The Damaged Democratic Brand

[Doc7505]

The Damaged Democratic Brand​

Could the cure be more economic populists running as independents?​

The Damaged Democratic Brand

Could the cure be more economic populists running as independents?

prospect.org

14 Oct 2025 ~~ By Robert Kuttner

There has been a lot of talk about the Democrats as a “damaged brand.” The Democratic Party actually has a lower approval rating than Donald Trump does.
There are lots of explanations for this. One is that the fragmented party identity adds up to a mixed message. Corporate Democrats on the take to crypto cancel out progressive ones. Another is that much of the disapproval actually comes from rank-and-file Democrats, who rightly blame the party leadership for the poor performance in 2024 that in turn gave us Trump II.
The damaged brand stuff also needs to be taken with a grain of salt. It doesn’t prevent effective Democrats such as New York’s Zohran Mamdani or Rep. Greg Casar of Texas or Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker from winning broad approval notwithstanding the Democratic label. Conversely, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for governor in New Jersey, is barely ahead in the polls—not because of the party brand but because she puts audiences to sleep.
All that said, the Democrats are in monumental trouble in predominantly red states. According to fascinating research by Les Leopold, a labor organizer and student of working-class politics, a range of pro-workers provisions actually poll better when they don't come attached to the Democratic label.
~Snip~
More successful economic populists within the Democratic Party can help other Democrats revive their brand with an appeal that rouses voters. In the meantime, populist candidates running in red states as independents or under a labor label can pick up some seats and show Democrats the way.
Third parties have a tricky history in the US, where our constitutional system makes it very hard for them to gain a foothold. In some elections, third party candidates have indeed sometimes functioned as spoilers, splitting liberals and electing conservatives, as they did in Maine until that state adopted ranked-choice voting.
~Snip~
In New York, with its fusion system, the American Labor Party of the 1930s and 1940s was central to a political system that elected great progressives like Sen. Robert F. Wagner, Gov. Herbert Lehman, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, and Rep. Vito Marcantonio. Today that role is played by the Working Families Party.
But in the red states, once the center or prairie populism, the opening for a new populist agenda may well come from more candidates like Osborn running as pro-worker independents with none of the Democrats’ baggage. And that success, in turn, could help return Democrats to their progressive roots.



Commentary:
If your party cannot adapt, then it will die.
“Old school” Republicans can’t adapt to trump so are now retiring because a new younger crowd is moving in.
Democrats have a much more rigid internal system so they can’t adapt.
The concept of free will escapes party leadership.
Republican leaders look like a bunch of cats roaming around as they please and the Democrat leaders look like an Army in a parade,
perfect lock step.
Who is more adaptable?

 

[Leo123]

The Damaged Democratic Brand​

Could the cure be more economic populists running as independents?​

The Damaged Democratic Brand

Could the cure be more economic populists running as independents?

prospect.org

14 Oct 2025 ~~ By Robert Kuttner

There has been a lot of talk about the Democrats as a “damaged brand.” The Democratic Party actually has a lower approval rating than Donald Trump does.
There are lots of explanations for this. One is that the fragmented party identity adds up to a mixed message. Corporate Democrats on the take to crypto cancel out progressive ones. Another is that much of the disapproval actually comes from rank-and-file Democrats, who rightly blame the party leadership for the poor performance in 2024 that in turn gave us Trump II.
The damaged brand stuff also needs to be taken with a grain of salt. It doesn’t prevent effective Democrats such as New York’s Zohran Mamdani or Rep. Greg Casar of Texas or Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker from winning broad approval notwithstanding the Democratic label. Conversely, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for governor in New Jersey, is barely ahead in the polls—not because of the party brand but because she puts audiences to sleep.
All that said, the Democrats are in monumental trouble in predominantly red states. According to fascinating research by Les Leopold, a labor organizer and student of working-class politics, a range of pro-workers provisions actually poll better when they don't come attached to the Democratic label.
~Snip~
More successful economic populists within the Democratic Party can help other Democrats revive their brand with an appeal that rouses voters. In the meantime, populist candidates running in red states as independents or under a labor label can pick up some seats and show Democrats the way.
Third parties have a tricky history in the US, where our constitutional system makes it very hard for them to gain a foothold. In some elections, third party candidates have indeed sometimes functioned as spoilers, splitting liberals and electing conservatives, as they did in Maine until that state adopted ranked-choice voting.
~Snip~
In New York, with its fusion system, the American Labor Party of the 1930s and 1940s was central to a political system that elected great progressives like Sen. Robert F. Wagner, Gov. Herbert Lehman, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, and Rep. Vito Marcantonio. Today that role is played by the Working Families Party.
But in the red states, once the center or prairie populism, the opening for a new populist agenda may well come from more candidates like Osborn running as pro-worker independents with none of the Democrats’ baggage. And that success, in turn, could help return Democrats to their progressive roots.



Commentary:
If your party cannot adapt, then it will die.
“Old school” Republicans can’t adapt to trump so are now retiring because a new younger crowd is moving in.
Democrats have a much more rigid internal system so they can’t adapt.
The concept of free will escapes party leadership.
Republican leaders look like a bunch of cats roaming around as they please and the Democrat leaders look like an Army in a parade,
perfect lock step.
Who is more adaptable?

Democrats have always marched in lock-step and, their party name is even a lie, because the Democrat party is not Democratic Today it is infected with far-left radicals with Marxist overtones, so, please never call Democrats, 'Democratic.'

