General Discussion

... we also have folks like Nina FN Turner, Cornel FN West, Jill FN Stein, Susan FN Sarandon, and Ralph FN Nader who encourage gullible voters that a third-party candidate can win (when in reality they can't)... and that "even if we lose, it's okay because a message was sent that the party isn't pure enough". --- So, yes, in this case, I do blame those voters for believing the lies. Is it their immaturity? Is it because the live in a fantasy world of rainbows and unicorns? Were they still pouting because their most-favorite candidate didn't win the primary? The answers to those questions remain uncertain, but enough folks are asking those same questions that it certainly deserves a closer look.

Also, to further answer your question "why didn't they vote?" I'd point out that we have some elected representatives who encouraged their constituents to vote "Uncommitted" in the primary. And having convinced them to do that, they also convinced them to NOT VOTE AT ALL in the general election. Fact is, if all the "uncommitted" voters (who did take the time to vote in the primary) had actually turned out to support the party's nominee, then things would be different.

Add to that that we are dealing with extreme gerrymandering, and voter suppression games throughout many states, along with a court system that allows it. Add to that a complicit media that normalizes Trump and demonizes/nitpicks Democrats. I'm sure you know that all of these things are true, but instead, you want to lay the blame at the foot of the Democratic party by asking questions like:

>> Could it be that the party has become arrogant and condescending?
Ridiculous. This is false. The only thing "arrogant" and "condescending" is the belief that ONLY the perfect candidate deserves a vote, or that voters must "fall in love" with a candidate before they can vote for them, or that voters must feel like "here's someone I want to have a beer with", or "here's someone with the same education level as me, that I can related to" before they'll vote for them.

Anyone who actually read and understood the party platform and the qualifications of our nominee would never accuse the party of being "arrogant" and "condescending". --- Anyone who promotes lies like that about the Democratic party is guilty of their own form of voter suppression. It needs to stop.