When even CNN’s own chief data analyst is comparing the state of the Democratic Party to a hoarder’s basement, you know things are getting dire.
On Monday, Harry Enten appeared on CNN News Central to deliver what may be the bluntest—and most brutally honest—assessment of the Democratic brand in recent memory: “It is total and complete garbage in the mind of the American public.”
Let’s pause there. That’s not a Republican strategist talking. That’s CNN’s numbers guy, the data analyst they trot out when they want credibility and calm. And even he couldn’t sugarcoat it.
🚨NEW: CNN’s Harry Enten says “DEMOCRATIC BRAND IS IN THE BASEMENT”🚨
“It is total and complete garbage in the mind of the American public.”@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/7zV62UvT4x
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) August 1, 2025
According to Enten, the party’s image is not just in decline—it’s in free fall. Polling from The Wall Street Journal, Gallup, and CNN itself shows the Democrats are between 26 and 30 points underwater in net favorability. Not with independents. With voters overall, including their own base.
Let that sink in.
Worse yet, the party has no clear leader waiting in the wings. No one polling above 25%. No one capturing the imagination of a restless base. Not even the usual names like California’s Gavin Newsom, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, or Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are gaining traction. They’re stuck in the low double digits, swallowed up by voter apathy and distrust.
Enten laid it out in plain numbers: in past cycles, the party had clear early leaders. Biden in 2020. Hillary Clinton in both ’08 and ’16. Al Gore in 2000. Not so in 2028. The top-tier is empty. “The water is warm,” Enten joked, “if you’re a Democrat thinking about running, jump right in.”
Translation: the field is wide open because no one wants what the party is selling.
And while CNN tried to frame this as a 2028 problem, make no mistake — this is already a 2024 disaster in the making. If President Joe Biden falters, stumbles in a debate, or faces another round of polling showing him trailing Donald Trump — there’s no backup plan. No bench. No heir. Just a party brand so tarnished that even its most loyal analysts are throwing up their hands on national television.
Enten pointed to the real cause: it’s not just independents or swing voters losing faith — it’s Democrats themselves. They’re disillusioned. They want something different. The problem is, their party refuses to change.
They’re stuck defending Biden’s age, Kamala Harris’ unpopularity, inflation fatigue, open-border chaos, and a cultural agenda that resonates more in Berkeley than in the Rust Belt. Meanwhile, their primary opponents are left trying to run on identity politics, climate hysteria, or TikTok engagement. Voters want a message — and all they’re getting is slogans.
So yes, the Democratic brand is “in the basement.” But maybe that’s generous. Because basements can be cleaned.
