About those Democrats
By Renae Cowley, Frank Pignanelli
Republican Renae Cowley is a political consultant, lobbyist, social media influencer and professional rodeo athlete. Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser who served as a Democrat in the Utah State Legislature.
Although the actions of President Donald Trump dominate political discussions, occasionally, there are forays into important topics, such as the future of the Democratic Party. National and local politicos, as well as the media, have provided survey-based analysis on this matter. Naturally, we must offer our insights.
National publications, including the New York Times, conducted methodologically impressive analyses documenting the geographic and demographic gains made by Trump and Republicans in the last three election cycles. If this trend continues, the GOP will remain the majority party in federal and many state governments. Will the trend continue?
Cowley: For the Trump train to slow down, it will require Democrats to completely flip the script. Republicans are making gains in part because of Trump’s ability to appeal to Americans from all walks of life with common-sense messages: cutting government waste, avoiding foreign wars, banning harmful chemicals from our food and water, ridding our country of dangerous foreign invaders, and strengthening both our economy and national security through better trade deals and increased domestic manufacturing.
According to the NYT, Democrats are only making gains with wealthy voters, those who have the luxury of prioritizing preferred pronouns over egg prices and public education. Democrats used to be the party of blue-collar workers and communities of color. Republicans were once the Wall Street elite. Now they have nearly flipped, and in a very short amount of time.
Recent Republican gains are not solely the outcome of Trump’s political achievements, but are equally attributable to the dereliction of Democrats and their dedication to fringe issues and woke self-righteousness. Democrats have lost their way, and in an effort to please the fringes of their party, they have alienated their base.
Pignanelli: “Over a long period of time, Democrats overdrew our trust account with the American people.” — Rob Flaherty, Deputy Manager, Harris for President campaign
In my lifetime, Democrats were enshrined by “experts” as the permanent majority party three times while claiming Republicans were nearing extinction. Last rites should never be given to the major political parties. The question is not if but when Democrats come back from the wilderness. (The current environment suggests no immediate return.)
Analysis of prior presidential election results documents that Republicans gained support in every demographic (except wealthy whites) and almost half of the nation’s counties. Trump is beleaguered by tariff chaos, Ukraine and controversy over his family’s business interests. Yet, polling reveals Democrats are less popular than the president. Long-winded speeches on the Senate floor and holding masks during the State of the Union have no impact. (I am being kind.) Left-wing progressives control the party’s doctrines, even though portions of their agenda are antithetical to mainstream Americans. Additionally, the Biden administration’s shortcomings continue to tarnish the Democratic Party’s perception.
Being the “Not Trump” party is a weak strategy, primarily because numerous opportunities exist to establish an attractive ideology and agenda. If a sunny, positive conservative runs against a left-wing progressive Democrat in the 2028 presidential election, the GOP will dominate for a generation.
Utah Democrats held their convention last Saturday, where former lawmaker Brian King was elected chairman with 52% of the vote. He promised to build a coalition between far-left progressives, moderates and disenfranchised Republicans. Is this possible?
Cowley: Party chairs, both locally and nationally, should have only one goal: winning elections, something Utah Democrats have struggled with since my co-author left office.
Utah has a decent number of “Never-Trump” Republicans, but getting them to vote for any Democrat who supports biological males in women’s sports or DEI policies will be a stretch. In order to accomplish Mr. King’s goal of unity, the party requires a unifying message. Democrats need to identify issues and candidates that break from the national platform and appeal to a broader swath of voters. As long as they are beholden to progressives, their party will remain on life support.
Pignanelli: King and I were debate partners at Cottonwood High School. (Yes, I got some great stories.) His goal of unifying the various constituencies is laudatory, but extremely difficult. My fellow Colt’s problem will not be a dominant GOP. Left-wing special interest groups will push hard against his attempts to build a coalition at the expense of their entire agenda.
What is the future for the Democratic Party, nationally and locally?
Cowley: I haven’t seen any real evidence of Democrats throwing out the old playbook and looking for new strategies. If the current trend is to be slowed or even reversed, Democrats will need a little less “hope” and a lot more “change.” A blue version of MAGA that promotes economic opportunity and patriotism might be the winning ticket for the flailing party. They should become champions for domestic manufacturing, which creates blue-collar jobs, or support Senate President Stuart Adams’ advocacy for clean nuclear energy. Democrats can either call an audible or keep racking up election losses.
Pignanelli: The formula for Democrat success in Utah has been evident for 50 years: capturing most of their voters plus a share of the GOP and right-leaning independents. Thus, personal attacks on Republicans are counterintuitive. Further, a calculated distance between the local contenders and the national Democratic Party is necessary. Although annoying to some, these are the facts.