Gavin Newsom said the "Democratic brand is toxic" and we need to stop talking down to people.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said on Friday that the Democratic brand was “toxic” and that his party had to admit its own mistakes, delivering tough love as Democrats struggle in their fight against the Trump administration.

Mr. Newsom, once considered a liberal combatant, has embarked on a political soul search in the months since President Trump won the White House and Republicans won both houses of Congress. On Friday, he used his strongest language yet to criticize his own party during an appearance on “Real Time With Bill Maher.”

“The Democratic brand is toxic right now,” he said, pointing to a recent NBC News poll that showed Democrats with a 27 percent favorability rating, the lowest in at least a generation.

Mr. Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, blamed his fellow Democrats for his party’s woes. He criticized Democrats for being judgmental, staying in an echo chamber and resorting to “cancel culture” to ostracize people whose views they find abhorrent.


https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/us/politics/newsom-democrats-toxic.html

I'm not going to apologize for empathizing with lgtbq people, undocumented immigrants, and other vulnerable groups. If he wants to apologize he can apologize for himself.

[Conjuay]

1. Was that a request or an order, master?

[Blues Heron]

2. What does that mean talking down? Isnt he doing that here? talking down to us while Nazis rampage through the govt.?

[Bettie]

4. But we're the people it's OK to talk

down to...apparently the only "real" people are the hate-filled magats and the rest of us are just 'libs', not actual human beings.

[Cha]

66. That's exactly what I just asked.. "Didn't he talk down

to Dems?"

It's so Obvious!

[Wingus Dingus]

3. When do Republicans ever insult themselves this way? Maybe YOU talked down to people, Gavin,

but that's your problem, not mine.

[comradebillyboy]

5. When we are losing elections to Donald Trump you

know the Dems are in deep doodoo. I know the problems are horribly difficult to sort out but the Party seems totally out of touch with middle America, especially on hot button cultural problems.

I don't know the solution, but moving to the left while the world moves to the right seems like a real bad idea. I yearn for a real uniter with the popular touch like Bill Clinton.

[RJ-MacReady]

11. I have to agree

I don't agree with Newsom platforming far right extremists however he isn't wrong here. Whether it's true or not the party is perceived as elitist and insensitive to the struggles of middle class America. Again i do not believe we are but perception is reality. I also agree moving further to the left would be disastrous at this point in time. We have not only a messaging problem but a likeability problem.

[UpInArms]

13. Personal anecdote

I owned and edited a local newspaper in a very rural and red area.

One of the locals (a very republican farmer guy) said I used too many “big” words. I told him to get a dictionary and he could look them up and he would learn things. He squinted his eyes at me and said … well … maybe. Then, I said … if he would just read and look at the context, he would probably figure it out, because he was a smart man.

A few weeks later, he came up to me and told me thank you. He really appreciated that I understood him. He became a really dedicated reader and a good friend. He, to this day, expresses how much he misses my paper. (I sold it in 2017)

What I know is that, we don’t talk down. We lift them up.

[karynnj]

12. Was Bill Clinton really a "uniter"?

Both he and Obama are two term Democratic presidents with political charisma. However, if you measure their ability to unite by whether they reduced the polarity in today's politics, they didn't. There has been a near constant increase in people not just picking a side, but especially on the right moving from the center to the extreme.

Obama and Clinton are extremely different as people and as politicians. Both tried as their goal to bring Americans together. Clinton's approach was to make the Democrats into "new Democrats" - mainly de emphasizing unions and being more business friendly, but nowhere near as much as the Republicans. This could be seen as trying to find common ground. The Republican response - contract "on" America and impeachment, not rapprochement.

Obama first came to major public notice with a brilliant speech at the 2004 convention that argued in an almost prayerful way against the polarizing view of two completely different incompatible red and blue groups. His campaign was not just hope, but reaching out to everyone. Yet, Republican Senators and Congressmen almost all voted against the ACA, including some who actually had been sponsors of similar legislation since the 1990s.

Both of these Presidents were willing and capable of leading a unified country. The problem was that Republicans have long considered their role, when out of power, to be to prevent Democrats from doing anything. They are not willing to consider meeting us half way.

[leftstreet]

22. +1

[comradebillyboy]

95. As you observed Clinton and Obama both united

the Democratic Party and persuaded enough swing voters to win elections. The Democratic Party needs a uniting figure like that and I hope one emerges sooner rather than later.

[yardwork]

15. The problem is real but his solution is weak.

We need more outrage, fire, and pushing back. We are the party of people's rights - everybody's rights. We lose if we become Republican lite.

We need to focus more on worker's rights, retiree's rights, young people's economic rights.

[thomski64]

33. ..we should be direct with Maggots..

..not condescending, for example "fuck you, you've been duped by a carnival barker con man, voted in nit-wits, bent on destroying our Country!" That would be direct and not using too may big words for them.

[Demsrule86]

49. I don't agree. We may take Matt Gaetz's seat. In order to defeat Trump and Maga

We must make the party what we need and support it. Newsome is dead to me.

[yardwork]

50. Did you respond to the wrong post by accident?

[Bluethroughu]

89. This and money in politics has been the problem.

The majority of people support progressive legislation like healthcare for all, free college, and tax the rich their fair share to upgrade SS for the long term.

People are tired of working hard and getting nowhere but debt while the rich get richer.

[travelingthrulife]

20. So you are suggesting we embrace bigotry and fascism with a smile.

WHEN will people stop blaming Democrats for the things republicans do.

We acknowledge that MAGAs are deeply disturbed people caught in a cult. So we should be more cult-like to attract them back to us?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

32. It's MAGA who are constantly talking about these things.

[dalton99a]

24. +1. Biden et al wasted time and energy on painting and remodeling and ignored the arsonist lurking around the corner

waiting to burn everything down

Democrats had four years to forestall Trump's return, and failed in spectacular and epic fashion

[Henry203]

26. Oh we should agree

With outright racism.

[Boomerproud]

35. The Republicans in state legislatures are running amok.

This is the country we live in now. I hope you're not in the margins of society.

[Bettie]

67. Seems like the problem is that

"middle America" is deeply racist, homophobic, and misogynistic.

So, to get "in touch" with that group, we need to dump our core values and become magat lite.

[Xolodno]

69. Exactly! People don't give a shit about pro-nouns.

But they do give a shit about their grocery bill. "It's the economy, stupid" still rings true today.

The odd thing is, many here are focusing on his word of "toxic". But he also stated people who are trying to re-write history regarding slavery also need to be called out.

We just argue and show disgust at Republicans here on DU, and in several cases, its warranted. But we also never listen to what they are saying.

[Bettie]

74. They don't care about their grocery bill though

they care that the people they wanted harmed are being harmed.

It's not the prices, it's the permission to be as filled with hate as they can. It's permission to enjoy the destruction of the lives of people they feel superior to. Women, people who aren't white, immigrants, students....there's a long list of people they hate and who they are giddy about seeing suffer and possibly die.

[Xolodno]

75. You demonstrated the point perfectly.

Even though that was not your intention.

[Bettie]

78. I live in a very red county in a very red town

the people here are GIDDY over deportations, over everything that orange piece of garbage is doing.

So, sure. Whatever, we can give up all of our principles. I'm sure women will love hearing that we are to be permanent second-class citizens because of our gender, just so that white men can win elections.

That's what you are advocating. Becoming Republicans.

[Xolodno]

80. What I'm advocating...

...is trying to reach the middle, the purple areas. Trying to reach the blood red areas is hopeless, no one is going to get them. But on DU, we think purple areas are an anathema. That's my point. You are just finger pointing and that never wins elections.

[choie]

91. In several cases?

Are you kidding?

