Quo Vadis, Democrats?

[Valmy]

Actually the last time I heard the Democrats talk about gun control was also early on in the 2020 Democratic Primaries, when Beto was talking about how he was coming for everybody's Assault Rifles.

In 2024 we had Walz and Harris talking about how they were gun owners and loved their guns.

Lots of former mainstream Democratic issues have been brushed aside this decade. Without much in the way of positive results I might add.

[Valmy]

The extreme right wing has been winning because they're all in on the propaganda game. It'd be nice if the left wing caught up a bit here. Though, it'll be hard as there's a lot of lost ground to make up for.

We actually have a pretty robust propaganda network, but it is all grass roots. The Democratic Party works very hard to ignore and distance themselves from it. They don't want to appear leftwing.

[Jacob]

We actually have a pretty robust propaganda network, but it is all grass roots. The Democratic Party works very hard to ignore and distance themselves from it. They don't want to appear leftwing.

That's good to hear.

[Valmy]

I haven't heard reparations mentioned in years.  I haven't heard anyone talking about defunding the police in years, except for the current Deputy Director of the FBI, who proposed defunding the FBI.

Why are we even talking about this?  It's like German liberals in 1933 spending all their time worrying about balancing the budget.

Because apparently the key to winning is not to appeal to a broad swath of the electorate, but to get turn out from the base.  We need to listen to the youth and the activists!  From what I've seen the activists are really big on decolonization and fighting white supremacy.  So Landback and Reparations.

You must be blind. And even to the extent the youth and activists care about those things, they also care about lots of other things.

But I am very cynical about those issues. I don't think those are grassroots issues. The reason they are so prominent in Democratic circles is because the corporate donors are fine with them. Target is happy to have a gay pride parade, but don't you dare do anything to increase the wages of their workers or the taxes they have to pay.

[Valmy]

We actually have a pretty robust propaganda network, but it is all grass roots. The Democratic Party works very hard to ignore and distance themselves from it. They don't want to appear leftwing.

That's good to hear.

Well it's the good news and the bad news.

Joe Rogan is well known and Republican politicians and supporters will go on his show. But the Medias Touch Podcast is currently getting more listens on Spotify. But do any Democrats go on their show? Do they amplify it and work to make it a big deal? Does Democratic friendly mainstream media cover them? Nope.

So having a big show with tons of views doesn't really matter if the Democrats won't use it.

[dist]

The Democrats have so many issues at their disposition that they could rally their troops around at the moment. They should harness the current energy and anger, and then use it to mobilize people. There is no need to play nice with the other side and invite it for a civil debate.

Walz's idea of going to do town halls in Republican counties since the GOP is refusing to do it is much more pertinent than Newsom's podcastings.

[Zoupa]

Yeah, there are people on the Left interested in the "Land Back" campaign.  Oex just posted something about how moderation doesn't work, it's about turn out.

It is all about turn-out. Harris '24 got 6 million less votes than Biden '20.

Do you think Newsom '28 is gonna turn out the D vote by talking to Charlie Kirk? 

I think "it's all about turnout" explanation is horribly flawed in many ways, but let's take it on the face value.  What you're saying is that in order for Democrats to turn out, they have to nominate the least "progressive" option?

I don't understand what you're saying. Is/was Harris running on a more progressive platform than Biden? If so I missed that part.

Platform don't matter anyways. You need "vibes" in this day and age. Rizz. I'm pretty sure AOC would have done better than Harris. Bernie would have done better than Clinton. The general public is busy, uninterested and politically dumb. That goes for all democracies, increasingly, but especially the US.

You need simple messaging, true or not, and you need vibes. Obama '08 hope & change posters.

[HVC]

The problem with progressive social issues is that the vast majority of people don't care. And unfortunately a plurality of those that do care are like Raz and are against it. So you're not winning votes, if anything you're losing them. Hello, how much of a majority did the dems get in woman voters? Barely above half? And that's with reproductive rights on the line. And while not all dems were out there hawking progressive social issues, enough were that the GOP could twist it. Things like  we had that sTory someone posted here not long ago about the fiasco of the democratic caucus* identity politics shit. It doesn't matter they have no power, it's the optics.

You want votes, go economics. Hardcore MAGA like him because he's a xenophobic nazi, but the rest of the votes were from idiots believing the lies about cheap eggs and a better life. And if the dems can't (or won't) do anything economically progressive then at least learn to lie as well as the cons. Then once you have the votes and the power you can champion whatever pet project you want. Want sex changes for all? Apparently you can make an executive order for it because checks and balances don't actually exist. You just need to win. They've got the donkey ass backwards with the cart facing the wrong way.

