Democrats need a message and it can't be "We're normal. We'll return to the status quo."
The status quo was better than the now, but it wasn't great for most Americans.
Americans need a better deal.
Billionaires can no longer exist. Sorry. Once you hit 999,999,999.99 in assets, everything above that gets taxed at 100%. Also, you'll pay social security taxes on all of your income. Sorry if that costs you a megayacht, but old people should be able to retire in dignity.
And if you try to live in such a way that you don't have income technically, we'll tax you on the money you do bring in and live on whether it's bank loans on property or investment income.
And we'll invest that money. We'll have public hospitals. We'll have bigger libraries. We'll have community centers. We'll have public housing including "rent to own" public housing (without interest) to let the folks staying in public housing have a sense of ownership and build equity and eventually have a chunk of real estate that has value to pass down to their families. We'll have community centers with public day cares, safe afterschool activities, job training... we'll have other community centers with mental health clinics. We'll have better unemployment insurance, better disability insurance... we'll offer Medicare to everyone.
We'll fucking build little community kiosks in neighborhoods and put two or three cops who live in the neighborhood there to work for the community.
We'll fund more addiction prevention measures and intervention centers. We'll meet addicts where they are at and work to make them safe and get them clean.
We'll eliminate ICE and replace it with a Customs agency and an Immigration agency with high standards for employment, psychological screenings, background checks, and a civilian oversight board. We'll keep criminals out and welcome people who want to visit and work here.
No more fucking status quo. America needs a better deal.
I think the anti-county line position and being the plaintiff in a lawsuit in which I think every county party organization was a defendant is pretty anti-establishment?
Young voters tuning out makes sense, but turning to the repub party? Turning to trump? I just don't get that. Since it's not the subject of the article, maybe I shouldn't have brought it up, but it might make a good future post.
As for the analysis about the current Democratic Party, you are spot on. Dems need to embrace the progressive side (progressive policies are popular with most Americans) and stop ceding to repubs patriotism and culture war issues, and to stop throwing vulnerable people under the bus because repubs demonize them.
No, that's a great point!...I can understand apathy and tuning out due to a general disgust over the ugliness of politics in GENERAL...Especially if you're young...But ACTIVLEY vote for REPUBLICANS when you're YOUNG? I don't get it...But I imagine a lot of that comes from young men who have been poisoned by the emerging macho snowflake culture...
Young people see the GOP as more connected to their issues, less scolding, and more relatable. Just listen to the rhetoric compared to the focus group tested remarks of many Dems.
From a certain perspective, all of this nonsense (Trump, MAGA, bitcoin, meme stocks, Elno) are symptoms of the standards of behavior of the internet taking over the real world. And the Dems do read as nags and scolds in that context. But at the same time they can’t actually play against this development in good conscience. Because all of this depends on the fact that bs and nonsense are infinite and “reasons” are finite. I don’t see a long term solution that does not involve a focus on cleaning up the pollution in the communications environment.
The less scolding I get, but more connected and relatable, I don't. As for the focus tested remarks of many Dems - why are they still doing that when it clearly doesn't work? And why are they still using the same paid political consultants that constantly lead Dems to electoral losses?
Centrist Dems keep pushing Lauren Underwood and Shontel Brown. They are good, responsible legislators who voters know zero about on a personal level. That might've been considered the "right" way for young representatives to behave in the past -- compared to AOC -- but it makes no sense in the modern era. Yes, Nancy Mace is mostly evil but she does a lot to build her brand, persona -- and it works for those who support her politics.
"why are they still doing that when it clearly doesn't work? And why are they still using the same paid political consultants that constantly lead Dems to electoral losses?"
My guess? habit and a misplaced sense of loyalty...Like, why is James carville still a 'thing'? I mean JFC!
Are you folks paid by the Republican Party?No thought since 1986? ACA was after that date. The young vice chair Demo party is clueless on how to win. Demo’s need to get together. Not all old is bad…Sen.Whitehouse had been a solid voice. Demo’s need to go to the center… and stay on theme of fairness for all. Get back to the state level too!
