CHRIS CRUCIAL: The Democratic brand stinks (and how to fix it) 🦨

PLUS: The Michigan Senate jockey begins 🎟️

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1. “Democrat” is a bad word these days

(Image via Wikimedia Commons)

The first 10 days of Donald Trump’s second term have been an absolute blitz of activity — and, yes, controversy.

Trump is such a scene-stealer, such an oxygen-eater that it’s easy to forget that there are, still, two political parties in this country.

And, I am here to report — again — that the Democratic party is in bad shape.

The latest piece of evidence comes in a new Quinnipiac University national poll which finds Democrats hitting historic lows.

This, from the poll, is an absolute dagger to Democrats as the party seeks to find its way off the political mat:

Voters' views of the Democratic Party and Republican Party set new records since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking voters about the parties in November 2008.

In today's poll, 31 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, while 57 percent have an unfavorable opinion. This is thve highest percentage of voters having an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question.

Forty-three percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party, while 45 percent have an unfavorable opinion. This is the highest percentage of voters having a favorable opinion of the Republican Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question.

This marks the biggest favorability advantage the Republican Party (43 percent) has held over the Democratic Party (31 percent) since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking these questions.

I mean, that is ROUGH. Not only is the Democratic brand at its lowest ebb in almost two decades of Q polling, but the Republican brand is at its highest point over that same time period.

And, this is far from an isolated result.

There was this data point from the Democratic think tank Third Way about how Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were perceived ideologically by voters in the 2024 election:

As Third Way noted of the results: “These ratings are like a Richter scale, so when voters put themselves that much closer to Trump, it’s an indication of a real problem for Democrats.”

And then there’s this from Gallup showing that in 2024 more people identified as Republicans than Democrats for the third straight year:

Also worth noting: Prior to Republican self-identification outpacing Democrats in 2022, it had happened only one time going all the way back to 1991.

To look at that data and not think Democrats have a problem — especially considering they are out of power in the White House, Senate and House — is to willfully blind oneself to reality.

So, what gives? And how can Democrats fix their brand issues?

Here’s my diagnosis — and two big ideas on how they can heal themselves.