Please mention a legacy media that did a ton of lifting to make sure their cash cow was back in office (either by neglect, clever phrasing, or both sides-ing). Democrats need to brag more than they do. They need to go dirty WAY more than they do. That bragging also requires that message be carried by the press more than President Biden's age (did you hear them mention Donnie's age? I sure didn't) or the price of bacon.
I agree with everything you said. As for mentioning "legacy media that did a ton of lifting to make sure their cash cow was back in office (either by neglect, clever phrasing, or both sides-ing)," it was all of them. Every single one, from the NYT to CNN to Fox.
I agree Dems need to learn to fight but where are the real fighters to lead? I see very few; AOC, Warren, Sanders, Crockett come to mind as Dems willing to fight. Who am I missing and how the hell do we get this party to grow a backbone and cut the bipartisan fever dream?
"So, when the pandemic receded and the nation’s fiscal health improved, voters did not credit Biden for the win — or for the many ways in which he set the economy on course to thrive long after he departs the Oval Office. Instead, they went back to the guy who promised to upend the status quo — again."
Pure nonsense. The Fiscal 2025 Federal budget deficit is 6.5% of GDP (CBO).
If you want to see a social Democrat who knows how to fight and knows how to bully conservatives then Dems need to research former Aussie PM Paul Keating
He’s famous for his withering put downs of right wingers and most of his greatest hits are on YouTube, including
More of the same Titanic music planning. Trump is a diabolically genius 4D-chess playing master "communicator", and the Dems just need to be better at it than he is. Give me a break. The real problem - stupid, low-information voters. But soon enough, they will start to get huge doses of the FO part of FAFO, and that is really the only hope that this country has. I just fear that it may already be too late.
So the only two reasons people here can think of for why the Democrats lost are (1) we just didn't shout loudly enough about how awesome we are, and (2) everyone who didn't vote for us is stupid.
If that's really what you believe (and act on), prepare to lose a lot more elections.
"Here is what a fighting Democratic Party looks like: it identifies our political adversaries, it calls them by their proper names, and it hammers them relentlessly until voters understand the contrast."
In other words, the beatings will continue until morale improves. Great idea!
"For Democrats to become a party that can inspire a broad coalition to follow them to victory once again, they need to stand for something."
Curiously absent from this article is exactly what that "something" might be.
But also omitted is the fact that the Democrats ALREADY "stand for something", two big things: (1) racism, and (2) transgenderism.
These are the two electric third rails of the Democratic Party. Touch them and you die (if you a Democrat holding elected office).
The Democrats are all-in on government-enforced race-based winners and losers. When SCOTUS told Harvard and UNC that they had to stop their vicious anti-Asian racism (which you can be sure is also happening at every other selective college in the country), Biden said that SCOTUS "is not a normal court".
THIS is why there was a massive shift to the Republicans by Asian voters. They have, at long last, had enough of the Democrats' racism.
As for transgenderism: ask Seth Moulton what happens if you question it. Better, ask Shawn Nicole Thierry (google her).
I have been a registered Democrat for 50 years, but I could not bring myself to vote for any Democrat this past November because of these two issues. I voted for Kara Dansky (google her) for POTUS, straight Republican for every other office.
Democrats have completely lost the plot. Nothing said here is going to help them get it back.
Some Democrats (such as Tom Suozzi-D-NY) supported Seth Moulton (D-MA). Some opposed him. Salem Democratic Committee Chair Liz Bradt called him a Nazi collaborator.
Right after the election, Suozzi indepently made comments similar to Moulton's (expressing opposition to boys in girls sports). Suozzi has said nothing more about it since. And not a single other Democrat in office (any level) has said anything in support of either Suozzi or Moulton.
Kamala Harris lost because she is brown and has a vagina. That is it. The fact that women did not come through for her is sickening. But this is where we are as a country. The Democratic party needs to focus on getting through to the middle class - the majority of whom are white and pissed off. They pay retail for everything and get little in return for their aggravation. It's a hard truth and conversation to have, but from where I am living, in true blue Connecticut - this is the situation. I can only imagine the south and mid-west situation. It ain't good.
Barack Obama is brown and he won in 2008 and 2012. Hillary Clinton has a vagina and she won the popular vote in 2016. I don't think Harris's race or gender had a huge amount to do with her loss unfortunately. It just isn't supported by the evidence. I do agree Dems need to focus on getting through to the middle class. They've failed spectacularly to hold key demographics and essentially lost the culture war.
My question then is WHY are democrats expected to shout their productivity through the rooftops when all Americans are responsible to pay attention to what happens in our country and why it happens. They fail to do so, therefore democrats are to blame for their apathy as well?
Sigh.
But seriously, if the media doesn't let those folks know, and not everyone gets their "news" from social media (a good thing), what are we to do?
