I'm very much not a Democrat or a Republican, and in many ways I don't give a shit what the Democrats do. But in the vein of "competition is good" and believing that a moderately heathy Democratic party is valuable as a counterweight to oppose the GOP, here's what I'd suggest the Democrats do:
1. Run candidates who are likeable and more importantly, likeable by most Americans. No arrogant "smarter than thou", preachy, judgmental types. Run people who are intelligent and ethical, yes, but with a folksy, down-to-earth side.
2. Drop the radical anti-gun stance and embrace the 2nd Amendment as being just as important as every other part of the Bill of Rights.
3. Stop focusing so much on identity politics. Yes, sure, continue to stand for equality and inclusiveness. But don't make gender politics, trans-politics, race-politics, etc. your lynchpin issues.
4. Reclaim your historical "anti-war party" status.
5. Don't be so abstract. Bring things down to a level that can appeal to the "everyman". Ex: protecting the environment. Don't just talk about "protecting the environment" in the abstract, as though everybody universally values that (even if you believe they should). Instead, talk about protecting the lakes and creeks that people fish in, the gamelands they hunt in, the marshes and bays where so much of our seafood grows, etc.
6. Go more in the direction of the Blue Dog[1] Democrats in general.
Zero should be to make copious promises about fixing the economy, even if it's a stretch, to blue collar workers and the rest of the working classes and pinning the current economic woes on the other party, even if it's a stretch, as much as they can.
Democrats talk a big game about being on the side of the working classes but that hasn't been true for 20+ years and voters know it. The polls show they know it too.
> 3. Stop focusing so much on identity politics. Yes, sure, continue to stand for equality and inclusiveness. But don't make gender politics, trans-politics, race-politics, etc. your lynchpin issues.
Democrats didn't run on identity politics. Republicans ran on claiming that Democrats run on identity politics. Democrats aren't the ones spending millions of dollars on campaign ads about trans people or people of color. That's republicans.
That's the problem. No matter how hard democrats try to avoid even mentioning race or gender outside of "treat people respectfully", they are known as the party of "identity politics" solely because Republicans have spent the last two campaign cycles selling their opposition as the identity politics party.
> 2. Drop the radical anti-gun stance and embrace the 2nd Amendment as being just as important as every other part of the Bill of Rights.
Agreed. But I would reframe it as becoming the party of "gun safety" and "safe gun ownership". Respect the 2A and acknowledge there's no way to stop proliferation without punishing the people who actually need guns and reframe the conversation around education, risk mitigation, and safety.
7. Actually care about the working class. They're your core constituency, after all. Stop thinking of them as "a basket of deplorables". Instead, listen to them. Find out what they care about, what they want, what they value, and the represent that.
They did drop the anti-gun stance and nobody cared or believed them. Kamala was on stage during the debate telling the crowd that she and her running mate were both proud gun owners. Meanwhile Trump is fairly anti-gun.
This kind of illustrates the problem. Even if their party radically changes its stance on key issues, everyone is so locked into an ideological bubble that nobody bothers to update their perceptions.
> 2. Drop the radical anti-gun stance and embrace the 2nd Amendment as being just as important as every other part of the Bill of Rights.
I agree, but also they mostly do and Republican voters still come out to the voting booth because they're sure—seriously, this is a real thing—that Biden's going to take their guns, and they mean literally, ban guns and try to round them all up.
> 6. Go more in the direction of the Blue Dog[1] Democrats in general.
Here, I cannot follow you. They need to go far more left-populist on the economy and taxation. They're badly out of sync with their own voters on that, in much the same way Republicans were before Trump came along and started campaigning on the exact same messages you'd hear talking to actual Republican voters in diners ("Why don't they just build a wall?", "NAFTA is unfair and we trade too much with China", "the whole world's taking advantage of us", et c.)
I mean, Trump won twice. Down to earth nor ethical nor intelligent is NOT what wins the elections. And the primary focus on identity politics came from the right.
Also, gun control seems to be actually popular with Americans on average.
I think there's a weird counter to this that people are in denial about the Democrats denial. Democrats have always been unpopular. Americans are conservative. I think people voted for Trump because Trump was able to convince them that Politics is easy, that strong men can fix everything, and Americans won't be convinced as easily to vote for Democrats. Trump will probably screw a bunch of stuff, and maybe Democrats run someone in 2028 that can recapture some of his constituency. That sure, they should and will make changes but the sad truth is the electorate will reward them for none of that, and that the electorate has taught Democrats that sad but real truth to just ride out Trump's failures, and hope to get lucky in the future.
But I think this is true on both sides. I think Republicans are in denial that the wave they're on will survive the end of Trump. I think everyone underestimates Trump, the left, the right. Everyone seems to keep looking at Trump's numbers and for some reason coming to the conclusion that Republicans are popular outside of Trump, I remember talking to all sorts of people that said Nikki Haley would be the Republican nominee, because she was smart and good, and Trump would open his mouth and screw thing sup. For some reason, people seem to think that Republicans will do _better_ without Trump, and that's just as delusional as everything else. I
> I think people voted for Trump because Trump was able to convince them that Politics is easy, that strong men can fix everything, and Americans won't be convinced as easily to vote for Democrats.