Sorry, Linda, I meant to delete my post and deleted yours by accident. You’d said that shifting to the center sunk Harris’s campaign and I agreed:
The party’s strategy and approach to the GOP has not fundamentally changed since 1986. The constant drum beat about moving to the “center” reveals a lack of actual principle. “What’s the safe middle ground on any issue?” There are many issues where I’m to the left or to the right of many Democrats but my position isn’t chasing popularity but is based in what I believe is correct.
Also, the GOP keeps becoming more radical so if you shift to the center to accommodate them, you’ll wind up 1970s era Republicans and still lose.
Hi, from the transcript, I think you are missing one important example: Andy Kim — who ran a successful, insurgent, anti-establishment Senate campaign against the entire old guard state party apparatus from the CENTER. He ran on middle-of-the-Democrat-road, “let’s just be responsible grown ups” policies, but coupled that with a strident reform-the-party-apparatus message.
Sorry - put my reply in wrong place. I think Kim being the plaintiff in a lawsuit in which every Dem county org was a defendant was pretty anti-establishment?
Probably true! I just mean - Kim is an example of someone in the middle (for Dems) on policy but showed an opening for pretty strident “reform” in the old NYC anti-tammany “reform candidate” mold…. And just a reminder of what the rest of the centrist “establishment” looked like at the time: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/tammy-murphy-new-jersey-senate-run-phil-murphy.html
And it speaks to the point Cliston and I made that primary challenges don't always have to be progressive vs. centrist, which is how they are too often interpreted. I remember when my friend Maya primaried Carolyn Maloney and she was instantly labeled a "DSA troublemaker, etc" when that wasn't at all true of her politics.
I think true change to the party will have to come from the center of the party -- those who believe true reform will make a drastic change to the status quo.
(Reposting a part of this from another thread)
Democrats need a message and it can't be "We're normal. We'll return to the status quo."
The status quo was better than the now, but it wasn't great for most Americans.
Americans need a better deal.
Billionaires can no longer exist. Sorry. Once you hit 999,999,999.99 in assets, everything above that gets taxed at 100%. Also, you'll pay social security taxes on all of your income. Sorry if that costs you a megayacht, but old people should be able to retire in dignity.
And if you try to live in such a way that you don't have income technically, we'll tax you on the money you do bring in and live on whether it's bank loans on property or investment income.
And we'll invest that money. We'll have public hospitals. We'll have bigger libraries. We'll have community centers. We'll have public housing including "rent to own" public housing (without interest) to let the folks staying in public housing have a sense of ownership and build equity and eventually have a chunk of real estate that has value to pass down to their families. We'll have community centers with public day cares, safe afterschool activities, job training... we'll have other community centers with mental health clinics. We'll have better unemployment insurance, better disability insurance... we'll offer Medicare to everyone.
We'll fucking build little community kiosks in neighborhoods and put two or three cops who live in the neighborhood there to work for the community.
We'll fund more addiction prevention measures and intervention centers. We'll meet addicts where they are at and work to make them safe and get them clean.
We'll eliminate ICE and replace it with a Customs agency and an Immigration agency with high standards for employment, psychological screenings, background checks, and a civilian oversight board. We'll keep criminals out and welcome people who want to visit and work here.
No more fucking status quo. America needs a better deal.
I think the anti-county line position and being the plaintiff in a lawsuit in which I think every county party organization was a defendant is pretty anti-establishment?
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/29/new-jersey-ballot-judge-senate-andy-kim-00149763
Young voters tuning out makes sense, but turning to the repub party? Turning to trump? I just don't get that. Since it's not the subject of the article, maybe I shouldn't have brought it up, but it might make a good future post.
As for the analysis about the current Democratic Party, you are spot on. Dems need to embrace the progressive side (progressive policies are popular with most Americans) and stop ceding to repubs patriotism and culture war issues, and to stop throwing vulnerable people under the bus because repubs demonize them.
No, that's a great point!...I can understand apathy and tuning out due to a general disgust over the ugliness of politics in GENERAL...Especially if you're young...But ACTIVLEY vote for REPUBLICANS when you're YOUNG? I don't get it...But I imagine a lot of that comes from young men who have been poisoned by the emerging macho snowflake culture...
Young people see the GOP as more connected to their issues, less scolding, and more relatable. Just listen to the rhetoric compared to the focus group tested remarks of many Dems.
