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The Democrats’ core problem is at the state/local level, where Republicans – and especially conservative, Tea Party-style Republicans, have come to dominate. Until and unless that changes, Republicans (and especially conservative Republicans) will continue to enjoy an advantage in Congressional elections.
Democrats’ second problem is the lack of a compelling narrative for what constitutes the modern Democratic identity. To be sure, the modern Republican identity is also murky and in flux, having been supplanted by Trumpism. What then, today, is a non-Trump Republican? And what is a non-Sanders Democrat?
This being so, why was the 2017 Inauguration speech all about "American Carnage"?
That’s not the sort of Democratic party that I’d like to see. I’d be enthused about a Democratic party that first and foremost is secular. It would be the party that views the US Constitution as a work-in-progress, as our national suggestion – as opposed to dispositive decree. I’d prefer a party that emphasizes federal primacy over “states’ rights”, and international law over federal/national law. A party of free-trade, free flow of information, IP, commerce, labor and peoples across borders… a party that recognizes that knowledge is international, and that market-forces – NOT national forces! – should determine who works where, who owns what, who studies where. And yes, I’d like to see a more European-style healthcare system – because the free-market, for all of its tremendous benefits, doesn’t always work well, in all situations.
Vehemently disagree. The further away from the people it's government is, the less say they have. Remember, these legislators are supposed to be working for us. This kind of thinking is way more scary to me than any other political leaning.
One of the reasons Trump won the election is because he was able to so completely dominate the national conversation. I wonder sometimes if we (myself included) are letting the same thing happen again.
I'm not saying he shouldn't be criticized. He deserves it, richly. But we have to have something more to offer than simply being anti-Trump. If we don't start talking more about the things we want to accomplish, like better health care and decent wages, we are going to be just as screwed in 2020 as we were in 2016.
I am interested in hearing people's ideas about how to address this, and particularly interested in hearing from Democrats who jumped ship to support Trump, and what prompted that decision. I don't mean "Reagan Democrats" who have been voting Republican for decades, I mean the recently departed.
I honestly believe that we have a better agenda, or I wouldn't be a Dem. How can we get our message out there more effectively?
Trump's campaign was based on pure populism, unlike any we have ever seen before in the USA. And America's electorate was ready to be manipulated by it; we've become a reality TV nation, transfixed by electronic diversions, self absorbed consumers that pay little or no attention to current events, much less having any knowledge of history. No critical thinking skills and no ability to understand the significance or hazard of electing an emotionally unstable charlatan like Donald Trump, the timing was perfect for him.
Point is that both Democrats and Republicans will struggle to gain any traction against a populist in this situation. Having an informed opinion and truly understanding the consequences of elections is hard work; and most Americans have no stomach for it. They would rather be spoon fed some feel-good populist crap.
THIS ^^^
Most people already know what the dem policies are and what they will be in the future.
But their real problem is that they've demonized half the country as racists, islamophobes, whitesupremacists, anti immigrants, ignorant peasants, gun and church clingers, etc, etc, and even independents are publicly denouncing Dems for it. The Dems have a deranged-superiority complex that will only continue to harm them until they can find some humility and integrity.
Exactly.
Doubling down on Hillary's "Deplorable" narrative is not a platform.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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I'll give my perspective as someone who voted Democrat 2003 to 2014 and is now on the fence. The core problem with today's Democrats is they no longer seek to unify people based on things like income inequality or a clean environment but instead divide people and demonize all Whites as if all of us where white hoods every Friday night. A local left wing magazine where I live had a Charlottesville related headline that read "White People meet the enemy". Not "White Supremacists meet the enemy". A magazine that read "Black / Hispanic / Mixed Race people meet the enemy" would be immediately boycotted. Many Democrat leaders say that White male voices are no longer welcome in the party. As a White man who has stood against racism, was part of only 30% of people in my state to vote against a gay marriage ban, are against police brutality, and support moving Confederate monuments from public places I feel like I no longer have a political party to call home.
Vehemently disagree. The further away from the people it's government is, the less say they have. Remember, these legislators are supposed to be working for us. This kind of thinking is way more scary to me than any other political leaning.
