I’m a lifelong Dem who voted almost straight R for the first time because of the trans issue infecting all the ASD kids I know. It’s horrific insanity to tell kids they can be born in the wrong body.
I agree that these reforms would almost certainly put Democrats in a better place. I personally disagree with some of them — I don’t think billionaires should be exorbitantly taxed, but think they should pay their fair share — but you don’t need to win this terminally online Substacker over. You gotta win back Middle America and the working class. Which does mean embracing ideological diversity — and being willing to hear the far left kick and scream as you pull the party to the center.
My views are very progressive and these recommendations all make sense to me. Not sure why you think these things are centrist. I do admit to having a shaky understanding of what the center is. It often seems like Republican-lite, touting R talking points in a “kinder, gentler” way.
Not to be too cheeky, but some centrist points can seem Democratic-lite to me! I think that overall the message of moderation is turning towards the center and the mainstream, and I agree that these proposals would have broad support amongst the electorate.
Minor quibble: you said Busch Lite in the article but it was Bud Lite.
Also I'd note that Ethics reform is fine but be cautious about how many rules we put on leaders. Because we want good, normal (or as normal as possible) people to be our leaders. Endless compliance forms don't help that, imho.
I guess I haven't seen them ever going on offense regarding trans issues. Its typically been in response to what looks like Republican overreach on trans issues, such as the original bathroom bill in North Carolina.
I’m dismissing the idea that this is a problem at scale that requires government intervention, and I see it as what it actually is, an attempt to drive trans people from public life
Bruh u just spent the last two comments saying well it’s actually not happening and if it is well then it’s a “skill issue.” What exactly are you dismissing?
It is extremely difficult to change someone's ingrained habits of the mind. Republicans have capitalized on every opportunity in the last few decides to undermine Democrats. This is extremely insidious. Republicans put into place policies immiserating Americans. Then, they project peoples' sorrow at their economic situation onto Democrats using character assassination. Thus, people feel economic pain and connect that pain to an unrelated, but deeply felt, animosity toward Democrats and their snobby attitudes. Trump took this template and using RW media dialed it up a million-fold.
This article has a really good list of things Democrats have been doing which play into Republicans' framing of our party. What Democrats aren't yet grasping is it is possible to go on the offense about our principles while positioning those principles in a way that undermines Republicans. We don't have to lie like they do either. However, this is going to be a multi-decade proposition. Once someone has defined you in their mind, it is virtually impossible to change that. The best way is to stay calm and make sure your actions constantly contradict their false image of you.
The action items in the article seem calculated to make this happen. When Republicans telegraph to their base these false images, we need to rebut those things with personal outreach and concrete examples of why we are the friends of the working man and Republicans are not. This can only be done via local old-fashioned retail politics. Republicans have crafted a very fake relationship with voters on social media, but they aren't actually showing up in rural America. If we will show up in local communities with local candidates authentically part of those communities, we can cut Republicans' margins right now. Because Republicans are showing their true colors right now and Americans have noticed, see, e.g. Republican town halls.
In person, with personable, reasonable and open-minded people, we can absolutely flip Americans' alienation with Democrats right back onto Republicans. But, we must strike while the iron is hot or Republicans will go to work transferring voters' bad feelings right back onto us.
American men know that the democrat party DESPISES them. Democrats would exterminate every white male in America if given the opportunity. They hate us they look down on us they consider us subhuman garbage.
Good luck changing your own party’s minds on this issue. Hating white men is what gets Democrats off more than anything.
We hate you just as much as you hate us. Get the fuck out of our lives. We don’t need your party and we don’t want your party and we will do everything we can to destroy your party.
If it was politically expedient they would. The democrats just spent the last 15 years implicitly or explicitly pinning all of the countries problems on white men. This “aww shucks we’re on your side now white men” stuff is not gonna work
Did any of the major democrats in power do anything to push back against identity politics prior to this election? No, so therefore they’re complicit in this
It’s a pretty good list but it fails to account for voters going for the guy who was known to be worse than the dems on several of these metrics. I think there is a deep nihilism in the electorate that will be difficult to oppose.
