I am 71. We don't need people of my generation running in 2020.

[Willie Pep]

29. I don't think age is an issue for us.

I see this come up a lot, the assumption that the "olds" just need to step aside and things will get better. But I don't really see any evidence that younger, more charismatic leaders will make a difference. Obama had those qualities and the Democratic Party was decimated at the federal and state level while he was in office.

The problem is more prosaic I think. We simply allowed the party infrastructure to decay especially at the state level. The Republican strategy after 2008 was to pour money and manpower into state elections and win at the state level in order to control voting rights and redistricting. The Democrats were caught with their pants down and failed to adequately fight back and that is how we got to where we are today.

In my area the Democrats tried the "young, charismatic" strategy by enlisted a professional Millennial woman for a state legislative seat and she was a complete flop. She was defeated because the local Republican had built up a strong local machine and people knew him and he had a reputation as a "good guy" despite his ultra right-wing voting record. The Republicans today are doing what the Democrats used to do. Focusing on local races, glad-handing, going to every Boy Scout or Girl Scout pancake breakfast. That stuff makes a big difference to people especially because most people aren't policy wonks and don't pay that much attention to politics.