And I vehemently disagree with the poster in your quote as well. Couldn't be more diametrically opposed to his POV if I tried. But this thread is speaking directly to Democrats and seeking Democrat feedback, so leave them be and let them have their space to discuss. Not the place to argue why you think he's wrong.
I also think people are overreacting to this doomsday for Dems.
Right before the election people were saying if Hillary wins the Republican Party as we know it is over and who knows the next time a republican will be elected.
History shows after 8 years of one party in the white house the other party usually wins.
From these answers, your 'fellow Dems' appear to include a number of alt-right Trump fans. It would be great if they just went back to their liberal-bashing threads.
Anyhoo, Trump is a con artist salesman huckster. That's who he is and who he has always been. He talked a lot of suckers into believing he is someone he is not in order to get their vote. He's a phony through and through.
Hillary would have been a much better president than Trump. She's much much more intelligent, more experienced, respected around the world, and knows foreign and domestic policy and the law like the back of her hand. She is not a good politician. I am sick of listening to those that hate her and a bunch of misogynists spinning a hateful mythology that is total BS.
And, by the way, she received 3 million more votes than the current bozo in the oval office. It's time to get rid of gerrymandering and the electoral college and stop letting a a minority of the country tell the majority of the country what to do. It's a bully system befitting our bully president. That is where all the anger from the far left is coming from.
Let's see if the GOP can win fairly--no fixed districts. No giving rural areas more weight than they deserve. We are no longer an agrarian society, who recently freed a slave population, and we have now given the vote to everyone. The electoral college has got to go. The GOP has lost the popular vote in 6 out of the last 7 elections. There is something rotten in the US.
As for the future, the Dems have plenty of good candidates who we have not even heard from yet.The names tossed around the forum are not the candidates who will be running, just the ones the conservatives want to be the Dem candidates, as they probably cannot win. It will not be Liz Warren, Keith Ellison, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders. I think people will be very surprised at who will emerge as leaders and candidates. And after a couple of years of the current joker, people will be very receptive to smart sane people with real ideas and policies.
I do think Pelosi and Schumer need to step aside and let some of the younger and fresher candidates lead the party. But I believe all this hand wringing over the future of the Dems is not what will come to pass. The election was less than one year ago. It's way too early to predict anything, and with the downhill slide Trump is on, I am not worried at all. The electorate is becoming more diverse every year. They are not going to be into old white men pushing their return-to-the-50s fairy tale in the next election.
We have real problems that need real answers--not tweets from an ignorant self-important, inexperienced and immature child who does not want the job, or his inexperienced unqualified daughter and son-in-law. This is becoming more apparent with every domestic crisis we encounter. Nor do we really a need a bunch of generals and Wall Street vets running the country, which is what we have. We've been that route already, it failed, and it is the country that got screwed.
So.....all I can discern from this is that you're OK with Hillary being corrupt, deceitful, self serving and morally bankrupt....
As long as she does it in a manner that you find more respectful and professional than Trump.
I'll give my perspective as someone who voted Democrat 2003 to 2014 and is now on the fence. The core problem with today's Democrats is they no longer seek to unify people based on things like income inequality or a clean environment but instead divide people and demonize all Whites as if all of us where white hoods every Friday night. A local left wing magazine where I live had a Charlottesville related headline that read "White People meet the enemy". Not "White Supremacists meet the enemy". A magazine that read "Black / Hispanic / Mixed Race people meet the enemy" would be immediately boycotted. Many Democrat leaders say that White male voices are no longer welcome in the party. As a White man who has stood against racism, was part of only 30% of people in my state to vote against a gay marriage ban, are against police brutality, and support moving Confederate monuments from public places I feel like I no longer have a political party to call home.
I figured out a lot earlier that Democrats hate white people. Welcome to that truth. It sucks, but it's reality.
And I vehemently disagree with the poster in your quote as well. Couldn't be more diametrically opposed to his POV if I tried. But this thread is speaking directly to Democrats and seeking Democrat feedback, so leave them be and let them have their space to discuss. Not the place to argue why you think he's wrong.
Besides, this thread is interesting as hell.
I agree. Very good thread.
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It would be great if they just went back to their liberal-bashing threads.