Oh, dems definitely could have done better, but understand that the job is not normal politics, it’s talking the American voter off the bridge railing.
Good column and I agree. I am sure that, if I went to my local meetings with this, I would be pilloried over the LBGTQ+ stuff. How about we just say "don't be assholes"?
Getting more ideological diversity and strong, relentless opposition message into the party still sounds pretty passive. Purple has Democrats, Independents and disaffected Republicans much more influential than myself that should be making much more of a stink to go along with the national grassroots that, while growing, is still not at a critical mass level.
Also, talks of a "shadow cabinet" I hear in other substacks are still too gimmicky for most Americans and invite authoritarian notions by Trump and his cronies.
I very much agree with like 90% of this post. I do have a question about taxing the Uber wealthy more. Do they really need to be taxed more? Or is there just need to be some way to remove all the tax Loopholes who so instead of being taxed at whatever rate, let's say 40%. They end up paying 1%....
I’m a lifelong Dem who voted almost straight R for the first time because of the trans issue infecting all the ASD kids I know. It’s horrific insanity to tell kids they can be born in the wrong body.
Not just ASD kids, gay & lesbian kids, too. There's a deep strain of homophobia in the transing of kids.
I hope you're happy...and I'm not into the trans stuff at all.
I agree that these reforms would almost certainly put Democrats in a better place. I personally disagree with some of them — I don’t think billionaires should be exorbitantly taxed, but think they should pay their fair share — but you don’t need to win this terminally online Substacker over. You gotta win back Middle America and the working class. Which does mean embracing ideological diversity — and being willing to hear the far left kick and scream as you pull the party to the center.
My views are very progressive and these recommendations all make sense to me. Not sure why you think these things are centrist. I do admit to having a shaky understanding of what the center is. It often seems like Republican-lite, touting R talking points in a “kinder, gentler” way.
Not to be too cheeky, but some centrist points can seem Democratic-lite to me! I think that overall the message of moderation is turning towards the center and the mainstream, and I agree that these proposals would have broad support amongst the electorate.
Minor quibble: you said Busch Lite in the article but it was Bud Lite.
Also I'd note that Ethics reform is fine but be cautious about how many rules we put on leaders. Because we want good, normal (or as normal as possible) people to be our leaders. Endless compliance forms don't help that, imho.
I guess I haven't seen them ever going on offense regarding trans issues. Its typically been in response to what looks like Republican overreach on trans issues, such as the original bathroom bill in North Carolina.
The party of science denying biology. This is great
Again, I’m not the party. And you’re taking me as a stand in for them
I’m dismissing the idea that this is a problem at scale that requires government intervention, and I see it as what it actually is, an attempt to drive trans people from public life
I can because you’re agreeing with all of their stances here
Nah, and I’m certainly more dismissive of this bullshit
Bruh u just spent the last two comments saying well it’s actually not happening and if it is well then it’s a “skill issue.” What exactly are you dismissing?
I’m dismissing
Wanting kids to compete in sports according to biology is overreach?
It’s never stopped with that, has it?
Atleast one side is actually admitting it’s a problem and putting in an effort to ensure sports are fair for kids.
Its not a problem, its pure fear mongering
https://youtu.be/nJc4hxxdCJ8?si=E4wMFuVVdQfVjDN0
What about the cases when the trans athletes did win competitions? This story about one athlete is not convincing me this isn’t a problem as a whole
Let’s be real here, Todd isn’t getting cut from boys track on Friday and winning races as Tracy the following Monday
That’s a skill problem.
Show more grit
FWIW - https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/latte-drinking-blue-hair-wearing
Trump says to men: “You can be a man here. You’re free to love cars, sports, and rockets with us.”
Disagree on 11, and points 1 & 3 but otherwise a pretty good guide.
