Democratic Party Has a ‘Damaged Brand,’ Seen as ‘Extreme’ and ‘Out of Touch’: Think Tank

A protestor holds a sign reading “Defund the Police” outside Hennepin County Government Plaza during a demonstration against police brutality and racism, in Minneapolis, on Aug. 24, 2020. Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images

The Democratic Party has serious reputational problems and is perceived as out of touch by large swaths of the electorate, according to a new paper published by the Washington-based left-leaning think tank Third Way.

Titled “Overcoming the Democratic Party Brand” and released just one day ahead of the intensely-watched midterm elections, the paper makes a number of statements sharply critical of the direction of the party and its public image, and explicitly blames Democrat leadership for these problems.

“If Democrats manage to hold onto the House and Senate, it will be in spite of the party brand, not because of it, according to a pre-election national poll. Despite a roster of GOP candidates who are extreme by any standard, voters see Democrats as just as extreme, as well as far less concerned about the issues that most worry them,” the report states.

The poll referenced here is a survey (pdf) of 800 “likely voters” around the country, along with an oversample of 200 swing voters, that Third Way undertook in collaboration with consulting firm Impact Research and advocacy group Welcome PAC on Oct. 21 to Oct. 28.

The survey findings render a picture of a political organization caught up in its own idiosyncratic way of looking at issues, and without much real connection to voters with daily concerns such as personal safety, border security, and affordable gas and food.

“The results indicate that Democrats are underwater on issues voters name as their highest priorities, including the economy, immigration, and crime, they are perceived as distant from the electorate ideologically, and voters question whether the party shares essential values like patriotism and the importance of hard work,” the report states.

The report echoes the analyses of political strategists who in recent months have described a Democrat Party obsessed with playing the “Not Trump” card, and one whose mishandling of the economy has helped pave the way for challenges in many crucial races.

In this midterms cycle, Democrat figures, led by President Joe Biden, have labeled certain Republicans as extremists posing a threat to democracy, and have asserted that democracy itself is “on the ballot” and depends on Democrats winning the elections.

‘Out of Touch’

The report noted that Democrats have emphasized abortion rights and climate change, which voters in general do not care about as much as other issues.

If Democrats do not fare as well as they hope in the midterms, they should avoid the tendency to impute bad faith to their opponents, and should blame no one but themselves, the report contended. Nor should they chalk up their electoral failures to the reality that the party holding the White House typically loses a number of seats in midterm races.

“While it might be comforting to blame any midterm losses solely on historical trends, this data makes crystal clear that there is a much deeper problem at play. Ultimately, there is no way for Democrats to build and maintain winning coalitions without repairing their damaged brand, even in an era where Republican candidates are increasingly extreme and women’s fundamental rights are on the ballot,” the report states.

In support of their findings, the authors cite results from their survey affirming that “Inflation and the economy” is the number one concern for 42 percent of poll respondents, and the first and second most important concern for 59 percent, followed by “Immigration and the border” (11 percent and 30 percent), then “Protecting abortion rights” (10 percent and 17 percent).

Smaller numbers of respondents gave “Fighting climate change” (7 percent), “Gun violence” (5 percent), “Improving the education system” (3 percent), or another issue as the one on which they are likeliest to vote.

The survey also gleaned that as many as 54 percent of respondents believe that Republicans would do a better job than Democrats of addressing inflation and the economy, and 53 percent voices worries that inflation will only get worse if Democrats maintain a majority in Congress.

When it comes to dealing with immigration, 57 percent of respondents said Republicans would do a better job, compared to 33 percent who said Democrats would, and on an issue of growing concern nationally—crime—54 percent said Republicans could best handle the problem and only 34 percent favored Democrats.

The report extensively criticizes Democrats for being “out of touch ideologically” with the electorate, and no fewer than 61 percent of respondents said that Democrats are too servile to special interests.

Tellingly, 55 percent of those surveyed said that Democrats are “preachy,” and 53 percent called the party “too woke.”

The report said that if the party cannot shift its brand, then “Democrats will face an uphill climb in 2024 and beyond.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment.