What happens to the Democratic Party now? (1 Viewer)

[Heathen]

I’m sure much of us are having 2016 flashbacks this morning with a sick feeling to our stomachs..

2 of the last 3 elections Democrats have lost to a far right demagogue

Harris didn’t get close in many states to even Biden’s performance. We could very well lose the Presidency, Senate AND House depending on results the next few days…..

What went wrong?
What could’ve been done better?
What can we change in the future to ensure voters are motivated like they were when Obama was elected?

Democrats have no choice but to admit there’s a huge problem with some aspect of their platform— and to do a deep introspection of what’s going wrong..

 

[J-DONK]

So random though,if old Donnie tries to remove the 2 term limit, you got to run Obama again,right?

That takes an amendment. It's never happening.

Donnie is 300 pounds, and will be 82 in 2028. His greatest enemy going forward is an actuary table.

 

[DaveXA]

That is where I'm at and there's very little anyone can do to convince me otherwise.

I mean, of course it's the electorate. It always is. I like what UTJ said in another thread, we need to find a way to break through people's information bubbles so they can make more informed choices. I'm not sure if it's possible, but somehow, we've got to pierce that veil and persuade people to see why Trumpism has the potential to destroy the country.

All that said, there are many more issues that led to this outcome other than just the electorate. You can't have the incumbent drop out in the middle of an election cycle. I don't know if Biden would have managed to win, but I do think to coldseat's point about millions of Biden voters actually voting for Trump this election cycle, maybe Biden staying in would have prevented some of that.

No matter how you look at it, this election cycle has been an unmitigated disaster. All we can do is pick up the pieces, take the lessons learned and hopefully do better in 2026. It's absolutely imperative the the Democrats take back Congress.

This is a big loss, and it's going to be some tough times for the country, but it's not the end of the world. We'll get through this and hopefully still have a country in 2026 and 2028.

 

[DaveXA]

So random though,if old Donnie tries to remove the 2 term limit, you got to run Obama again,right?

Please! Lol.

 

[J-DONK]

I mean, of course it's the electorate. It always is. I like what UTJ said in another thread, we need to find a way to break through people's information bubbles so they can make more informed choices. I'm not sure if it's possible, but somehow, we've got to pierce that veil and persuade people to see why Trumpism has the potential to destroy the country.

All that said, there are many more issues that led to this outcome other than just the electorate. You can't have the incumbent drop out in the middle of an election cycle. I don't know if Biden would have managed to win, but I do think to coldseat's point about millions of Biden voters actually voting for Trump this election cycle, maybe Biden staying in would have prevented some of that.

No matter how you look at it, this election cycle has been an unmitigated disaster. All we can do is pick up the pieces, take the lessons learned and hopefully do better in 2026. It's absolutely imperative the the Democrats take back Congress.

This is a big loss, and it's going to be some tough times for the country, but it's not the end of the world. We'll get through this and hopefully still have a country in 2026 and 2028.

I think the thing people are struggling with is Harris ran a much better campaign then Trump. She dog-walked him in that debate. He fumbled the closing weeks as well. It's hard to blame the candidate for the loss in that situation. It doesn't feel like she deserved to lose.

She probably faced an impossible task given the time crunch she was under.

I keep repeating the fault doesn't lie with Harris, but Biden.

Barack said it best: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f–k things up.”

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Barack said it best: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f–k things up.”

Never heard that one, when did he say that???

 

[coldseat]

No matter how you look at it, this election cycle has been an unmitigated disaster.

I imagine everybody feels that way, but that's not how I see it. I at least had some hope for this country for a few months when I though the electorate was responding to Kamala's positive messaging. It gave me hope that the divisiveness in out country could be healed and we could have some peace finally. That felt good.

Of course that all came crashing down when the reality hit me in the face on Tuesday, but at least for a couple of months, I had hope. That's something.

I mean, I know a lot of people in this country want what I want, there's just a lot more that want the opposite and they voted that way. That's why it's easy for me to say fork THEM!

 

[J-DONK]

Never heard that one, when did he say that???

2020 presidential campaign

 

[DaveXA]

I think the thing people are struggling with is Harris ran a much better campaign then Trump. She dog-walked him in that debate. He fumbled the closing weeks as well. It's hard to blame the candidate for the loss in that situation. It doesn't feel like she deserved to lose.

She probably faced an impossible task given the time crunch she was under.

