The Way Forward
Related: About this forumDems Don't Need To 'Moderate,' They Need To Stop Focus Grouping Themselves Into Oblivion
(Wonkette)
https://www.wonkette.com/p/dems-dont-need-to-moderate-they-need
This is a fairly clear-eyed diagnosis of the condition of the national dem party. I think the Dems have been using the finger hygrometer to set policy for decades, with the exception of the Biden White House, who seemed unable to build a movement on their enormous liberal accomplishments.
SNIP
At this moment, Democrats and some Never Trump conservatives are doing the thing they always do, which is to hem and haw about how to win over voters in more purple and even red areas. Oh, it is the neverending conundrum! Which group of people do we roll over on? And how hard? How many focus groups can we do? How do we hit that sweet spot of just bland enough so people who arent 100 percent fascist will consider voting for us instead of Republicans?
I am going to be incredibly honest, here. What really hurt Kamala Harris wasnt the they/them ad. The first thing, the most important thing, was that she didnt win the primary. That is not her fault, mind you, its Joe Bidens for not stepping down earlier as many of us were dying for him to do. People already hated the tendency of the Democratic party to always do everything possible to ensure that the person whose turn it is gets to be the nominee. They hated it even more when someone was just appointed as the nominee. People feel that kind of wrongness or unfairness in their bones and its hard to shake.
The other thing is that the woman was focus-grouped to death. Go back and look, she said nothing even marginally spicy throughout the entire campaign, and when she and Tim Walz had an offense move that actually hit calling Republicans, rightfully, weird they were told by the consultants to knock it off and they did. Part of that reluctance to take any particularly strong stance on anything is what resulted in the decision to not let the Uncommitted group of pro-Palestinian delegates give a very lovely planned speech at the DNC. That alone would have done so much to heal a very serious divide on the Left and made a lot of people feel more comfortable voting for her. A lot of people who happen to live in Michigan and Pennsylvania, to boot.

OAITW r.2.0
(30,216 posts)In spite of a degenerate 34x convicted felon pretending to be President.
LearnedHand
(4,648 posts)Dems have to earn back the right to be thought of as standard bearers for freedom and democracy. And by Dems I mean elected representatives. We think that's a given, but others do not.
OAITW r.2.0
(30,216 posts)We proved it with Clinton - Obama - Biden. Losing economies for the the bottom 85% under Bush2 - Trump - and Trump#2. What a stinker this one is.
flying rabbit
(4,848 posts)gab13by13
(28,080 posts)Heard Stephanie Miller say this today, Democrats do not need to move to the center, the center is closer to fascism.
Democrats need to stop analyzing that they need to run moderates in certain elections to win. How about running the best candidate?
I think this is what David Hogg is getting at, and it stings.
UbiqC
(3 posts)why do we continue to see articles, six months after the election, as why Harris lost? I don't remember the like regarding a lost election.
LearnedHand
(4,648 posts)It doesn't rehash the election, but it does do a necessary evaluation of where things could be improved.
stopdiggin
(13,687 posts)unless I was reading a totally different piece.
orangecrush
(24,604 posts)DJ Synikus Makisimus
(1,038 posts)I expect the response will be "don't change horses in mid-stream." Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah:
Wasn't Anne Heche great in that scene?
usonian
(17,598 posts)People attending rallies in huge numbers are saying
YES to raising the minimum wage,
YES to expanding Social Security,
YES to guaranteeing health care as a human right,
YES to cutting the cost of prescription drugs,
YES to paid family and medical leave,
YES to equal pay for equal work,
YES to more affordable housing,
YES to making childcare and higher education affordable to all,
YES to taking on the existential threat of climate change.
And most importantly they are saying
YES to a government and an economy that works for all of us and not just the billionaire class and the Oligarchs.
-------
When you follow "public opinion" here's what happens.
When you wig, people wag
You shift your story in the wag direction, and lose focus on your core.
My opinion
Ponietz
(3,660 posts)I dont expect change unless and until they fulfill their civic duty. People who dont vote lose their right to vote.
LearnedHand
(4,648 posts)No matter how much some might wish it.
judesedit
(4,546 posts)Thrown out or squashed, so Dumpy could steal it. Kamala and Tim did great and really won. It will come out.Very soon, hopefully.
There are 3 things that cannot hide.. The sun, the moon and the truth.
BurnDoubt
(363 posts)live love laugh
(15,294 posts)And people are fucking navel gazing and reminiscing while we descend into darkness.
BurnDoubt
(363 posts)The Republican's entire platform is WRONG. Harp on it. Repeat and Repeat and Repeat and Repeat. Don't get wonky. Keep it simple (for simple minds) and catchy (ear worm). And I can't overstate this: Know the Law regarding the Vote. Prepare the voters well ahead of Election Day. Too many votes were tossed out for bogus reasons. Cure the issues with registration well before election day, preferably at the time of registration. Personally contact every voter the day before balloting begins, and again on Election Day to ensure they drop it into the box. Be God-Like and see to every Sparrow that falls. This is the business of the Democratic Party to see that every voter exercises their Right (Obligation) to Vote. Don't fail us again.
ultralite001
(1,640 posts)We MUST have a plan. A program a project needs to replace whats being put in place by this dog-forsaken administration + even more so repair the damage done for us All
No better time to make some significantly needed repairs to our nations infrastructure
Grab those Bernie talking points - Bend them, shake them + make them our own
Then shout them from the rooftops
Damn it, Dems
Cease the day