Latest news with #RodellMollineau
Fox News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Democratic insider admits to praying for an economic depression as party's popularity continues to plummet
Some Democratic strategists are so desperate for the party to start performing better, that they're hoping for the economy to tank. A report from The Hill on Tuesday quoted several Democratic strategists reflecting on what they see as the dismal state of the Democratic Party. One said the party should be "praying" for a depression as a lifeline for their declining popularity following President Donald Trump's 2024 election victory. "This is a nightmare scenario for the Dems right now," an anonymous strategist told the outlet. "We better pray long and hard that the country is going to be in a f‑‑‑--- depression, because I don't know how else we find ourselves out of this mess." The Hill report prefaced that sobering impression of the Democratic Party by noting its current low approval numbers. "Not only do polls show the Democrats' approval ratings at historic lows, but they're still scrambling to identify a national leader almost half a year after Trump's return to the White House — dynamics that are raising alarm bells in certain corners of the party," the outlet stated. The Hill also cited one recent poll conducted by Democratic super PAC Unite the Country between May and June. The survey found that the Democratic Party has lost ground since losing to Trump in November. Many of those polled said they found the Democratic Party "out of touch," "weak," and "woke." Strategist and senior adviser to Unite the Country, Rodell Mollineau, told The Hill that "it's going to be hard" for the party to move forward. "It's hard to message when you're in the wilderness, which is what we are right now," he said. "When voters don't think that you care about their issues, and they don't think that you're going to fight for them, that becomes a problem." Brad Bannon, another strategist, told The Hill, "Sadly, Democrats are still stuck in the same mud that they were in six months ago. We are still as unpopular as we were when Trump was inaugurated in January." He did, however, express hope that the passage of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" would give his party an opening to mount a counterattack against their Republican opponents. "Because of MAGA missteps, Democrats now finally have tools to use to build a new foundation," Bannon said. "The secret sauce for the opposition is to use the Medicaid cuts, immigration deportations and high tariff taxes to blister Trump for his failure to keep his campaign promise to bring down high prices on the first day of the second administration." Other prominent voices in the party have grown exasperated with Democratic leaders in the months since Trump's election. Billionaire business mogul Mark Cuban slammed Democrats for their post-election strategy on the "Pod Save America" podcast Sunday. "It's just 'Trump sucks.' That's the underlying thought of everything the Democrats do. 'Trump sucks.' Trump says the sky is blue. 'Trump sucks.' That's not the way to win! It's just not! Because it's not about Trump — it's about the people of the United States of America — and what's good for them! And how do you get them to a place where they're in a better position, and it's less stressful for them." Former Democratic mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, ripped the state of his party in a recent CNN interview, telling host Dana Bash, "Just to give you a sense of how bad we are – the Democratic Party is less popular than Elon Musk right now. That should be like a wake-up call – how bad." The White House and the Democratic Party did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New poll delivers troubling signs for Democrats
The Democratic Party's credibility with voters has plummeted even further since the 2024 election, raising alarm bells as the party looks to rebuild ahead of the midterms and the next presidential election, according to a poll obtained by The Hill. The poll, conducted between May and June by Unite the Country, a Democratic super PAC, showed voters perceived the Democratic Party as 'out of touch,' 'woke' and 'weak.' The party has seen its support erode with white men, Hispanic men and working-class voters across the board, with approval ratings sitting below 35 percent across those demographics. And enthusiasm within the party continues to wane in the wake of 2024, the poll revealed. 'This is the reality of the perception of us as a party, and until we accept that, it's going to be hard to move forward,' said Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau, who serves as senior adviser to the super PAC. 'There's a perception out there, outside of Democratic elites, and it's taken hold in not just the MAGA crowd but people that should be with us.' 