Established, older Democrats are out of touch, appearing stiff and failing to engage with voters authentically, a weakness newer candidates are exploiting.

• "AND ANDREW CUOMO WAS CRITICIZED FOR BEING STIFF AND ABSENT, AND HE. SEEMED LIKE HE HAD DISDAIN FOR NEW YORK. WELL, THAT'S CUOMO NOW TRYING TO EMULATE, COPY ZORAN MAMDANI, AND BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OUT THERE AND ENGAGE WITH VOTERS."

  1:26 Watch ↗

• "HE LOST THAT PRIMARY AT LEAST IN PART BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY DIDN'T THINK HE WAS VERY ENGAGED WITH THE CITY, UM, SO THAT'S RIGHT OFF THE BAT."

  2:01 Watch ↗

The Democratic Party's brand is perceived terribly by the public, with polling showing record-low favorability and voters associating the party with negative traits like weakness and corruption.

• "I MEAN THE PERCEPTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY RIGHT NOW IS TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE AND IT'S IT'S NOT ME SAYING IT'S THE POLLING NUMBERS THAT ARE THAT FOLKS ARE PUTTING OUT THERE. WHAT I HAVE, I HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME SOMEWHERE 28%. 28% OF A FAVORABLE OPINION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE LOWEST MARK FOR DEMS IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CNN POLL."

  17:17 Watch ↗

• "THERE'S A WORD CLOUD THAT WAS DONE ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. WHAT'S THE FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS, AND THE BIGGEST WORDS WERE WEAK. OH MY GOD, CORRUPT RIGHT AFTER IT, LIARS."

  17:40 Watch ↗

Democrats are too cautious and risk-averse, refusing to engage with media platforms and audiences that are not friendly, thereby showing weakness and limiting their reach.

• "I THINK WHEN YOU SAY I'M NOT GOING TO GO ON JOE ROGAN. AS AN EXAMPLE, BECAUSE HE, I DON'T LIKE SOME OF, YOU KNOW, THE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS OR WHATEVER. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT PEOPLE, THAT'S RIDICULOUS."

  21:04 Watch ↗

• "DON'T BE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES OR TO HAVE A BAD HEADLINE. JUST KEEP POWERING THROUGH. LOOK, IF YOU'RE SO WEAK THAT YOU GO ON A SHOW AND THERE'S A BIG FIGHT AND YOU'RE DESTROYED BY THAT. THEN YOU WERE GONNA GET KNOCKED DOWN BY SOMETHING ELSE, RIGHT? IT'S BETTER TO GO ON AND DO IT. RUN THE GAUNTLET."

  21:51 Watch ↗

An internal culture of 'political correctness' and policing by their own side prevents Democratic politicians from being authentic and limits their ability to communicate freely and effectively.

• "IT'S BEEN HARD FOR DEMOCRATS TO BE AUTHENTIC BECAUSE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE THEY'RE POLICED BY THEIR OWN. UM, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT. GOT TO SAY IT THIS WAY. BE CAREFUL. DON'T TALK TO THIS PERSON BECAUSE THIS PERSON HAS SAID THINGS IN THE PAST THAT WE DON'T AGREE WITH, SO YOU CAN'T GO ON THEIR SHOW."

  19:20 Watch ↗

• "LIKE IT REALLY PENS YOU IN AND MAKES IT AND MAKES YOUR WORLD SMALL, YOUR ABILITY TO GET OUT THERE AND COMMUNICATE LIMITED."

  19:40 Watch ↗

The Democratic party is hampered by an 'old guard' that is generationally and technologically out of step with the modern world, unable to naturally use the communication tools essential for current campaigns.

• "THERE'S ALSO A GENERATIONAL DIVIDE THERE. THERE'S A THERE'S A POLITICAL EXPERIENCE DIVIDE THERE. HE'S VERY OLD SCHOOL, CAME UP A DIFFERENT WAY, AND ZORAN MAMDANI IS ENGAGING WITH A NEW MEDIA LANDSCAPE THAT THAT A LOT OF THE POLITICIANS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEVER HAD TO ENGAGE WITH BEFORE, NEVER EVEN KNEW IT EXISTED"

  3:02 Watch ↗

• "I GO TO I GO TO WASHINGTON. IT'S AMAZING, YOU KNOW, EXPLAINING AI, RIGHT? AND SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT THERE'S A LOT WHO ARE LIKE, WHAT? AND SO WHEN YOU GET INTO THIS ACTUAL COMFORTABLE, OH LET'S SHOOT A VIDEO, RIGHT?"

  3:23 Watch ↗

Older Democrats fundamentally misunderstand how to use social media, believing they must learn a complex set of rules rather than simply using the platform to be their authentic selves, a strategy mastered by figures like Bernie Sanders.

• "I THINK THAT A LOT OF OLDER DEMOCRATS WILL LOOK AT SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEY'LL SAY. I NEED TO LEARN ITS RULES, RIGHT? I NEED TO LEARN HOW IT OPERATES. NO. YOU NEED TO COME IN. YOU CAN SAY WHO YOU ARE."

