Democrats try to rebrand the party with a new economic plan and the slogan “A Better Deal.” Will it win voters?

(Cliff Owen/AP)

It’s been a rough patch for Democrats. In the last few years they’ve lost majority control on Capitol Hill. They’ve lost the White House to Donald Trump. They’ve lost sway over the future of the Supreme Court. And they’ve lost the confidence of many that they were the effective voice of the little guy in the U.S. economy. Yesterday, Democrats rolled out a new appeal. They call it a "better deal." It’s their comeback cry, they hope. This hour On Point: The Democrats’ "better deal." -- Tom Ashbrook

Guests

David Weigel, national political correspondent for the Washington Post. (@daveweigel)

Michael Sandel, professor of political philosophy at Harvard University.

Stephanie Kelton, economics professor at Stony Brook University. Consultant on the Democrats’ “A Better Deal” policy agenda. Former economic advisor to Bernie Sanders. Former chief economist for Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee. (@StephanieKelton)

Steve Phillips, founder of Democracy in Color. Senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. Author of, "Brown is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority." (@StevePtweets)

From Tom's Reading List

Washington Post: Trump had ‘The Art of the Deal.’ Now Democrats say their economic agenda is ‘A Better Deal.’ — "The campaign-style motto, panned by some liberal activists as details began to trickle out ahead of the Monday rollout, is designed to revive a party desperate to win back at least some control next year. The push comes months earlier than most campaign-year sales pitches begin — an acknowledgment of the need to shore up public opinion of the Democratic Party in the faster pace of modern politics."

Democracy Journal: The State of the Resistance — "Despite the floundering first months of Donald Trump’s presidency, Democrats have not begun to win the argument. Yes, Democrats in Congress have displayed unity in opposing the repeal of Obamacare and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. But they have not changed many minds. Despite Trump’s low approval ratings, few of his voters regret their choice. In fact, one poll in early April showed that, were the election rerun, Trump would now defeat Hillary Clinton in the popular vote."

New York Times: The Democratic Party’s Billion-Dollar Mistake — "The Democratic Party is at risk of repeating the billion-dollar blunder that helped create its devastating losses of 2016. With its obsessive focus on wooing voters who supported Donald Trump, it is neglecting the cornerstone of its coalition and failing to take the steps necessary to win back the House of Representatives and state houses in 2018."

Vox: Democrats’ Better Deal, explained — "The plan is a populist turn for the party, less than a year after it ran — and lost to Donald Trump — on a platform that largely defended the economic status quo under President Barack Obama. The Better Deal’s first step is a plan to create 10 million jobs through a mixture of tax credits for employers who hire at high wages, and a national infrastructure program similar to the one Hillary Clinton proposed in the presidential campaign."