'Democrats need to realize that in order to improve and get better to not only win in 2028 but to win in 2030 and 2032 and beyond,' Mollineau added. Democrats have been searching for a way out of the wilderness since their devastating loss in November, when they not only lost the presidency once again to President Trump but also the House and Senate. Since then, party officials have conducted a number of postmortems — including polls, focus groups and strategy sessions — as part of the party's rebuilding effort. But Democrats are still feeling dejected and rudderless in the early months of the Trump presidency. An AP-NORC poll out in May revealed that only 35 percent of surveyed Democrats are optimistic about the party's future, compared with 57 percent in July 2024. And there is an overwhelming sense that the party lacks strong leaders, the same poll showed. Democratic donors and bundlers have refused to cut checks for Democratic candidates, citing the party's lack of enthusiasm and vision. Unite the Country's latest poll, which was conducted with voters in 21 battleground counties across 10 battleground states, revealed Democrats have not escaped the shadow of their loss in 2024. And voters' perceptions of the party remain the same. Democrats have had opportunities to hit back at the Trump administration, including on tariffs, immigration deportations and, most recently, Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' But political observers say those moments were wasted. 'I was frustrated during the 'one big beautiful bill' stuff,' said Steve Schale, Democratic strategist and CEO of Unite the Country. 'We missed an opportunity to really define a different kind of vision.' The super PAC's poll revealed that Democrats' prime emphasis on fighting for democracy — while still popular within the party — is no longer going to cut it with the general electorate, and soft-on-immigration policies turn too many voters away. The party has some serious rethinking to do when it comes to their priorities and messaging, Mollineau said. 'It's not about abandoning who we are. It's not about leaving people behind. We are a big tent party. But it is about prioritizing the messages and starting where the majority of the people are,' Mollineau said. 'We do better when we first meet voters where they are and then bring them along on other issues. … And nine times out of 10, what they really care about is whether or not they're going to be able to afford health care, whether or not their kids are going to be able to go to a good school, … housing, living paycheck to paycheck.' Mollineau said Democrats should start with 'good economic appeal, and then I think that allows us to broaden' the issues the party focuses on. But Unite the Country's poll revealed that for voters to even consider rejoining the party's ranks, Democrats need to reestablish credibility. And political observers say a new generation of party leadership that can separate itself from the Washington establishment is critical. 'They want us to have different leaders,' Schale said. 'There was this segment of voters … who said, 'I voted for Barack Obama and I voted for Donald Trump because I thought they were going to stand up to Washington. … They have very different views on the world, but I … believed they would go to Washington and fight for me and not fight for Washington.'' 'It's a good argument for more outside voices right now,' he continued. 'If I could wave a magic wand, I'd love to see the money that gets spent on things like studying podcasts for young guys being spent on electing mayors and downballot city council members and nonpartisan Democrats and even state legislators … to begin the process of rebuilding that trust with voters.' Voters also say they are, first and foremost, concerned about common sense in a political party, something Democrats evidently see as an afterthought, the poll revealed. The party needs to align its messaging with the commonsense rhetoric and policies voters are looking for, political observers say. 'We as a party oftentimes are getting nuanced in the way that we look at the world, and I don't think voters are looking for nuance,' Mollineau said. 'They're looking for straightforward communication on identifying the problem and then fixing the problem.' 'Whether you're talking about the New York mayor's race or AOC or Trump or Bernie Sanders, the thing that all those folks have in common is voters know where they stand on issues,' Mollineau added, using an abbreviation for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). 'There is no nuance there. … People know where they stand, and when they say something, voters believe it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
New poll delivers troubling signs for Democrats
