Frank Bruni, a contributing Opinion writer, hosted a written online conversation with Tim Ryan, a former representative from Ohio; Anat Shenker-Osorio, a political researcher, a campaign adviser and the host of the podcast “Words to Win By”; and Lis Smith, a Democratic communications strategist and the author of the memoir “Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story.” They discussed the future of the Democratic Party and its leadership.
Frank Bruni: Lis, Tim, Anat, in about a month, Donald Trump will be inaugurated and Republicans will control both chambers of Congress. Happy Holidays! Judged by the sheer volume of words that have been written and spoken since Nov. 5 about ’their party’s comeuppance, Democrats have gone beyond soul searching to soul spelunking — they’ve descended into whole new subterranean caverns of analysis. But what they’re seeing and saying is all over the place.
In your opinion, what’s the one biggest reason behind — the key factor explaining — what happened to Democrats in 2024, and tell me why it, er, trumps all the others?
Lis Smith: The Democratic brand is in the toilet. Many of the Democrats who succeeded this cycle — our best over-performers in House races, for instance — are people who ran against the Democratic Party brand. Trump tore down the blue wall in the industrial Midwest, but he also expanded his vote the most in our bluest and most urban areas.
Bruni: “The toilet”? Yikes, Lis, that’s severe. Do you really think it’s that bad?
Smith: When the best way to win as a candidate is to run against your own party, it’s that bad. Our candidates down ballot are good. It’s what the “D” next to their name means (the status quo) that people don’t like.
Bruni: Do you also think it’s that bad, Tim and Anat?
Tim Ryan: The Dems got pinned as the status quo party on inflation, instability, insecurity and every other issue facing working people. Trump was the change candidate in a year when 65 percent of people thought we are on the wrong track. And they failed to redefine themselves on the culture issues on which they were on the other side of 60 percent to 70 percent of Americans.