I had to doublecheck the byline on this one because it read less like a blog post and more like a field report from inside the Alamo. But instead of Davy Crockett, it’s David Pakman trying to warn the Democratic Party: y’all about to lose this whole damn fort if you keep rehearsing talking points instead of listening to the people.
What hit hardest for me was this:
“Too many Democrats are surrounded by staffers who live in fear of anything unscripted. They want control. But politics is about persuasion.”
That there is a eulogy for a strategy that never lived.
And look, I get it. Trump’s out here selling emotional heroin. Lies with rhythm. Fantasies with punchlines. And what’s the Dem response? “We’re not fascists.” Sir. That’s not a plan. That’s a Yelp review. That’s a group chat message. That’s a prayer. And we out here needing a blueprint.
“If they can’t recognize the disconnect between their message and the reality voters are living in, the next loss won’t just be a setback nah it’ll be an indictment of their refusal to change.”
David, you didn’t write this. You diagnosed it. You cracked the bone, hit the nerve, and traced it to the spine of the party.
Anyway, I’ll keep the rest of my rant over on my own Substack where I’ve been building my little barbershop-in-a-think-tank space over at Xplisset Voice of America. If you ever wanna tag-team something that speaks to both the data crowd and the barbecue-sauce-on-the-laptop crowd, I’m one tab away man.
This one deserves to get pinned. Because if folks don’t hear this now, we’ll be reading a very different kind of post in November ‘26. And it’ll start with: “I hate to say I told you so…”
AUTHENTICITY....over focus groups. Over polls - taken after every blip. Say what you mean...mean what you say...forget the INCESSANT posturing....some folks can smell "fake" a mile away...caveat, alas, this does NOT describe Buckeyes...they've elected 3 dimwits to national government. THREE. And... our (not mine) governor (rePUKEliKKKan) was the grand holier-than-thou poo bah when the First Energy CORRUPTION/bribery scandal occurred. He had, in fact, appointed the PUCO head. But I digress...don't look to Ohio for thoughtful insight. A majority of Buckeyes (apparently) lack critical thinking skills. (Notice: Biden et al. haters...you don't have to bother commenting "whaddabout Biden"... I don't like GENOCIDE. All of the above is NOT to suggest dems are "saints"....far, far, far from it. Both parties are CORRUPT.. each in their own way).
We should start by getting rid of the the old fossils that insist on constantly doing nothing but feather their own nests. Nothing against the old per se, but it is ABSURD how much older congress on average is compared to the populace, and it really shows how out of touch they are.
Furthermore, DEMANDING that lobbyists have limited to no input on votes is a must. That is a big part of how we got here, and it MUST be enforced.
GRanted, we can't let perfect be the enemy of good, but we must start demanding more. Its' time for those are politically comfortable and fat within the DNC to be knocked off their comfy chairs. Politics is meant to be a SERVICE in the US, not a soft nobility.
Lobbyists and corporations should not be allowed to make campaign contributions. Citizens United must be repealed. I'm not against lobbying. After all, lobbying is essentially what House and Senate members do amongst each other to gain support for legislation. Even corporations have points of view regarding their industries, and the public should hear those points, but no money or favors should ever be exchanged, and lobbying efforts should be documented, and made public.
We are in a crisis. If we weren’t, none of this would be happening. The democrats left the working class behind. We forgot the progress of the very backbone of the country during our loud and proud messages. The working class feels like they’re used as talking points during an election cycle and so do many POC that I have spoken to. I truly don’t know what we are going to do.
I agree, but I also understand why they’re sick of the bullshit and lip service by democrats. Jumping out of the fireplace and into the fire doesn’t make any sense to me either, but I also understand why they say we are the “elite” now. Literally every party has left the working class behind.
David - I agree with all the points you've made here and I also fear the Dems will blow their chance in 2026 and maybe 2028 - God forbid. My model here is Zohran Mamdani. He ran on those "kitchen table" issues and he is very bold in articulating them. Has he been on your show, or do you plan to ask him to appear? Anyway, keep up the good work of trying to get answers to all the questions you ask because I think you know that's what any regular American would ask. Be well...
One can only hope that someone on each of their staffs sees this message and shares it. I have voted for Democrats my entire life and I don't see that changing. I am not the "average" voter though. You're right. I see too many Democrats talking about things that are abstract. This doesn't stick in people's minds when they go to vote. They need concrete ideas at the bare minimum, that people will think about when they go to the polls!
