(DCNF)—Former Democratic strategist Dan Turrentine on Tuesday bemoaned that his party does not have a commanding figurehead such as President Donald Trump who can dominate its base.
Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received the most support from Democratic-aligned adults when asked in a March 16 CNN/SSRS poll which leader “best reflects the core values” of the Democratic Party, but she only garnered 10% support overall. Turrentine, on “The Morning Meeting,” said Democratic presidential nominees have struggled to unite their voters under a single leader since former President Barack Obama, a stark contrast from the power Trump wields.
“The people that I talk to who run campaigns see it as a problem in that you need your base energized, right? Like, it’s very hard to win an election with a demoralized and fractured base. So they don’t want to discourage the building energy that we have,” Turrentine said. “What they lament is they don’t want to be captured and driven by that crowd. They want it to be part of a bigger kind of tent again that offers, you know, proactive solutions and can channel it not just against them. The frustrating thing is they’re not sure how to do it. Kamala Harris couldn’t do it. Joe Biden could never do it.
“You know, the last person who kind of had some control over the base was Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton couldn’t — it was part of her problem. [Independent Vermont Sen.] Bernie Sanders just nicked at her ankles that whole campaign. And she’d tell you it’s the main reason she lost,” he continued. “It’s the main reason Biden said to [Democratic Massachusetts Sen.] Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, ‘I’ll give you personnel in the White House if you just support me 100% in 2020.’ So it’s a problem that we have. We don’t have a strong leader like Donald Trump. I say this with respect: he is strong. He controls his party. They fear him. Nobody fears us.”
Sanders launched his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour in February, often featuring Ocasio-Cortez, where the two left-wing politicians have spoken to large crowds about how to combat “the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power.”
An April ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found Trump holds an 83% approval rating with Republicans during his second term. Moreover, 51% of Republicans strongly approve of the president.
Trump has also been his party’s nominee for three consecutive election cycles since 2016. His endorsements are extremely important in Republican primaries, Politico reported in 2024.
NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza said on May 6 that he thinks Ocasio-Cortez is seriously considering a 2028 presidential bid after she told reporters that she would not pursue the leading Democratic role on the House Oversight Committee
Moreover, March polling by NBC News and CNN/SSRS showed Democrats held all-time low popularity ratings — 27% and 29%, respectively.