I keep repeating the fault doesn't lie with Harris, but Biden.

Barack said it best: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f–k things up.”

Definitely. I'm not gonna point fingers at Harris. She really did all she could imo. I liked her enough and was happy to vote with her over Trump even though I'm about as moderate a conservative as you can get.

Biden should never have run, full stop. That was what torpedoed the election. In a lot of ways, it validated what Trump had been saying about Biden all along, and people believed it because, well, it happened.

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

2020 presidential campaign

I went looking and all I could find was that someone on social media said they heard someone say that they hear someone else say that they heard Obama say...the rest is history.

 

[DaveXA]

I imagine everybody feels that way, but that's not how I see it. I at least had some hope for this country for a few months when I though the electorate was responding to Kamala's positive messaging. It gave me hope that the divisiveness in out country could be healed and we could have some peace finally. That felt good.

Of course that all came crashing down when the reality hit me in the face on Tuesday, but at least for a couple of months, I had hope. That's something.

I mean, I know a lot of people in this country want what I want, there's just a lot more that want the opposite and they voted that way. That's why it's easy for me to say fork THEM!

I mean, I understand the frustration, but we can pack up our sheet and leave, which I'm seriously giving consideration to, or we can stay and fight for our country, which I would rather see most people do.

People can be persuaded. They were persuaded to vote for Trump after voting for Biden 4 years ago, and they can be persuaded to vote for someone different next election.

 

[coldseat]

I mean, I understand the frustration, but we can pack up our sheet and leave, which I'm seriously giving consideration to, or we can stay and fight for our country, which I would rather see most people do.

People can be persuaded. They were persuaded to vote for Trump after voting for Biden 4 years ago, and they can be persuaded to vote for someone different next election.

Yeah, but the people in this country lack vision, purpose and steadfastness and that's due to a lack of critical thinking and education. Which means they can be taken by their emotions and easily swayed. It only makes it easier for them to fall for propoganda by malignant forces and constantly flip flop. Kamala got touched for flip flops, but there's nobody that's done more than the American electorate and that's led to all the chaos.

That doesn't change when the loudest voices are the most ignorant.

 

[Taurus]

I just can't accept this as the deciding factor, or even close. Was it some small smart? Sure, but not to the extent to what is being talked about in this thread. You had voters in WI splitting their vote for a female senator, but not a female president.

It would have been hard for anyone to win in the scenario Biden handed the party.

He ran as a bridge candidate in 2020. What happened?

Well, what happened then? What other reason is there for an abortion initiative to get 57% of the vote in Florida but for Harris to lose the state?

Who goes into the booth and chooses to enshrine abortion rights at the state level, then turns around and votes for the very guy who made the state level initiative necessary in the first place? What the fork?

It's a continuation of something the Democrats have blown off time and time again. Democratic policies are incredibly popular, Democrat candidates get blown out. They really, really need to take a hard, unbiased, no rose-colored glasses look at why that is. Because if they can't figure it out, we're truly forked.

 

[porculator]

Well, what happened then? What other reason is there for an abortion initiative to get 57% of the vote in Florida but for Harris to lose the state?

Who goes into the booth and chooses to enshrine abortion rights at the state level, then turns around and votes for the very guy who made the state level initiative necessary in the first place? What the fork?

It's a continuation of something the Democrats have blown off time and time again. Democratic policies are incredibly popular, Democrat candidates get blown out. They really, really need to take a hard, unbiased, no rose-colored glasses look at why that is. Because if they can't figure it out, we're truly forked.

Abortion isn't the only issue in the world. And there is a difference between allowing states to choose to ban something, and then actually banning it.

You're voting for the whole package, not one issue.

In general, democrats are the ones with the big ideas where republicans would rather do nothing. And they come at you with a lot of ideas for better or worse - universal healthcare, climate goals, gun control, DEI initiatives, and yes also vaccine/mask mandates. Each one of these policies may have majority support on their own, but if any of those policies are a dealbreaker for a particular voter, the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater. Its unfortunate, but the onus is always on the one who is pushing for change.

 

[barbar]

Abortion isn't the only issue in the world. And there is a difference between allowing states to choose to ban something, and then actually banning it.

You're voting for the whole package, not one issue.