Ok....voters need to look at history even recent history. Biden and the Dems had the country going well moving in a good direction. When Dems are in office things go generally well not perfect by any stretch especially compared to when Repubs are in. What we have now is an horrifying example of how a Republican admin governs. Usually we get wars recessions depressions draconian policies and scandals. Look we as a populace have two choices that's what they give us so to choose Trump style governance over the alternative is sheer idiocy it is making the worst possible bad bet of your life with life and future on the line not a few bucks. Deep in my belief system I know the last election was bought and manipulated but let's just say I am wrong then I will say that given only two choices I would much rather live in a quasi socialist state than an authoritarian or fascist one. Corporations and billionaires prefer the latter average people shouldn't.
Yes! I am relieved to see someone say it out loud. The last election was bought. The ’winner’ cheated, and Democrats are too courteous, refined even, to say that. The trump group thinks and speaks that way. So they/we remain silent, still grieving, uninspired, needing time to reflect and regroup.
For the most part we’ve not had to deal with someone like trump before. Someone like him has generally not been taken seriously. Such a person has usually been ignored.
But we find we are forced to dance with the devil. We are stunned, and offended, waiting for inspiration and strength.
Many will rise up sooner, as soon as their rage has been flushed.
We tend to think garbage will continue to rot, as the one working for us all (whether or not he believes it) is doing before our faces. He will self- destruct and be unaware of it. Meanwhile we will watch and design our effort with that sort of cosmic input and grace.
I cannot accept that these people don't get it. They're too educated and many have been at this game for a long, long time. The problem is, they're stuck between going back to their roots and protecting their giant donors from policies that will actually benefit the majority. They're scared the gravy train will end, I guess without realizing that if they fail to get elected, it's over anyways.
This is so important! If the Democrats don’t get a very clear message that we all can get behind, then I am very concerned we will not prevail in 2026! The Democratic leaders with clear ideas need to get together and lead!
Completely and totally agree with you, David! I was so disappointed that the DNC kicked David Hogg out. Their excuses were utterly ridiculous. Every time I listen to Chuck Schumer talk I wanna throw up, he is so condescending. Same with Hakeem Jeffries! I feel like I’m watching a used car commercial when I listen to them talk.
I honestly barely watch interviews with current Dems but caught you and another interviewing Cory Booker and I was shocked. I am proud of him for speaking over a day to keep the floor but why did he seem defensive and avoidant when progressive media is actually giving him a platform? He wouldn’t even look you in the eye. So far there are those like Schumer, Jeffries, Gillibrand, etc that seem to be actively holding us back and then AOC, Crockett, Stansbury, Murphy bringing some fire… but it all seems reactionary. Hogg is the only one I heard of with a strategy and he is getting demonized.
We desperately need a responsible party of and for the people. We see the same problems but due to big money in our elections never really come up with real platforms or representative candidates.
We need to start saying what it is we want, what we envision and tell it like a story. We need a platform.
Hmmm. What would the Integrity Party look like? People who eschew religions based on autocratic leaders with fit-in-this-box rules? People who pay their taxes on time? People who appreciate freedoms like speech, press, "the practice of faiths,' and every truth embedded in the comedy routines of late night talk show hosts and guest? What might be the mascot of this new Integrity Party? A single gladiolus bloom? A whistle? Steve Rogers (as Captain America)? A pride of lions (so many layers of symbolism with this one)? The Wizard of Oz? A mirror? A plum? A swan? A mighty oak tree? A pineapple (makes me think of Hawai'i, the state that is the soul of the United States)? An ailm (thank you, my Irish friends)?
It's ironic you associate pineapples with Hawai'i. Pineapples are not native to Hawai'i, but look how successful they've been for the Hawai'ian economy! Like immigration, transplanting makes us stronger. "Qui transtulit sustinet" (he who transplants still sustains) the motto of Connecticut, the Constitution State.
I had to doublecheck the byline on this one because it read less like a blog post and more like a field report from inside the Alamo. But instead of Davy Crockett, it’s David Pakman trying to warn the Democratic Party: y’all about to lose this whole damn fort if you keep rehearsing talking points instead of listening to the people.