If it wasn't Kamala or Biden, the Democrats may have won. But only if:
* They rejected the trans ideology (at least to the extent that they play in womens sports / be in women's locker rooms).
* get tough on crime
* get tough on immigration without some fake border bill
mindcrime|11 months ago
1. Run candidates who are likeable and more importantly, likeable by most Americans. No arrogant "smarter than thou", preachy, judgmental types. Run people who are intelligent and ethical, yes, but with a folksy, down-to-earth side.
2. Drop the radical anti-gun stance and embrace the 2nd Amendment as being just as important as every other part of the Bill of Rights.
3. Stop focusing so much on identity politics. Yes, sure, continue to stand for equality and inclusiveness. But don't make gender politics, trans-politics, race-politics, etc. your lynchpin issues.
4. Reclaim your historical "anti-war party" status.
5. Don't be so abstract. Bring things down to a level that can appeal to the "everyman". Ex: protecting the environment. Don't just talk about "protecting the environment" in the abstract, as though everybody universally values that (even if you believe they should). Instead, talk about protecting the lakes and creeks that people fish in, the gamelands they hunt in, the marshes and bays where so much of our seafood grows, etc.
6. Go more in the direction of the Blue Dog[1] Democrats in general.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition
ThrowawayR2|11 months ago
Democrats talk a big game about being on the side of the working classes but that hasn't been true for 20+ years and voters know it. The polls show they know it too.
OneDeuxTriSeiGo|11 months ago
Democrats didn't run on identity politics. Republicans ran on claiming that Democrats run on identity politics. Democrats aren't the ones spending millions of dollars on campaign ads about trans people or people of color. That's republicans.
That's the problem. No matter how hard democrats try to avoid even mentioning race or gender outside of "treat people respectfully", they are known as the party of "identity politics" solely because Republicans have spent the last two campaign cycles selling their opposition as the identity politics party.
> 2. Drop the radical anti-gun stance and embrace the 2nd Amendment as being just as important as every other part of the Bill of Rights.
Agreed. But I would reframe it as becoming the party of "gun safety" and "safe gun ownership". Respect the 2A and acknowledge there's no way to stop proliferation without punishing the people who actually need guns and reframe the conversation around education, risk mitigation, and safety.
AnimalMuppet|11 months ago
legitster|11 months ago
They did drop the anti-gun stance and nobody cared or believed them. Kamala was on stage during the debate telling the crowd that she and her running mate were both proud gun owners. Meanwhile Trump is fairly anti-gun.
This kind of illustrates the problem. Even if their party radically changes its stance on key issues, everyone is so locked into an ideological bubble that nobody bothers to update their perceptions.
unknown|11 months ago
[deleted]
alabastervlog|11 months ago
I agree, but also they mostly do and Republican voters still come out to the voting booth because they're sure—seriously, this is a real thing—that Biden's going to take their guns, and they mean literally, ban guns and try to round them all up.
> 6. Go more in the direction of the Blue Dog[1] Democrats in general.
Here, I cannot follow you. They need to go far more left-populist on the economy and taxation. They're badly out of sync with their own voters on that, in much the same way Republicans were before Trump came along and started campaigning on the exact same messages you'd hear talking to actual Republican voters in diners ("Why don't they just build a wall?", "NAFTA is unfair and we trade too much with China", "the whole world's taking advantage of us", et c.)
jampekka|11 months ago
The Democrats have a radical pro-gun stance compared to about any other country in the world.
watwut|11 months ago
Also, gun control seems to be actually popular with Americans on average.
ThrowawayR2|11 months ago
chrsw|11 months ago
Similar to Russia and China
techpineapple|11 months ago
But I think this is true on both sides. I think Republicans are in denial that the wave they're on will survive the end of Trump. I think everyone underestimates Trump, the left, the right. Everyone seems to keep looking at Trump's numbers and for some reason coming to the conclusion that Republicans are popular outside of Trump, I remember talking to all sorts of people that said Nikki Haley would be the Republican nominee, because she was smart and good, and Trump would open his mouth and screw thing sup. For some reason, people seem to think that Republicans will do _better_ without Trump, and that's just as delusional as everything else. I
almosthere|11 months ago
> I think people voted for Trump because Trump was able to convince them that Politics is easy, that strong men can fix everything, and Americans won't be convinced as easily to vote for Democrats.
If it wasn't Kamala or Biden, the Democrats may have won. But only if:
* They rejected the trans ideology (at least to the extent that they play in womens sports / be in women's locker rooms).
* get tough on crime
* get tough on immigration without some fake border bill
* get tough on drugs
* stay strong on environment
They would have won so easily.
jampekka|11 months ago
https://news.gallup.com/interactives/507569/presidential-job...