Unlike Republicans, Democrats often struggle with effective communication, undermining public support for them even when their positions are sound and valid. Ultimately, the Democratic Party’s challenges are likely temporary and can be overcome. However, it is crucial for Democrats to critically reassess their party platforms to reclaim their competitiveness and inspire confidence among voters.
Democratic Party Logo
Who would have thought that the Democratic Party’s core base voters—the working class—would abandon it for a rival party – the Republican Party — that has often overlooked their support in many election cycles for decades?
The Democratic Party has lost its messaging and connectivity to the working class it used to represent, which it has taken for granted, failing to gauge public sentiment accurately, leading to the last elections in which it failed woefully. The shift in representation—until reaching a crescendo—alienated moderates and contributed to the Party’s electoral defeats in 2024. However, the setback may be temporary and reversible if the Party readjusts itself and pivots quickly to align with the mainstream agenda.
Unfortunately, Democrats are in a leadership void, with everyone seeking a foothold on the political stage. But historically, both parties have found themselves out of power and rebounded—for example, Republicans after the Watergate scandal and Democrats after the Ronald Reagan era. Therefore, the party’s current dilemma would not be an exception if it once again retraced its steps toward the center-left position that resonates with the broader working-class America.
While Democrats tend to be more open to moderate governance than Republicans, their positions, particularly on specific social issues, have led to electoral setbacks, which could only worsen if they ignored public resentment.
Over the years, progressive Democrats have often misjudged Bernie Sanders’ national appeal and the election of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to succeed Joseph Crowley, a moderate incumbent in New York, believing it confirmed a far-left leaning in the Party. Even a long-term centrist, Joe Biden, had to adopt a more progressive stance to win the presidential nomination of 2020, thereby sidelining moderate voices in the Party.
The Party has disconnected from mainstream Americans, particularly on socio-economic matters, such as inflation, border security, voter registration, and transgender issues, ignoring that these are common issues for most voters, regardless of party affiliations.
The Party believed it had the unflinching support of most Americans and presumed it represented their yearnings. While President Biden enthusiastically touted his economic policies as a remedy against inflation, the voters, impacted by rising inflation on their finances, felt otherwise. Therefore, in politics, the economy is not always where the numbers are; it’s about how people perceive their situation and think financially. Unlike Republicans, Democrats often struggle with effective communication, undermining public support even when their positions are sound and valid.
On border security
On his first day in office, President Biden repealed President Trump’s strict measures to curb illegal migration, including the “Remain in Mexico” policy that had reduced border crossings. Vice President Kamala Harris’s Central America initiatives, implemented to combat the root cause of illegal migration from that region, yielded no positive results. The Biden administration’s immigration policy, or lack thereof, led to an upsurge in illegal border crossings, reaching historic proportions, significantly straining border patrol resources, and overwhelmed detention facilities. In New York City, I witnessed the mass influx and occupation of illegal migrants, costing the city government billions of dollars for food and shelter with no adequate repayment from the Biden administration.
For most of Biden’s time in office, he declined to take the border issue seriously enough to acknowledge and calm voters’ anxiety. Therefore, he resisted doing anything until it became clear that his Party would lose in the forthcoming election. Belatedly, Biden finally issued an Executive Order allowing for a border shutdown whenever the border experienced an immigrant overrun. And it worked like magic, as the borders almost became empty and remained calm into the election period of 2024. What took him so long?
While his latest action was in the right direction, it came too late, as he had already done the damage to Harris’s presidential campaign. It was a self-inflicted wound that never healed. Even as Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned to curb border migration, voters never believed her promise.
Most Americans support legal immigration—recognizing that immigrants built this nation—but they disapprove of the unwonted flow of illegal migration onto our borders.
On Social Issues
In recent polls, most Americans do not agree that biological men should compete in women’s sports or use their lockers and bathrooms. A Gallup survey conducted in May 2023 stated that 69% of American adults strongly believe athletes must participate on teams that align with their birth gender, up from 62% in 2021. A Rasmussen Survey in October 2024 showed that 65% of likely voters oppose men who identify as women to participate in women’s sports, and 64% oppose allowing them to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms.
Many statistics have also quoted that men have biological advantages in sports due to higher testosterone levels, larger hearts and lungs, and more muscle mass. These lead to greater strength, speed, endurance, and bone density, which provides an advantage for impact and force. Studies show that men typically outperform women in sports that rely on strength, speed, and power by 10% to 30%, depending on the sport.
Minor sex transition
American College of Pediatricians is a national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children. The organization’s Mission is to enable all children to reach optimal physical and emotional health and well-being. It concluded that “Transgender Interventions harm children and no evidence that transgender interventions are Safe for Children.”
So far, about 25 states have outlawed gender-affirming medical care for minors. Fourteen states, including the District of Columbia, have enacted laws that shield gender-affirming care for minors, safeguarding both providers and patients from legal exposures. Most of the states that protect gender-affirming care for minors are blue states controlled by Democrats.
Recognizing the right of a minor to seek a sex transition raises profound ethical concerns for most voters of all political persuasions who believe that adolescents are still developing both psychologically and emotionally and are lacking the maturity to decipher the long-term implications of sex transition fully.
If a child cannot vote until they turn 18, what right could they have to change their biological sex before reaching that age? Unless one is insane, I question whether many of those championing minors’ rights to change their sex would extend the same privilege to their children.
Democrats must reevaluate their position on this divisive issue if they aim to resonate with the working class and garner their support effectively.
Voter ID law
The issue of Voter ID should rise above partisanship; it is fundamentally a matter of common sense. Embracing its necessity strengthens our electoral process and reaffirms our commitment to integrity and accountability in democracy.
Voter ID laws are more common in red states controlled by the Republican Party. While some red states have strict voter ID laws, such as Georgia, Indiana, and Mississippi, others have less restrictive laws, such as North Carolina and South Carolina. Some red states, like South Dakota and Wyoming, have no voter ID laws.
Conversely, many blue states run by Democrats do not have strict voter ID laws. However, some states require some form of identification to vote. For example, Minnesota has a strict voter ID law. California and New York have non-strict ID rules, while others, like Washington, have no Voter ID laws.
No voter ID laws are not the way forward. It is common sense for a state to have a voter ID law to ensure integrity and accountability. Except for the elderly and disabled, everyone should obtain an ID card to vote, even if it requires going on a limb.
I often reminded my children to carry their ID cards when they went out, as it’s nearly impossible to navigate daily life without proper identification. A valid ID is necessary for banking, driving, or numerous other transactions. So, why should we not require people to present an ID to participate in their most sacred civic duty: voting?
Stricter voter ID laws are unnecessarily punitive and can disenfranchise many eligible voters. In contrast, non-strict voter ID laws would foster greater accessibility and inclusivity, ultimately serving the interests of a broader range of potential voters.
Ultimately, the Democratic Party’s challenges are likely temporary and can be overcome. However, it is crucial for Democrats to critically reassess their party platforms to reclaim their competitiveness and inspire confidence among voters.
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Nicholas A. Owoyemi, CFA
Moderate Voices of America (MVA)
30 Wall Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10005
(212) 406-1958
info@moderatevoices.org