MSNBC contributor and political editor of the Root Jason Johnson warned Democrats that focusing solely on policy proposals will not help win in 2020.
Johnson described a policy-centric approach as the "Warren plan," in reference to the praise garnered by presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D., Mass.) large number of policy proposals.
"The Democrats make a mistake if they try to do this 'Warren plan' where you're just going to bore somebody with plans every 15 minutes. You have to give people somebody to believe in. You have to give people something to be excited about."
"Donald Trump went up in the polls after attacking 'The Squad,' after attacking Elijah Cummings," Johnson also said. "Is attacking black and brown people going to get anybody their job back in Mississippi? No, but it still makes people believe in him more."
"At the end of the day, people have to believe that the president of the United States is going to be their moral leader," Johnson added. And if the president of the United States can be exposed as someone who is not taking us to a better place that's going to motivate voters a lot more than telling them what the numbers are. That is the key to Donald Trump's success and the only way to stop him."
Johnson's point is similar to presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson's argument during the first Democratic debate. She said that simply having plans will not beat Trump.
"If you think we're going to beat Donald Trump by just having all these plans, you've got another thing coming," Williamson said. "Because he didn't win by saying he had a plan. He won by simply saying, 'Make America Great Again.'"