'If You Can Keep It': The Future Of The Democratic Party

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🗓️ 18 February 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

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Summary

A November 2024 Pew Research survey found that nearly-half of Democrats are pessimistic about the party's future, compared to only 13 percent of Republicans.

The 2024 election was a rude awakening for leaders on the left, many of whom are grappling with how to shift the public perception of the party.

In this latest edition of "If You Can Keep It," we get at the heart of this political moment and ask the questions that really matter about the state of our democracy.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This message comes from Wondery.
0:02.2	At 24 years old, Monica Lewinsky was in a scandal that defined who she was for the entire world.
0:08.9	And now, she's ready to draw from her own experience on what it means to redefine yourself on her new podcast, reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky.
0:18.4	Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
0:32.4	If you can keep it, is our weekly politics series where we cut through political noise to consider the state of our Democratic Republic and what matters to you.
0:36.2	Today on the show, the future of the Democratic Party.
0:39.1	A post-election Pew Research Survey suggests nearly half of Democrats are pessimistic about their party's future.
0:45.5	That's compared to only 13% of Republicans concerned about the GOP.
0:49.5	And 2024 was a rude awakening for Democratic leaders who were grappling with how to shift public
0:55.8	perception of the party, especially in an era of disinformation and authoritarianism.
1:02.0	We asked you where you think the Democratic Party should head next, and here's some of what you
1:05.8	told us.
1:06.7	This is Sage, calling from Pasadena, California.
1:09.9	Abby, from Raleigh.
1:11.3	What the Democratic Party needs to do, they need to take a step back and regroup.
1:16.8	Most importantly, they need to stop making excuses and looking for cop-outs for their losses suffered in 2024.
1:25.2	I love Michelle Obama, but enough with when they go low, we go high at Chanel
1:29.8	when they go low, we'll let you know. It's not good enough to say who we're not. We have to say
1:35.5	who we are. It is time to put on your big boy and big girl pants and roll up your sleeves
1:42.7	and get to work. And we have to start drawing straight lines from issues to people's front doors.
1:48.7	Abby, Sage, thanks for those calls.
1:50.7	Coming up, we hear from two Democratic senators about their party's strategy.
	...

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