A long-serving Democrat has publicly acknowledged what he sees as a major problem facing Democrats, arguing that the party has drifted away from voters and become too dependent on political consultants.<\/p>\n
Rep. Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, made the remarks during an interview on MS NOW\u2019s \u201cThe Weekend,\u201d where he was asked about how Democrats can improve their standing with voters moving forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s your honest assessment about how if you zoom out, right, not just South Carolina, not just black voters, but how does the party actually change the way that folks view the successes, the failures, and the future that the Democratic Party is promising?\u201d host Eugene Daniels asked.<\/p>\n
Clyburn responded by saying Democrats need to reconnect with the people they claim to represent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that we have to get back to some basics,\u201d Clyburn said.<\/p>\n
The veteran congressman pointed to a popular song originating in South Carolina called \u201cBoots on the Ground\u201d as a metaphor for what the party should be doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to listen to those people who wear those boots that they\u2019re trying to put on the ground,\u201d Clyburn said. \u201cI don\u2019t believe we listen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clyburn argued that Democratic leaders have spent too much time listening to consultants and not enough time listening to voters.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have said this, and I really do believe with all my heart: We pay too much attention to the consulting class, and not enough attention to those people, the constituents,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
According to Clyburn, voters often understand their own concerns better than political strategists do.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur constituents know what they feel, and we have to pay attention to people\u2019s feelings, like what is said about their conditions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople respond emotionally, and my experiences tell me we do not spend enough time, energy and resources with our ground operations that we need to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clyburn suggested that consultants may have played a role in shifting resources away from grassroots organizing efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know why we got away from that but I think a lot has to do with these consultants who will get their percentages out of ground operations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The comments came during a weekend of celebration for South Carolina Democrats after Republicans in the state Senate blocked an effort backed by President Donald Trump to redraw congressional maps and target Clyburn\u2019s district.<\/p>\n
The proposal would have significantly altered South Carolina\u2019s congressional map and potentially threatened the state\u2019s lone Democratic congressional seat.<\/p>\n
Instead, the measure failed in the Republican-controlled Senate, preserving Clyburn\u2019s district ahead of this year\u2019s elections.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, polling data highlighted by CNN analyst Harry Enten last month suggests growing dissatisfaction among Democratic voters with their party\u2019s congressional leadership, raising concerns ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n
Speaking on CNN, Enten pointed to a sharp decline in net approval ratings for Democratic congressional leaders among Democrats themselves.<\/p>\n