The Democrats Senate leader, Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said something surprising on Sunday during an appearance on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos when he admitted that Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) might be right about today’s Democrat Party. If you don’t remember what Ryan said in the wake of the Democrat loss in Georgia’s 6th District, here’s a reminder:
“I don’t think people in the Beltway are realizing just how toxic the Democratic Party brand is in so many parts of the country,” Ryan told CNN’s Don Lemon during an interview on Wednesday night. Later when Lemon asked if Ryan thought that Nancy Pelosi was more “toxic” than Donald Trump, Ryan responded “honestly.” “The honest answer is in some areas of the country — yes, she is… I think that in certain areas, like in some of these special election districts, it doesn’t benefit our candidates to be tied to her. ”
Schumer didn’t agree with Ryan’s decision to seemingly lay blame at Pelosi’s feet, but he did agree that the Democrat Party need to make some major changes.
George Stephanopoulos: Democrats lost another special election this week in Georgia, Georgia 6. That’s four in a row. Led to a lot of second-guessing by prominent Democrats, including Tim Ryan, Congressman Tim Ryan, who said, “our brand” — I want to show it right there, “our brand is worse than Trump.”
Chuck Schumer: OK, here’s the number one lesson from Georgia 6. Democrats need a strong, bold, sharp-edged, and common-sense economic agenda. Policy, platform, message that appeal to the middle class. That resonate with the middle class. And show that — and unite Democrats. That’s what I’ve been working on for months.
And I’ve been talking to Democrats, House and Senate, all across the country. I’ve been talking to Trump voters. I was at a Yankee last Saturday night, and I sat next to someone, you know, just because that’s how the seats were. We sit in the grandstand, wearing an “I’m proud to be a deplorable voter,” a truck driver.
This economic message platform is going to resonate. It’s what we were missing and it’s not going to be baby steps; it’s going to bold. We’re coming out with it this summer, within a month. You will see it and Democrats will try to pass it legislatively for a year and campaign on it in 2018. It’s what we were missing in 2016 and in the past. We’re going to — we know that. But you lose an election, you don’t blame other people, you blame yourself.
George Stephanopoulos: Congressman Ryan and others say it may be necessary but not sufficient. Also they say Nancy Pelosi has to go.
Chuck Schumer: Yes, look, you always blame — they always blame the leader. I think if we come up with this strong, bold economic package, it will — it will change things around. That’s what we were missing. People don’t like Trump; he’s at 40 percent. But they say what the heck do the Democrats stand for? Ryan has a point here — we better stand for something and it can’t be baby steps.
People, Democrats, are going to be pleased. I’m talking to Bernie Sanders, I’m talking to Joe Manchin. This is going to be really something that Democrats can be proud of and I’m excited about it.
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