Pritzker: People Don’t Really Know What “Democracy Is At Stake” Means, Democrats Need To Talk About Kitchen Table Issues
In an interview with MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) said people dont fully grasp the phrase “democracy is at stake” and urged Democrats to focus more on kitchen table issues.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: He’s called for the arrest of his political opponents, a U.S. senator, a former FBI director. He’s fired a U.S. attorney for not prosecuting a political enemy. He has said the attorney general should go after an ABC news reporter. As you said, he– he sent a message to his attorney general, ordering her to punish his enemies fast. You know, Democrats in the media even definitely disclosed many times over, even warned the American people– the American public that Donald Trump would use the White House to seek personal revenge. He said it himself. “I am your retribution.” He said it plain, out loud. Democrats were mocked– even the media was sort of mocked about– about this. And yet he won the election. So my question to you, Governor– do you think this is a communication problem on the part of the Democrats? Or do Americans just not care? And for those who do care, what should they do? GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER: Well, you know, I’ve knocked on a lot of doors as someone who’s run for public office. And if you knock on 100 doors and you tell people, “Democracy is at stake,” people don’t really know what you’re talking about. Five of them will say, “Yes, I agree.” And 95 of ’em will look at you like you’ve got, you know, green ears growing out of your head. The reality is that– talking to voters– we need to talk to them about the everyday issues that face them. The kitchen table issues, right? MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Affordability? GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER: Affordability, right? Making sure that they can pay the bills every month, that their electric bills aren’t going through the roof. That the cost of going to the grocery store isn’t putting them– frankly, in debt. And I believe that’s what we Democrats ought to be talking about. It’s just that we’re also in the midst of– an attack on the Constitution by the President of the United States. And even though people warned it I think what people thought was, “Yeah, that’s a lotta political rhetoric. Donald Trump seems like he’s gonna lower costs for me. “He seems like he’s gonna make life easier and better for me. I’m gonna vote for Donald Trump.” Our candidate, and our party, failed to get the message across about affordability, about what we fight for. W– the history of our party; we’re the ones who created Medicaid. We’re the ones who created Medicare and social security.