From a certain perspective, all of this nonsense (Trump, MAGA, bitcoin, meme stocks, Elno) are symptoms of the standards of behavior of the internet taking over the real world. And the Dems do read as nags and scolds in that context. But at the same time they can’t actually play against this development in good conscience. Because all of this depends on the fact that bs and nonsense are infinite and “reasons” are finite. I don’t see a long term solution that does not involve a focus on cleaning up the pollution in the communications environment.
less scolding...wow...I'd never thought of it coming off that way, but its so true...LOL!
The less scolding I get, but more connected and relatable, I don't. As for the focus tested remarks of many Dems - why are they still doing that when it clearly doesn't work? And why are they still using the same paid political consultants that constantly lead Dems to electoral losses?
Centrist Dems keep pushing Lauren Underwood and Shontel Brown. They are good, responsible legislators who voters know zero about on a personal level. That might've been considered the "right" way for young representatives to behave in the past -- compared to AOC -- but it makes no sense in the modern era. Yes, Nancy Mace is mostly evil but she does a lot to build her brand, persona -- and it works for those who support her politics.
It's like movie executives from the 1980s who only have advisers from the 1980s insisting that no on watches superhero movies.
"why are they still doing that when it clearly doesn't work? And why are they still using the same paid political consultants that constantly lead Dems to electoral losses?"
My guess? habit and a misplaced sense of loyalty...Like, why is James carville still a 'thing'? I mean JFC!
Are you folks paid by the Republican Party?No thought since 1986? ACA was after that date. The young vice chair Demo party is clueless on how to win. Demo’s need to get together. Not all old is bad…Sen.Whitehouse had been a solid voice. Demo’s need to go to the center… and stay on theme of fairness for all. Get back to the state level too!
Sorry, Linda, I meant to delete my post and deleted yours by accident. You’d said that shifting to the center sunk Harris’s campaign and I agreed:
The party’s strategy and approach to the GOP has not fundamentally changed since 1986. The constant drum beat about moving to the “center” reveals a lack of actual principle. “What’s the safe middle ground on any issue?” There are many issues where I’m to the left or to the right of many Democrats but my position isn’t chasing popularity but is based in what I believe is correct.
Also, the GOP keeps becoming more radical so if you shift to the center to accommodate them, you’ll wind up 1970s era Republicans and still lose.
Admitting to a mistake! Well, you will never get a job in the trump maladministration.
Hi, from the transcript, I think you are missing one important example: Andy Kim — who ran a successful, insurgent, anti-establishment Senate campaign against the entire old guard state party apparatus from the CENTER. He ran on middle-of-the-Democrat-road, “let’s just be responsible grown ups” policies, but coupled that with a strident reform-the-party-apparatus message.
Hmmm I'm a little lost here...So he "ran a successful, insurgent, anti-establishment Senate campaign" as a middle of the road democrat?
I'm not clear how "anti-establishment" is a centrist ethos
BTW I really like Andy Kim
I think Kim’s run was more anti-corruption, than anti-establishment. After all, he only officially entered after Menendez was indicted and refused to resign. It’s not clear that Menendez would’ve been challenged otherwise. Hell, they supported him after his mistrial. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/17/nyregion/democrats-show-support-for-senator-menendez-after-his-mistrial.html
Sorry - put my reply in wrong place. I think Kim being the plaintiff in a lawsuit in which every Dem county org was a defendant was pretty anti-establishment?
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/29/new-jersey-ballot-judge-senate-andy-kim-00149763
I don’t disagree. I just don’t think his campaign happens if Menendez wasn’t inducted and I wish it would have for the reasons you mention.
Probably true! I just mean - Kim is an example of someone in the middle (for Dems) on policy but showed an opening for pretty strident “reform” in the old NYC anti-tammany “reform candidate” mold…. And just a reminder of what the rest of the centrist “establishment” looked like at the time: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/tammy-murphy-new-jersey-senate-run-phil-murphy.html
And it speaks to the point Cliston and I made that primary challenges don't always have to be progressive vs. centrist, which is how they are too often interpreted. I remember when my friend Maya primaried Carolyn Maloney and she was instantly labeled a "DSA troublemaker, etc" when that wasn't at all true of her politics.
I think true change to the party will have to come from the center of the party -- those who believe true reform will make a drastic change to the status quo.