A laundry list of things for Democrats to keep and to dump if they ever want to win again nationwide.
Keep a woman’s right to choose for the first trimester. Dump abortion until birth unless the mother’s health is at risk.
Keep a concern for climate change and grow nuclear power. Dump intermittent, unreliable renewable energy.
Keep and develop new effective vaccines. Dump vaccine mandates.
Keep equality of opportunity for all. Dump equity of results based on discriminating against men, whites and Asians (aka D.E.I.). Recognize that D.E.I. Is unconstitutional.
Keep the protection of gay and lesbian rights. Dump men in women’s sports, private spaces and prisons. Oh, and mutilating children who might grow up to be gay.
Keep an opportunity for selective high value immigration. Dump sanctuary cities and open borders.
Keep helping the homeless find jobs and a place to live. Dump camping in cities and allowing open drug use.
Keep a concern for due process in criminal justice. Dump letting shoplifters and other petty thieves off the hook.
Do all of the above and they might find their way back to power.
I did Al-Anon recovery due to having a family full of alcoholics, adult children of alcoholics, and two wives and several girlfriends who either were addicts or who had mental conditions with strong Venn overlap with addiction. I am an enabler.
One thing we are taught, and in fact learn in practice, is that we don't call others alcoholics. They have to use that label themselves. We know they have an issue with drinking.
Another thing we learn is that there is no recovery before the person realizes they have a problem. The realization comes as a result of humility, a moment when you realize that you cannot live your life like this anymore. It's never externally motivated - it is true that the consequences (financial, living situation, criminal) are external to you that result in the realization, but it's never that someone told you to stop drinking. You have to decide for yourself to seek recovery.
We also learn in our 12th step that "we practice these principles in all our affairs". In fact, these recovery lessons are useful dealing with all situations. As in addiction, when people are willfully avoiding a conclusion, no one can tell them differently. They need to realize for themselves. The only thing that helps with that decision is consequences.
For us, those who watch them suffer, we just have our tools. Acceptance of the reality of the situation. Detachment from emotion about their suffering; we have no control. We hand the issue to our higher power for handling as it is beyond us. And finally boundaries; we set up boundaries, rules for ourselves that protect us from harm as a result of someone else's issue.
We hope for their cure, but we cannot expect it and cannot predict when, or if it will happen.
I think the “classical” or “traditional” liberal marked by an attitude of rule of law, right to own property, economic freedom, free speech, limited government is a creature without a political home today.
Most of the loudest voices in the “left wing of the Democratic Party” seem to have no understanding of the birth of classical liberalism or its champions (or call them dead old white men)
Unfortunately the Democratic Party (and I say this as one who has ONLY voted blue and ONLY donated to blue) has sullied “liberalism” 🤷🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️
You have a lot of interesting things to say, and I don’t come to this comment section to pick a fight. I do think it’s interesting you compare Dems screaming “coup!” to the Republicans looking and sounding
crazy from 2009 to 2010 by screaming TYRANNY! And “SOCIALIST!” As making Republicans look crazy
Except… they won the midterms with that rhetoric
Obama came into office with 67% approval rating while Trump is around 48 to 53%. With Obama at 67% and a larger landslide victory (flipping NC, VA, and Indiana among others) than Trump’s win, Republicans specifically instructed each other to not cooperate with the new administration and almost uniformly oppose every single thing that was put forward. I remember at that time Obama would propose compromises by adopting a Republican position (like cap and trade for climate regulation or the individual mandate for health insurance), and then Republicans would suddenly abandon long-held positions out of cynicism and paint long held conservative positions as socialist now that Obama had endorsed them
McConnell even famously said the reason Republicans don’t want their fingerprints on any legislation is because it will create the perception that Democrats and Republicans have worked out their differences, and then they will reward Obama for that.
Under your thesis for how Democrats should perform to win back power, such a “fight everything” position would be electoral poison
But in 2010, Republicans took the house by winning 60+ house seats. They would have won the US Senate except they had put up crazy candidates in a handful of states who lost winnable races.
So if it worked for Republicans to demonstrate uniform opposition to a president that was better liked (to signal to the public this is unacceptable and to move public opinion in that direction), and a president who was always reaching out to the opposition vs Trump who openly disdains any opponents in both Dem and Repub parties, why would that 2009-2010 formula of unified opposition not work for Democrats?