*edit* *That's not the right term, but I can't remember the right one? DNC?

[Sophie Scholl]

Walz's idea of going to do town halls in Republican counties since the GOP is refusing to do it is much more pertinent than Newsom's podcastings.

This! Look, I would qualify as an unhinged extremist Leftist to a lot of you folks here, but that doesn't mean I don't think there is value in some outreach to folks I disagree or strongly disagree with. If someone is open enough to attend a Town Hall held by a Democrat in a Republican district, they aren't full-on Trump folks. I *do* think it is a wasted effort at present to appeal to the far Right and dedicated MAGA folks, though. They aren't reachable from everything I've seen and heard, including people in my own family. Once again, Democrats are treating MAGA as a political movement and party when it is very much not at this point. It is an entire way of life. It cannot be reached using traditional methods and only enables and legitimizes it by doing so. Legitimate compromise requires both parties to be willing to give and take and to meet in the roughly the middle. MAGA has zero interest in compromise, only in conquest.

[Valmy]

I don't understand what you're saying. Is/was Harris running on a more progressive platform than Biden? If so I missed that part.

I think his was in theory much less progressive. Biden was promising big things, and delivered on them to an extent though considerably less than he promised. But saying you are going to do something on the campaign trail and actually getting the political capital to do them are two different things. Harris was sort of...non committal on specifics except to just generally stay the course. So obviously much less progressive on the issues.

But just running for President and being non-white and female made her run appear more progressive than old uncle Joe.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

We actually have a pretty robust propaganda network, but it is all grass roots. The Democratic Party works very hard to ignore and distance themselves from it. They don't want to appear leftwing.

That's good to hear.

Well it's the good news and the bad news.

Joe Rogan is well known and Republican politicians and supporters will go on his show. But the Medias Touch Podcast is currently getting more listens on Spotify. But do any Democrats go on their show? Do they amplify it and work to make it a big deal? Does Democratic friendly mainstream media cover them? Nope.

So having a big show with tons of views doesn't really matter if the Democrats won't use it.

MeidasTouched has been going hard the past few weeks. also on youtube

edit: fixed spelling. (fine motorskills are still not fully back)

[Valmy]

The Democrats have so many issues at their disposition that they could rally their troops around at the moment. They should harness the current energy and anger, and then use it to mobilize people. There is no need to play nice with the other side and invite it for a civil debate.

Walz's idea of going to do town halls in Republican counties since the GOP is refusing to do it is much more pertinent than Newsom's podcastings.

Bernie Sanders is getting huge crowds in purple areas right now doing exactly that.

And if Hakeem Jeffries and company want to know what I want them to do, it is exactly this. Hit the road. Hit the podcast circuit. Hit the mainstream media circuit. Deliver the Democratic message to the people, what they promise to do. Remind everybody what Trump has done, is doing, and promises to do that will hurt them and the country.

That is what I want you to do Democrats.

That and vote for absolutely nothing the Republicans want unless you first extract some concessions.

[HVC]

Tired watching some meidastouch. Don't like the delivery. Maybe to hyperbolic? Liberal fox news style I guess. Not sure, but can't hold my attention.

I do like the British presenter more. I do love the British accent (here's looking at you sheilbh ), but still can't get into it. He was the sports guy on TYT I think, too.

[dist]

Bernie Sanders is getting huge crowds in purple areas right now doing exactly that.

And if Hakeem Jeffries and company want to know what I want them to do, it is exactly this. Hit the road. Hit the podcast circuit. Hit the mainstream media circuit. Deliver the Democratic message to the people, what they promise to do. Remind everybody what Trump has done, is doing, and promises to do that will hurt them and the country.

That is what I want you to do Democrats.

That and vote for absolutely nothing the Republicans want unless you first extract some concessions.

That's absolutely what they should be doing. And it seems amazing that they aren't. Or aren't doing it more.

[Valmy]

That's absolutely what they should be doing. And it seems amazing that they aren't. Or aren't doing it more.

Yeah. It is just common sense politics. I am not demanding anything unrealistic, just doing politics.

But they are not doing it. It is either gross incompetence or...I don't know. But in any case I think Jeffries and Schumer need to be replaced as leaders by people who are willing to, you know, do politics.