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..

 

[Optimus Prime]

 

[longtime lurker]

A huge show of concerned Americans in a heavily Republican area here in Orange County, CA….looks like it was All across our great Country and we are only a few months into the worst Presidency in American history:

‘Hands Off!’ protesters across US rally against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk | CNN

Over 1,400 protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are expected across all 50 states on Saturday, organized by a pro-democracy movement in response to what organizers call a “hostile takeover” and attack on American rights and freedoms.

www.cnn.com

 

[bird]

A huge show of concerned Americans in a heavily Republican area here in Orange County, CA….looks like it was All across our great Country and we are only a few months into the worst Presidency in American history:

‘Hands Off!’ protesters across US rally against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk | CNN

Over 1,400 protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are expected across all 50 states on Saturday, organized by a pro-democracy movement in response to what organizers call a “hostile takeover” and attack on American rights and freedoms.

www.cnn.com

I was at the protest in Ravenna, OH which is in deep red Portage county. I figure there were 100-200 people.

There was some idiot driving around the block waving a DOGE flag and blaring a siren.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Democrats have begun plotting the next phase of their electoral revival with a seven-figure spend in Virginia ahead of a vote they hope will turn into a referendum on Elon Musk.

The party, which had been despondent since Donald Trump’s victory last year, got off the canvas last week with a convincing win in a Wisconsin supreme court race and two strong congressional performances in Florida.

Now all eyes turn to Virginia as the next battleground. In November voters are set to choose a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and house of delegates. The election will be a bellwether not only for Trump’s presidency but tech billionaire Musk’s unofficial “department of government efficiency”, or Doge, which has hit Virginia hard because of its proximity to the federal government.

“It is his work and efforts that are going to be litigated in this election,” said Heather Williams, the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which focuses on building power at state level. “We see the Doge efforts take on a local spin, meaning they’re not just talking about the machete that he wielded without any care or concern but the very real local impact and how it is affecting individuals.”……..

Virginia elections will test the backlash against Musk – and Democrats are ready with a plan

Democrats in the state view themselves as on the frontlines responding to Donald Trump’s harmful policies

www.theguardian.com

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Democrats have begun plotting the next phase of their electoral revival with a seven-figure spend in Virginia ahead of a vote they hope will turn into a referendum on Elon Musk.

The party, which had been despondent since Donald Trump’s victory last year, got off the canvas last week with a convincing win in a Wisconsin supreme court race and two strong congressional performances in Florida.

Now all eyes turn to Virginia as the next battleground. In November voters are set to choose a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and house of delegates. The election will be a bellwether not only for Trump’s presidency but tech billionaire Musk’s unofficial “department of government efficiency”, or Doge, which has hit Virginia hard because of its proximity to the federal government.

“It is his work and efforts that are going to be litigated in this election,” said Heather Williams, the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which focuses on building power at state level. “We see the Doge efforts take on a local spin, meaning they’re not just talking about the machete that he wielded without any care or concern but the very real local impact and how it is affecting individuals.”……..

Virginia elections will test the backlash against Musk – and Democrats are ready with a plan

Democrats in the state view themselves as on the frontlines responding to Donald Trump’s harmful policies

www.theguardian.com

Musk is the "low hanging fruit", Democrats need to stop making these referendums against individuals and focus their aim on the Republican Party. The GOP is directly responsible for everything that is happening today because the GOP is more focused on running a for-profit business instead of a government For the People.

 

[Optimus Prime]

House Democrats are setting their sights on some districts President Donald Trump won handily in November as they lay out their top targets as they look to take back the House next year.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Tuesday that it is targeting 35 Republican-held House seats, noting that recent gains in special elections have suggested a midterm election environment that will not be kind to Republicans. The committee is also launching a program to raise money for its eventual nominees.

Democrats need a net gain of three seats next year to take control of the House (they hold 213 seats, with two vacancies in solidly Democratic districts). The president’s party also typically loses seats in midterm elections, shedding an average of 20 House seats in presidents’ second terms, according to data from the University of California-Santa Barbara's American Presidency Project.

