"Democrats keep obsessing over winning over a voting bloc that hates them, while simultaneously alienating the voters who are the engine that makes the party go."
This.
The Democrats (and the "liberal" media) always operate as if the U.S. is a center Right or far Right country and that Dems are the minority, even when they win elections. They operate from a position of defense all the time, rather than confidently leading on anything. Political sentiment is also highly irrational, so American voters hold all sorts of contradictory views. But on most issue polling you find popular support for things that "pragmatic" Dems never try and do anything about because it's "unrealistic", i.e., gun control.
Someone needs to write a book about the psychotic grift of political consulting. Because it's a made-up job, their only "expertise" is rooted in the past, so they're constantly feeding their clients narratives from the past (that were also wrong even in the past, but absurd given how quickly social media changes the political landscape). Dems should 100,000% reframe immigration as a net good instead of trying to out-Fascist the Republicans (they cannot).
I appreciate your moral clarity. Last night I was on the phone with a voter in NY3 who was upset about Biden's "border agenda" and I wanted them to vote for the Democrat - who does in fact want a secure border but also wants policies that are humane and fair. Do you do much phonebanking? What would you have said to that voter, in the moment?
I think the Democrats played this issue perfectly. They offered the Republicans the deal of a lifetime, knowing that the MAGAs would never take it, especially if connected to Putin's enemy, Ukraine. Now they can pummel the Republicans over the head from now until the end of time about the border, the border that they refused to deal with because Trump told them not to.
I'm not so sure. What are we expecting Democrats to say? That the border is not a crisis? That we need less militarization at the border not more? Facts no longer matter in this discussion. All that matters is who will take the blame. And if to blame Trump and Republicans you have to turn their own words against them, so be it.
Yes, Democrats should reject the false narrative that the border is in a state of crisis requiring a militarized response. Because its not true and it also alienates a core Democratic voting bloc. It also does not stick as blame for the GOP. The people who believe the border is being overrun are NEVER voting for Democrats or dissuaded from voting for Republicans. NEVER.
I suspect we will never agree on that point. That said, I might suggest an alternative attack on the GOP. "We tried to give you what you wanted in spite of the fact that it was a failure under Trump. So we will now work to do it our way. You can help or you can get out of the way, but we will no longer negotiate with you on this."
I agree with you that this is a gift from the GOP to Dems. It also illustrates how inept the GOP leadership is now. Most people don’t want constant chaos in government.
Except they won’t pummel them. They’ll mealy mouth it & put out disjointed messaging that msm wont find interesting enough to grab so it won’t be a galvanized message.
Dems blow messaging all the time. That’s why so many -incl many Dems-don’t know the economy is much better, or how much benefit the infrastructure and the IRS overhauls have provided; don’t know about Medicaid price gouging bust up or that insulin was capped - & all these other updates that the Biden administration has done.
Republicans and Maga get a singular message and pound it into the ground, immigration and abortion. They all attack, not just 3-4, like Dems - all! They can message that to the end of time because they do it in a way that is unified and constant, and in-your-face which is why the media loves it & pushes it.
So if the Dems can do that for all the good shit they do, they’d really be far better off & the polls would look a lot better.
Can't believe so many follow the great orange blob. How do they justify fawning over a convicted rapist and of course there are his other 599,000 crimes.
Not about gang violence or the colour of their skin…. What I’m worried about is the cost of housing. 2,000,000 people entered illegally last year and requested Asylum. In case you all haven’t noticed, there is a severe shortage of homes and domiciles available…. I myself am paying $2200 a month for a very small 3 room unit in a building with 7 other tenants…. That’s fkn ridiculous! The competition for what little is available forces prices sky high. It’s only going to keep on getting worse unless we do something drastically different. Somethings gonna give. It’s breaking this country apart at the seams.
And that is a whole other story. About what it costs taxpayers per person to feed, house, and cloth a person while they assimilate into society. Just about every single one of them will need some sort of assistance.
lol, do you think the government is paying lots of benefits to migrants? Even while they're undocumented, they work and pay taxes and are a net benefit to the economy. They're not eligible for Federal benefits. You don't know anything about how the immigration system works.
"Democrats keep obsessing over winning over a voting bloc that hates them, while simultaneously alienating the voters who are the engine that makes the party go."
This.
The Democrats (and the "liberal" media) always operate as if the U.S. is a center Right or far Right country and that Dems are the minority, even when they win elections. They operate from a position of defense all the time, rather than confidently leading on anything. Political sentiment is also highly irrational, so American voters hold all sorts of contradictory views. But on most issue polling you find popular support for things that "pragmatic" Dems never try and do anything about because it's "unrealistic", i.e., gun control.
