I’m tangentially involved in politics. I even ran for office a few years ago.
Because of that, I do follow politics—though not obsessively. Since 2016, the political climate has felt overwhelming, so I’ve largely refrained from writing about it.
But I do want to talk about the Democratic Party and its recent losses. Losing control of the House, Senate, and presidency is no small failure.
Pundits and news outlets are abuzz with outrage and disbelief:
“How could people vote for a felon?”
“Why don’t they see he’s only in it for himself?”
“They don’t care about minorities, immigrants, or women.”
The postmortems are everywhere: The Democratic Party has lost its way. It’s no longer the party of the people.
I think they’re looking at it wrong. This isn’t an execution problem—it’s a product problem.
There’s a famous Simon Sinek talk: Start with Why. He says, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” And that’s what Donald Trump mastered. He started with why: “I believe in America first. I will make it great again.” His how and what may have been light on substance, but his why resonated.
The Democrats, on the other hand, excelled at the how and what—great policies on immigration reform, gun control, housing, and taxes. But they lacked a compelling why.
This isn’t a novel idea. Marcus Aurelius understood it. Martin Luther King Jr. understood it. James Clear even mentions it in Atomic Habits: to create lasting change, start by defining identity (the why), then move to process and outcomes.
Unfortunately, Democrats have lost their why. They’ve become the party of how and what. In recent years, their platform has essentially boiled down to:
Vote for us, or Trump/MAGA will take power.
Donate, or Trump wins.
Support us, or you’re part of the problem.
That’s not how you inspire people. That’s not how you win love, loyalty, or support. Fear and shame are poor substitutes for vision.
So, I ask again: Why should I vote for the Democrats?
My answer, should I run again, will be :
We are a party that believes in progress for all Americans.
We believe that law and opportunity should be the same for everyone—regardless of labels: Black, White, rich, poor, male, female, straight, gay, Christian, Jewish, or atheist.
We love you all equally and will fight for your rights.
Join us to build a future where we can thrive together and realize our full potential.
The Democrats need to rediscover their why. Without it, they’ll keep losing elections—and more importantly, they’ll lose the people they’re supposed to represent.