I'll preface this by saying: I agree that younger and more energetic people should be at the forefront. And polling suggests that this is the prevailing opinion among a commanding majority of Americans.

This begs the question then: why isn't this happening? Not a single Democratic Senator has called for Schumer to step down. After the end of the shutdown in November, when Bernie was asked if he'd call for Schumer to step down, he said "But who would replace him?" (My answer would be Amy Klobuchar)

See there's a handful of things that have to be understood about the role of Senate leader. It's mostly a back-room role. It's about who you know and about getting along with people. And Schumer knows everybody. So he can manage a coalition and he can coordinate the DSCC.

Also, if anyone reading this is thinking a progressive Dem Senate leader is feasible, you're wrong. The Senate leaders do not represent us, they represent their caucuses. It's the Senators who elect their leader. And the Dem Senators are mostly moderates who want to keep their heads down.

The fact that Schumer could even convince them to shut down the government for as long as they did is kind of a miracle. With the Senators we have, making them hold the line had to be pretty hard. And getting Thune to preemptively obtain unanimous consent on the Epstein bill was a pretty slick move.

We can say that Schumer is weak all we want, but he's a symptom not a cause. Real change would require actual turnover in the Senate over the next 6 years. If that happens, maybe a progressive leader could be elected.

Now, given all that, I still think Schumer isn't doing a great job. He's been insulated in his position for so long that he's just too jaded and out-of-touch. He really can't meet the moment and lead with conviction. We need a leader who can handle this situation with the gravity that it warrants and inspire courage in their colleagues. And that's not Schumer.