Who Should Lead the Democrats?

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Who is the leader of the Democratic party? It was a question that appeared to stump Minnesota governor and vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz in a CNN interview last week, and he’s not the only one who’s feeling a leadership void. Only 1 in 10 Democrats say their party has a solid strategy to deal with the Trump administration, according to a recent poll by the opinion research firm Blueprint. Do the Democrats need an economic populist like Bernie Sanders? A tested progressive like AOC? A centrist coalition? We hear who you think should take the party’s reins and why. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED - co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown Reid Epstein, politics reporter, The New York Times lower waypoint Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:08.7	From KQED.
1:30.9	From KQED in San Francisco, this is Forum. I'm Mina Kim. Who is the leader of the Democratic Party?
1:38.1	It's a question that appeared to stump Minnesota governor and VP candidate Tim Walls in a CNN interview last week. Sir, who do you think the leader of the Democratic Party is right now?
1:43.5	I think the voting public right now is what I would say, and I keep telling that.
1:48.0	We're not going to have a charismatic leader ride in here and save us from this.
1:53.0	Walls isn't the only one feeling a leadership void.
1:56.0	Only 10% of Democrats in a recent blueprint poll say their party has a solid strategy to deal with the Trump administration.
2:02.9	So who do you think should take the party's reins and what should their message be? Join us.
2:11.1	Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. In a piece last month, the New York Times, Reid Epstein, after conducting 50 interviews with Democratic leaders, described the party as leaderless, rudderless, and divided.
2:24.7	Democratic voters and activists have taken notice showing their frustration in polls and town halls.
2:30.8	This hour, we take a closer look at key disagreements in the party over how to counter Trump and his administration.
	...

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