Anyone can promise stuff, but what is actually delivered (or not) makes an impact on people's opinions of the promisers.

Democrats are responsible for creating Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the ACA and the best economy in the world after covid, those aren't theories. People have been brainwashed and reduced to their worst instincts due to throughly corrupt Republicans, Corporations and press

Plus some of these initiatives, wonderful and life saving and extending as they may be, were passed 60-80 years ago. Hard to capture the imagination of younger people saying we are the party of benefits (not always but mostly) when you retire. Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. They need help now.

but not Democrats. People don't perceive us as for those things. They have other associations, which I won't get into now because it will piss people off.

Unfortunately for us, our party is associated, rightly or wrongly, with people that many voters find annoying at best and to absolutely fucking reviled at worst. Spite is a very strong emotion and many will vote against the party that people they dislike are perceived as supporting. Why? Because fuck them, that's why. That is the unfortunate mindset of a lot of people now.

An awful darned lot of it boils down to, "Screw them!" Along with a very large helping of anti-gov prejudice. (whether with any justification or not). If you could name two things ... Ignorance - and spite - (would cover a great deal).

Even if about policy & values...

Which is why he wins.

Democrats still need to be more popular than the GOP and they aren't right now.

hate women etc.

Many people love the immigration raids.

Trump is the bad boy the populace WANTS to fall for. DEMS are serving spinach & brown rice from big city political machines. Republican rank & file... think Boehner, Bachman, Ryan .... despite humble backgrounds all grew up with a story of an America that was growing building and getting a Walmart..... Democrat rank & file think greasy city pols Rendell, Cuomo, Frank heads down in policy & process & benighted braniacs Clinton, Klobuchar, Gore alighting from Olympus with blueprints of more perfected government actions ahead. Either way the DEM isn't sitting with you telling you how great you are you just need to unleash that regular American within as things just get better. We've got the harder sell... we pull up in the handyman truck explaining how things can be fixed. We'll fix your computer it will take 6 hours and we'll take your computer apart in your living room. Trump says the iPhone will be delivered in the morning and "everyone is saying it's the best one yet."

DEMS got really good at explaining why things are f***Ed up and why it will be hard to fix. PUGS say "them over there is ruining things for you help us get rid of DEMS!". Rallying the team for the win vs I offer you only blood & toil! Guess which one people like better!

DEMS have got to learn to talk, encourage, persuade, move people towards a vision. Roosevelt, JFK with chunks of Truman & LBJ reg'lar folks talk mixed in. Buttigieg comes up a lot...we have some flashes in Klobuchar, Warren... savants in AOC, Crockett... but the PARTY has to make refining and unifying communication a PRIORITY along with solid political showmanship that the new Dems thought was unnecessary and old fashioned!

We don't have a leader right now or a coherent message. I think/hope that will change as we near the midterms.

and less like the debate team members.... sad but true.
(The debate team members have the better argument,
but they can't fit it onto a bumpersticker, or a 30 second campaign ad...)

Simple campaign messages--- and don't get lost in the policy weeds--
("Trump & GQP want to rob from the poor, and give to the rich" is a good one that is resonating now.)


Trump has spent his time talking like a football player
(however, he was too chicken to try out for the team, because he might get hit)

80% of Democrats have a favorable opinion of the Party

of the party, that’s why we’re Democrats.

Fighting for what exactly?

Democrats have been seen as the party of Black people. Racism is not dead. John Roberts was just saying that it’s dead to him. Because it is to him. W’s boy. Remember?

for not fighting hard enough against Trump--- and they tell the truth about their feelings to the pollsters.


Most Republicans, on the other hand, say they are satisfied with Trump and the Republican party,
even if they are not.


Many years ago, when I was part of a "family unit" with a woman I didn't eventually marry,
I taught her children that "all Republicans are liars!"

I hope they remember it now, and over the years have realized that I was quite right....
especially now when the Republicans have completely abandoned
any respect for the truth...

The mom was a loyal Democrat too, that was one of her best points...


I have been answering a lot of polls for money, on various sites, since before the election...
Usually I give positive responses for the Democrats,
but lately I may have been less warm on "approval rating" polls---

Doesn't mean that I won't vote a straight Democratic ticket
in the next election, or the one after that---
and God forbid, I would shoot myself in the head before I vote for a Republican, EVER---

but I am not completely satisfied with our establishment Dem officeholders,
and the lukewarm response of some of them to Trump's atrocities,
and answers to polls are one of the few tools we have to WAKE THEM UP!

we have a problem & denial is not going to solve it.

to be President and for Democrats to also lose the house/senate.