Also what worked in 2009-2010 is unlikely to the playbook in 2026.
And in 2028, assuming JD is the nominee, and he is an excellent articulator of an alternative narrative, heck, I might just vote for JD, especially if the Dems field another lead footed candidate like Harris
If the 2026 mid terms were held today, the blues would be wiped out. Maybe even a filibuster proof majority in the senate. For the first time ever, in 2024, while I voted Harris, I voted “MICKEY MOUSE” for my local congressional representative. I live in a deep blue state.
Purple America sure sounds like a lot of weird right wing talking points mixed in with “those crazies on the left,” and “I’m not far right, I just believe the same things.” Zero original thoughts on this Account. Could’ve taken off with at least one original idea.
The utterly ridiculous scene played out at the DNC elections should have normal Dem voters hitting the panic button. Until a Bill Clinton type sensible moderate Democrat emerges and vanquishes the loony left with all of their silly surreal bullshit the party will continue to repel independent and centrist Dems like a duck’s feathers repel water
This might just be a distinction-without-a- difference semantical pet peeve of mine, but I would like the difference between Liberals and Progressives to become more prominent.
Liberals just want the government to work better and fairer are are indeed liberal on social issues. They are willing to compromise to win elections. However their Achilles heal is that we think the way to do that is white paper PowerPoints which just get us (fairly) labeled nerds. Progressives are a cohort of self-righteous leftists unwilling to move outside the identitarian politics and indeed would rather feel like good people than hold power to actually make things better.
Every Liberal I know is busy telling me to “understand” the real world plight of swing voters who went Trump. Every Progressive I know is busy patting themselves on the back for holding “no person is illegal” signs outside courtrooms.
There is definitely a difference in degree and temperment.
It's ironic that progressive activists scream "EMPATHY!" for everyone except for any Democrat or swing voter to their right. They have no interest in understanding anything from their point of view. You're description of liberals had me smiling too in how accurate and self-effacing it is.
A laundry list of things for Democrats to keep and to dump if they ever want to win again nationwide.
Keep a woman’s right to choose for the first trimester. Dump abortion until birth unless the mother’s health is at risk.
Keep a concern for climate change and grow nuclear power. Dump intermittent, unreliable renewable energy.
Keep and develop new effective vaccines. Dump vaccine mandates.
Keep equality of opportunity for all. Dump equity of results based on discriminating against men, whites and Asians (aka D.E.I.). Recognize that D.E.I. Is unconstitutional.
Keep the protection of gay and lesbian rights. Dump men in women’s sports, private spaces and prisons. Oh, and mutilating children who might grow up to be gay.
Keep an opportunity for selective high value immigration. Dump sanctuary cities and open borders.
Keep helping the homeless find jobs and a place to live. Dump camping in cities and allowing open drug use.
Keep a concern for due process in criminal justice. Dump letting shoplifters and other petty thieves off the hook.
Do all of the above and they might find their way back to power.
I did Al-Anon recovery due to having a family full of alcoholics, adult children of alcoholics, and two wives and several girlfriends who either were addicts or who had mental conditions with strong Venn overlap with addiction. I am an enabler.
One thing we are taught, and in fact learn in practice, is that we don't call others alcoholics. They have to use that label themselves. We know they have an issue with drinking.
Another thing we learn is that there is no recovery before the person realizes they have a problem. The realization comes as a result of humility, a moment when you realize that you cannot live your life like this anymore. It's never externally motivated - it is true that the consequences (financial, living situation, criminal) are external to you that result in the realization, but it's never that someone told you to stop drinking. You have to decide for yourself to seek recovery.
We also learn in our 12th step that "we practice these principles in all our affairs". In fact, these recovery lessons are useful dealing with all situations. As in addiction, when people are willfully avoiding a conclusion, no one can tell them differently. They need to realize for themselves. The only thing that helps with that decision is consequences.
For us, those who watch them suffer, we just have our tools. Acceptance of the reality of the situation. Detachment from emotion about their suffering; we have no control. We hand the issue to our higher power for handling as it is beyond us. And finally boundaries; we set up boundaries, rules for ourselves that protect us from harm as a result of someone else's issue.
