CV NEWS FEED // A group of Democratic consultants, elected officials, and party leaders met in early February to strategize the party’s comeback, concluding that a shift toward moderation – and a rejection of far-left ideologies – will be crucial for future election victories.
The group met in Loudoun County, Virginia, for a day-and-a-half retreat organized by Third Way, a Democratic think tank.
In a five-page document, they warned that Democrats have alienated working-class voters by prioritizing identity politics, neglecting economic issues, and pushing an anti-American message that rejects patriotism.
New @playbookdc: Last month, a group of moderate Democratic consultants, campaign staffers, elected officials & party leaders gathered in Loudoun County, Virginia, for a retreat where they plotted their party’s comeback.
— Adam Wren (@adamwren) March 2, 2025
We got their takeaways. pic.twitter.com/lA1nVshriG
They emerged with 20 key takeaways aimed at re-engaging the working class.
“In the wake of this election, where it became so evident that the things that the left was doing and saying deeply hurt Harris and down-ballot Democrats, a lot of people are looking to us, not just Third Way, but the moderates in the party, and saying, ‘We got to do it your way, because the other way ain’t working,’” said Third Way’s Matt Bennett, according to Politico.
The retreat comes as Democratic approval ratings hit record lows, according to polls from Quinnipiac, The New York Times, Gallup, and Data for Progress.
A Feb. 13 Gallup poll found that support for a more moderate Democratic Party among Democratic voters has risen by 11 points since 2021, while backing for a more liberal shift has declined. Similarly, a January Data for Progress poll found that 63% of likely Democratic voters believe the party should focus on economic issues like wages and jobs rather than cultural and social messaging.
Despite these warning signs, some party leaders seem unwilling to change course.
Ken Martin, the newly elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), told The New York Times days before his election: “Anyone saying we need to start over with a new message is wrong.”
The Third Way report underscores voter concerns, including the perception that Democrats “prioritize niche identity-based groups” and “cultural and social issues,” over voters’ real struggles with issues like “jobs, wages, and inflation.”
A separate report by Brookings Institute fellows William A. Galston and Elaine C. Kamarck warns that the Democratic Party’s growing disconnect from the working class has fueled Democrats’ rising unfavorability.
“The real question is more political than substantive,” Galston and Kamarck wrote. “[I]s the party willing to make the changes needed to accommodate the clear preferences of working-class voters?”