[58Sunliner]

83. You don't reference voter fraud, suppression, etc... as factors, which is an incomplete picture.

Who really knows if we did lose the election. A "uniter" like Clinton (both of them), who were dragged through the mud at every opportunity by republicans. Where was that unity?

[AStern]

92. "moving to the left while the world moves to the right"

Not moving to the left is the precise reason why Democrats keep losing voters - especially on fiscal matters.

As for the social topics, the only time I ever hear about transsexuals, "woke", defund whatever... it's from the right.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. That's right, we need to get in the gutter with them and expose them for what they are.

Maybe that will convince them they have more in common with us and overcome their Trump Obsession Complex.

[CrispyQ]

7. Will someone please go to Apple Music & search "Gavin Newsom podcast" & tell me what the search comes up with?

Pretty please? Cuz what I see is...well, here it is.

[Irish_Dem]

8. We are supposed to make nice with vicious psychopaths.

sure.

[thomski64]

34. ..fuck Newsome..

..Pritzger 28, from the shores of beautiful Lake Illinois..

[snowybirdie]

9. I used to believe

he'd be a good candidate for President. Not any more. You just can't throw away Democratic ideology and remain a Democrat.

[kentuck]

10. We need to stop fighting the battles we have already won.

And that the majority of the American people agree with us on.

Most Americans agree that despite our biases and prejudices, we are all created equal. They don't have to accept any lifestyle they disagree with, but all Americans have the individual right to believe and worship the way they want. We do not believe in discriminating against those that might be different from us.

We need to accept this as proof of Democratic victories that have already been fought.

We do not need to put it at the top of any political agenda, in my opinion. We need to talk to people about issues that they are concerned about, in regards to their families daily survival and the needs of their families, including education, healthcare, and security in their homes and neighborhoods.

Just my opinion, but we should not get sucked into making "trans in sports" the major topic of political discussion. They have their rights, as everyone else, and that is our position. There is no need for further discussion, in my opinion. It is the duty of the Democratic Party to defend those that might be a minority or frowned on by the majority of society.

Just my opinion.

[yardwork]

14. I mostly agree with this.

I think this is well said.

Democratic spokespeople are allowing Republicans to set the agenda. The Republicans know that they will win if they claim to care about ordinary people while we care only about "special interest groups." (They've been using that trick for quite a while. I think they used that phrase against Jimmy Carter in 1980.)

"Special interest groups" is code for whatever the Republicans think their voters won't like - which is a very wide selection of things.

The Democratic Party needs to fight back with more outrage and more pressure on what really matters to us. We need politicians who say "How dare you not increase minimum wage and improve working conditions?!! Look at these conditions!! (Run video of poor working conditions) This is a disgrace! Elect me and I will fix it."

Continue down the line with issues that matter to voters.

When Republicans run ads accusing us of caring "only" about trans people, for instance, respond with more outrage. "How dare you pick on the 123 trans people who are in prison?! How is abusing them helping anything? What is wrong with you?" And then pivot right back to increasing minimum wage, affordable housing etc.

[Cirsium]

54. Yes!

"Democratic spokespeople are allowing Republicans to set the agenda."

Exactly right.

[Sympthsical]

16. The activist tail has wagged the party dog for too long

And it's a severe problem.

How many times did we hear a Democratic politician answering for an issue they didn't even campaign on? Because very loud (terminally online) people have become the face of the party even when our actual politicians don't necessarily go as far on various issues as Twitter does.

We have, unfortunately, a very visible portion of the party in the activist squadron that are extremely out of touch with the average American voter. And they are proud of it. They don't want their vote. They're all Nazis, racists, sexists, insert-an-ist anyway. They can stay away from us!

People say that thing here all the time.

That doesn't win votes. Politics often requires a choice. You can have your ideology or you can win an election - but you often cannot have both. And if you are constantly in a position of picking an ideological stance that a vast majority of Americans do not share, then you are choosing to sacrifice elections. The best politicians will make a delicate arrangement between both that works.

