While then-President Joe Biden boasted a return to normalcy as Democrats rose to power across Washington in 2021, Schatz doesn’t think that’s what Americans desire now, even as they grow more wary of Trump.
“First of all, that’s probably not even possible, mechanically speaking, but second of all, that’s not actually what people want,” he said.
Democrats must grapple with broad unfavorability ratings that have plagued the party in recent years, which Schatz ascribes to a view of Democrats as “disconnected from what people were going through economically.”
“Prices were too high, and we had an 80-year-old president, and I think one of the reasons that people are starting to turn around politically is that prices are even higher, and we again have an 80-year-old president,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of recovering the trust that we once had, especially with working-class voters, but I think we’re on the way to doing that by demonstrating a little bit better discipline, and a little bit better focus than usual on the cost of living,” he continued.
Still, he thinks sweeping election-year agendas are “overrated,” arguing the party will litigate the strongest positions on issues such as healthcare and cost reductions during a likely raucous 2028 presidential primary cycle.
Home
Chat
Login
Register