Good to see some common sense and data analysis from you Ben.
And yes, the Democrats have lost the "culture war" (which is not at all what it is, but that's another story). See, for example, the vote on a proposition to restore race-based government preferences (aka "affirmative action") in California in 2020, on the exact same November ballot as Biden-v-Trump. Biden won 2-to-1, racism lost 55% to 45%. Yet Democrats still embrace racism. It's a losing idea, even in California, and the Democrats will continue to lose as long as they continue to embrace it.
All I can say is that through my own experience this is what I am learning. I realize it's anecdotal, but it is something that continues to come up time and again with the people I engage with. Obama won because his charisma was off the charts. He appealed to the all kinds of people from every walk of life. Kamala suffered because of her gender and her race. Don't forget, Obama is half white and he never talked down to white people, on the contrary, he was quite empathetic with their grievances (real and imagined). Harris never did that. At the time, I, personally, didn't think it was necessary. She was a great candidate. I thought she would win by a lot. Holy crap was I wrong. That 'key demographic' is lily white.
First you write Kamala lost because she has a vagina. Then you write women (with vaginas presumably) didn't come out for her. Your analysis makes no sense, you can't have it both ways. Kamala lost for many other reasons, because Biden screwed the party by running, because the Dems are terrible at communicating the economic successes of the Biden administration, and because Trump is a master liar. Among other reasons. And yes, women didn't come out, but not because Kamala is a woman.
Oh, make no mistake, plenty of women will not vote for another woman for any reason. It isn't logical, but it is true. I know several. It is infuriating. I also agree with all your points as well. There were many reasons why this election was a fiasco. It's just so sad that people can't be bothered to actually look at what is happening in their actual lives and put the 'virtual' crap aside. Social media is killing us.
Welcome to The Banter!
Hrm,..
Please mention a legacy media that did a ton of lifting to make sure their cash cow was back in office (either by neglect, clever phrasing, or both sides-ing). Democrats need to brag more than they do. They need to go dirty WAY more than they do. That bragging also requires that message be carried by the press more than President Biden's age (did you hear them mention Donnie's age? I sure didn't) or the price of bacon.
I agree with everything you said. As for mentioning "legacy media that did a ton of lifting to make sure their cash cow was back in office (either by neglect, clever phrasing, or both sides-ing)," it was all of them. Every single one, from the NYT to CNN to Fox.
Wait, what? The first confirmed covid death in the US was January 19, 2020, not November 2016.
I agree Dems need to learn to fight but where are the real fighters to lead? I see very few; AOC, Warren, Sanders, Crockett come to mind as Dems willing to fight. Who am I missing and how the hell do we get this party to grow a backbone and cut the bipartisan fever dream?
"So, when the pandemic receded and the nation’s fiscal health improved, voters did not credit Biden for the win — or for the many ways in which he set the economy on course to thrive long after he departs the Oval Office. Instead, they went back to the guy who promised to upend the status quo — again."
Pure nonsense. The Fiscal 2025 Federal budget deficit is 6.5% of GDP (CBO).
If you want to see a social Democrat who knows how to fight and knows how to bully conservatives then Dems need to research former Aussie PM Paul Keating
He’s famous for his withering put downs of right wingers and most of his greatest hits are on YouTube, including
https://youtu.be/oCBx81LHMzQ?si=hIZLAKp5ABqeNx9E
(I’d use both ‘more then pitied than despised’ and the ‘loyal and trusted deputy’ especially with Vances history if I was Dems
This one is just pure
https://youtu.be/shtgfGV4R58?si=g4sD1Z63PXMqQZDE
This is how you attack the politics of nostalgia
https://youtu.be/gc96KVsTKtY?si=vpRMoFgCvHg7EXhG
And this last one is kind of random but shows you need the intellectual heft and to win the policy argument to free you up to do some pure bullying
https://youtu.be/ZVnSUdKjNYE?si=ZLxIfTqubqODbfTN
Imagine if Harris had done something like this in the debate
https://youtu.be/NdAoQvqh7eY?si=g9eFfactyICtokKn
More of the same Titanic music planning. Trump is a diabolically genius 4D-chess playing master "communicator", and the Dems just need to be better at it than he is. Give me a break. The real problem - stupid, low-information voters. But soon enough, they will start to get huge doses of the FO part of FAFO, and that is really the only hope that this country has. I just fear that it may already be too late.
So the only two reasons people here can think of for why the Democrats lost are (1) we just didn't shout loudly enough about how awesome we are, and (2) everyone who didn't vote for us is stupid.
If that's really what you believe (and act on), prepare to lose a lot more elections.
"Here is what a fighting Democratic Party looks like: it identifies our political adversaries, it calls them by their proper names, and it hammers them relentlessly until voters understand the contrast."