But our activists who are increasingly the face of our party in the public's eyes do not compromise in a way a politician must to succeed.

Think about someone like Lincoln, who is much celebrated for his role in ending slavery. At the time, he had to balance the slavery issue with the electorate. He had to rein in the Radical Republicans who basically threatened to topple his presidency and tank the war at every turn. The man spent half his time looking at them with, "Jesus fucking Christ, get it together. I want to handle this issue, too, but you are killing us with your bullshit." (I may be paraphrasing).

Online slacktivists can say whatever they want. They have no responsibility. They don't have to run for office. They can be as radical as they please.

But voters see it. And they don't like it. And after 10 years and two Trump terms, how long before people wake up to that fact?

[RJ-MacReady]

25. This

It all goes back to us being seen as "elitist". Twitter activists have defined the party way too long. Its time for the party to disavow these types of people.

[eShirl]

38. funny how it doesn't work that way for Republicans though

[Sympthsical]

40. Because of how our politics currently work

It's become a cultural contest of "Who do I hate least right now?"

And we're losing. Take that in for a moment. People took a look at Trump, took a look at our stuff, and they either tapped out or picked Trump.

Which one would hope would generate self-reflection, but the media Bubble has increasingly created an environment where learning from mistakes - or even acknowledging that they exist at all - is not a thing. Cannot be a thing. And we will strike down whoever tries to make self-awareness a thing.

Social media insularity is killing our party. And we can't figure it out, because . . . the base spends all day on social media.

How the fuck you fix that one is beyond me.

[blubunyip]

42. Have you noticed how "compromise"

as a general rule--isn't working for us?

I am so tired of this "branding" crap. "The Democratic Brand" is mythology. Sure, we can watch our language and try hard not to be smug--that makes sense. But the "elitist" label has been applied through years of well-funded distortion. It's all part of the successful divide and conquer strategy.

We need to be MORE activist. We who want something better than this nightmare state of division and corruption, we who know there can be no compromise with criminal sociopaths, must stand up. A strong rejection of this regime should speak to any American, regardless of political party. If we can't call these Disruptors "Nazis, racists and sexists" NOW -- then when? Seems pretty plain-spoken to me, not at all high falutin. Even as they deny it, they can see the truth of it. Everyone who voted MAGA--rich, poor or in between, should be doing a whole lot of soul-searching right now. What were they thinking?

This situation has gone beyond party politics and polite discourse. We should not be worried about courting the hardcore right wing, who will fight us to the death. No percentage in that. We should be speaking FOR the middle of the roaders, who are afraid to speak. Speaking for all those who DO get the Big Picture now, no matter where they have been.

[Bettie]

76. So, just become Republicans?

no ideology, no beliefs, just rhetoric about who they should hate?

Dump all of the vulnerable people, speak of how they wish to bring harm to anyone who isn't white, male and Christian once they are elected? Say "Fuck THEM!" to all minorities, especially the ones that Republicans find "icky"?

And then, what? Why vote for Dems if they are going to be just like Republicans?

[Sympthsical]

79. Who said that?

Those are a lot of words to put in my mouth without asking permission.

I voted for Sanders in 2016 and Warren in 2020. Does that sound like I want our party to become Republican in any way?

But you're illustrating what I mean. If I say, "We need to tamp down on some of the crazier shit that turns voters off," the reply is, "Oh, so we should be Republicans!"

That acts as if there isn't miles of ground to be covered between things voters hate and being Republican. It's all one or the other. Everything or nothing.

How can the party introspect and correct course if the option given is "We have to keep doing what is clearly not working or else we're Republicans!"

It's like the goal is electoral failure. I do not understand it. I somewhat wonder, in the back of my mind, if people sort of want to lose and be righteous about it. Like they get a little thrill about never compromising on their holiness with those unwashed heretics (that consist of anyone who is not them), and then get to wallow in the misery of it all that the world is going to hell because they haven't been saved and baptized by the true faith.