What hit hardest for me was this:
“Too many Democrats are surrounded by staffers who live in fear of anything unscripted. They want control. But politics is about persuasion.”
That there is a eulogy for a strategy that never lived.
And look, I get it. Trump’s out here selling emotional heroin. Lies with rhythm. Fantasies with punchlines. And what’s the Dem response? “We’re not fascists.” Sir. That’s not a plan. That’s a Yelp review. That’s a group chat message. That’s a prayer. And we out here needing a blueprint.
“If they can’t recognize the disconnect between their message and the reality voters are living in, the next loss won’t just be a setback nah it’ll be an indictment of their refusal to change.”
David, you didn’t write this. You diagnosed it. You cracked the bone, hit the nerve, and traced it to the spine of the party.
Anyway, I’ll keep the rest of my rant over on my own Substack where I’ve been building my little barbershop-in-a-think-tank space over at Xplisset Voice of America. If you ever wanna tag-team something that speaks to both the data crowd and the barbecue-sauce-on-the-laptop crowd, I’m one tab away man.
This one deserves to get pinned. Because if folks don’t hear this now, we’ll be reading a very different kind of post in November ‘26. And it’ll start with: “I hate to say I told you so…”
You and David are spot on. Sometimes I feel Bernie and AOC are the only ones out there listening to the people and providing a conceivable plan.
AUTHENTICITY....over focus groups. Over polls - taken after every blip. Say what you mean...mean what you say...forget the INCESSANT posturing....some folks can smell "fake" a mile away...caveat, alas, this does NOT describe Buckeyes...they've elected 3 dimwits to national government. THREE. And... our (not mine) governor (rePUKEliKKKan) was the grand holier-than-thou poo bah when the First Energy CORRUPTION/bribery scandal occurred. He had, in fact, appointed the PUCO head. But I digress...don't look to Ohio for thoughtful insight. A majority of Buckeyes (apparently) lack critical thinking skills. (Notice: Biden et al. haters...you don't have to bother commenting "whaddabout Biden"... I don't like GENOCIDE. All of the above is NOT to suggest dems are "saints"....far, far, far from it. Both parties are CORRUPT.. each in their own way).
We should start by getting rid of the the old fossils that insist on constantly doing nothing but feather their own nests. Nothing against the old per se, but it is ABSURD how much older congress on average is compared to the populace, and it really shows how out of touch they are.
Furthermore, DEMANDING that lobbyists have limited to no input on votes is a must. That is a big part of how we got here, and it MUST be enforced.
GRanted, we can't let perfect be the enemy of good, but we must start demanding more. Its' time for those are politically comfortable and fat within the DNC to be knocked off their comfy chairs. Politics is meant to be a SERVICE in the US, not a soft nobility.
Lobbyists and corporations should not be allowed to make campaign contributions. Citizens United must be repealed. I'm not against lobbying. After all, lobbying is essentially what House and Senate members do amongst each other to gain support for legislation. Even corporations have points of view regarding their industries, and the public should hear those points, but no money or favors should ever be exchanged, and lobbying efforts should be documented, and made public.
We are in a crisis. If we weren’t, none of this would be happening. The democrats left the working class behind. We forgot the progress of the very backbone of the country during our loud and proud messages. The working class feels like they’re used as talking points during an election cycle and so do many POC that I have spoken to. I truly don’t know what we are going to do.
I never understand this argument because they’ve been pulled into the party that exploits, lies, and disparages them for a few election cycles now.
I agree, but I also understand why they’re sick of the bullshit and lip service by democrats. Jumping out of the fireplace and into the fire doesn’t make any sense to me either, but I also understand why they say we are the “elite” now. Literally every party has left the working class behind.
David - I agree with all the points you've made here and I also fear the Dems will blow their chance in 2026 and maybe 2028 - God forbid. My model here is Zohran Mamdani. He ran on those "kitchen table" issues and he is very bold in articulating them. Has he been on your show, or do you plan to ask him to appear? Anyway, keep up the good work of trying to get answers to all the questions you ask because I think you know that's what any regular American would ask. Be well...
One can only hope that someone on each of their staffs sees this message and shares it. I have voted for Democrats my entire life and I don't see that changing. I am not the "average" voter though. You're right. I see too many Democrats talking about things that are abstract. This doesn't stick in people's minds when they go to vote. They need concrete ideas at the bare minimum, that people will think about when they go to the polls!
