The Case for a New Kitchen Table Network

Dems Need to Find a Way to Define the Narrative in 2026

Two weeks past election day and so much has happened that it is a bit overwhelming. So, let me offer a few bits of perspective or ideas or diversions to help you manage it all.

• Two weeks is a long time in politics. But not in geological time. A geological era is typical hundreds of millions of years long. Take for example the Mesozoic Era, one of my favorites. It ended 66 million years ago. But it last for roughly 190 million years. Worth remembering when you become dismayed that the next presidential election is (theoretically) four years away.

• Having said that, the midterm election is now just 23.5 months away. To put that in perspective, the number one song 23.5 months ago was Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero.” Which, for all I know is the number one song now. (I joke. I know the number one song is “A Bar Song” by Shaboozey. Which starts out talking about how expensive everything is and ends up with getting drunk, more or less exactly like this most recent campaign.)

• The midterms really matter. They offer a great chance for Democrats to reclaim control of the House of Representatives. History shows that the American people, when given a choice, get sick of their leaders in Washington every two years or so. In fact, it has been such a common phenomenon recently that I am surprised that I have not seen an searing hot post-election takes that have observed that the most powerful single force in American politics is buyer’s remorse.

• I would say that the most powerful force in American politics is ignorance given Trump’s victory and the data showing that most Republicans suffer from a food allergy. What is it they can’t stomach? Food for thought. They don’t read. They don’t even follow the news much. Which explains a lot. That said, as I have observed here before, Trump has never actually achieved the support of the majority of American people. Even in this last election a majority of American voters chose someone other than Trump. Which suggests that buyer’s remorse which impacts Dems, Rs and third party voters may be more pervasive.

• In fact, I think we underestimate that power of cultural and secular trends in politics. This is because political consultants have built an industry around the idea that they are the ones who determine outcomes. But mostly it is the economic and social equivalent of the weather that drives most political outcomes. The political consultants have much less impact on the outcomes than they purport to. (So do presidents, of course. This year’s election was largely shaped by global COVID aftershocks including inflation—exacerbated by the Ukraine war. Bidenomics may have gotten the blame for the inflation here in the U.S. but it was a bum rap. Political gurus may have gotten credit for actions that moved some votes at the margin—and may even have deserved it—but we should also understand and acknowledge there’s a reason most incumbents worldwide in big developed economies lost and it had precious little to do with the the political gurus on whom they relied for advice.)

• In any event, the time to begin work on influencing outcomes in the 2026 elections is now. And despite what I have said above regarding secular trends—and the advantages Democrats may have as a result going into the midterms—outcomes at the margins and things like turnout do matter. (Trump won Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania by less than 250,000 votes…votes that were there for the Democrats had they found a way to motivate them to the polls.)

• I believe the Trump Administration is setting themselves up for setbacks at the polls in 2026 because many of their policies will produce adverse reactions for average voters. Tariffs will increase prices for everyone. Big spending cuts will slow the economy and will undoubtedly bite into programs that make a difference in people’s every day lives. Tax cuts for the rich and sweeping deregulation will drive inequality. Dems have to find a way, starting on Day One of the new administration to communicate to average Americans how what is happening in DC is impacting their daily lives. What is more, they have to find ways to do it using new media platforms because that’s where most people (whether they seek news or not) get their news.

• Ideally, these platforms should be ones that voters trust and develop a relationship with. The best ones will be ones that allow interaction with voters so that they enable Democrats to hear as well as deliver messages. The messages themselves will not be framed as “economic policy” but rather as plain talk about the quality of lives of average Americans.

• This new effort needs to be local. It needs to focus on the districts where wins are possible. It needs to be coordinated with efforts to run great candidates who are in touch with those districts. It will be vitally important in 2026 but it will also lay the groundwork for 2028.

• Naturally, this new “Kitchen Table Network” that Dems should create—which Dem funders need to back—needs to be designed to cut through the disinformation and hit home despite the great power of the MAGA message machine and the right wing and mainstream media outlets it controls or influences heavily. And every single day it needs to zero in on how the current administration is hurting average American families…and on what better approaches would do for them.

• I discuss this idea in a great conversation with Felicia Wong, president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, on Deep State Radio that will be available at the DSR Network on Thursday. I urge you to subscribe now to DSR to make sure you get it and give it a listen. It’s only about a half hour long but it is well worth your time.