A self-described “lifelong Democrat” who said she had been heavily involved in campaigning condemned her party on Monday and asked former Democratic strategist Dan Turrentine why she should not leave.
Over 60% of Democrats think that their party requires new leaders, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday. Appearing on “The Morning Meeting,” the Democrat criticized what she sees as a lack of a clear agenda and fringe dominance in the party, prompting agreement from Turrentine. (RELATED: After Democratic Panic, Harris Lines Up Softball Interview Tour)
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“I am a lifelong Democrat. I have been super active in campaigns — I’ve worked on them, I’ve volunteered for them, I’ve contributed to them. I’m so appalled by the Democratic Party,” the Democrat said. “I have no idea what they stand for. I have no idea what their policies are. The things that I see that they most talk about feel very, like, bad for the country, bad for the people — super fringy. So why would — how would you convince me to stay in that party and support it, given what is happening today?”
Turrentine said the question reflected the frustrations of many Democrats — including himself.
“It’s a great, great question, Sharon, and I think you speak for a lot of people. And at times you speak for myself, right?” Turrentine responded. “Which is just the immense frustration with being rudderless and leaderless and just kind of — often what we talk about is just our dislike of [President Donald] Trump, right? It’s just — we scream and pull our hair out and say he’s a king, etc.”
The former Democratic strategist noted that not many people predicted Trump would radically transform the Republican Party. “So you don’t know where leaders come from — time and place,” he said. “But I agree with you, it is a hard time right now and frustrating.”
“They seem … like they are completely governed by fear right now,” the Democrat responded. “And they are in fear of a highly vocal group — like the far, far left.”
Political analyst Mark Halperin asked who she would like to see as the party’s next presidential nominee. She answered her preference would be Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna and also praised Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman for being authentic.
“I’m originally from Pennsylvania, so I pay attention to Fetterman and I’m from that area where he’s from. But I don’t think he has what Ro Khanna has,” she said. “But I do appreciate that he’s willing and has the bravery — which is in keeping with who he has always been … And it’s crazy that in today’s Democratic Party that someone like Fetterman, that will just say, ‘Hey, I support the troops,’ and this was a brave moment … that stands out. How can that be a crazy standout moment? It’s just — I don’t understand what they’re up to.”
The Democratic Party has also recently faced negative polls regarding its future prospects and overall image. For instance, just roughly one-third of Democrats said they felt “very optimistic” or “somewhat optimistic” regarding the future of their own party, according to a May poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
A May Puck/Echelon poll showed that likely voters largely perceived the Democratic Party as “liberal, weak, corrupt,” while Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters most commonly viewed the party as “weak.”
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