It's some weird shit.

I just want to see a Democratic Party crushing elections all over the country. Wouldn't that make for a nice change of pace?

[RJ-MacReady]

86. I think you are spot on

There is a segment of the far left again mostly on twitter and tiktok who would rather be ideologically pure than win an election.

[Rainman4u2C]

93. THIS 100!!!

Let's keep calling half the country Nazis, racists, sexists, threats to democracy. It has clearly been working ....

[ImNotGod]

17. The fact that he appeared on Real Time With Bill Maher doesn't exactly inspire confidence in his thought process. nt

[Mysterian]

18. Funny how Democrats are winning all the special elections recently

if the brand is so toxic. Yeah, the Democratic party needs some new, more courageous leaders, but we're not the toxic ones.

Newsom is fucking up big time spewing garbage with a loathesome coward like Bill Maher.

[karynnj]

19. If you consider Newsom is correct that our "brand" is toxic, he is exactly what we don't need

I don't know if anyone exists who the right will not label immediately as being the woke, DEI, open borders, etc leader. This is what the Republicans have done all the way back to Joseph McCarthy back in the 1950s. Maybe it works because they have no shame.

Given everything happening now why engage in accepting blame for that poll result. An alternative interpretation is that many are terrified (horrified) with where we are and are angry the Democratic party couldn't stop it. ( Consider those on the right are still in the "we won" euphoria backing Trump. Democrats and left leaning independents do not see the path out and thus have an unfavorable view of both parties. If this is the case, a head to head poll between generic Democrat and generic Republican would better assess if people have really moved from the Democrats.)

Not to mention, there are ongoing reasons that their brand will become toxic. They have President indicted for things that are or are close to treason, who was reelected in spite of this. That President pardoned people who beat police trying to defend Congress. That President has nominated a mostly unqualified cabinet that has already done things that would in any other administration be career ending and they've been there less than 3 months. Not to mention, Musk breaking things across the government with an assist from the cabinet.

[Luz]

21. I'd say the reason dems have a 27٪ approval is

because they are just sitting on their arses and letting trump have his way with the country. C'mon, they need to DO something.

[mcar]

23. Totally agree

I'm not going to apologize for empathizing with lgtbq people, undocumented immigrants, and other vulnerable groups. If he wants to apologize he can apologize for himself.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

27. The irony is it's MAGA who is always talking about those issues

[dutch777]

28. Says the man that dined with a group at the French Laundry during Covid lockdown. Enjoy retirement Gavin.

I don't really dislike Gavin, but his path forward seems limited to being a talking head and his own podcast and maybe a few board positions There is no way he gets a Presidential nomination if we Dems want to win that year. However bad Trump/MAGA is, I don't see a CA governor being President anytime soon. I personally wish we could nominate someone so progressive and win nationally but just not seeing it. No imminent opening for a CA Senator. What to do Gavin?

[YorkRd]

29. "Democrat" is often used as code for Black or LGBT

[Seeking Serenity]

84. Or for BLM or Defund the Police

[W_HAMILTON]

30. It's a shame to see him debasing himself in such a way.

He was the early favorite to get my vote in the 2028 primary after his fierce defense of Biden last year, but now it's looking like that was just another of his many political-based positions rather than representing any actual true values of his. I would imagine if you asked him what he thought of Biden now, he's probably criticize him worse than a MAGAt at this point.

Oh well, he won't be the first politician that thought he was politically too clever by half...

[SocialDemocrat61]

31. Whenever someone says democrats talk down to people

They never cite any examples.

[edbermac]

36. Those people voted for a business fraud, a rapist and a traitor

How the fuck else are we supposed to talk to them?

[krawhitham]

37. Gavin Newsom is the GOAT at talking down to people.

I see he's picked up maga's #1 trait, blame others for what you are currently doing

[Initech]

39. If anything, we need to talk down to them more.

They voted for this shit and they screamed and whined like spoiled toddlers because their god emperor man baby got his plaything taken away from him. It's time we treat them like the screaming toddlers that they are.

