Doug Jones, moderate Democrats blame election losses on messaging: 'We're not some demonic cult'

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Outgoing Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., joined other moderate Democrats in questioning the party’s political messaging this week after Republicans retained more Senate seats than expected and gained ground in the House.

The Democratic Party has an outside chance of gaining control of the Senate, pending the outcome of runoff elections for both of Georgia’s Senate seats in January.

Jones, who lost his reelection bid to Republican Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville by 20 points, argued his party has failed to adequately defend itself from Republican efforts to paint moderate Democratic candidates in purple states as radicals.

“We’re not some demonic cult like we’re portrayed to be,” Jones said this week, according to Politico. “I was fighting the same battle that Jaime Harrison was fighting, that Mike Espy was fighting, that Cal Cunningham was fighting, that Steve Bullock was fighting. And Democrats have not been able to fully counter the Republican narrative.”

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Democratic leadership expressed optimism about taking control of the Senate after polls showed candidates in multiple states with sizable leads over their Republican opponents. But Democrat Cal Cunningham conceded his race against North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis on Tuesday and Harrison, Espy and Bullock all lost their respective Senate bids.

President Trump and top Republican lawmakers have claimed that President-elect Joe Biden will be beholden to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party on key policy issues, such as calls to defund the police, pack the court and pursue a Green New Deal.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., echoed Jones' remarks and called on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, "to understand we need to take a strong look at ourselves," according to Politico.

Manchin pledged during a Monday appearance on Fox News Channel that he would vote against his party on progressive legislation should it reach the Senate floor.

"I commit to tonight and I commit to all of your viewers and everyone else that's watching, I want to allay those fears, I want to rest those fears for you right now because when they talk about, whether it be packing the courts or ending the filibuster, I will not vote to do that," he said.

Criticism from moderate Democrats on messaging extended to the House, where Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger shredded party leadership after nearly losing her race. The GOP gained several House seats during the 2020 election, quelling optimism that the Democrats could expand on their majority in the lower chamber.

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"We want to talk about funding social services, and ensuring good engagement in community policing, let's talk about what we are for,” Spanberger said on the call. “And we need to not ever use the words 'socialist' or 'socialism' ever again. Because while people think it doesn't matter, it does matter. And we lost good members because of it."

With wins in both Georgia runoffs, the Democrats would secure a 50-50 tie in the Senate. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would serve as the tiebreaker.