Ken Martin of Minnesota, the new Democratic Party chair, must convince voters that the party has worthy ideas, plans
The Democratic National Committee just convened a meeting outside of Washington, D.C., at which Ken Martin, the longtime chair of Minnesota's Democratic Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party was elected as the new national chair over several opponents on the first ballot.
South Dakota's Democratic leadership, including chair Shane Merrill, were overjoyed by Martin’s election. In recent years, Martin has befriended his counterparts here in South Dakota, was the keynote speaker at the annual McGovern Day fundraising dinner, and has championed efforts to rebuild the Democratic Party in “Red States” like South Dakota, with both financial and logistical assistance.
The four South Dakota Democratic leaders who participated in the DNC meeting (Merrill, Vice Chair Jessica Meyers, Committeewoman Deb Knecht and Committeeman Dennis Olson) all voted for Martin.
It is possible that Donald Trump's dictator-like flurry of executive orders, and the unleashing of billionaire Elon Musk to dismantle much of the federal government, will give the Democratic Party an organizational boost in the months ahead. However, it is worth noting that America’s oldest political party, which produced Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Barack Obama, is experiencing a deep slump.
Americans are deeply divided over Trump’s performance in his first weeks back in office, and he has not enjoyed the “honeymoon” that typically enables a new president to move his political agenda.
A Pew Research poll which was conducted on Feb. 7 showed that 47% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his job, while 51% disapprove. As for Elon Musk, the unelected policy maker who seems to be calling the shots, an Impact Research poll on Feb. 6 shows that 51% of Americans hold an unfavorable view while just 42% regard him favorably.
Significantly, the Democratic Party as an institution is far deeper in negative territory than either Trump or Musk. A Civiqs/Daily Kos poll conducted a few days earlier (Feb. 1-4) asked respondents how they regard the Democratic Party, and the national response showed that 60% have an unfavorable impression, while just 33% view the opposition party favorably.
Significantly, independents have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party (67% to 22%), as do white voters (64% to 29%) and even Hispanics (63% to 32%), particularly significant since Hispanic voters have traditionally been a strongly Democratic voting block.
The negative attitude toward the Democrats does not end there. Among Black voters, who have overwhelmingly backed Democratic candidates for the last 90 years, the party registers only a 60% favorable rating, while fully 35% view it unfavorably. And among Democrats themselves, the party gets a favorable rating from 71%, but 21% are unfavorable to their own party.
Undoubtedly, last year’s presidential election ended on a sour note for the Democrats. While Donald Trump is a historically divisive and controversial political figure, he managed to squeak past Kamala Harris in the popular vote and carried all seven “swing states” that had been identified correctly for months as the decisive battleground.
Joe Biden has some spectacular successes as president, pulling the country out of the COVID-19 debacle and persuading a deeply divided Congress to invest heavily in infrastructure and clean energy. Nonetheless, he withdrew his candidacy for a second term after a faltering debate performance against Trump and low polling numbers suggested that he could not beat Trump.
As the new DNC chair, Ken Martin has a historic opportunity but also faces historic challenges. It won’t be enough to call attention to Trump’s dictatorial tendencies, divisive rhetoric and disruption of the federal government. The Democratic Party must persuade the American people, including millions of its own members, that it offers a solid alternative and a progressive platform to resolve the economic, environmental and social crises that have so divided and upset our country.
Jay Davis is a retired Rapid City lawyer and a regular contributor to The South Dakota Standard.
