What is the Democratic Party? What Could It Be?
What is the Democratic Party? What Could It Be?
1 hour ago•The Ezra Klein Show•New York Times Opinion
Podcast57 min 31 sec
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

To maximize your civic impact and support political stability in pivotal swing states, direct your resources through structured giving circles rather than ad-hoc donations. Allocate funds to The States Project and the Movement Voter Project to efficiently support local state legislative candidates. Prioritize year-round grassroots infrastructure and localized voter contact, which consistently yield higher electoral engagement than last-minute media advertising blitzes. Support organizations focused on state and local legal protections, such as SLEA, to effectively resist executive overreach and safeguard election laws. Engaging with these targeted political and legal channels offers a measurable return on investment for individuals looking to influence critical policy outcomes.

Detailed Analysis

Political & Civic Investment/Action Themes (Wisconsin State Politics & Grassroots Organizing)

  • The discussion highlights that grassroots organizing, local party infrastructure, and funding mechanisms (such as utilizing specific state fundraising loopholes like the Scott Walker loophole in Wisconsin) are critical components for building electoral power in purple and swing states.
  • The States Project and the Movement Voter Project are highlighted as effective organizations and giving circles that allow individuals—even those living in safely blue states—to fund and support state legislative candidates in pivotal swing states.
  • Organizations focused on state and local legal protections, such as SLEA (State and Local Election Alliance), the Democratic Attorneys General Association, Democracy Defenders, Protect Democracy, and Democracy Forward, are cited as key vehicles for resisting executive overreach and protecting election laws.

Takeaways

  • For investors and engaged citizens looking to impact political stability and policy outcomes, directing resources through structured giving circles or legal defense alliances (such as SLEA or The States Project) offers a more measurable return on investment than ad-hoc donations.
  • Localized grassroots infrastructure and year-round voter contact yield higher electoral engagement in close races compared to last-minute media advertising blitzes.
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Episode Description
President Trump is very unpopular right now. But polls show the Democratic Party is just as unpopular – if not more so. So what can the party do about it?  But to answer that question, you first have to understand what the Democratic Party is. That is, mechanically, what is it? What powers does it have? When you call the Democratic Party, who picks up the phone? And how can that party, the official party, be reinvented for this era? Ben Wikler has a unique perspective on this question. He transformed the Democratic Party of Wisconsin into a fund-raising, door-knocking powerhouse when he served as chair from 2019 to 2025. And he’s shared some of his insights from winning elections in a swing state in his new book, “This Is The Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy.” In this conversation, we discuss Wikler’s vision for a reinvigorated party, as well as the kinds of changes he thinks Democrats need to embrace if they want to build a bigger tent and a national majority.  Mentioned: “This Is How Democrats Win in Wisconsin” with Ben Wikler on The Ezra Klein Show “GOP midterm strategy: Make it a ‘hate election’” by Marc Caputo Book Recommendations: Master of the Senate by Robert A. Caro Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott Sal & Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.html This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Rollin Hu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Julie Beer. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Johnny Simon. Our recording engineer is Johnny Simon. Cinematography by Kyle Kelley. Video editing by Steph Khoury and Arpita Aneja. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Kristin Lin, Emma Kehlbeck, Jack McCordick, Marina King and Jan Kobal. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Transcript editing by Sarah Murphy and Marlaine Glicksman. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
About The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein Show

The Ezra Klein Show

By New York Times Opinion

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