Obama ruined the Democrat party and it’s hilarious.
A progressive strategist recently took aim at former President Barack Obama, accusing him of steering the Democratic Party away from its working-class roots in favor of elite interests. This critique, published by The Hill, highlights a growing concern within the left-wing of the political spectrum: that the Democrats have abandoned populist ideals in favor of catering to wealthy and college-educated elites. The strategist argues that this shift began during Obama’s presidency, long before Donald Trump capitalized on populism to win over disaffected voters.
The strategist explained, “I’m not sure when Democrats lost their way with populism, but it wasn’t because Trump embraced it. He picked it up because the Democrats had already let it go under Obama.” The strategist pointed to Obama’s efforts to appeal to Silicon Valley and college-educated liberals, while neglecting the concerns of blue-collar workers, a group that increasingly felt overlooked by the party. The result, according to the strategist, was a Democratic Party that had become “condescending” and disconnected from the working class.
Prominent Democrats have echoed these concerns, especially in the wake of Trump’s success. Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-identified socialist, remarked that the Democratic Party’s abandonment of the working class helped Trump secure a victory. He observed that the working class, initially a stronghold of the Democratic Party, increasingly turned to Trump in 2016 and 2020. “Nobody should be surprised that a Democrats which have ditched working-class Americans would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders said, pointing to a loss of support among White, Latino, and Black workers.
Even former Obama advisor David Axelrod admitted that the Democrats’ working-class support has eroded, particularly in the 2024 election. Speaking to CNN, Axelrod noted that Democrats only won among those earning over $100,000, adding, “You can’t win national elections that way.” He attributed this shift to the party’s increasing alignment with the college-educated, suburban elite, while failing to connect with working-class voters who felt ignored.
Veteran strategist James Carville, in a recent New York Times op-ed, further dissected the issue, saying that the party had lost its economic message to Trump. Carville, once a key player in Bill Clinton’s campaigns, argued that the Democratic Party’s failure to address economic issues had led to Trump’s rise. “We lost for one very simple reason: It was, it is, and it always will be the economy, stupid,” Carville wrote. Trump’s success, he said, was rooted in his ability to connect with middle-class and low-income voters on economic issues, something the Democrats failed to do.
These critiques from within the Democratic Party suggest that a realignment may be necessary if they hope to regain working-class support. As Republicans, we see an opportunity to offer a vision that prioritizes the concerns of hardworking Americans—lower taxes, job creation, and a strong economy that benefits all citizens, not just the elites. The Democrats’ loss of touch with the people who built this country presents a clear contrast for Republicans to seize upon in future elections.