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Entity reports how Democrats can take back America by dumping Katy PerryPhoto via Instagram

The Democratic Party has to cut its close ties with Hollywood if it wants to win back the White House.

That’s the view of PR icon Michael Levine who has been a media adviser to three U.S presidents, publicist to 58 Oscar winners and the author of 19 books.

On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, Levine, who identifies as politically independent, speaks exclusively to ENTITY to suggest a path back to power for the Democrats.

Entity reports how Democrats can take back America by dumping Katy Perry

Michael Levine

READ MORE: Mark Wahlberg Says People Don’t Care About Celeb Political Opinions

ENTITY: Is it time for the Democrats to question their relationship with Hollywood?

Ml: They need to reduce the emphasis they place on celebrities radically,  almost to nothing, and increase their concentration on the working class. An over connection with Hollywood gives the Democrats an appearance of elitism. They have to realize it’s a bad image that they just want to cozy up to pretty and famous people. Impoverished people in swing states don’t give a f–k about Katy Perry. They give a f–k about their health insurance going up and their deductibles doubling.

They have a sense that America is in decline, have uncertainty about their future and see worsening race problems. When these people see politicians dining with the stars they think they’ve lost touch with ordinary folks and are just taking care of their friends and donors. Historically, the Democrats have been for the working class and the Republicans the party of the rich but now it looks like they have switched roles.

ENTITY: What should be their first move in opposition?

ML: The first thing the Democrats have to do  is  stop blaming other people for their loss. Don’t belittle and blame others. Not James Comey, not Vladimir Putin,  no one else. The Democrats no longer have the White House, the congress, the senate or the state governors. It’s time to look at what role they have been playing to create these conditions. I saw a list recently of the five top crime ridden cities in America and the five with the highest poverty rate and all 10 cities had a Democratic mayor. I think the party needs to look at that and not call the person who created the list a racist but instead think about the problem.  I have no doubt every Democratic Party policy is paved with good intentions but it’s not working and they’ve got to look at that.

ENTITY: What role should Hillary Clinton take in rebuilding the party?

ML: The Democrats would be unwise to use her – they need new faces. There are two things Americans have had enough of: politicians and attorneys. Hillary Clinton is both. They would rather elect a plumber than a politician or an attorney.  Hillary was a flawed candidate. There was a belief she was beholden to the special interests. The emails were such a problem that how do you even go in front of the public with a straight face?

Entity reports how Democrats can take back America by dumping Katy Perry

Michael Levine

ENTITY: How was Donald Trump able to win so many votes?

ML: The decision was predicated on emotion a lot more than logic. Part of Donald Trump’s appeal is the capacity to say what a lot of people are thinking. For example, when he says he favors a policy of extreme vetting  that connects with people who don’t want to let into the nation every crazy person who could blow us up just because some people think it’s humanitarian to do so. There’s a radical frustration with a lot of the establishment. A belief that people in government f–k up anything they touch, that they can’t run a two car parade and so they wanted to give a non establishment crazy person a chance at fixing it because they’ve tried politicians before and it didn’t serve them too well. His most effective line in the campaign was “drain the swamp.”

ENTITY: Trump has low approval ratings for the way he’s handled the transition. How would you advise him?

ML: After John Lewis criticized him as an illegitimate president, instead of lashing out he should have said John Lewis is an American hero, added that he was deeply disappointed by his remarks, pointed out that Lewis didn’t go to George W. Bush’s inauguration either and Trump should have donated his tickets to an impoverished African-American family. That would have jiu-jitsu’d his remarks. You don’t want to pick a fight with an old black man and civil rights icon.

READ MORE: Zoe Saldana Blames Hollywood for Donald Trump’s Win

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