In other words, the beatings will continue until morale improves. Great idea!
"For Democrats to become a party that can inspire a broad coalition to follow them to victory once again, they need to stand for something."
Curiously absent from this article is exactly what that "something" might be.
But also omitted is the fact that the Democrats ALREADY "stand for something", two big things: (1) racism, and (2) transgenderism.
These are the two electric third rails of the Democratic Party. Touch them and you die (if you a Democrat holding elected office).
The Democrats are all-in on government-enforced race-based winners and losers. When SCOTUS told Harvard and UNC that they had to stop their vicious anti-Asian racism (which you can be sure is also happening at every other selective college in the country), Biden said that SCOTUS "is not a normal court".
THIS is why there was a massive shift to the Republicans by Asian voters. They have, at long last, had enough of the Democrats' racism.
As for transgenderism: ask Seth Moulton what happens if you question it. Better, ask Shawn Nicole Thierry (google her).
I have been a registered Democrat for 50 years, but I could not bring myself to vote for any Democrat this past November because of these two issues. I voted for Kara Dansky (google her) for POTUS, straight Republican for every other office.
Democrats have completely lost the plot. Nothing said here is going to help them get it back.
Some Democrats (such as Tom Suozzi-D-NY) supported Seth Moulton (D-MA). Some opposed him. Salem Democratic Committee Chair Liz Bradt called him a Nazi collaborator.
Right after the election, Suozzi indepently made comments similar to Moulton's (expressing opposition to boys in girls sports). Suozzi has said nothing more about it since. And not a single other Democrat in office (any level) has said anything in support of either Suozzi or Moulton.
It’s the QAn0n/MAgA etorks that are vast and well connected…. We can do this too.
Kamala Harris lost because she is brown and has a vagina. That is it. The fact that women did not come through for her is sickening. But this is where we are as a country. The Democratic party needs to focus on getting through to the middle class - the majority of whom are white and pissed off. They pay retail for everything and get little in return for their aggravation. It's a hard truth and conversation to have, but from where I am living, in true blue Connecticut - this is the situation. I can only imagine the south and mid-west situation. It ain't good.
Barack Obama is brown and he won in 2008 and 2012. Hillary Clinton has a vagina and she won the popular vote in 2016. I don't think Harris's race or gender had a huge amount to do with her loss unfortunately. It just isn't supported by the evidence. I do agree Dems need to focus on getting through to the middle class. They've failed spectacularly to hold key demographics and essentially lost the culture war.
My question then is WHY are democrats expected to shout their productivity through the rooftops when all Americans are responsible to pay attention to what happens in our country and why it happens. They fail to do so, therefore democrats are to blame for their apathy as well?
Sigh.
But seriously, if the media doesn't let those folks know, and not everyone gets their "news" from social media (a good thing), what are we to do?
Good to see some common sense and data analysis from you Ben.
And yes, the Democrats have lost the "culture war" (which is not at all what it is, but that's another story). See, for example, the vote on a proposition to restore race-based government preferences (aka "affirmative action") in California in 2020, on the exact same November ballot as Biden-v-Trump. Biden won 2-to-1, racism lost 55% to 45%. Yet Democrats still embrace racism. It's a losing idea, even in California, and the Democrats will continue to lose as long as they continue to embrace it.
All I can say is that through my own experience this is what I am learning. I realize it's anecdotal, but it is something that continues to come up time and again with the people I engage with. Obama won because his charisma was off the charts. He appealed to the all kinds of people from every walk of life. Kamala suffered because of her gender and her race. Don't forget, Obama is half white and he never talked down to white people, on the contrary, he was quite empathetic with their grievances (real and imagined). Harris never did that. At the time, I, personally, didn't think it was necessary. She was a great candidate. I thought she would win by a lot. Holy crap was I wrong. That 'key demographic' is lily white.
"She was a great candidate." On what planet? This one is called Earth.
Obama (in private) talked down about white people. He came up with 'bitter clingers' line. No one forced him to.
First you write Kamala lost because she has a vagina. Then you write women (with vaginas presumably) didn't come out for her. Your analysis makes no sense, you can't have it both ways. Kamala lost for many other reasons, because Biden screwed the party by running, because the Dems are terrible at communicating the economic successes of the Biden administration, and because Trump is a master liar. Among other reasons. And yes, women didn't come out, but not because Kamala is a woman.
Oh, make no mistake, plenty of women will not vote for another woman for any reason. It isn't logical, but it is true. I know several. It is infuriating. I also agree with all your points as well. There were many reasons why this election was a fiasco. It's just so sad that people can't be bothered to actually look at what is happening in their actual lives and put the 'virtual' crap aside. Social media is killing us.