A fair number who voted for Biden in 2020 didn’t vote in 2024

Younger voters....Gen Xers... contrarian impulses and the power of the pocket phones let the righties choose their own voters. Even the folks sweating it now felt the buzz when Nov 5 let them burn the DEMS who ran into the brick wall of headwinds arrayed against us by screwing up the primary process just like 2016. Policy alignment doesn't get 'em marching to the voting booth. Trump had the voters in his palm from fake McDonald's drive thru, to the staged "perils of Pauline" stunt to the garbage truck!

Good point!

for many decades.

Propaganda results in brainwashing

The misinformation load from the far right is enormous and spreads like wildfire. It is nurtured in right-wing echo chambers and released to the already brainwashed masses.

The media acts like there are three major political parties

Democrats
Republicans
and the Government

Blame is placed on either the Democrats or the Government, depending on who's in power. Currently the Republicans are and voters are encouraged (by complicit media) to blame the Government. But when Democrats are in power, no such exit ramp exists and it is all the Democrats fault.

Most Americans are hearing things on Fox News one American news and the like that are all cursing about Democrats so propaganda is the real driver

The Dems need to do a better job of getting out their message and countering

Personally, I'm a Democrat.

Besides the huge propaganda campaign to associate Dems with people who are socialists, communists, totalitarians, anti-God, Christmas-haters for God's sake!, elitist snobs who DESPISE conservatives, there's also the very serious lack of branding and messaging.

People don't know what we stand for because different Dems say it differently, and even the same Dems say it differently other times. We also get in the weeds of policies and don't focus on the values that tie them together. And we don't repeat ourselves like a broken record, which is what it takes to establish branding.

They whip their audience into a frenzy with their lies and fear-mongering.

have been demonized by the right for decades so many people don’t support them.

How do you characterize answer to question: Is America on the right track? The answer Invariably blames Democrats. Polling is almost always useless, and it's as fickle as the weather... if you don't like it, wait a half-hour.
The only poll that matters is Election Day, and you can't even depend on that.

"After Democrats lost control of the Congress in 2004, former U.S. president Bill Clinton opined: "When people are feeling insecure, they'd rather have someone who is strong and wrong rather than somebody who is weak and right."

Also, I'm beginning to think that pollsters consciously frame questions to get the answers that will keep the pollsters employed. Instead of asking "Are you for health care for all", they should ask "Are you for health care for homeless Black people (when you, yourself are struggling to afford your premium and deductible)". Instead of asking "Are you for Medicaid", they should ask "Are you for Medicaid paying for mental health treatment for homeless Black ex-felons (when you know that if you lose your job you won't be able to afford your insurance which pays for your treatment).

Because when election time comes around the Republicans are going to frame the issues, and they are not going to use the nice, logical frames that the pollsters use.

Also, you may not be aware, but in much of the South and West unions and voting rights for minorities are not exactly popular.

All planned out in the Powell Memo...

Alien: [watching the riot on Maple Street from a hilltop: last lines] Understand the procedure now? Just stop a few of their machines and radios and telephones and lawnmowers. Throw them into darkness for a few hours, and then sit back and watch the pattern.
Alien: And this pattern is always the same?
Alien: With few variations. They pick the most dangerous enemy they can find, and it's themselves. All we need do is sit back and watch.
Alien: Then I take it this place, this Maple Street is not unique.
Alien: By no means. Their world is full of Maple Streets and we'll go from one to the other and let them destroy themselves. One to the other, one to the other, one to the other...

Sternly worded letters aren't enough to win over voters. If we had more elected officials like AOC, we would be in much better shape in national polls.

Foreign policy is also a big deal. We need a president that appears to be someone strong and can command a room. That's why I'm shocked people think AOC can win the presidency. She is a tiny person really with a squeaky voice. She could never been seen as commander in chief.

but not AOC

This phrase is why so many voted for Trump.

because we failed to commit enough troops to Afghanistan, where our enemy was located.

It's not better to be "strong" and wrong. Thousands of US troops died needlessly in Iraq because of a corrupt, idiot president and his lying henchmen, including Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld. The problem is not so much human psychology as it is a corrupt and biased mass media. Propaganda works.

