A new agenda for a new Democratic Party
Following Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat — which also saw Democrats lose the Senate and fail to retake the House of Representatives — one thing is fundamentally clear: The Democratic Party needs a new agenda if it hopes to win in the future.
Quite simply, Democrats cannot continue with the same playbook they’ve used for much of the past decade. It has alienated their base and threatens to relegate the party as a whole to minority status for years to come.
A new Democratic agenda should represent a clear middle ground between the progressive far-left and the Republican Party in a way that appeals to the “vast American middle” as described by Third Way, a political action committee.
Indeed, Democrats must reject the far-left’s push for the divisive redistribution of wealth, climate and social mandates, as well as their opposition to defending America’s values and allies abroad.
Similarly, the country as a whole will benefit by having a Democratic Party that presents itself as a credible, centrist alternative to Republicans, with a real-world approach to the economy, immigration and opposing Republicans’ isolationist tendencies.
Put another way, Democrats need to realign the party’s agenda with the majority of American voters.
They can do this with an agenda focused on the economy, immigration, smaller government, empowering the working class, improving our healthcare system, and understanding that a strong U.S. that uses its power for good is a benefit for the entire globe.
On the economy, Democrats must develop and clearly articulate an agenda that prioritizes a less burdensome government, lower taxes, and cutting Washington’s runaway spending.
In doing so, Democrats would take a considerable step in correcting a blunder that likely cost them the 2024 election. Namely, Democrats’ inability to talk to real people or explain their policy agenda, particularly on the economy.
Despite historic inflation and stagnant wages plaguing much of President Biden’s term, he — and then Harris — consistently tried telling voters that the economy was actually strong, but voters were simply missing it.
The same can be said for Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE.
As the advocacy group No Labels has called for leaders "to solve today’s economic challenges before they become impossible to solve tomorrow ... Washington must stop spending so much more than it takes in.”
Democrats must develop their own version of this. For far too long, Democrats have appeared to be the party supporting a bloated federal government, and now that Republicans under Trump have publicly committed to combat wasteful spending.
Further, as polls both before and after the election repeatedly showed, Democrats’ approach to immigration and the Southern border must change. A strong stance on border security, and commonsense immigration reform, including viable pathways to citizenship for migrants already in the U.S. are critical.
Voters — understandably — disagree with progressives’ open border policies, and while many Americans are accepting of legal immigration, the uncontrolled flow of migrants that occurred under the Biden-Harris administration was simply too much.
Unfortunately, Harris barely addressed the issue until too late in the election, when polls showed how persuasive the issue was for moderates, and by then it was too late.
It should go without saying that a middle ground on immigration and border security can be found. Democrats can support deporting illegal immigrants, particularly those convicted of crimes in the U.S., without the need for the U.S. military, and while also providing a pathway to citizenship for those who are already in the country and pay taxes.
Looking at how Democrats need to begin approaching immigration, No Labels has pushed for politicians to recognize that “America is a nation of laws” that “must immediately regain control of our borders” while at the same time, recognizing that “America is also a nation of immigrants, so we should create a path to citizenship for DREAMers.”
How Democrats approach and talk about crime must also be addressed, with an emphatic rejection of far-left policies. Quality of life issues such as crime and policing were significant factors in this election, and voters made it clear that a return to the center was needed.
Even in deep-blue California, voters overwhelmingly backed a ballot measure that increased criminal penalties for shoplifting and repeat drug offenders. In Los Angeles and Oakland, voters threw out progressive, soft-on-crime District Attorneys.
Finally, Democrats must find a way to redefine themselves as the party of working-class Americans. This includes supporting vocational training, supporting school choice or charter schools, and a commitment to overhauling our broken healthcare system.
In recent years, Democrats have become the party of the Ivy League elite, seemingly forgetting that the roots of the party used to be the working class. The party paid the price for that in 2024 when Donald Trump made significant inroads with working-class voters of all ethnicity, particularly Black and Hispanic men.
Instead, Democrats should make increased funding of vocational and trade schools a priority, acknowledging that without proper job training, the American dream will remain out of reach for many.
Similarly, we must find a way to improve Obamacare short of fully scrapping it, as Trump tried to do once. There needs to be a balance between keeping copays low and the quality of care high.
Ultimately, the policies outlined above are the bare minimum of what Democrats must do if they hope to remain politically viable. The 2024 election underscored the need for Democrats to refocus on core issues that Americans genuinely care about.
Douglas E. Schoen is a political consultant and the founder and partner at Schoen Cooperman Research. His latest book is “The End of Democracy? Russia and China on the Rise and America in Retreat.”