The November midterm elections are fast approaching, and the Democratic Party does not appear to be the well-oiled machine poised to turn the tide against President Donald Trump and Republicans.
The New York Times has the details from inside the party, saying leaders are panicking and looking for money where they can find it. The Democratic National Committee under Chairman Ken Martin has reportedly asked vendors to not send their bills under after the midterms.
That’s after last fall, when the party took out a $15 million loan, using the money in part to win victories in the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races, according to the report.
It has since paid $700,000 in interest on that loan, or $75,000 per month, according to the report, but in January, it will need to start paying down the principal at a rate of $1.66 million a month.
The party’s own headquarters in Southeast Washington, D.C., was used as collateral on the loan, according to the news site NOTUS. That has been done to raise money in previous campaigns, a DNC official told NOTUS.
Overall, the DNC is $2 million in debt, according to The New York Times. By comparison, the Republican National Committee has $128.5 million on hand, according to the newspaper.
The situation is so bad that DNC leaders are being sworn to secrecy when it comes to finances, and it sounds like Martin is showing signs of desperation.
Do you think the Democratic Party we see today will exist 10 years from now?
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According to The New York Times, insiders said he threw a phone at the desk of an aide earlier this month, leading to a formal complaint being filed with the party’s human resources department.
Martin is also apparently not confident in serving the rest of his term — which technically lasts 2029.
He’s reportedly been making jokes about getting fired from the job, The New York Times reported. (It would take a vote by the DNC’s 450 members to boot him, according to the newspaper.)
Fundraising has not been the helping hand Democrats need. In fact, of the $15 million borrowed, $3 million was spent in New Jersey and Virginia, respectively, in the hopes that victories would kickstart donations, but judging by current finances, that didn’t work out so well.
Even lifelong Democrats must admit this is bad.
If the American people truly believed Trump to be the dictator Democrats constantly portray him as, party funds and enthusiasm would be high. The numbers, however, say few real people are buying the message.
The message in itself is one of revolution.
It lacks standing without Trump, unable to formulate a clear vision for the future. When is the last time a prominent Democrat made remarks that did not mention Trump’s name or was not in reaction to his policies?
The midterms are only one problem for Democrats. The 2028 presidential campaign cycle presents a daunting situation. According to 2028Tracker, a political website, opinion surveys from May through June show Democrats most likely to seek the nomination include former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes.
None of these potential candidates seems like the obvious choice for a party that needs to win a general election in a country that elected Trump twice.
They all have their hurdles to overcome in poor messaging or a history of poor policy decisions.
Candidates like Harris check both boxes as 2024’s election proved she can neither speak well nor stand on any notable achievements from her time in office.
Republicans, however, already have strong candidates emerging in Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Vice President J.D. Vance.
With those options, the conversation is not about who is the least awful — that’s the case for the Democrats — but who would win out in a competitive primary when both enjoy support.
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