Hodges. 'I'm looking for a uniter, not just in the Democratic Party. I think we need to run a uniter, but I also think that maybe we need a uniter in the White House,' Magill told NBC News. A call for plainer language and clearer issues Many Democrats in South Carolina said that to unite voters across party lines, Democratic leaders have to remain laser-focused on certain issues. 'We stopped talking about issues that, you know, that working-class folks care about: jobs, health care, education, community safety,' Hodges said. 'That's why we did more poorly with working-class voters — white, Black, Latino — because we stopped talking about the issues they cared about.' 'There needs to be an adjustment in our message to addressing the concerns that they have about their own lives,' the former governor added. State Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine called the messaging she's hoping to hear from potential Democratic candidates a focus on 'real things.' 'What I think most people are looking for is somebody who actually they feel like is speaking to them about real things,' Isaac Devine told NBC News after Beshear's Columbia event. South Carolina Democrats want leaders who are 'speaking real things, and not just … the culture wars or the political correct terms, but actually can talk to what their pain point is. They want people who are going to give solutions,' Isaac Devine added. South Carolinians aren't alone in that desire. Other rising Democratic leaders, including freshman Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Ruben Gallego of Arizona have also called for Democrats to stop using words like ' oligarchy ' or what Gallego calls ' Ivy League-tested terms ' — though Bernie Sanders pushed back on the criticism of his anti-oligarchy activism. Harrison pointed to the constant push for Democrats to use certain inclusive or technical language as a reason why some voters may have viewed Democratic candidates as inauthentic. 'For so long, I feel like Democrats, we put ourselves in straitjackets in terms of our language and how we talk to people and how we connect with folks,' Harrison said. 'We have to let our authentic selves step out. That means that we've got to be willing to take risks. That means that we should not be shy about making mistakes, because that makes us more human and more relatable,' he added. Bailey, the city council member in Columbia, pointed to character and relatability as something that could prove a major selling point for voters in his state. 'I think the relatability, people factor, is gonna be important. Because, you know, most communication is nonverbal,' he said. 'You can get a lot from somebody who's, for example, walks around scared, doesn't engage, doesn't talk, can't look you in the eye, can't shake your hand, seems, like, out of place eating fried chicken [and] would rather just have wine and cheese.'
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Barack Obama Asks Democrats To 'Toughen Up' And 'Do Something' In Latest Message
Last Updated: His recent call to action came at a private fundraiser event in New Jersey last week. Former US President Barack Obama has delivered a strong message to Democrats, urging them to stop whining and start taking a stand. He issued this call to action at a private fundraiser held in New Jersey last week. The Democrats faced a disappointing loss in the 2024 presidential election, as Republican candidate Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris. Over the past few months, the Trump administration has announced several decisions that have frustrated Democrats and contradicted their political values. In his speech on Friday, the former President encouraged Democrats to stand up for their principles and for what they believe is right for the progress of the country. He also urged them to complain less and take more action. 'I think it's going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it's going to require Democrats to just toughen up," Obama said, as reported by CNN. After their loss in the presidential election, Democrats are now seeking ways to move forward. Currently, the party is focused on campaigning for their candidates in the upcoming gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. Offering his support, Obama said, 'Stop looking for the quick fix. Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates." The New Jersey fundraiser was hosted by Governor Phil Murphy and Tammy Murphy at their residence in Red Bank. The event raised $2.5 million in donations for the Democratic National Committee, according to an insider source cited by CNN. In his speech, Obama also addressed internal divisions within the party, urging supporters to remain committed to delivering results and improving people's lives. 'You've got to figure out how to do it," he said. Obama also expressed hope that Democrats can return to power. 'If we do our jobs over the next year and a half, then I think we will rebuild momentum," he said. The recent fundraiser marked one of the few occasions where Obama directly criticised Trump and his policies. While he has previously spoken out against Trump's tariff policies and warned of the country's drift toward autocracy, he has generally been selective in his comments on the current president. view comments First Published: July 14, 2025, 22:18 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Ex-DNC Chair Jaime Harrison on his new podcast: People want Democrats ‘to just be real'
Jaime Harrison, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), is launching a new podcast, teeing up his first episodes with guests like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Hunter Biden. 'We named it 'At Our Table,' because for me, many of the most important conversations that I've had in life were at the dining room table or at our table in our house, talking to family in real talk,' Harrison told The Hill in an interview ahead of his launch. Unlike other podcasts, Harrison said he had unique relationships with many of the party's top leaders, adding it 'was a great opportunity for folks to really get a three-dimensional sense of some of the leaders in our party and some of the biggest topics that we're talking about right now.' Other Democratic members who are expected to appear on the podcast include Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.). Many Democrats are trying their hand at podcasting, including Beshear and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), as the party experiments with new forums beyond traditional media. Podcasts tend to offer more intimate listening experiences, helping create connections between hosts and listeners. Podcasts because a particular focal point during the 2024 election as President Trump's appearance on shows with hosts like Joe Rogan were credited with helping him reach new audiences before he eventually defeated former Vice President Harris. Some in the political world have long been in the podcast space. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has had his podcast for a while and 'Ruthless,' which is hosted by GOP strategists and a commentator, is a favorite among Republicans and conservatives. Meanwhile, 'Pod Save America,' among others, is a favorite among Democrats. But the podcasts come at a unique moment for the Democratic Party, who have struggled to reset from the November elections and are mired in low approval ratings. 'I think it is going to give people an opportunity to just be real, to be real people and to showcase their dimensions, and I think that's what people are looking for in the Democratic Party now,' Harrison told The Hill when asked how he saw his podcast helping the party address its current challenges. 'That's part of the reason why I wanted to invite the guests that I have on the podcast is because … I've known some of these people for a long time,' Harrison added. 'I've known Tim Walz for almost 20 years now, I've gotten a chance to get to know Hunter Biden over the last few years, and this caricatures that they have in the media are not always the same that I see behind the scenes.' 2024 Election Coverage Indeed, Harrison nabbed Hunter Biden's first post-election interview. In excerpts of Biden's interview with Harrison shared ahead of its release, the former president's second son said that he believed Democrats lost the November electio n for not being loyal to his father and responded to CNN anchor Jake Tapper's remarks in which Tapper referred to him as an 'acting chief of staff' for the Biden family. 'You ask one person to go on the record that would ever tell you that I was in any way making a single decision about anything, anything in that White House,' Biden told Harrison in their interview. 'I stayed as far away as I possibly could. Which, by the way, broke my heart.'
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Democrats try a new tone: Less scripted, more cursing, Trumpier insults
The Democratic National Committee's social media team kicked off its retreat early this year with a blunt message: People were slamming their work, which sometimes failed to connect with the party's angry voters. So, the team shortened its approval process for social media posts, encouraging members not to overthink them. They used the f-word on the party's main X account. And when erstwhile Trump ally Elon Musk suggested without evidence that President Donald Trump was entangled in the infamous Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, the DNC gleefully piled on: 'RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!'
