President Biden's age — and whether he should stay or go — is approx Democrats tore apart This summer.
In fact, the president's decision to withdraw early — and give other candidates, besides Vice President Kamala Harris, the opportunity to run for the Oval Office — may have saved the party's election.
The division between the old and the new and the party's direction threatens to drive a wedge within the Democratic Alliance. In fact, the race is between Rep. Gerry Connolly, Democrat of Virginia, and… Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, His tenure as top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee represented a microcosm of those skirmishes.
Connolly, 74, is recovering from esophageal cancer. She overtook 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez To gain a high-profile position in the Democratic caucus recently. The ranking Democrat on that committee will duel daily with Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Republican of Kentucky. Connolly is also expected to serve as the party's main attack dog in its looming disputes with the incoming Trump administration.
Liberal media hosts Democratic Party after AOC loses top spot on House Oversight Committee
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., failed in her bid to become her party's leader on the House Oversight Committee. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Coomer was supporting Ocasio-Cortez. He knew that choosing her would increase her positions regarding the direction of the party.
“I hope they put her in there because she symbolizes what Democrats stand for. She's a socialist. She's the architect of the Green New Deal in the House,” Coomer said.
It's been a generational choice for Democrats.
Youth versus experience
But what about the future of the party?
Ocasio-Cortez is an icon of the progressive movement. She's one of the most powerful stars in Congress — albeit a lightning rod at times.
Would the party want to promote liberal politicians like Ocasio-Cortez, which would resonate in the left-leaning, multicultural areas of Jackson Heights and College Point, New York? Or knowing how to talk to large swaths of swing voters and even moderate Democrats in Omaha, Nebraska, and parts of Ohio and the Dakotas?
It wasn't long before Democrats represented many of these places. The entire North and South Dakota delegations – House and Senate – were composed of Democrats. Former Sens. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., were political icons in the Cornhusker State. Ohio was a presidential swing state.
Connolly is by no means a “conservative” Democrat. He lacks the political gravitas of Ocasio-Cortez. This is neither a good nor a bad thing. Connolly is a workhorse. He is a serious legislator with a brilliant mind who can compete with the best of them verbally on the committee stage or on the House floor.
Democratic strategists admit party brand 'in the toilet' — and that's 'generosity'
The question is: Have House Democrats once again cracked down on progressives? Have they once again taken away youth and vitality?
Not clear.
An Ocasio-Cortez victory would have signaled a shift toward the left for Democrats. This was one of the problems the party faced in the elections. But when it comes to “the young” and “turning the page” in the party, few have a greater interest in the subject than outgoing Rep. Dean Phillips, Democrat of Minnesota. Phillips was harshly criticized by some in the Democratic establishment when he presented a fictional challenge to President Biden in the party. Now Phillips is retiring from Congress.
“It's time to elevate the best and the brightest,” Phillips lamented. “We have literally prevented them from ascending to leadership positions, which means they will go elsewhere.” “And when we lose that kind of talent in young, ambitious, competent, patriotic Americans, we have a problem.”
Democrats are trying to figure out where they will land after a massive election loss. The path to rebuilding a viable alliance is challenging. Especially after President-elect Trump He figured out a way to grow the Republican Party's base and pull disaffected voters in his direction.
“It's quite clear that the Democratic Caucus has long valued people who have been here a long time,” Phillips said, criticizing the party's lack of recruitment of “talented young Americans.” He said Democrats “will continue to lose” if they don't “open up” to young voters.
For his part, Connolly said the debate between older people and younger people was a “false narrative, frankly, being pushed by the media.”
But even after Connolly's win, the party selected a number of younger lawmakers (and keep in mind that “younger” is a relative term when it comes to Congress) to serve as ranking members on several committees.
Representative Jerry Nadler, Democrat of New York, The 77-year-old stepped aside as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee in favor of Rep. Jamie Raskin, 62, a Democrat from Maryland. Raskin has just recovered from lymphoma.
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., 78, has been absent for most of the year due to cancer. Grijalva served as the leading Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. He stepped away from that role, while Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., 60, defeated a newcomer to Congress — Rep. Melanie Stansbury, 45, to be the ranking member. From that painting.
“Only in Congress can I be a 60-year-old,” Hoffman joked. “So it's like a fountain of youth.”
Like Grijalva, Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., 79, has been absent for extended periods over the past year due to health issues. He is the ranking Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. Scott refused to step down. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., 72, and Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, 52, challenged Scott, as Democrats clashed over age and experience.
“I don’t know that this is a struggle,” Costa said before the vote. “We have a great group of members in our Democratic caucus. Members who have been elected in recent terms. But we certainly have the spectrum, tremendous experience and a strong bench.”
The younger Craig defeated both Scott and Costa to take first place in agriculture.
After the victory, Craig did not focus on age. It took up practical political matters instead.
“Democrats generally don't reach out to rural communities. This is something we were able to do in my district. I represent a D+1 district and I just won it by about 14 percentage points,” Craig said.
In other words, her district in southeastern Minnesota nominally favored Democrats, but moderate Craig beat her opponent.
“(When) we show up, we listen to people and they know we care about them and their lives,” Craig said. “And I think the Democratic Party needs to do more of that. Show up and listen. And make sure people know they care.”
While Democrats were sorting out their committee leaders, your committee spotted Rep. Marcy Kaptur, R-Ohio, 78, near the Capitol steps.
Democrats are becoming “distant and disconnected” from Americans, Biden official Rahm Emanuel warns
In many ways, Kaptur is an anomaly in Congress.
First elected in 1982, Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress. It is a pro-life democracy. Despite her seniority — and one might argue about her gender — Kaptur has never been able to chair or serve as the top Democrat on any House committee.
Much of this is due to her stance on abortion. But Kaptur's experience and Ocasio-Cortez's experience have brought this debate full circle. former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, He defended Connolly over the New York Democrat. And for many years, Kaptur contends, a powerful Pelosi blocked her rise as well.
“In the case of the Appropriations Committee, the people who get elected to my party tend to come from the coasts,” Kaptur said, saying it took a decade for her to earn a spot on the Appropriations list. “I had to defeat Nancy Pelosi to do it in about five ballots. I'm starting to understand the way this organization called Congress works.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is among the Democratic old guard who has backed Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (Kevin Deitch/Getty Images)
Most of the leading Democrats on the committees “are all from the coast. They're not from our region of America,” Kaptur says.
Kaptur believes the party must focus on “bread-and-butter issues at home” if they want to win back the voters that President-elect Trump registered in November.
“The president-elect was right when he talked about the prices when he went to McDonald's. This is where a lot of my constituents work and eat,” Kaptur said.
She added that Trump's ride in the garbage truck sealed the deal with working-class Americans.
“He brilliantly sympathized with their plight,” Kaptur said.
This characterization from Kaptur is a quintessential summary of the entire presidential race. This explains many of the reasons that led to Trump's victory. It highlighted how difficult it is for Democrats to speak to “working-class” Americans and those who reside in the middle of the country.
The tug of war will continue for Democrats, as moderates and progressives — as well as newcomers and the older guard — debate the future of the party.
But it's hard to argue with Kaptur, both in terms of electoral experience and policy. She won re-election in a Trump-led state. Not to mention Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, won statewide as well.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
When it comes to pick spots on key committees, Democrats have ignored and sidelined lawmakers like Kaptur. Ocasio-Cortez lost to Connolly. Raskin, Hoffman and Craig are now top Democrats on several committees. It's a mix of younger members, but more down to earth. Does this mean Democrats got the message? Not necessarily.
Check back in six months to see if these maneuvers represent a significant course correction.