The Democratic Party's credibility with voters has plummeted even further since the 2024 election, raising alarm bells as the party looks to rebuild ahead of the midterms and the next presidential election, according to a new poll obtained by The Hill. The poll, which was conducted between May and June by Unite the Country, a Democratic super PAC, showed voters perceived the Democratic Party as 'out of touch,' 'woke' and 'weak.' The party has seen its support erode with white men, Hispanic men and working-class voters across the board, with approval ratings sitting below 35 percent across those demographics. And enthusiasm within the party continues to wane in the wake of 2024, the poll revealed. 'This is the reality of the perception of us as a party, and until we accept that, it's going to be hard to move forward,' said Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau, who serves as senior adviser to the super PAC. 'There's a perception out there, outside of Democratic elites, and it's taken hold in not just the MAGA crowd but people that should be with us.' 'Democrats need to realize that in order to improve and get better to not only win in 2028 but to win in 2030 and 2032 and beyond,' Mollineau added. Democrats have been searching for a way out of the wilderness since their devastating loss in November, when they not only lost the presidency once again to President Trump but also the House and Senate. Since then, party officials have conducted a number of postmortems — including polls, focus groups and strategy sessions — as part of the party's rebuilding effort. But Democrats are still feeling dejected and rudderless in the early months of the Trump presidency. An AP-NORC poll out in May revealed that only 35 percent of surveyed Democrats are optimistic about the party's future, compared with 57 percent in July 2024. And there is an overwhelming sense that the party lacks strong leaders, the same poll showed. Democratic donors and bundlers have refused to cut checks for Democratic candidates, citing the party's lack of enthusiasm and vision. Unite the Country's latest poll, which was conducted with voters in 21 battleground counties across 10 battleground states, revealed that Democrats have not escaped the shadow of their loss in 2024. And voters' perceptions of the party remain the same. Democrats have had opportunities to hit back at the Trump administration, including on tariffs, immigration deportations and, most recently, Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' But political observers say those moments were wasted. 'I was frustrated during the 'one big beautiful bill' stuff,' said Steve Schale, Democratic strategist and CEO of Unite the Country. 'We missed an opportunity to really define a different kind of vision.' The super PAC's poll revealed that Democrats' prime emphasis on fighting for democracy — while still popular within the party — is no longer going to cut it with the general electorate, and soft-on-immigration policies turn too many voters away. The party has some serious rethinking to do when it comes to their priorities and messaging, Mollineau said. 'It's not about abandoning who we are. It's not about leaving people behind. We are a big tent party. But it is about prioritizing the messages and starting where the majority of the people are,' Mollineau said. 'We do better when we first meet voters where they are and then bring them along on other issues. … And nine times out of 10, what they really care about is whether or not they're going to be able to afford health care, whether or not their kids are going to be able to go to a good school … housing, living paycheck to paycheck.' Mollineau said Democrats should start with 'good economic appeal, and then I think that allows us to broaden' the issues the party focuses on. But Unite the Country's poll revealed that for voters to even consider rejoining the party's ranks, Democrats need to reestablish credibility. And political observers say that a new generation of party leadership that can separate itself from the Washington establishment is critical. 'They want us to have different leaders,' Schale said. 'There was this segment of voters … who said, 'I voted for Barack Obama and I voted for Donald Trump because I thought they were going to stand up to Washington. … They have very different views on the world, but I … believed they would go to Washington and fight for me and not fight for Washington.'' 'It's a good argument for more outside voices right now,' he continued. 'If I could wave a magic wand, I'd love to see the money that gets spent on things like studying podcasts for young guys being spent on electing mayors and downballot city council members and nonpartisan Democrats and even state legislators … to begin the process of rebuilding that trust with voters.' Voters also say they are, first and foremost, concerned about common sense in a political party, something Democrats evidently see as an afterthought, the poll revealed. The party needs to align its messaging with the commonsense rhetoric and policies voters are looking for, political observers say. 'We as a party oftentimes are getting nuanced in the way that we look at the world, and I don't think voters are looking for nuance,' Mollineau said. 'They're looking for straightforward communication on identifying the problem and then fixing the problem.' 'Whether you're talking about the New York mayor's race or AOC or Trump or Bernie Sanders, the thing that all those folks have in common is voters know where they stand on issues,' Mollineau added, using an abbreviation for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). 'There is no nuance there. … People know where they stand, and when they say something, voters believe it.'