Mamdani anyone? Specific won the day for him!
David, so very thoughtful. I so appreciate this article and the substance it provides.
Ok....voters need to look at history even recent history. Biden and the Dems had the country going well moving in a good direction. When Dems are in office things go generally well not perfect by any stretch especially compared to when Repubs are in. What we have now is an horrifying example of how a Republican admin governs. Usually we get wars recessions depressions draconian policies and scandals. Look we as a populace have two choices that's what they give us so to choose Trump style governance over the alternative is sheer idiocy it is making the worst possible bad bet of your life with life and future on the line not a few bucks. Deep in my belief system I know the last election was bought and manipulated but let's just say I am wrong then I will say that given only two choices I would much rather live in a quasi socialist state than an authoritarian or fascist one. Corporations and billionaires prefer the latter average people shouldn't.
Yes! I am relieved to see someone say it out loud. The last election was bought. The ’winner’ cheated, and Democrats are too courteous, refined even, to say that. The trump group thinks and speaks that way. So they/we remain silent, still grieving, uninspired, needing time to reflect and regroup.
For the most part we’ve not had to deal with someone like trump before. Someone like him has generally not been taken seriously. Such a person has usually been ignored.
But we find we are forced to dance with the devil. We are stunned, and offended, waiting for inspiration and strength.
Many will rise up sooner, as soon as their rage has been flushed.
We tend to think garbage will continue to rot, as the one working for us all (whether or not he believes it) is doing before our faces. He will self- destruct and be unaware of it. Meanwhile we will watch and design our effort with that sort of cosmic input and grace.
I cannot accept that these people don't get it. They're too educated and many have been at this game for a long, long time. The problem is, they're stuck between going back to their roots and protecting their giant donors from policies that will actually benefit the majority. They're scared the gravy train will end, I guess without realizing that if they fail to get elected, it's over anyways.
We need more people like Pete Buttieige.
This is so important! If the Democrats don’t get a very clear message that we all can get behind, then I am very concerned we will not prevail in 2026! The Democratic leaders with clear ideas need to get together and lead!
Completely and totally agree with you, David! I was so disappointed that the DNC kicked David Hogg out. Their excuses were utterly ridiculous. Every time I listen to Chuck Schumer talk I wanna throw up, he is so condescending. Same with Hakeem Jeffries! I feel like I’m watching a used car commercial when I listen to them talk.
I honestly barely watch interviews with current Dems but caught you and another interviewing Cory Booker and I was shocked. I am proud of him for speaking over a day to keep the floor but why did he seem defensive and avoidant when progressive media is actually giving him a platform? He wouldn’t even look you in the eye. So far there are those like Schumer, Jeffries, Gillibrand, etc that seem to be actively holding us back and then AOC, Crockett, Stansbury, Murphy bringing some fire… but it all seems reactionary. Hogg is the only one I heard of with a strategy and he is getting demonized.
We need more people like Pete Buttieige.
We desperately need a responsible party of and for the people. We see the same problems but due to big money in our elections never really come up with real platforms or representative candidates.
We need to start saying what it is we want, what we envision and tell it like a story. We need a platform.
Hmmm. What would the Integrity Party look like? People who eschew religions based on autocratic leaders with fit-in-this-box rules? People who pay their taxes on time? People who appreciate freedoms like speech, press, "the practice of faiths,' and every truth embedded in the comedy routines of late night talk show hosts and guest? What might be the mascot of this new Integrity Party? A single gladiolus bloom? A whistle? Steve Rogers (as Captain America)? A pride of lions (so many layers of symbolism with this one)? The Wizard of Oz? A mirror? A plum? A swan? A mighty oak tree? A pineapple (makes me think of Hawai'i, the state that is the soul of the United States)? An ailm (thank you, my Irish friends)?
It's ironic you associate pineapples with Hawai'i. Pineapples are not native to Hawai'i, but look how successful they've been for the Hawai'ian economy! Like immigration, transplanting makes us stronger. "Qui transtulit sustinet" (he who transplants still sustains) the motto of Connecticut, the Constitution State.
Agreed 100%!!!!! So far it's a nothing-burger. They don't want to listen to anyone who thinks outside their precious tiny box!
I completely agree!!