THAT is what it is

did you say we would never have a black president because "human psychology"????

You are referring to the dominance of size and the male voice - how we've been conditioned to follow "warriors".

The presidential system reinforces the problem but we need to break that impulse and focus on ideas. It sounds too difficult or out of reach but Trump is breaking everything and the presidency is one of those things he is breaking. In the next Presidential election, we might be able to elect any Democrat, even one of the best; AOC.

Democrats present their vision and policies in a manner which relies on analysis and reason. Republicans manipulate emotions. For example, Democrats discuss gender identity in terms of chromosomal patterns which are not always binary. We focus on inclusion because we believe in human dignity and the right to acceptance and belonging. Republicans shout about transgender people ambushing children in bathrooms. Democrats believe in creating immigration laws that benefit the country, as well as those who seek employment opportunities as well as citizenship. Republicans shout about immigrants taking jobs and committing heinous crimes. Republicans never burden their target population with the hassle of having to think. They stoke fear, anger, and resentment. Responding on an emotional level is primitive and easy. Thinking requires effort. I agree with other posters who have suggested more simplified, less complicated messaging. People are able to defend their feelings; however, it's intimidating to debate issues about which you have limited knowledge. Life is so much easier when you can focus on football and just rant at the world. Many Republican voters view Democrats as elitist, long winded, condescending, and out of touch. We need simple messaging that points to class distinctions as the cause of inequality. Focus on the issues which impact everyone who isn't wealthy, or who lack the social connections which provide unearned benefits as opposed to specifying specific, marginalized subgroups. Speak about the issues that unite us first. They love to proclaim that "All lives matter!"; therefore, we should (for now) focus on issues that matter to all lives. We won't win the culture wars in the current climate of heightened emotion and divisiveness. We lack the wide ranging media outlets to present a substantive debate. We need simple, concise messages that can leak through on social media.

Dems are treated like women and POC - we have to be ten times as good to be considered half as good. And we are are assigned the responsibility of cleaning up repuke mess, too.

There is a cultural divide in these United States and it cannot be overcome. 160 years of refinement of their Culture/Tribe of domination and otherism. It's the maga Repub voters that are the issue.

Nm

Where are now is the results of decades right wing gaslighting people's brains to mush.

look and sound fucking weak! We need to punch those @ssholes in the throat. They play dirty but we always have to be the nice ones. We need to play hardball AND STICK TOGETHER!!! Democrats turn on each other while those corrupt @ssholes stick together. They are willing to go down with Trump like he is the Titanic.

Republicans however, have a low opinion.

engage in our logic. They don't. It's a connection we have lost with millions of people who irregularly vote and we just cannot understand why they choose not to vote for Democrats since we do. How many people, not hard core Magas or Republicans, get the feeling that Democrats view them as stupid if they do not vote for Democrats?

In the end we also cannot get our base to get out and vote like it was their duty. Last November, Trump should have been crushed at the polls by a record turnout from Democratic voters. It didn't happen. Biden received a larger percentage of the female vote than Harris did.

Last edited Mon Jun 2, 2025, 09:04 AM - Edit history (2)

The other side is for these things as well. Also, being for something and never achieving any meaningful results, doesn’t exactly win people over to our side. Especially when many pieces of our perceived social agenda are so unpopular. Labeling anyone with a different opinion the ist of the day doesn’t help either.

As a person that after 45 years is on their last gasp as a Democrat. I could offer up several opinions. But no one wants to hear it. I dont even recognize my party any more. People like myself feel like we are persona non grata. When you are pushing out life long stalwarts, the likely hood of bringing in new members is greatly diminished.

This is precisely where I am at. This is not the Democratic party of the 1990s which is where I found my footing.

They have lost faith in both parties to fix it. Forty percent of the voters are not registered as Democrats or Republicans.

They are too comfortable. No urgency. We are inundated with Gestapo operating freely. trump taking credit forBiden's popular legislation.

Crickets.

Please change your title.

There is no defined leader of the party right now.

That's problem one.

Problem two is that we can SAY we stand for all those things but when Trump and his goons are taking them all away and the best the dems can come up with is Chuck Schumer saying aww shucks at a press conference, we look like the losing team BECAUSE WE ARE.

