CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen ripped President Joe Biden Tuesday for “alienating” millions of voters who choose not to vote blue.
Biden gave closing arguments Monday night at Bowie State University, saying the U.S. faces “an inflection point.”
“We know in our bones that our democracy’s at risk and we know that this is your moment to defend it,” Biden said, according to Reuters. Biden has reiterated that message in recent weeks, saying “democracy itself” is on the ballot.
Rosen, however, tore into Biden for pushing that message, which she argues alienates voters that Democrats will need in 2024.
“Voters have told us all year what they care about, and I think we have focused on other things and I think the President’s closing message last night about democracy is on the ballot again is frustrating to people like me who, you know, don’t want to see half the voters in America alienated or being accused of aligning with fascists because they’re voting for their pocketbook,” Rosen said. (RELATED: Scarborough Says If GOP Declares Victory At 10:00 Know ‘This Is All Very Calculated’)
“That’s just not where want to be. We want these people. We want them back in 2024. We want them to feel good when they go to the ballot. We have a story to tell. We have a really good economic story to tell. The last time Republicans were in charge what was their economic plan? They gave away tax cuts to rich people and corporations.”
CNN’s Van Jones made a similar comment Monday, saying Democrats mistakenly thought focusing on alleged threats to Democracy was the winning strategy for the midterms.
“I think there was this kind of fool’s gold, this idea that the threat to democracy is so severe in the wake of this insurrection and wake of these election deniers possibly grabbing control of the government, that that was something that you had to talk about,” Jones said.
Polls have consistently found that voters rank the inflation and the economy as their top concerns, followed by gun control and immigration. Voters trust Republicans to handle the economy and inflation more than the Democrats.