Democrats may have just realized that having “orange man bad” as their sole political message for the past 10 years was a really bad idea. In a surprisingly blunt segment on CNN News Central, the show’s hosts acknowledged what many Americans have long suspected: the Democratic Party was “a complete and utter mess” as they looked toward the 2028 presidential election. With no frontrunner, deep internal disarray, and record-low favorability ratings; you knew things were bad when even CNN sounded the alarm.

The analysis was sparked by former Vice President Kamala Harris’s return to the national stage to promote her book on her campaign for president in 2024. While co-anchor Kate Bolduan made sure to note that Harris had not ruled out a future presidential run, CNN’s senior data reporter Harry Enten wasted no time in downplaying her chances. “The chance that Kamala Harris is going to be the 2028 Democratic nominee. They don’t look too good right now, to be perfectly honest with you,” he asserted.

He pointed to betting market data which showed California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) at the lead with 20 percent support, followed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at 15 percent. Harris, meanwhile, was “all the way down at six,” tied for fourth place.

Harris’s low numbers were just the beginning. Enten then made a much broader and more damning observation about the Democratic Party’s overall presidential prospects.

When asked by Bolduan how divided Democrats actually were, Enten gave it to her straight: “Democrats at this point are historically divided. It is a complete and utter mess. It is messier than a hoarder's basement.” 

Early polling ahead of a presidential primary usually shows a clear Democratic frontrunner with at least 25 percent support. That was true for Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2008 and 2016, and Al Gore in 2000 and 2004. But as the primary season is rapidly approaching, no Democrat has reached that threshold.

“There is no one, no one in the Democratic race for president who's polling at 25 percent plus,” Enten emphasized.

That vacuum at the top may have reflected more than just a lack of standout candidates. It also signaled a deep dissatisfaction for Democratic voters. When asked if the party’s image could be contributing to this uncertainty, Enten didn’t hold back: “The Democratic brand is in the basement. It is total and complete garbage in the mind of the American public.”

He cited polling from multiple sources that showed just how low the Dems are polling: “Wall Street Journal 30 points underwater, CNN 26 points underwater, Gallup 26 points underwater. And that is being driven in large part by discontent within the Democratic base.”

The takeaway was that the Democrat Party wasn’t just suffering from a leadership problem, the voter base themselves were lackluster and without direction. The party had begun to grow unpopular even among their own supporters.

A simple look at 2024 voting data shows that the majority of young people were moving right, and photos from June's anti-Trump “No Kings” rallies looked more like nursing home field trips than a political rally. The Democrats were lost, alienating their own voters, and don’t have a clear leader. 

It turned out spite was no substitute for strategy. 

The entire transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:

CNN News Central
August 1, 2025
9:43:33 AM ET

KATE BOLDUAN: Kamala Harris made her return to the national stage last night, sitting down with Stephen Colbert. It was her first major interview since leaving office. And during the sit down, she discussed her announcement that she will not be running for governor of California and also very clearly left the door open for another possible presidential run in 2028. CNN's Harry Enten looking at all the numbers for you on this.

If she wants to run in 2028, what are the numbers that you're seeing about this right now?

HARRY ENTEN: Yeah, I would just say, hold your horses here. The chance that Kamala Harris is going to be the 2028 Democratic nominee. They don't look too good right now, to be perfectly honest with you. Chance of being the 2028 Democratic nominee–

BOLDUAN: But don’t you need to do the caveat of, like, what year we're currently in.

ENTEN: I believe we're in 2025, though it kind of feels like it feels like 2045. There have been so many years of just one so far. Look, Gavin Newsom is the favorite at 20 percent, according to the back-up money markets. Do not sleep on Ocasio-Cortez. AOC right up there at 15 percent. Buttigieg nine. Shapiro six. Harris all the way down at six, basically in a tie for fourth place at this particular point.

So, if you have any ideas that Kamala Harris is passing up a potential gubernatorial run for 2026 in California, and perhaps would be trading up for a presidential bid, the betting markets at this point, simply put, do not buy it.

BOLDUAN: Where are Democrats, though, right now and how divided they are? You know, historically speaking, looking at 2028.

ENTEN: Yeah, I would just say that at this particular point, Democrats at this point are historically divided. It is a complete and utter mess. It is messier than a hoarder's basement.
What are we talking about here? The national early poll leader 25 percent plus. Normally that's where Democrats are. Biden was at 25 percent plus in 2020. Hillary Clinton was in 2008 and 2016. Gore was in 2000 and 2004. At this particular point, there is no one, no one in the Democratic race for president who's polling at 25 percent plus.

The water is quite warm if you're a Democrat potentially thinking about running in 2028. Jump right in, because at this point, there is no front runner.

BOLDUAN: Is that– what do you think? Is that because– where– how people view the Democratic Party right now, is that contributing to this?

ENTEN: Yeah, I think that that is, in large, part of what's going on, is one of the reasons why there is no frontrunner, nobody wants to put anybody up at the top of their ballot list, is because at this particular point, the Democratic brand is in the basement. It is total and complete garbage in the mind of the American public.

The Democratic Party’s net favorable rating record lows in all three. Wall Street Journal 30 points underwater, CNN 26 points underwater, Gallup 26 points underwater. And that is being driven in large part by discontent within the Democratic base. The Democratic base wants something different. We'll ultimately end up seeing who they choose. It will be quite the thing who ultimately gets the rose.

(...)