We can do better
Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries aren't built for this moment.
Like most of the country, I've been celebrating the landslide Democratic victory in the midterms. I happen to have planned a trip to Mexico City that started right after the election, so my situation has been slightly different, but I'm celebrating from afar. Now that we've had a moment to absorb what happened, I think it's time to have a conversation about Democratic leadership.
It's no secret that Democratic leadership is not popular. If anything, Democrats won so many elections despite having a tarnished brand and unpopular party leaders. People voted for Democrats they liked, or they voted against Trump and Republicans. They weren't endorsing Hakeem Jeffries or Chuck Schumer.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is viewed positively by only 18% of voters, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer by only 13%. Polls have consistently shown that Democrats want new leadership in their party. Here's a CNN poll from July showing the vast majority of Democrats want different people in charge.
Right now, it seems likely that Schumer and Jeffries will lead the party, but that doesn't have to be the case. Democrats can and should have a serious debate over who will lead the party going forward. This does not make the party look weak, as long as the debate is reasonable. It makes the party look democratic.
Personally, I'd like to see someone lead the House who is to Jeffries' left, but it also needs to be someone who's seen as strategic, serious and thoughtful. I would nominate Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) if it were up to me. As for the Senate, I think someone like Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) would be a good fit for that role.
Both of these politicians are serious, knowledgeable people who would likely be able to lead the party effectively and would probably be significantly more popular than Jeffries and Schumer. It doesn't have to be these two—there are many options—but I'd be happy with this kind of leadership. I think a lot of people would be.
Thor Benson
If we end up with Jeffries and Schumer, maybe they'll surprise me. Maybe they'll do a better job than I expect. However, with this kind of landslide victory, I don't think we should be settling for what we already have. I don't think "might be okay" is sufficient. I think we have the ability to ask for more.
Jeffries and Schumer have consistently shown over the past two years that they weren't built for this moment. They've hesitated to punch back while Donald Trump has been pummeling this country. They've chosen to be timid when left-leaning Americans have made it clear they're looking for fighters.
Schumer has had his time as the Democratic Senate leader, and Jeffries has shown he's not an adequate leader in the House. Democrats can choose to be led by other figures. It is entirely within their power. Let's start talking about some other options, and let's choose different people.