  24:12 Watch ↗

• "THE BEST EXAMPLE IS WHO IS THE OLDEST GUY IN AMERICAN POLITICS RIGHT NOW, BERNIE SANDERS? AND WHO MASTERS SOCIAL MEDIA AND DOES HE DO IT BY SAYING, HEY KIDS, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TODAY? NO, BERNIE SANDERS IS LIKE WALKING HE'S OUT IN FRONT OF THE OFFICE BUILDING GOING, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TAX POLICY TODAY, RIGHT? AND 3 MILLION VIEWS."

  24:26 Watch ↗

The Democratic party, particularly its older members, has failed to adapt to the modern media landscape of short-form video and social media, unlike past generations of politicians who mastered the new media of their time.

• "AND ZORAN MAMDANI IS ENGAGING WITH A NEW MEDIA LANDSCAPE THAT THAT A LOT OF THE POLITICIANS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEVER HAD TO ENGAGE WITH BEFORE, NEVER EVEN KNEW IT EXISTED, RIGHT? I MEAN THIS IS THE INTERESTING THING."

  3:10 Watch ↗

• "I LOOK AROUND ME AND I SEE EVERYBODY'S NOW ON THEIR PHONE WATCHING ONE SHORT VIDEO AFTER ANOTHER. WELL, WHO IS THE CANDIDATE WHO'S ASSOCIATED WITH SHORT VIDEOS? IT'S JOHNNY … THAT'S THE FORM AND I've HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT AND I THINK IT'S RIGHT THAT DEMOCRATS NEED TO TRY TO ENGAGE WITH THE FORM, LEARN THE FORM."

  5:38 Watch ↗

The Democratic Party is suffering from a severe 'authenticity crisis,' where voters perceive their politicians as disingenuous and calculating.

• "AND SO WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS, IN MY OPINION, IS A VERY SERIOUS AUTHENTICITY CRISIS. AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY EVERYBODY'S GOT TO BE LIKABLE … BUT THEY DO HAVE TO HAVE A SENSE THAT WHEN THIS PERSON IS TALKING TO YOU, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING BEYOND YOU TO SEE WHO IF A DONOR HAS WALKED IN THE ROOM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT."

  15:03 Watch ↗

Democrats fail to connect their policy agendas to the everyday, tangible concerns of voters in a relatable way, unlike newer politicians who can ground their message in common experiences.

• "ABSOLUTELY TALK TO CAMERA, ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE NEXT TO ME. GO IN THE HALAL FOOD TRUCK WITH THE GUY AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT CHICKEN AND RICE, BUT TALK ABOUT CHICKEN AND RICE AND THEN COME OUT AROUND THE TRUCK AND TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO TO LOWER PRICES."

  2:24 Watch ↗

The Democratic party's problems cannot be fixed by committee; they require a new, exciting candidate to emerge organically from the primary process to redefine the party and energize voters.

• "MY POINT IS THAT POLITICS IN AMERICA IS NOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF DEMOCRATS GETTING TOGETHER AND HAVING A A FORUM WHERE THEY FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA FIX THEIR PROBLEM, RIGHT? THEY, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A CANDIDATE ORGANICALLY COME FORWARD. WIN THOSE PRIMARIES AND ACTUALLY EXCITE PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND, AND SUDDENLY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BECOMES SOMETHING DIFFERENT."

  18:10 Watch ↗

Experienced Democrats fail to effectively campaign on their own significant policy and legislative accomplishments, missing opportunities to showcase their effectiveness to voters.

• "SO HE'S GOTTEN A LOT DONE, AND THESE ARE LIBERAL AGENDA ITEMS. THESE ARE BIG TICKET LIBERAL AGENDA ITEMS, BUT NO ONE LIKES THEM. BUT WHY DIDN'T HE RUN ON THAT? I MEAN, HE, YOU KNOW, IN THE PRIMARY HE WAS IF, IF HE HAD DONE AN AD IN THE PRIMARY WHERE HE WAS POPPING AROUND THE CITY AND SAY YOU LIKE LAGUARDIA …"

  12:12 Watch ↗

The Democratic party incorrectly frames its choice of candidates as a binary between 'likability' and 'effectiveness,' instead of seeking candidates who possess both qualities.

• "STRATEGY FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SHOULD IT BE LIKABILITY OR UM UH UH EFFECTIVENESS? CUOMO NOT LIKABLE, EFFECTIVE. MAMDANI, VERY LIKABLE. WHO KNOWS HOW EFFECTIVE HE IS. HE DOESN'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE."

  12:49 Watch ↗

• "IF THE DEMOCRATS ARE CHOOSING SOMEBODY IN THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE, IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW IS A LOT OF THE OLD GUARD WHO HAVE DIPPED THEIR TOE IN AND THEN WHO KNOWS WHO ELSE IS GONNA. COME IN. WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE BETTER VERSION? CAN YOU HAVE BOTH LIKABLE AND SOMEBODY WHO HAS A RECORD OF BEING EFFECTIVE?"

  13:04 Watch ↗