No one wants to join the losing team.

We need to get Schumer out of the senate leadership position and get a fighter in there with some cahones (I'd love to see Elizabeth Warren. Corey Booker would be good, too.) If Hakeem Jeffries doesn't want to fight back, he needs to move out of the way in the House and let someone else have his position, too (I'd suggest AOC or Jasmine Crockett.)

Trump is horrible, but he's STRONG. There is a percentage of people out there who will follow a strong leader, even if they are leading in a bad direction. We cannot beat him by looking like the wimpy pathetic team that just sits there and does nothing for 4 years. Biden made a HUGE mistake with immigration (sorry, I love the guy, but this is true) by waiting to do anything about the massive problems at the border until June 2024 in an election year. By then, people were really frustrated. We cannot do the same thing here, and sit around for 4 years, then wait until June 2028 to get our butts in gear when the republicans look strong NOW.

Well, I can understand some are still not happy with some democrats and their support. When the minority leader in the senate say things like….. “ I will be sending a strongly worded letter”, it does make the party look wimpish.

Many will never support the democrats because of support fOR LGBTQ, immigration issues, abortion rights, women’s rights….

I also take issue with polls. Polls are extremely skewed depending on party lines. The statement, “ Polls say democrats are not popular” can be used as talking points.

...at least the last 45 years. Unfortunately, it works.

Carville's snowclone about the economy in 1992 was not wrong: most elections hinge on the economy. And if we ask ourselves why Republicans are almost always seen as being better for the economy in polling, we can only come to one conclusion: people--in general--either believe or really want to believe their lies. And this--probably more than any other factor--has driven both the national debt and income inequality up over the last half-century.

But it works. And it works for a good reason: everyone has to be concerned with their own economic reality above almost anything else. This is a powerful force in politics. And the threat of taxation is the biggest reason for this. Even for programs that you really want to see implemented, raise your hand if you want your personal taxes to go up? Raise your hand if you can even afford for your personal taxes to go up?

Republicans say, cutting taxes will grow the economy. That's a simple--albeit untrue--statement*. Democrats can't say, raising taxes will grow the economy--even though that statement is more true for a host of reasons--and still win elections.

Republicans have carefully honed this lie. It goes so far as to even make people believe that somehow their employer's taxes directly affect their own economic security, so even raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations will be a net-negative for them. Throw in an unhealthy dose of bashing Democrats as wanting to just throw your tax dollars at government programs full of "waste, fraud and abuse"--another really effective lie that is easy to believe--and you've got a simple message that apparently resonates.

This has worked. Democrats talk about big ideas for government programs that poll very well. Who doesn't want everyone to have affordable healthcare? But these plans are not simple, and lying about them really isn't an option for Democrats. The American people's eyes glaze over with dollar signs as details emerge and pros and cons are debated and the Republicans whisper in their ear, "you can have everything you want--and you don't have to pay for it."

Americans may know better, but that doesn't ease the worry about their personal economy. What if my taxes do go up to provide affordable healthcare to everyone even though I have pretty good healthcare from my job? What if my taxes do go up to help people I don't know feed their kids--or to pay for Boomers' Social Security? Where will I be? These are real questions for most people.

Both unfortunately and fortunately for Democrats: lying isn't really in their DNA like it is for Republicans--for a host of reasons. They need another strategy that focuses on the economic success of Americans and not on the government programs that will help drive that success. It is akin to the conundrum parents face at dinnertime: how do you get your kid to eat healthy food without them knowing it is healthy? Sometimes you have to sneak it in with something they actually want to eat--because in the long run you know it is going to be better for them.

The one saving grace for Democrats over the last half-century is the fact that Republican policies are really bad for the economy--even if Americans don't believe it. Since Regan, my personal question has always been: how will the Republicans screw up the economy this time? And they always do--leaving the next Democrat to scramble to clean it up and derail their own agenda for years in the process.

*If tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations really grew the economy they would be inflationary. This never happens after one of these big tax cuts. Government spending does stimulate the economy, and we can see from the pandemic-era spending that it is inflationary.

Need someone younger than Bernie out there. It’s a shame someone like Beshear isn’t out there more

Go back to 1980's politics...

There's the surface level reasons and the underlying ones that I suspect.
Surface level is a lack of understanding about how money works. It doesn't disappear into a black hole when spent. There's other ones too.