President Biden’s age and whether he should stay or go nearly tore Democrats apart this summer.
In fact, the party’s election might have been saved if the president had decided to resign early and, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, give other candidates a chance to run for the Oval Office.
There is a risk that the gap between the old and the new and the direction of the party will drive a wedge into the Democratic Party’s coalition government. Indeed, the battle between Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) for the top Democratic seat on the House Oversight Committee epitomized that skirmish.
Recently, Mr. Connolly, 74, who is recovering from esophageal cancer, defeated Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, to take the top spot in the Democratic caucus. The committee’s top ranking Democrat will face daily duels with Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.). Connolly is also expected to serve as the party’s main attack dog in any looming conflict with the incoming Trump administration.
Liberal media slams Democrats after AOC loses top spot on House Oversight Committee
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) sought to become the leader of the House Oversight Committee, but fell short. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Kamel was rooting for Ocasio-Cortez. He knew that choosing her would strengthen her position regarding the direction of the party.
“I hope they put her there because she represents what the Democratic Party stands for. She’s a socialist. She’s the architect of the Green New Deal in the House,” Comer said. spoke.
It was a generational choice for Democrats.
youth and experience.
But what will the future hold for the party?
Ocasio-Cortez is a symbol of the progressive movement. She’s one of the highest-wattage stars in Congress — even though she can be a lightning rod.
Does the party want to promote a liberal politician like Ocasio-Cortez who might resonate in New York’s left-leaning, multicultural neighborhoods like Jackson Heights and College Point? Or will he find a way to speak to the large numbers of floating voters in Omaha, Nebraska, parts of Ohio and the Dakotas, and even moderate Democrats?
It wasn’t that long ago that the Democratic Party began to represent many of these areas. The entire North Dakota and South Dakota delegations (House and Senate) were made up of Democrats. Former Sens. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Bob Kelly, D-Neb., were political icons of the Cornhusker State. Ohio was a battleground state at the presidential level.
Mr. Connolly is by no means a “conservative” Democrat. He lacks Ocasio-Cortez’s political appeal. That’s neither good nor bad. Connolly is a key player. He is a serious lawmaker with a quick mind who can go head-to-head verbally with the best of the best on committee podiums and on the floor of the House.
Democratic strategists admit party brand is ‘in the toilet’ and it’s ‘generous’
The question is whether House Democrats have hardened progressives again. Have we once again shut out youth and vitality?
Unclear.
A victory for Ocasio and Cortez would have signaled a shift of the Democratic Party to the left. That was one of the party’s issues in the election. But when it comes to “turning the page” with the “young people” of the party, no one knows the subject better than outgoing Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.). Some in the Democratic establishment condemned Phillips when he posed a bizarre challenge to President Biden within the party. Mr. Phillips is currently retired from Congress.
“It’s time to promote good people. We’ve literally prevented them from advancing to leadership positions, which means they’re going to go elsewhere,” Phillips lamented. “And when we lose talent like these ambitious, talented, patriotic young Americans, we’re in trouble.”
The Democratic Party is trying to figure out where to land after a crushing election loss. The path to rebuilding a viable coalition is difficult. Especially now that President-elect Trump has found ways to expand the Republican base and draw disaffected voters in his direction.
“It’s clear that the Democratic caucus has focused on people who have been here a long time,” Phillips said, criticizing the party for not recruiting “young, talented Americans.” He said if Democrats “don’t open up” to young voters, “we’re going to keep losing.”
Mr Connolly said the old versus young debate was “frankly a false narrative put forward by the media”.
However, despite Connolly’s victory, the party elected several younger MPs as ranking members on some committees (and keeping in mind that “young” is a relative term when it comes to Congress) please).
Seventy-seven-year-old Rep. Jerry Nadler (D.Y.) has stepped down as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee in favor of substantially more intelligent 62-year-old Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). Ruskin has just recovered from lymphoma.
