I find myself agreeing with Shaun King less than .01% of the time, so when we do actually find common ground, it’s a pretty big deal.
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In a New York Daily News article, King admits that polls show the Democratic Party becoming less popular than ever before. He states that he believes Dems will ignore the poll or attempt to discredit it in an effort to avoid addressing the real problem: themselves.
“As a general rule the Democratic Party doesn’t listen well and struggles to hear the truth about itself,” he wrote.
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He breaks down the poll, which shows that his party is even less popular than the media, which has taken a severe beating over the last couple of years.
- Pence: 47%/35%
- Trump: 45%/47%
- GOP: 37%/48%
- Media: 37%/50%
- Dem Party: 36%/52%
- Hillary: 35%/55%
- Congress: 26%/52%
Despite the concerning disapproval ratings of Trump and Pence, both are still more popular than the entirety of the Democratic party, which is sending liberals into panic mode. This is a true code-red moment for them.
King acknowledges the reality of the situation, and even declares that this is how Donald Trump wins a second term and Republicans take even more seats during next year’s midterm.
In a moment of serious self-reflection, King addresses the party:
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“The Democratic Party is deeply unpopular – period. It’s a fact. Don’t look away. Don’t call me a Bernie Bro. It’s a problem that must be seriously addressed. Not a day goes by when I don’t have people reach out to me and ask if it would be worth it to start a credible alternative to what the Democrats are offering. Most people, I believe, would also be open to a brand new way of business for the Democratic Party, but core leaders seem hell bent on doing the same old crap.”
He decried calls for mandatory unity, which effectively shut down any legitimate complaints about the party, stemming growth. This makes them unable to properly represent everyone within their ranks and alienates voters.
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People in both parties are starving for change, and that’s what made Trump so popular. He represented a wrecking ball to the establishment, and Democrats as well as Republicans need to stop fighting or risk losing significant portions of their bases.
This should be a time to learn from his election and move forward with a more open, inclusive message to people of all walks of life. We can’t shut people down simply because they voice concerns about the direction of our parties; we need to embrace them and listen closely. This is the future of politics that we’re watching unfold in real time – we can’t ignore it any longer.
