When Kamala Harris rambled about ordering Doritos at a high-tech conference in Las Vegas, it wasn't simply another meme-worthy moment, but the Democratic Party's identity crisis on full display. Harris' bumbling performance, Gavin Newsom's podcast reinvention, and Josh Shapiro's stalled ascent highlight a more profound truth: the Democrats don't just have a leadership vacuum; they've shattered an illusion they spent years building among voters.
A recent CNN poll revealed a bleak picture for Democrats. Their favorability rating stands at a record low of 29 percent, plummeting 20 points since Biden took office in 2021. This significant drop in favorability indicates a growing dissatisfaction among the public. Even worse, just 63 percent of Democrats have a favorable view of their party, compared to 79 percent of Republicans who support theirs. More strikingly, 52 percent of Democratic voters now say the party is moving in the wrong direction, a startling reversal from just eight years ago.
Last week, I detailed how the Democrats' rising stars—Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, and Josh Shapiro—have faded into obscurity or controversy. Harris' surreal appearance at the HumanX AI Conference, where she joked aimlessly (drunkenly?) about snacks ordered via DoorDash, reinforced perceptions of incompetence. Her speech was disjointed and lacked a clear message, further damaging her image. Newsom's recent flip-flop on transgender athletes and his awkward attempts at bipartisan podcasting have left liberals and conservatives equally skeptical (a survey of 1000 voters found 26 percent said their view of Newsom worsened after listening to it). Meanwhile, Shapiro's star seems permanently stuck at the state level, hindered by indecision and a budget crisis in Pennsylvania.
These missteps aren't isolated; they're symptomatic of a broader Democratic leadership failure that begins at the White House.
The Nation recently explored why Democrats are hemorrhaging Gen Z support, emphasizing that younger voters aren't turned off by poor messaging or lack of Democrat podcasting; instead, Biden's presidency shattered the illusion of Democratic competence.
Young voters entered politics with Obama-era optimism, believing Democrats represented effective governance, forward-thinking policy, and authentic social justice. Biden promised action on student loans, affordable housing, climate change, and economic stability. Instead, Gen Z received record inflation, botched student loan forgiveness, geopolitical confusion, and policy indecision. The inflation rate reached a 40-year high, the student loan forgiveness program faced numerous delays and setbacks, the administration's response to geopolitical issues was perceived as indecisive, and key policy decisions were often postponed or reversed.
Gen Z sees politics through a lens shaped by endless crises, from lockdowns and global pandemics to war in Ukraine to ballooning debt. When Biden's administration delivered little but platitudes and mismanaged initiatives, that idealism quickly turned into deep skepticism. The Democratic Party spent years marketing itself as the responsible alternative to Republican chaos. Biden's administration failed to deliver and dismantled its own brand.
"I love Gen Z," Kamala Harris said in a campaign advertisement. Too bad they didn't love her back. Trump made significant gains with young people disillusioned by the Biden administration.
CNN's poll underscores this dilemma. Democrats remain fragmented, unable to rally behind any leader who embodies their core values. I asked to name a party figure who best represents Democrats, but most struggled to respond. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez topped the list with a mere 10 percent. Harris, despite serving as Vice President, polled at 9 percent. Bernie Sanders, long past his peak influence, took 8 percent. Over 30 percent of Democrats surveyed named nobody. One respondent captured the sentiment succinctly: "No one. That's the problem."
Podcasts, TikTok dances, or viral Instagram reels can't disguise policy failures or leadership incompetence. This generation doesn't want performative gestures; it demands tangible results. Biden's repeated missteps have not merely disappointed young voters; they've convinced them that Democrats don't know how to govern effectively at all.
This creates a unique opportunity for the right. Rather than chasing Gen Z with shallow appeals or pandering, Republicans should offer precisely what young voters want most: authenticity, competence, and tangible solutions. Republican leaders willing to engage on substantive issues—economic stability, affordability, sensible education reform, and pragmatic environmental stewardship—will find receptive ears. Trump engaged these voters with big promises for their future. The key for Republicans is to move beyond the rhetoric and deliver measurable results that Gen Z can see, touch, and trust.
Kamala Harris' Doritos speech epitomized the Democrats' problem with Gen Z voters. Young Americans aren't laughing at the gaffes; they're rejecting the incompetence behind them. Harris, Newsom, and Shapiro aren't anomalies; they're the consequence of a party sacrificing genuine leadership for performative politics. The right has a chance now to build something tangible from the Democrats' broken promises. Don't let the young people slip away. Could you bring them back in with the results?