Leading Democratic NC fundraiser announces departure from Democratic Party after attack: ‘It’s like leaving a cult’
Arizona Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva, 78, missed much of the year due to cancer. Mr. Grijalva has served as the Democratic leader on the House Natural Resources Committee. While Rep. Jared Huffman, 60, D-Calif., defeated freshman Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, 45, D-Minnesota, to become the ranking member, he I retired from my job. of that panel.
“Congress is the only place where you can be young at 60,” Huffman quipped. “It’s like the fountain of youth.”
Like Mr. Grijalva, Georgia Rep. David Scott, 79, has been absent for much of the past year due to health issues. He is the No. 1 Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. Mr. Scott refused to resign. 72-year-old Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and 52-year-old Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) challenged Mr. Scott, with Democrats at odds over age and experience.
“I don’t know if this is a conflict or not,” Costa said before the vote. “We have great members in our Democratic caucus, members who were elected in recent classes. But certainly we are along the spectrum and have great experience and a solid bench.”
Young Craig defeated both Scott and Costa to earn his place in the agricultural rankings.
After winning, Craig didn’t focus on age. She referred instead to political practicalities.
“Democrats as a whole have not connected with rural communities, and that’s what they’ve done in my district. I represent a D-plus-1 district, and we just won by about 14 percentage points. ” Craig said.
In other words, although her district in southeastern Minnesota is nominally Democratic, Craig, a moderate, gave her opponent a whip.
“When we show up, we listen to people’s stories, and they know we care about them and their lives,” Craig said. “And I think Democrats need to do more of that. Show up, listen. And make sure people know that you care about them.”
As Democrats were screening committee leaders, your committee did indeed spot 78-year-old Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) near the steps of the Capitol.
Biden official Rahm Emanuel warns that Democrats are “distanced and isolated” from the American people
Kaptur is an anomaly in Congress in many ways.
First elected in 1982, Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in Congress’ history. She is a pro-life Democrat. And despite her seniority, and some might argue about her gender, Ms. Kaptur has never chaired a House committee or served as the top Democratic Party official. .
A lot of that is due to her stance on abortion. But Kaptur’s experience and Ocasio-Cortez’s experience bring this discussion full circle. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, defended Mr. Connolly over the New York Democrat. And for years, Ms. Kaptur has claimed that the powerful Ms. Pelosi also blocked her ascension.
“In the case of the Appropriations Committee, most of the people my party elects are from the coasts,” said Kaptur, who said it took 10 years to get on the Appropriations Committee list. “I had to defeat Nancy Pelosi by about five votes to do that. I began to understand how this organization called ‘Congress’ worked.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has endorsed Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (R-Johnny). He is one of the oldest members of the Democratic Party. . (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Most of the Democratic Party’s leading committee members are “all from the coasts, not from our region of the United States,” Captur said.
Captur believes the party needs to focus on “key domestic issues” if President-elect Trump is to win back the voters he won in November.
“The president-elect was right to talk about prices when he went to McDonald’s, where many of his constituents work and eat,” Kaptur said.
She added that President Trump’s ride on a garbage truck sealed the deal with working-class Americans.
“He masterfully understood their plight,” Kaptur said.
Kaptur’s feature is that it is a typical distillation of the entire presidential election. This explains much of why Trump won. This highlighted how the Democratic Party is struggling to communicate with “working class” Americans and those who live in the middle of the country.
For the Democratic Party, moderates and progressives, as well as newcomers and veteran conservatives, will continue to battle over the party’s future.
But it’s hard to argue against Kaptur, both from electoral experience and politics. She won re-election in a state promoted by President Trump. Needless to say, incoming Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) won the entire state.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
When it comes to seats on key committees, Democrats have ignored and excluded members like Kaptur. Ocasio-Cortez lost to Connolly. Raskin, Huffman and Craig currently serve as top Democrats on several committees. There is a mix of younger members, but they are more pragmatic. Does that mean Democrats got the message? Not necessarily.
Check back in six months to see if these maneuvers represent a major course correction.
Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior Congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based in Washington, DC.