Well said.
Fox news was planned as Watergate was fading, because as one founder observed, "When people watch t.v. they don't think."
And so the saturation began....
Someone needs to write a book about the psychotic grift of political consulting. Because it's a made-up job, their only "expertise" is rooted in the past, so they're constantly feeding their clients narratives from the past (that were also wrong even in the past, but absurd given how quickly social media changes the political landscape). Dems should 100,000% reframe immigration as a net good instead of trying to out-Fascist the Republicans (they cannot).
"It is politically inept." Excellent and succinct summary.
Very helpful analysis, thank you!
I appreciate your moral clarity. Last night I was on the phone with a voter in NY3 who was upset about Biden's "border agenda" and I wanted them to vote for the Democrat - who does in fact want a secure border but also wants policies that are humane and fair. Do you do much phonebanking? What would you have said to that voter, in the moment?
I think the Democrats played this issue perfectly. They offered the Republicans the deal of a lifetime, knowing that the MAGAs would never take it, especially if connected to Putin's enemy, Ukraine. Now they can pummel the Republicans over the head from now until the end of time about the border, the border that they refused to deal with because Trump told them not to.
Except theyre criticizing the Republicans by restating the Republican argument on the border, which helps Trump and Republicans.
I'm not so sure. What are we expecting Democrats to say? That the border is not a crisis? That we need less militarization at the border not more? Facts no longer matter in this discussion. All that matters is who will take the blame. And if to blame Trump and Republicans you have to turn their own words against them, so be it.
Yes, Democrats should reject the false narrative that the border is in a state of crisis requiring a militarized response. Because its not true and it also alienates a core Democratic voting bloc. It also does not stick as blame for the GOP. The people who believe the border is being overrun are NEVER voting for Democrats or dissuaded from voting for Republicans. NEVER.
I suspect we will never agree on that point. That said, I might suggest an alternative attack on the GOP. "We tried to give you what you wanted in spite of the fact that it was a failure under Trump. So we will now work to do it our way. You can help or you can get out of the way, but we will no longer negotiate with you on this."
I agree with you that this is a gift from the GOP to Dems. It also illustrates how inept the GOP leadership is now. Most people don’t want constant chaos in government.
Except they won’t pummel them. They’ll mealy mouth it & put out disjointed messaging that msm wont find interesting enough to grab so it won’t be a galvanized message.
Dems blow messaging all the time. That’s why so many -incl many Dems-don’t know the economy is much better, or how much benefit the infrastructure and the IRS overhauls have provided; don’t know about Medicaid price gouging bust up or that insulin was capped - & all these other updates that the Biden administration has done.
Republicans and Maga get a singular message and pound it into the ground, immigration and abortion. They all attack, not just 3-4, like Dems - all! They can message that to the end of time because they do it in a way that is unified and constant, and in-your-face which is why the media loves it & pushes it.
So if the Dems can do that for all the good shit they do, they’d really be far better off & the polls would look a lot better.
Can't believe so many follow the great orange blob. How do they justify fawning over a convicted rapist and of course there are his other 599,000 crimes.
I think he radiates what folks are craving in a changing world: certainty and self-confidence.
Oddly enough, these projections connect before cognitive logic and reason.
Not about gang violence or the colour of their skin…. What I’m worried about is the cost of housing. 2,000,000 people entered illegally last year and requested Asylum. In case you all haven’t noticed, there is a severe shortage of homes and domiciles available…. I myself am paying $2200 a month for a very small 3 room unit in a building with 7 other tenants…. That’s fkn ridiculous! The competition for what little is available forces prices sky high. It’s only going to keep on getting worse unless we do something drastically different. Somethings gonna give. It’s breaking this country apart at the seams.
Except it isnt immigrants causing a housing shortage.
Where do you think they all go? They don’t spend years in a shelter.
No, migrants bust their asses working jobs that native born Americans won't take and then they pay for housing.
And that is a whole other story. About what it costs taxpayers per person to feed, house, and cloth a person while they assimilate into society. Just about every single one of them will need some sort of assistance.
Then raise taxes on the super wealthy instead of scapegoating a vulnerable minority.
lol, do you think the government is paying lots of benefits to migrants? Even while they're undocumented, they work and pay taxes and are a net benefit to the economy. They're not eligible for Federal benefits. You don't know anything about how the immigration system works.