A Democratic member of Congress said Monday that for his party to win in 2018, they must campaign on more than their opposition to Republicans and President Donald Trump.
"Congressman, soon we'll be in an election year. How bullish is the Democratic conference becoming about the chances of taking the majority back?" MSNBC commentator Steve Schmidt asked Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., on "Morning Joe" Monday.
"Well, I think there's some optimism," Kildee answered. "But I think we have to be careful about this. I don't think it's enough not to be them or not to be him. If 2016 taught us anything, it's not enough just not to be the Republicans or not to be Donald Trump."
He added that the party must craft a positive message that's "more substantive than any sort of slogan."
"If we do that, if we offer the American people a real alternative and commit that we're actually going to get back to legislating the way that we used to in Washington, then I think we have a chance," Kildee said. "I don't think it's a slam dunk. I think we have to work for this."
Schmidt then asked, "do you think your leadership is capable of doing that?"
The congressman said, "I think so," and that "People who are interested in better leadership should just exercise better leadership themselves. It's up to us as individual members."
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