Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, known for his unvarnished candor, has issued a stark warning to his own Democratic Party, urging them to confront their disconnect with voters or risk further electoral losses.
In a recent interview with Tara Palmeri, Fetterman criticized the party’s reliance on “shaming and scolding” voters, arguing that such tactics have alienated key demographics and contributed to the Democrats’ struggles in recent elections.
“Their primary currency was shaming and scolding and talking down to people,” Fetterman said. “Telling them, ‘Hey, I know better than you,’ or ‘You’re dopes,’ or ‘You’re ignorant.’ How can you be this dumb? I can’t imagine it. And then, by the way, they’re fascists. How can you vote for that?”
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Fetterman, a Democrat, emphasized that many voters who supported former President Donald Trump are not extremists. “I know and love people who voted for Trump, and they’re not fascists,” he said. “They don’t support insurrection or those things. But when you go to an extreme and become a boutique proposition, you’re going to lose the argument.”
Fetterman’s comments come as Democrats continue to grapple with the lessons of the 2022 midterm elections, where the party underperformed expectations despite favorable conditions. The senator pointed to the party’s embrace of far-left positions, such as calls to “abolish ICE” and “defund the police,” as examples of policies that alienate moderate and working-class voters.
“I’m concerned that we really haven’t paid attention to what happened,” Fetterman said. “Have we looked up at the scoreboard and realized, ‘Oh, by the way, we’ve lost’?”
Fetterman’s critique aligns with growing concerns within the party about its ability to connect with voters outside urban and progressive strongholds.
His rise to the Senate, despite facing significant challenges following a stroke during his campaign, has made him a symbol of resilience and a voice for working-class Americans.
Fetterman also addressed the party’s struggles with white male voters, a demographic that has increasingly shifted toward the Republican Party in recent years.
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When asked how Democrats could win back white men, Fetterman responded bluntly, “I don’t know, and truthfully, I’m not sure if that’s possible to be honest.”
He pointed to the party’s tendency to blame men for societal issues, such as labeling masculinity as “toxic,” as a factor in the erosion of support. “Once we’ve kind of turned our back on that demographic, it’s going to be difficult to rebuild and replace that,” he said.
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