Democrats need to grasp new media or they will lose 2026, warns progressive podcast host

Progressive podcast host David Pakman warned on his show Saturday that the Democratic Party is facing an "existential threat" by failing to engage with new media—including podcasts and YouTube—and instead relying on outdated formats like cable and broadcast TV.

Pakman said, "the Democratic Party doesn’t really seem to get new media and independent media," noting that they continue to favor traditional approaches like Sunday shows and overly sanitized interviews. 

"One of the things that we learned during the 2024 election was that the Democratic Party doesn’t really seem to get new media and independent media, and they continue to do the kind of stale thing of the Sunday shows that very few people watch, and buttoned up interviews — trying to be as least-controversial as possible, occasionally dropping in a swear word or whatever, to try to be a little more provocative and relatable. And it’s all pretty disingenuous," he said on "David Pakman Show." 

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He expressed optimism that following the 2024 defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris, the party would embrace podcasts and digital platforms—but said he was ultimately disappointed.

Pakman shared a telling incident involving an unnamed Democratic politician he once had a relationship with. When he invited them onto his show, their team referred him to a generic "info@" email address—something he described as a "black hole" that signals disinterest. He warned that such dismissiveness could drive independent media supporters toward challengers.

"Shuffling me off to an ‘Info at email,’ which goes into a black hole, it’s just where all of the crap goes — I know we will never, ever, ever hear [back]," he said. "And this is the fundamental problem. That sort of way of dealing with independent media is how all of us will end up going, ‘Screw this elected official. Let’s endorse the challenger. Let’s fundraise for the challenger.’ This is exactly the problem that we are talking about."

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Highlighting exceptions, Pakman praised California Governor Gavin Newsom, saying, "he gets it," attributing this to the efforts of Newsom and his staff, who understand how to generate public interest and inspire engagement.

"There are exceptions. I mean, most recently we had Gavin Newsom on. I think he gets it. And part of it is Gavin Newsom himself," he said. "Part of it is his staff, which really gets it and  understands how you generate interest and inspire people."

Pakman warned that unless Democrats adapt to the current media environment, they will face a difficult path heading into the 2026 midterms.

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