[tulipsandroses]

41. He needs to fire his advisors. His raw political motivations are showing. I am not against raw political motivations

BUT it has to be coupled with true fight and true grit. Newsom is not showing us that. When he raised the flag for trump after Jimmy Carter's death, I gave him a pass. I figured, he's taking one for the team, making sure that the people of CA still suffering after the fires would get the aid they need. But it appears I may have been wrong in that assumption.
I believe Gavin is doing and saying whatever he needs to, or thinks he needs to position himself as the next Dem presidential nominee.
Well, Gav, you gotta get through a primary first. At this rate, it's not gonna happen.
Democrats are on the right side of history. Republicans attack minorities and Democrats defend them and then RW media says it's democrats that are the problem.

Now is the perfect time, if you wanted to reach out to " working class" AKA whiny ass white men and women - to let them understand its class warfare that is a danger to us. Not black folks, brown folks, women, LGBTQ folks, immigrants or any other boogeyman.

We lost the election, mostly because of RW propaganda, voter suppression and voter apathy. We did not lose because democratic policies are bad policies.

Whomever the next Dem nominee is, will need a groundswell of people to get behind him or her. It's not going to be the person agreeing with RW trolls.

[Keepthesoulalive]

55. It appears a lot of democrats

Would throw minorities, women and the gay and transgender community under the bus to get a democrat in name only . This man want’s power and he doesn’t care how he gets it. Hanging with Charlie Kirk tells you all you need to know.

[Prairie Gates]

43. We need this story posted at least 10,000 times

:

Certain elements are delighting in it, anyway.

[Mponti]

44. Newsom's marriage to Kimberly Guilfoyle make his brand toxic.

Zero interest in his presidential candidacy.
I can’t unsee him being married to Don Jrs. castoff

[TexasBushwhacker]

63. That was when he was still drinking ...

[Nixie]

45. At first blush, this doesn't seem much different than the favorite "critiquers"

say for at least 10 years now. 🤷

[alarimer]

46. It's only toxic because of lies told by Fox News

It is certainly not inherently toxic

And, yes, messaging could be better at times. But I'm not sure they talk down to people as much as they try to talk about complicated subjects in a more nuanced way.

[thought crime]

85. Bingo.

And right-wing media is a massive propaganda machine, the likes of which have never been seen (or heard). We whisper our message. They scream lies through a million blaring mega-phones.

[Mponti]

47. Newsom's marriage to Kimberly Guilfoyle make his brand toxic.

Zero interest in his presidential candidacy.
I can’t unsee him being married to Don Jrs. castoff

[Ping Tung]

48. There is no such thing as a "Democratic Brand".

There are no facts, only interpretations". Friedrich Nietzsche

I don't belong to an organized political party. I'm a Democrat. Will Roigers

[milestogo]

51. Gavin Newsom is sounding pretty toxic lately.

Is he becoming a MAGAT?

[Walleye]

52. Excuse me, governor, but the California brand is toxic to the same people right now

[Tribetime]

53. In light we lost to the most flawed candidate ever..something needs to change

[Bettie]

68. He has a cult devoted to him

and he spoke to the hate that seems to rest in the hearts of more people than we ever thought possible.

Before this election, I honestly believed there were more good people than not....that is not true. There are more terrible people who hate something (or someone, multiple things) more than they love anything or anyone.

They explicitly voted for hate.

[JCMach1]

56. Let me be judgemental and point out there are only dead armadillos

And a few possums in the middle of the road.

[gulliver]

57. He can help free us from the yoke of woke

We need to get back to meat and potatoes. We have all the good issues. We just need to deprioritize and renounce these things that hurt us as a party and terribly hurt the people and groups we normally support. A dumb argument by charmless losties for a good cause is an argument against that cause.

