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“I think that we have to get back to some basics,” Clyburn said.
The South Carolina Democrat used a cultural reference from his home state, pointing to a popular song called “Boots on the Ground” as a metaphor for the kind of outreach he believes his party has lost.
“We’ve got to listen to those people who wear those boots that they’re trying to put on the ground,” Clyburn said. “I don’t believe we listen.”
He expanded on that criticism, arguing that party leaders have increasingly prioritized consultants and professional strategists over direct voter contact and community-level organizing.
“I have said this, and I really do believe with all my heart: We pay too much attention to the consulting class, and not enough attention to those people, the constituents,” he continued.
Clyburn emphasized that voters themselves often have a clearer understanding of their own concerns than political operatives in Washington or campaign consultants making strategic decisions.
“Our constituents know what they feel, and we have to pay attention to people’s feelings, like what is said about their conditions,” he said.
He also suggested that modern campaigns have underinvested in traditional ground operations that once formed the backbone of Democratic electoral success.
“People respond emotionally, and my experiences tell me we do not spend enough time, energy and resources with our ground operations that we need to.”
In a pointed critique of the political consulting industry, Clyburn added that financial incentives may have distorted campaign priorities over time.
“I don’t know why we got away from that but I think a lot has to do with these consultants who will get their percentages out of ground operations,” he said.
The remarks came during a weekend marked by political tension in South Carolina, where Republican efforts backed by President Donald Trump to redraw congressional maps were ultimately blocked in the state Senate. The failed push would have significantly reshaped the state’s political boundaries and potentially put Clyburn’s congressional district at risk. Instead, the measure was stopped in the GOP-controlled chamber, preserving the current map and maintaining Democratic representation in his district heading into the election cycle.
At the same time, new polling highlighted by CNN analyst Harry Enten has added to growing concerns inside the Democratic Party about internal dissatisfaction and weakening voter confidence ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Discussing the data on CNN, Enten pointed to a dramatic reversal in how Democratic voters view their own congressional leadership.
“In 2006, Democrats’ net approval of their congressional leaders was strongly positive, and even as recently as the last midterm it remained well above zero,” Enten said.
“Now, the bottom has fallen out,” he added.
The polling also shows broader dissatisfaction with the party’s direction, with roughly three-quarters of respondents saying Democratic congressional leaders are focused on the wrong priorities. Only about one-quarter believe leadership is concentrating on the right issues.
Even among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, skepticism is rising, signaling potential instability heading into the next major election cycle.
“These numbers are just awful,” Enten said, warning that the data “screams primary challenges.”
Taken together, Clyburn’s internal critique and the latest polling snapshot paint a picture of a party wrestling with its messaging, its strategy, and its connection to voters at a critical political moment.
