Democrats are too old.

[Sympthsical]

17. Age is a problem. But there's also a charisma vacuum

Perhaps the two are related, but there's no one really engaging in our leadership either. We have some really good politicians, make no mistake, but in the age of mass media - particularly social media - who are people all about?

We're a party that had Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Relatively younger politicians that had that it factor. They had that aura. That force of personality. Even the older politicians in our history typically had a force of personality. Someone like LBJ who you knew was present in a room or FDR who didn't just suck up all the oxygen - he was the oxygen.

That's gone. We somehow became a party of technocratic pencil pushers and careerists who forever hang around waiting for the promotions they feel they're owed. Even when you agree with what our politicians are saying, it just never sets the blood aflame in people. Jeffries may be a good Speaker - I have no idea if that's true - but whenever he gets out there to make a statement or tosses out some press release, it's like I just got a letter from a landlord that gets set on the kitchen counter and ignored.

The careerists just don't want to make space for those personalities to emerge and thrive. All the space is taken up by the uninspired.

Bernie is our most charismatic politician with the average voter. I know large portions of this space don't like to hear it, but it's true. Go into any political area with Democrats and liberals under 50, and they're talking about Bernie. AOC is probably second on that list, with Crockett and Buttigieg moving up the list.

But the party has a very difficult time allowing space for these people. The careerists have all the power, the hands controlling the machinery, the money and donor base (who are not our friends) to maintain their positions (and all the wealth and dynasty that goes with it) that disallows for movement and growth.

Elder statesman can be that while not in office. They can guide, give advice, and exercise influence outside of office. Wouldn't that be grand? To retire and then have that reputation that you're still one our most valuable assets?

Instead, they stay forever. Instead of reverence, they earn resentment. Instead of forward movement that comes with the natural change of generations, we get stagnation.

Setting aside the policies, what's the appeal for people? This killed us in 2024. How many more elections would we like to keep scoring this own goal?