Economic prosperity for the working and middle classes, healthcare coverage, education, etc.

[David__77]

58. There's some saying about "doctor heal thyself". This would be fine is posed as a sincere self-criticism.

[pinkstarburst]

59. Gavin Newsom's brand is toxic

he's become a right wing MAGAT sellout who will post and say anything to get his name in the news. While he's chasing right wing voters (who will never vote for a formerly left leaning progressive governor of California), he's alienating voters in OUR party.

We need to smarten up as a party. We spend too much time chasing right wing votes. Too much time pulling our hair out trying to figure out how to get MAGA to vote for democrats and how to get right-leaning "independents" to vote for democrats. They are not voting democrat. That bloc of voters is solidly red and votes red every single time. They show up for their candidates in big BIG numbers.

Our problem is that dems stay home on election day. We need to get them to come out and show up. That won't happen with a candidate like Newsom who is sleazy right wing-lite. We need someone like AOC, like Tim Walz, like Buttigieg, like Jasmine Crockett, like Elizabeth Warren. Democrats who are actually GENUINE and don't change their tune every week.

[Nimble_Idea]

60. guess man took himself out of the running

oh well

[BlueKota]

61. Look I love the Democratic Party

and the values we profess, but I completely disagree with Newsom's conclusions. I have felt for many years long before Trump that we have let the Republicans broad face lie about who Democrats are. We let them define us. Instead of being worried about bipartisanship and proper etiquette we should have been shoving their lying sacks of bullshit right back in their face.

Playing nice with them is the problem not the solution. We need to quit worrying about following the rules of a playbook they already burned. It's time to give them a taste of their own medicine.

Newsom is off my list of people I'd like to see as potential presidential candidates, if we ever get to have another fair election that is. Walz will be my pick.

[Meowmee]

62. GN needs to get some therapy stat

I would never vote for him in a primary now.

“Being judgmental” 😹

[GaYellowDawg]

64. Gavin is forgetting one basic truth:

Republicans aren't going to vote for quasi-Republicans when they already have the real thing to vote for. What a bunch of fucking buffoonery.

[Cha]

65. Didn't he just talk down to Dems?

[Xolodno]

70. A number would say that's how Jimmy Carter...

...lost his bid for a second term. Talking down and past people. Where as Reagan, was relatable.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

71. Carter lost because fifty four hostages were languishing in Iran and inflation was 13.55% in 1980.

[BlueKota]

73. And Reagan reportedly cut a deal

for Iran to keep the hostages so President Carter would loose. Just like almost every Republican the only thing that matters to them is power and money. They don't give a shit about anyone or anything else.

[Xolodno]

77. Of course. That didn't help.

But I'm of the view it isn't one or two issues that cause a loss in an election. It's usually few others. If it was one or two, they can be managed, but when you are entangled with a number of issues, you lose your message.

[ObscurePiton]

72. How dare he.

We Democrats are perfect in every respect.

[Jit423]

81. Give me an example of "talking down to people" that Dems have done. The GOP talks down to their constituents every

fucking word out of their lying mouths.

Talking down to people must mean telling them the truth!

[msongs]

82. gavin newsom should stop promoting fascists on his media outlets. nt

[orangecrush]

87. What the fuck is this shit with him???

[Bluethroughu]

88. I don't like Nazis. I will never like Nazis.

I guess cancelling Nazis culture is bridge to far for some, not me.

[Jack Valentino]

90. I have little interest in anything any 'leading Democrat' has to say, who also now

provides a platform for far-right traitors to spout their nonsense publicly
(his new podcast, as I recollect hearing about it?)


I at first thought him attractive as a possible future presidential candidate--
but his efforts towards "triangulation" and "bipartisanship" with the fascist extremist right
(as I have perceived such things)
have caused me to lose all interest in him.

[William Gustafson]

94. Well, there goes any chance he has for a run for president...

Talking down to those that you want to vote for you, is always a bad thing....