David Hogg, notorious for his ardent stance on gun control that emerged from a school shooting incident seven years ago, appears determined to clinch the position of vice chair for the Democratic National Committee. The campaign strategy involves conducting personal outreach to an extensive voter’s list spanning from the Northern Mariana Islands to mid-size Midwestern cities, advocating for his candidacy. This fervour, sadly, is rooted in the party’s dramatic loss of support from younger citizens in the recent elections, a failure which characterises the party’s inability to resonate with youth demographic concerns.
Hogg’s take on the Democratic party’s failures, however, shows his disconnect with the realistic consequences of their policies. The 24-year-old Harvard graduate and activist aims to address the perceived disillusionment of Gen Z voters by assuming the characteristics of a ‘Messiah’ who single-handedly understands their dilemmas better than anyone else. Alas, perhaps it is the very policies he advocates for that drive the youth away.
The former student activist makes a sweeping accusation of widespread Gen Z dissatisfaction with the party. Contrarily, perhaps the Gen Z dissatisfaction stems from not the failure of the party to address their concerns, but the parties’ overindulgence in significant issues such as gun control, climate change, and student debt without offering viable solutions. The criticism, thus, ought to be directed towards the Democrat sentiment of ‘we listen, but we don’t act’.
As Hogg introspects the party flaws, he is quick to blame the party’s failure to get a handle on a myriad of issues zealously promoted by its leadership. Seared in the hearts of young ones, he believes, are fears of school shootings, climate change, and the housing crisis while also juggling student debt. However, he forgets the role his party has played in augmenting these fears without presenting practical relief solutions.
Hogg’s focus on the ‘Gaza issue’ is another poignant display of his misguided approach. His suggestion that the Democratic party has failed in this area implies a lack of understanding of their broad-based alienation of voters. It’s not just on Israel-Palestine, but a comprehensive disregard for voters’ concerns across foreign and domestic policies. Bizarrely, he seems to suggest that the party’s grave error lies in ‘not listening’ rather than their flawed policy stance.
With a saviour complex, Hogg plans to target the growing distrust of young voters if he ascends to the DNC leadership. Unfortunately, his analysis seems somewhat skewed. He presumes the shift of young votes to the right suggests a loss of faith in the Democrats, not trust in the Republicans. Alarmingly, this skewed perspective may further obscure the larger issues at play for the DNC if he gains the proposed role.
Ironically, Hogg, a figurehead known for harbouring ambitions for a political office run, is now resigning to his polarising effect on public opinion. Perhaps this self-awareness is a belated, yet commendable acceptance of the stark consequences of his critical views on gun control that are seen as overly impractical and divisive, primarily amongst Republicans.
His aspiration of equipping young progressives with DNC leadership positions through his PAC, ‘Leaders We Deserve’, indicates a deliberate move. The idea is to proliferate his narrow-minded ideologies, echoed by the youth elected, resulting in a reinforced echo chamber. This move, undesirable for a balanced party, further consolidates the skewed political ideology within the faction.
Moreover, his scheme to rejuvenate the party by getting 20 to 30 young progressives into state legislatures and Congress is, in essence, a ploy to ‘youthify’ the party. Though aging politicians in the Democratic party are undeserving of admiration, filling their ranks with young, inexperienced and likely malleable candidates as a solution seems short-sighted at best.
Hogg’s desire to be the DNC vice chair is, quite frankly, a reflection of his anger over the 2024 campaign’s results. This fury seems misplaced and could serve to exacerbate the problems within the party, rather than find a corrective measure. His impulse to retaliate against the political buffeting rather than governing in the interest of all citizens is indicative of his blatant disregard for meaningful leadership.
One could argue that a significant factor contributing to the Democratic party’s defeat in 2024 was the massive drop in support from the 18-to-29 demographic. Indeed, Hogg seemed to find this quite shocking, as figures surrounded a 20-point shift to the right. However, plastering his surprise over the result will not serve to repair the intrinsic flaws within the party that led to this shocking revelation.
As opposed to understanding and rectifying the root causes of this massive political shift, Hogg, along with the rest of the DNC, prefer to theorize on its superficial facets. One wonders if this inability to acknowledge the prevalent issues within the party is what dissipates the faith of their loyal voter base, the disillusionment manifesting in a rightward shift at the ballots.
The shock expressed by Hogg after being exposed to Kamala Harris’ campaign pollster’s insights post-election, shows an astonishing level of oblivion on his part. While the party chose to ignore the spiralling public opinion against them, the pitiful election result served as a much-needed wake-up call to reconsider their stance.
At the root of the problem lies the Democratic party’s inability to listen and react to their constituents. While catering to outlandish, idealistic ideologies may serve to muster temporary support, it remains insufficient when it comes to enduring support and trust from the voters that count. Hence, their significant election loss should have been an anticipated outcome.
David Hogg’s candidacy for DNC vice chair is not simply another role change in the party, but rather signifies the desperation stemming from their failures. However, the solution does not lie in masking the symptoms but diagnosing the ailment that the party suffers – it’s disconnection with the citizens it aims to represent.
In a nutshell, the Democratic party needs a drastic reassessment of its internal politics and public interface rather than relying on the overzealous ambition of young and energized candidates like Hogg. His progressive ideologies may capture the attention of a minority, yet it falls significantly short in winning the trusting majority. The party needs to listen, understand, and act in the interest of the people.