I agree this season was very passive, yes, I live in East TN and thus very red. However, the Dems did not even try, ZERO mailings, ZERO just about anything. Dems did not even bother to field anyone for a State Leg district, nor one for a US House seat. You don’t defeat all the negativity by doing SQUAT.
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Been saying that for years, no message is what I usually hear. On the other hand, I hear over and over and over again the appeal for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ but along with the appeal is SQUAT about message.
Just yesterday, 11/17, I received and I counted because it was getting to be very very irritating 27 email messages and 17 text messages asking for cash for the two GA revotes. The vast majority of those messages, that is all but one, was for the WHITE guy.
TELL YOU WHAT, YOU WILL GET NOTHING FROM ME.
Indeed. I saw the headline yesterday and avoided this story because it looked like it would be just so much blamethrowing. Turns out it’s a far better piece of writing than the headline suggested.
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I’ve mentioned this before: people sometimes write as if anti-Progressives have some god-given right to exist by default, whereas Progressives need to justify themselves.
Here’s an example:
Why is the burden of proof placed on one faction only?
If, as has been said, AOC needs to convince Conor Lamb’s constituents, then shouldn’t he also learn how to convince hers?
Good political advice, in my opinion.
(Where I use the word political without reaching the technical merits of any given policy proposal or campaign.)
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Lefty cultural messages just don’t resonate the way lefties think they should in purple areas.
Corporate Dems, from Clinton to Obama to Hillary have had little use for “lefties” other than lip service. It’s as if Lefties have to prove themselves while Corporate Dems hold the high ground - b/c they’re entitled to it. That’s the problem. “Lefty cultural messages” in purple states will never have a successful win rate as long as the Democratic Party views them as being out of order Michael Moore bomb throwers who are responsible for party loses.
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Must we blame? I don’t think so.
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Who came up with the “Defund the police” slogan? Steve Bannon? Karl Rove?
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Not Richard Daley, that’s for sure.
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Blame no, but analyze yes.
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I don’t disagree. Thanks.
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Maybe the message needs to be adjusted for the candidate’s constituency with a more moderate message in places like Nebraska but a more progressive message in a purple or pale blue state. The Democrats also cannot allow the Republicans to frame our message. They threw the word “socialism” around like they used to use liberal but they do not understand what it is. The new senator from Alabama thinks his father was busy fighting socialism during World War II.
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Was a bit surprised GA went Dem. That article give a good explanation.
"Raffensperger told the station that 24,000 Republican voters who voted absentee in the primary did not vote in the general election.
“Those 24,000 people did not vote in the fall,” Raffensperger said. “They did not vote absentee because they were told by the president, ‘Don’t vote absentee. It’s not secure.’ But then they did not come out and vote in person.” "
The law of unintended consequences in action. Pathetic-donald being just too clever by half.
Also of note it is admirable that Raffensperger has integrity (and hopefully there are built in fail safes) so that he couldn’t do Lindsay’s bidding. His reward is death threats for himself and his family.
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oops sorry responded to the wrong post.
Alan Pinkerton was believed to favor the idea.
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The problem we face is that (a) some progressives are trying to run in swing districts, but that is a far less serious issue (they mostly did not make it past the primary) than (b) the messaging from progressive’s being used in swing districts.
When Progressive’s talked about “defund the police” and “defund ICE” and “medicaid for all”, and the “green new deal” the slogans were used against Democrats for the first two, and details of the second (banning private health care, everyone gets the same level of care, and banning meat/air travel) got the air time.
As long as someone who is supported by the party as a “democrat” is running on socialism, it will be pitched back at the people with IQs of 110 and lower, who hear the buzz word.
Trump did not win because he had better ideas in 2016, he won because his marketing “make america great again” worked. This year, it worked better than we would like.
A $15/hour minimum wage is popular. Protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions is popular. Quality affordable education (including reducing student debt) is popular. Socialism, banning police, meat, airplanes, and private heath care is not.
Yes, it was part of his “business model”!
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meanwhile, here is swing state land (AZ) I was getting at least one (usually more) mailers a day from one or other of the various Dem organizations or candidate campaigns, or PAC… so many that I just threw them in the trash on my way back to the house along with the credit card and medicare plan junk mail.