It is extremely difficult to change someone's ingrained habits of the mind. Republicans have capitalized on every opportunity in the last few decides to undermine Democrats. This is extremely insidious. Republicans put into place policies immiserating Americans. Then, they project peoples' sorrow at their economic situation onto Democrats using character assassination. Thus, people feel economic pain and connect that pain to an unrelated, but deeply felt, animosity toward Democrats and their snobby attitudes. Trump took this template and using RW media dialed it up a million-fold.
This article has a really good list of things Democrats have been doing which play into Republicans' framing of our party. What Democrats aren't yet grasping is it is possible to go on the offense about our principles while positioning those principles in a way that undermines Republicans. We don't have to lie like they do either. However, this is going to be a multi-decade proposition. Once someone has defined you in their mind, it is virtually impossible to change that. The best way is to stay calm and make sure your actions constantly contradict their false image of you.
The action items in the article seem calculated to make this happen. When Republicans telegraph to their base these false images, we need to rebut those things with personal outreach and concrete examples of why we are the friends of the working man and Republicans are not. This can only be done via local old-fashioned retail politics. Republicans have crafted a very fake relationship with voters on social media, but they aren't actually showing up in rural America. If we will show up in local communities with local candidates authentically part of those communities, we can cut Republicans' margins right now. Because Republicans are showing their true colors right now and Americans have noticed, see, e.g. Republican town halls.
In person, with personable, reasonable and open-minded people, we can absolutely flip Americans' alienation with Democrats right back onto Republicans. But, we must strike while the iron is hot or Republicans will go to work transferring voters' bad feelings right back onto us.
American men know that the democrat party DESPISES them. Democrats would exterminate every white male in America if given the opportunity. They hate us they look down on us they consider us subhuman garbage.
Good luck changing your own party’s minds on this issue. Hating white men is what gets Democrats off more than anything.
We hate you just as much as you hate us. Get the fuck out of our lives. We don’t need your party and we don’t want your party and we will do everything we can to destroy your party.
No they wouldn't,
White Straight Male Democrat
If it was politically expedient they would. The democrats just spent the last 15 years implicitly or explicitly pinning all of the countries problems on white men. This “aww shucks we’re on your side now white men” stuff is not gonna work
No, they haven’t
It’s the shear gaslighting, as on display here, that push people farther and farther away from the democrats
Just have the courage to say this whole thing is what you actually want
Gotchu good luck with that
And this is the issue, I’m not the Democrats. You’re conflating something someone did somewhere with the party as a whole.
Did any of the major democrats in power do anything to push back against identity politics prior to this election? No, so therefore they’re complicit in this
It’s a pretty good list but it fails to account for voters going for the guy who was known to be worse than the dems on several of these metrics. I think there is a deep nihilism in the electorate that will be difficult to oppose.
I think the post is saying democrats didn’t bother to oppose in any meaningful way.
Oh, dems definitely could have done better, but understand that the job is not normal politics, it’s talking the American voter off the bridge railing.
Is it Democrat positions that antagonize men or is Democrat activists?
Good column and I agree. I am sure that, if I went to my local meetings with this, I would be pilloried over the LBGTQ+ stuff. How about we just say "don't be assholes"?
How did you phrase your objections to the "LGBTQ+ stuff?"
Because an asshole is now defined as someone who doesn’t parrot the progressive line regarding the acronym people.
Getting more ideological diversity and strong, relentless opposition message into the party still sounds pretty passive. Purple has Democrats, Independents and disaffected Republicans much more influential than myself that should be making much more of a stink to go along with the national grassroots that, while growing, is still not at a critical mass level.
Also, talks of a "shadow cabinet" I hear in other substacks are still too gimmicky for most Americans and invite authoritarian notions by Trump and his cronies.
I very much agree with like 90% of this post. I do have a question about taxing the Uber wealthy more. Do they really need to be taxed more? Or is there just need to be some way to remove all the tax Loopholes who so instead of being taxed at whatever rate, let's say 40%. They end up paying 1%....
I agree with 85% of it, disagree with 15%.