Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
WATCH: Are 'shiny objects' distracting Democrats?
Posted
July 21, 2026
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2,848
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July 21, 2026
2,848
141
4.95%
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2:23Now PlayingDemocrats can often suffer from "shiny object syndrome," focusing too much on long-shot candidates instead of consequential races, says Ben Wikler.
"That phenomenon often means that a huge amount of the national kind of energy in Democratic politics gets focused on a candidate running against a particularly heinous Republican, or a particularly charismatic Democratic candidate in a place that's extremely hard to win, and then completely skips an election that would have had huge consequences if it had gotten more attention," he told PBS News' Geoff Bennett.
Wikler, who chaired the Democratic Party of Wisconsin for six years, is the author of a new book, "This is the Plan," which details his prescription for "saving" America's democracy.
He joined Bennett for the latest episode of PBS News' podcast, Settle In, to discuss his book, the future of the Democratic Party and more.
For the full episode, click the link in our bio.
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