“We only need three seats to take back the majority and they have a microscopic majority right now,” DCCC Chairwoman Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said on MSNBC’s “Way Too Early.”……

House Democrats lay out their targets for 2026 battle

Democrats are targeting 35 Republican-held seats, including several that Trump won by double digits.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[MT15]

I love this message. Conservatives used to believe this, but under Trump all they want to do is deprive people of their freedoms.

 

[bird]

I love this message. Conservatives used to believe this, but under Trump all they want to do is deprive people of their freedoms.

Damn straight

 

[Optimus Prime]

The California representative Ro Khanna is introducing legislation that would force White House officials to abide by strict anti-corruption measures after Donald Trump dismantled ethics rules established by his predecessor that turns the president’s own catchphrase against him.

The “Drain the Swamp Act” – shared exclusively with the Guardian and deliberately invoking Trump’s own 2016 campaign slogan – would convert into permanent law the ethics requirements previously established by executive order, including bans on lobbyist gifts and “revolving door” restrictions.

“He campaigned on draining the swamp, and yet he gets in there and he says, no, lobbyists can give gifts to White House officials,” Khanna said. “What I’m saying is that we need to ban lobbyists from giving gifts to White House officials, not just this administration, but for all administrations going forward.”

The congressman’s bill comes in direct response to Trump’s decision to rescind a Biden-era executive order on ethics rules upon returning to office in January.

The legislation would prohibit appointees from accepting gifts from registered lobbyists, impose two-year cooling-off periods for officials entering and leaving government, and ban special “golden parachute” payments from former employers.

Trump’s commercial enterprises during his campaign – hawking everything from gold-plated sneakers to diamond watches and branded Bibles – showed a pattern of monetizing political influence that Khanna’s bill aims to address at the governmental level.

The White House’s recent relaxation of ethics standards stands in contrast to his first administration, when he initially imposed a five-year lobbying ban on departing officials – only to nullify those same restrictions during his final days in office in 2020.

Khanna, one of a faction of Congress who refuses all political action committee and lobbyist donations, said what he sees is hypocrisy in the current administration.

“We started out with a meme coin. I mean, that was the most blatant violation. That’s like having a Swiss bank account open, where people can just buy your meme coin, the world doesn’t know about it, and they can come and show you that they did it,” Khanna said. “There is a total regression on ethics standards, and, of course, the politicization of the civil service.”

While still in very early stages, the plan would be to have the justice department’s public integrity section take the lead should the bill pass, according to Khanna.

However, the measure appears silent on independent oversight mechanisms that would not be subject to presidential influence.

And since Republicans control the House, Senate and White House trifecta, the legislation faces long-shot odds of advancement without the support of Trump allies on the Hill.

Without bipartisan support, legislative efforts to reinstate or enhance ethics regulations may struggle to advance.

Still, Khanna insists that Democrats must reclaim anti-corruption as a signature issue.……..

Ro Khanna introduces ‘Drain the Swamp Act’ to enforce anti-corruption measures in White House

Exclusive: legislation, named after 2016 Trump slogan, would ban lobbyist gifts and ‘revolving door’ restrictions

www.theguardian.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

Tim Walz names the three mistakes Democrats made in the last election

Former vice presidential candidate on the road meeting voters already disaffected by Donald Trump’s presidency as he reflects on failure of Kamala Harris campaign

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Optimus Prime]

Please make it stop
===============

Stephen A. Smith, Host of ESPN's "First Take," hammered the Democratic Party and suggested he has "no choice" but to consider a run for president.

"I have no choice, because I've had elected officials, and I'm not going to give their names, elected officials coming up to me. I've had folks who are pundits come up to me. I've had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature. I'm not a politician. I've never had a desire to be a politician," Smith told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.

Smith reiterated that because of the number of people asking him to consider a run, he has to leave the door open.

"Here's the reality: People, literally people, have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud, who has said to me, 'You don't know what God has planned for you. At least show the respect to the people who believe in you, who respect you, who believe that you can make a difference in this country, to leave the door open for any possibilities some to three years down the line.' And that's what I've decided to do."………

Stephen A. Smith says he has 'no choice' but to consider a run for president

Stephen A. Smith, Host of ESPN's "First Take," hammered the Democratic Party and suggested he has "no choice" but to consider a run for president.

abcnews.go.com

 

[mad1961]

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..