In general, democrats are the ones with the big ideas where republicans would rather do nothing. And they come at you with a lot of ideas for better or worse - universal healthcare, climate goals, gun control, DEI initiatives, and yes also vaccine/mask mandates. Each one of these policies may have majority support on their own, but if any of those policies are a dealbreaker for a particular voter, the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater. Its unfortunate, but the onus is always on the one who is pushing for change.

The problem I see is that people voted because they want change, as they always do. The Dems have been trying for decades now to enact real change only to be blocked by the Repubs.....then the Repubs blame them for not doing anything and the citizens believe them.

Wasn't there a border bill last year that all the Repubs voted against, while saying it's their biggest issue. Then in the election cycle they want to blame Dems for not doing anything about the border....I mean...they tried and YOU blocked it ONLY so you can later complain that they didn't do anything. The best idea no longer wins.

This gotcha gamesmanship is extremely childish and disingenuous. I just can't anymore with this dishonesty. They have absolutely no honor or moral fiber whatsoever.

 

[SFIDC3]

That is where I'm at and there's very little anyone can do to convince me otherwise.

Same here.....

Blaming the electorate gets nowhere, from a strategy, and campaign build out standpoint. You would always want Biden to have never ran.

In this climate, what wins the primaries: a Bernie type of anti-establishment campaign, or an institutionalist ala Biden?

Harris had only one choice as the VP of the incubment, and even then she had so little time try to put together a clear message to the public.

I think it's insane to look at all the fumbling done by the DNP, and blame it on the voting public.

Nobody is saying it's a strategy, it's just the reality, and it's frightening to me that so many folks think an obvious mentally deranged, narcissistic, wannabe tinpot dictator is the right person to run this country.....don't know how else to put it....I hope we still have a democratic republic in 4 years....

 

[SystemShock]

The problem I see is that people voted because they want change, as they always do. The Dems have been trying for decades now to enact real change only to be blocked by the Repubs.....then the Repubs blame them for not doing anything and the citizens believe them.

Wasn't there a border bill last year that all the Repubs voted against, while saying it's their biggest issue. Then in the election cycle they want to blame Dems for not doing anything about the border....I mean...they tried and YOU blocked it ONLY so you can later complain that they didn't do anything. The best idea no longer wins.

This gotcha gamesmanship is extremely childish and disingenuous. I just can't anymore with this dishonesty. They have absolutely no honor or moral fiber whatsoever.

But what did the border bill say?

The Dems could've gone on all media platforms and say they were shutting down the border, and imposing heavy restrictions on who gets in, even if, in the end, don't do it. Of course, that would've made the left lose their minds.

But every time Dems talk about immigration, they express more care for the people coming in, not the people already here.

 

[Lapaz]

I think the thing people are struggling with is Harris ran a much better campaign then Trump. She dog-walked him in that debate. He fumbled the closing weeks as well. It's hard to blame the candidate for the loss in that situation. It doesn't feel like she deserved to lose.

She probably faced an impossible task given the time crunch she was under.

I keep repeating the fault doesn't lie with Harris, but Biden.

Barack said it best: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f–k things up.”

I think racism and misogyny played a part that she couldn't change, but I think it also helped her to some extent, so that might've have been a wash. I agree that Harris ran a great campaign in many ways, but she also didn't answer questions well, and I heard a lot of complaints from voters about that. Also, Biden's garbage comment seemingly motivated many Trumpers. Nevertheless, Trump was so overwhelming horrible that almost anyone should've beaten him. It is beyond belief that over 70M people voted for such an awful person with such awful plans. Any criticisms of Harris pale in comparison to how awful Trump is and will be for the country.

 

[porculator]

I think racism and misogyny played a part that she couldn't change, but I think it also helped her to some extent, so that might've have been a wash. I agree that Harris ran a great campaign in many ways, but she also didn't answer questions well, and I heard a lot of complaints from voters about that. Also, Biden's garbage comment seemingly motivated many Trumpers. Nevertheless, Trump was so overwhelming horrible that almost anyone should've beaten him. It is beyond belief that over 70M people voted for such an awful person with such awful plans. Any criticisms of Harris pale in comparison to how awful Trump is and will be for the country.

Good point. Ultimately she is just not a great politician. She admittedly sucks at thinking on her feet, and even her campaign "highlights" are heavily scripted and almost robotic. It's not a great contrast with Trump, who is very authentic (in addition to being very stupid.)

You have to be a good bullshitter, and she's not. I wish it wasn't that way but it's reality.

The democratic party needs some of those old school slick Louisiana politicians now more than ever.