 

[Manonthestreet]

 

[Independent thinker]

The Damaged Democratic Brand​

Could the cure be more economic populists running as independents?​

The Damaged Democratic Brand

Could the cure be more economic populists running as independents?

prospect.org

14 Oct 2025 ~~ By Robert Kuttner

There has been a lot of talk about the Democrats as a “damaged brand.” The Democratic Party actually has a lower approval rating than Donald Trump does.
There are lots of explanations for this. One is that the fragmented party identity adds up to a mixed message. Corporate Democrats on the take to crypto cancel out progressive ones. Another is that much of the disapproval actually comes from rank-and-file Democrats, who rightly blame the party leadership for the poor performance in 2024 that in turn gave us Trump II.
The damaged brand stuff also needs to be taken with a grain of salt. It doesn’t prevent effective Democrats such as New York’s Zohran Mamdani or Rep. Greg Casar of Texas or Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker from winning broad approval notwithstanding the Democratic label. Conversely, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for governor in New Jersey, is barely ahead in the polls—not because of the party brand but because she puts audiences to sleep.
All that said, the Democrats are in monumental trouble in predominantly red states. According to fascinating research by Les Leopold, a labor organizer and student of working-class politics, a range of pro-workers provisions actually poll better when they don't come attached to the Democratic label.
~Snip~
More successful economic populists within the Democratic Party can help other Democrats revive their brand with an appeal that rouses voters. In the meantime, populist candidates running in red states as independents or under a labor label can pick up some seats and show Democrats the way.
Third parties have a tricky history in the US, where our constitutional system makes it very hard for them to gain a foothold. In some elections, third party candidates have indeed sometimes functioned as spoilers, splitting liberals and electing conservatives, as they did in Maine until that state adopted ranked-choice voting.
~Snip~
In New York, with its fusion system, the American Labor Party of the 1930s and 1940s was central to a political system that elected great progressives like Sen. Robert F. Wagner, Gov. Herbert Lehman, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, and Rep. Vito Marcantonio. Today that role is played by the Working Families Party.
But in the red states, once the center or prairie populism, the opening for a new populist agenda may well come from more candidates like Osborn running as pro-worker independents with none of the Democrats’ baggage. And that success, in turn, could help return Democrats to their progressive roots.



Commentary:
If your party cannot adapt, then it will die.
“Old school” Republicans can’t adapt to trump so are now retiring because a new younger crowd is moving in.
Democrats have a much more rigid internal system so they can’t adapt.
The concept of free will escapes party leadership.
Republican leaders look like a bunch of cats roaming around as they please and the Democrat leaders look like an Army in a parade,
perfect lock step.
Who is more adaptable?

One of their biggest problems is that democrats can't win without progressives and they can't win with progressives. That's a high bar to hurdle.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

They are about as popular as jumping into a boiling pot of tar. And their message......we're gonna keep the govt shut down until you, the american taxpayer, provides for illegals. Talk about tone deaf. Lol.

 

[Etymology gaslight]

The Damaged Democratic Brand​

Could the cure be more economic populists running as independents?​

The Damaged Democratic Brand

Could the cure be more economic populists running as independents?

prospect.org

14 Oct 2025 ~~ By Robert Kuttner

There has been a lot of talk about the Democrats as a “damaged brand.” The Democratic Party actually has a lower approval rating than Donald Trump does.
There are lots of explanations for this. One is that the fragmented party identity adds up to a mixed message. Corporate Democrats on the take to crypto cancel out progressive ones. Another is that much of the disapproval actually comes from rank-and-file Democrats, who rightly blame the party leadership for the poor performance in 2024 that in turn gave us Trump II.
The damaged brand stuff also needs to be taken with a grain of salt. It doesn’t prevent effective Democrats such as New York’s Zohran Mamdani or Rep. Greg Casar of Texas or Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker from winning broad approval notwithstanding the Democratic label. Conversely, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for governor in New Jersey, is barely ahead in the polls—not because of the party brand but because she puts audiences to sleep.
All that said, the Democrats are in monumental trouble in predominantly red states. According to fascinating research by Les Leopold, a labor organizer and student of working-class politics, a range of pro-workers provisions actually poll better when they don't come attached to the Democratic label.
~Snip~
More successful economic populists within the Democratic Party can help other Democrats revive their brand with an appeal that rouses voters. In the meantime, populist candidates running in red states as independents or under a labor label can pick up some seats and show Democrats the way.
Third parties have a tricky history in the US, where our constitutional system makes it very hard for them to gain a foothold. In some elections, third party candidates have indeed sometimes functioned as spoilers, splitting liberals and electing conservatives, as they did in Maine until that state adopted ranked-choice voting.
~Snip~
In New York, with its fusion system, the American Labor Party of the 1930s and 1940s was central to a political system that elected great progressives like Sen. Robert F. Wagner, Gov. Herbert Lehman, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, and Rep. Vito Marcantonio. Today that role is played by the Working Families Party.
But in the red states, once the center or prairie populism, the opening for a new populist agenda may well come from more candidates like Osborn running as pro-worker independents with none of the Democrats’ baggage. And that success, in turn, could help return Democrats to their progressive roots.



Commentary:
If your party cannot adapt, then it will die.
“Old school” Republicans can’t adapt to trump so are now retiring because a new younger crowd is moving in.
Democrats have a much more rigid internal system so they can’t adapt.
The concept of free will escapes party leadership.
Republican leaders look like a bunch of cats roaming around as they please and the Democrat leaders look like an Army in a parade,
perfect lock step.
Who is more adaptable?

I was going to say that.

 

[Failzero]

The Democommies taking the Vote from the Rooftops Highground will haunt them into 28 Election cycle

 

[Etymology gaslight]

The writing is on the wall.
apparently applies to politics as well.
Once the Dems rise again in 50 years,
They'll do the same thing.