Democrats 'lost the plot.' Now they're losing voters. | Opinion

Rahm Emanuel was recently asked this question in an interview with GZERO World: “If you look ahead to 2028 for a second, if you’re the Democrats, what’s the most likely way they blow it?” 

“Being Democrats,” was Emanuel’s reply. 

The former chief of staff to President Barack Obama, former mayor of Chicago and ambassador to Japan under President Joe Biden, Emanuel has been a big player in Democratic politics for a long time. 

His fellow Democrats would be smart to listen to what he’s saying now.

Have Democrats completely 'lost the plot'?

In that same interview, Emanuel also mused, “We need to get on the business of talking about a future we need to build that matters to everybody. 

“And that is the most important thing Democrats do. If they get caught in the cultural cul-de-sac again, running around, getting themselves wrapped around an ankle, the American people will make a judgment.”

In another recent interview, Emanuel said his party had “lost the plot,” especially on cultural issues. 

Can Democrats find it again? 

The midterm elections are just seven months away, after all, and the signs aren’t looking great for Democrats when compared with previous midterms under a Republican president.

Progressive governors are nervous about people fleeing their states

While much focus is on how Americans plan to vote in upcoming elections, where they will be voting from has gotten my attention of late. 

Progressive states like New York and California keep losing residents to lower-tax, higher-freedom states like Texas and Florida. 

Governors of the blue states are starting to notice. In March, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul made some headlines when she asked “patriotic millionaires” to “cut me the checks.” 

Hochul was chiding the exodus of wealthy taxpayers from her state to ones like Florida. She said they need to stay in New York to support "the generous social programs that we want to have in our state.”

Sadly for her, that’s probably why they left, or at least a big part of it. 

It’s also kind of humorous since just a few years ago – in 2022 – Hochul told Republicans in her state to take a hike, literally to “jump on a bus” and “get out of town” because they “don't represent our values.”

Guess what? They did. 

“There’s a huge exodus taking place,” said JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon recently. “And people just make a mistake, ‘Oh just tax these people.’ But that’s the outcome. And very often people think they’re being moral by doing that, but they’re not. What they’re doing is they’re hurting your own city. And, you know, unfortunately, people vote with their feet.”

JPMorgan Chase’s global headquarters are in New York City. For now. The company continues to add jobs in states like Texas and Florida.

The 2030 Census isn't looking good for blue states 

On the other side of the country, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (and likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender) is also worried about his state’s image – and likely, his own. Wealthy Californians and businesses have been ditching the bluest of blue states for red ones like Texas and Idaho. 

To help turn things around, Newsom’s using millions of taxpayer dollars to hire a New York public relations firm, Edelman, to shift California’s reputation and help boost its economy and tourism.

In January, the U.S. Census Bureau released population estimates that don’t bode well for blue states by 2030 if current trends continue. 

Red states are gaining population, and assuming those trends keep up through the decade, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas would pick up congressional districts. Florida and Texas would lead the pickups, with three new seats for Florida and four for Texas, according to a Brennan Center analysis. 

New York and California would lose seats (two and four, respectively), giving less power to these Democratic strongholds. 

A recent YouGov poll also highlights shifting political trends among major demographic groups. And almost all groups (with the exception of younger White men with a college degree) have moved away from the Democratic Party in the past 20 years. 

All these trends do point to the fact that Democrats have lost the plot, and Americans are voting with their feet to head to places that resonate with their values, whether on taxes, abortion or school choice.

And red states are winning.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques