The Democratic Party Needs Change | The Ezra Klein Show

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. 0:00 Intro 1:36 What happened in 2024? 3:58 Why Democrats are so unpopular 14:49 The case for the primary system 19:09 Messaging on affordability 22:25 The Democrats’ big tent 24:08 Israel as a dividing issue 28:36 Building voter trust 39:38 Wikler’s experience running for D.N.C. chair 42:40 Reinventing the party 44:42 Building local organizing power 47:50 How Democrats in blue states can help swing states 52:30 Book recommendations Read the full transcript here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/op... Watch more on ‪@EzraKleinShow‬ Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. You can find transcripts (posted midday) 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-...