The problem is the rampant sexism and racism that didn't allow two very qualified women to be president.

Democrats won in 2018, 2020, and 2022 in national elections. There have been 6 presidential elections, both parties have won 3. What Democrats should do is build the same propaganda infrastructure the right has, then bombard the nation with information that debunks the lies and disinformation provided by the right. Trump ran what some say is the most racist campaign in modern history, and he got elected. So if people picked that message, the problem isn't with what Democrats presented; the problem is in the majority of the white population that voted for Trump. According to a report from the Georgetown Law School:

Following the 2024 Election, media coverage has been dominated by newspapers seeking to articulate how Donald Trump won the election. As a part of this coverage, there is a noticeable rise in articles on the shift in Black and Latino votes for Trump with titles such as “Trump’s return to power fueled by Hispanic, working-class voter support,” and lines like “some surprising margins . . . within groups including women, Black and Latino voters helped carry the former president to victory.” While it is certainly important to recognize shifts in the voting patterns of people of color and what that means, the media framing that seeks to attribute Trump’s victory to people of color is concerning because it seemingly blames those who will be most devastated by a second Trump term for his victory.

To be clear, Trump’s voting coalition is overwhelmingly composed of white voters. Approximately 84% of the votes for Trump in 2024 were cast by white voters.

Be Better, Media: Issues With Racial Framing in Post-2024 Election Coverage

www.law.georgetown.edu

 

[mad1961]

Please make it stop
===============

Stephen A. Smith, Host of ESPN's "First Take," hammered the Democratic Party and suggested he has "no choice" but to consider a run for president.

"I have no choice, because I've had elected officials, and I'm not going to give their names, elected officials coming up to me. I've had folks who are pundits come up to me. I've had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature. I'm not a politician. I've never had a desire to be a politician," Smith told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.

Smith reiterated that because of the number of people asking him to consider a run, he has to leave the door open.

"Here's the reality: People, literally people, have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud, who has said to me, 'You don't know what God has planned for you. At least show the respect to the people who believe in you, who respect you, who believe that you can make a difference in this country, to leave the door open for any possibilities some to three years down the line.' And that's what I've decided to do."………

Stephen A. Smith says he has 'no choice' but to consider a run for president

Stephen A. Smith, Host of ESPN's "First Take," hammered the Democratic Party and suggested he has "no choice" but to consider a run for president.

abcnews.go.com

Steven A. might need to stay on ESPN and talk about ports. He has sexual harassment claims made by some employees t ESPN, and his knowledge on issues is really poor.

 

[longtime lurker]

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/15/ocasio-cortez-raised-9-6-million-in-three-months-smashing-her-own-record-00291694

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Please make it stop
===============

Stephen A. Smith, Host of ESPN's "First Take," hammered the Democratic Party and suggested he has "no choice" but to consider a run for president.

"I have no choice, because I've had elected officials, and I'm not going to give their names, elected officials coming up to me. I've had folks who are pundits come up to me. I've had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature. I'm not a politician. I've never had a desire to be a politician," Smith told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.

Smith reiterated that because of the number of people asking him to consider a run, he has to leave the door open.

"Here's the reality: People, literally people, have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud, who has said to me, 'You don't know what God has planned for you. At least show the respect to the people who believe in you, who respect you, who believe that you can make a difference in this country, to leave the door open for any possibilities some to three years down the line.' And that's what I've decided to do."………

Stephen A. Smith says he has 'no choice' but to consider a run for president

Stephen A. Smith, Host of ESPN's "First Take," hammered the Democratic Party and suggested he has "no choice" but to consider a run for president.

abcnews.go.com

DON"T! DON"T!

 

[longtime lurker]

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/15/senate-democrats-generational-change-dick-durbin-00290434

 

[longtime lurker]

Bernie Sanders Says Packed Rallies 'Scaring the Hell Out of' Trump and Musk | Common Dreams

"The people of this country do not want oligarchy, they do not want authoritarianism, and they want a government that works for all of us, not just the 1%," Sanders asserted.

www.commondreams.org