Col. Sen. says Democratic brand is ‘really problematic’

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said that the Democratic Party’s brand is “really problematic” and castigated his party for losing touch with working people on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday.

“I agree that the Democratic Party brand is really problematic… it’s a brand that’s associated with New York and California, is associated with the educated elite in this country and not anymore with the working people in this country,” Bennet told host Kristen Welker.

Welker asked Bennet if he agreed with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s assertion that the Democratic Party brand is “toxic.” Newsom made the fiery comments on “Real Time with Bill Maher” Friday, and implied that the party had stopped making “sense.”

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Bennet appeared to concur with the California governor, leveling harsh criticism at their shared party for losing touch with everyday voters. The Colorado senator said Democrats need to present a “compelling vision” for the future of the country, and the failure to do so was responsible for President Donald Trump’s two non-consecutive White House victories.

“The Democratic Party has lost touch with working people in our country at a time when fifty years of trickle-down economics has meant that most Americans feel like, no matter how hard they work, their kids aren’t going to live a life better than the life they led,” Bennet said. 

Bennet’s comments came as the Democratic Party is besieged by infighting over the future direction of the party. Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has come under fire for voting with Republicans on a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown. 

Schumer has faced calls to step down from his leadership position, and Bennet has previously stated that “it’s important for leaders to know when it’s time to go.” The senator, however, ducked the question when Welker asked if he still has “confidence” in the Democratic Senate leader. Schumer has resisted calls to step down and vowed to remain in his leadership role.

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“Look, I’m not stepping down. I knew that when I cast my vote against the government shutdown that there would be a lot of controversy,” Schumer said on a previous week’s “Meet the Press.” 

Bennet claimed Democrats have been “repudiated at the national level,” and need to spend their time in the political wilderness coming up with bold policy agendas in order to regain trust of voters. 

“If the Democratic Party would show up with some imagination, not only would we do better, but the American people would do better,” he said.