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Just attended a DNC ‘briefing’ on Democratic plans to fight back. In a word: Pathetic. [1]

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Date: 2025-03-04

I’ve given money to the Democratic National Committee. Not a lot—maybe $100 a pop several times before the election and once recently. So I get an email a couple days ago, inviting me to join a Zoom meeting this morning billed as a “briefing” for donors to outline the Democratic Party’s plans to fight back against the toxic Trump regime. “This is your chance to hear directly from Democratic leadership about how we fight back, win elections, and shape the future,” the invitation said.

Great! Sign me up! I would love to hear a detailed Democratic strategy for resisting this existential assault on our democracy.

My takeaway from the briefing? We’re in trouble. The DNC has no systematic plan. No strategy. Nothing. All they have, apparently, are platitudes about how they’re “fighting back” and “taking the gloves off.” But they offered almost no specifics on how they’re doing that and no report on what they’ve done already beyond some generalities about engaging in nontraditional media and building a “political infrastructure” outside the usual battleground states.

What I was expecting was an actual presentation: a defined strategy, maybe PowerPoint slides, action items, or at least a point-by-point outline for attacking the Trump Death Star. You know:

Congressional roadblocks being put in place

How the DNC is supporting court cases to thwart Trump

Coalitions they’re building with other organizations to create a cohesive national strategy of protests and resistance

Media strategies

Stuff like that.

What we got instead was a half-hour of three people—DNC Chairman Ken Martin and Representatives Joyce Beatty and Jim Clyburn—sitting around a table casually improvising a few generalities about how fired up Democrats are, then answering four questions submitted by attendees—four, one of which was utterly meaningless.

To begin with, the meeting started 15 minutes late, which is a sure way to instill confidence. Ken Martin apologized, say “there’s a lot going on” today because of the State of the Union address.

Then the three of them gave opening remarks.

Martin decried “fat-cat billionaires” and said the DNC is being reimagined as an organization that will run a “permanent campaign” [fantastic] and is building a “long-term political infrastructure.” He called on Democrats everywhere to volunteer in their efforts.

Rep. Clyburn said Republicans are proving they’re only about money, but politicians should be “in the business of putting people over profits.” Government, he said, is in the business of service. “There are people waiting for us to respond to their needs, their dreams, their aspirations.”

Rep. Beatty assured us that Democrats are “fighting back. We know what’s at stake.” She praised House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for his leadership and said Democrats have “victories around the country” (she didn’t offer specifics) and have formed a “rapid response team” to push back against Republican disinformation. “We want people to know we are in the fight, we’re standing up for you, we’re going to crisscross the country.”

And that was it! That was the sum total of their “briefing” before they went to questions from the audience! No details, no specifics, no action plan, no bullet points. Just vague generalities. Look, I get it: Maybe only small donors were invited to this “briefing,” so they didn’t think they needed to make a real effort. Maybe the big donors get the PowerPoints. But they’ve had weeks now to formulate a genuine strategy—a detailed business plan. Please tell me this isn’t all you’ve got!

The answers to questions were more of the same.

Do you have a message for Democrats in red states who are feeling hopeless?

More meandering generalities. Nothing of substance.

How are we strategically reaching young and black voters?

Democrats “have a whole new strategy.” [Yay!] It involves using nontraditional media and employing “young influencers.” [Um, OK.]

How are you all taking off the gloves to directly fight against Elon and Trump?

Rep. Beatty noted that she and others have been out with crowds protesting. And “You will see tonight members talking about how we’re fighting. You’re going to see it in a lot of rebuttals today [to the State of the Union address]. We’re going to be marching, protesting. We have a whole plan to continue this.” [Although no one actually presented a plan.]

Rep. Clyburn mentioned a 24-hour marathon media event with celebrities like Joy Reid, taking place now, though he wasn’t sure how to tune into it.

And the last question: How do you three stay grounded and sane with everything that’s going on?

Rep. Clyburn: Stay on offense.

Rep Beatty: “I’m ready to fight. Our role is to give you hope. And the only way we can give you hope is to tell you we’re taking the gloves off.”

Martin: His children keep him sane. He says the Serenity Prayer every day. And he’s looking forward to college basketball March Madness.

Thanks. Thanks for that.

I want to cry.

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