We hope for their cure, but we cannot expect it and cannot predict when, or if it will happen.
I think the “classical” or “traditional” liberal marked by an attitude of rule of law, right to own property, economic freedom, free speech, limited government is a creature without a political home today.
Most of the loudest voices in the “left wing of the Democratic Party” seem to have no understanding of the birth of classical liberalism or its champions (or call them dead old white men)
Unfortunately the Democratic Party (and I say this as one who has ONLY voted blue and ONLY donated to blue) has sullied “liberalism” 🤷🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️
I'll say that MAGA is filled with Democrats. I left once the party abandoned free speech.
You have a lot of interesting things to say, and I don’t come to this comment section to pick a fight. I do think it’s interesting you compare Dems screaming “coup!” to the Republicans looking and sounding
crazy from 2009 to 2010 by screaming TYRANNY! And “SOCIALIST!” As making Republicans look crazy
Except… they won the midterms with that rhetoric
Obama came into office with 67% approval rating while Trump is around 48 to 53%. With Obama at 67% and a larger landslide victory (flipping NC, VA, and Indiana among others) than Trump’s win, Republicans specifically instructed each other to not cooperate with the new administration and almost uniformly oppose every single thing that was put forward. I remember at that time Obama would propose compromises by adopting a Republican position (like cap and trade for climate regulation or the individual mandate for health insurance), and then Republicans would suddenly abandon long-held positions out of cynicism and paint long held conservative positions as socialist now that Obama had endorsed them
McConnell even famously said the reason Republicans don’t want their fingerprints on any legislation is because it will create the perception that Democrats and Republicans have worked out their differences, and then they will reward Obama for that.
Under your thesis for how Democrats should perform to win back power, such a “fight everything” position would be electoral poison
But in 2010, Republicans took the house by winning 60+ house seats. They would have won the US Senate except they had put up crazy candidates in a handful of states who lost winnable races.
So if it worked for Republicans to demonstrate uniform opposition to a president that was better liked (to signal to the public this is unacceptable and to move public opinion in that direction), and a president who was always reaching out to the opposition vs Trump who openly disdains any opponents in both Dem and Repub parties, why would that 2009-2010 formula of unified opposition not work for Democrats?
Also what worked in 2009-2010 is unlikely to the playbook in 2026.
And in 2028, assuming JD is the nominee, and he is an excellent articulator of an alternative narrative, heck, I might just vote for JD, especially if the Dems field another lead footed candidate like Harris
If the 2026 mid terms were held today, the blues would be wiped out. Maybe even a filibuster proof majority in the senate. For the first time ever, in 2024, while I voted Harris, I voted “MICKEY MOUSE” for my local congressional representative. I live in a deep blue state.
Purple America sure sounds like a lot of weird right wing talking points mixed in with “those crazies on the left,” and “I’m not far right, I just believe the same things.” Zero original thoughts on this Account. Could’ve taken off with at least one original idea.
Turns out no…
Your stuff is good and constructive.
The utterly ridiculous scene played out at the DNC elections should have normal Dem voters hitting the panic button. Until a Bill Clinton type sensible moderate Democrat emerges and vanquishes the loony left with all of their silly surreal bullshit the party will continue to repel independent and centrist Dems like a duck’s feathers repel water
This might just be a distinction-without-a- difference semantical pet peeve of mine, but I would like the difference between Liberals and Progressives to become more prominent.
Liberals just want the government to work better and fairer are are indeed liberal on social issues. They are willing to compromise to win elections. However their Achilles heal is that we think the way to do that is white paper PowerPoints which just get us (fairly) labeled nerds. Progressives are a cohort of self-righteous leftists unwilling to move outside the identitarian politics and indeed would rather feel like good people than hold power to actually make things better.
Every Liberal I know is busy telling me to “understand” the real world plight of swing voters who went Trump. Every Progressive I know is busy patting themselves on the back for holding “no person is illegal” signs outside courtrooms.
There is definitely a difference in degree and temperment.
It's ironic that progressive activists scream "EMPATHY!" for everyone except for any Democrat or swing voter to their right. They have no interest in understanding anything from their point of view. You're description of liberals had me smiling too in how accurate and self-effacing it is.