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Midwestern Democrat

(868 posts)

74. Relying on the Republican Party to screw up and consequently winning by default seems to have been the Democratic

Sun Jan 19, 2025, 11:22 AM

Jan 19

Party's basic strategy for about 30 years now - and we're definitely coming out on the losing end of it. In 2026, we will have held the House for only 8 of the preceding 32 years; the Senate for only 12 - and let's not even talk about the state level. The presidency has sort of masked this - from 2000 through 2028, we will have held the presidency for 12 years and the GOP for 16 (I'm not including Bill Clinton's 8 years because the political map that existed in 1992 is so different from today that it's almost not relevant) - but again, Obama was a supernova political force that emerged out of nowhere (something you can't expect to count on happening with any regularity) and Biden was 78 - hardly someone who emerged from recent Democratic Party bench building.

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vanessa_ca

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The Democratic party needs to embrace open competition for leadership of the party. [View all] Yavin4 Jan 16 OP

It's not always good. Hard to find the positives in Ted Kennedy's 1980 challenge to President Carter. tritsofme Jan 16 #1

Carter was at his strongest during the primaries. Yavin4 Jan 16 #5

Look at past times when we went in out of power, it is an open race karynnj Jan 17 #36

My view. What we've been doing has failed pretty KPN Jan 16 #10

Right you are, and for those who are too young to remember, Carter's defeat led to the most Right Wing lurch with msfiddlestix Jan 17 #57

First of all - I don't blame the Dem Party yellow dahlia Jan 16 #2

I agree 100%. Just because he has gray hair and some years under his belt doesn't mean he's a dinosaur. BComplex Jan 17 #14

Competition opens the soft underbelly to dilution of the brand and ideology bucolic_frolic Jan 16 #3

"Party elites decide things because they are elites." ??? Yavin4 Jan 16 #4

LOL! I blame the ones who wanted to "punish" the party by not voting rather than voting for the BEST candidate. Oopsie Daisy Jan 16 #8

Getting mad at the voters is not going to get us any where. Yavin4 Jan 16 #12

I'm telling like it is. In addition to the "saboteurs" who chose self-harm to prove their piety... Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #15

Well said SocialDemocrat61 Jan 17 #20

So, annoint candidates without any competition. Yavin4 Jan 17 #23

It's incorrect to call it annointing. In the real world, WINNING and gaining the MAJORITY are of the utmost importance. Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #24

So your entire response seems to be qazplm135 Jan 17 #27

Correct. Educate them. Help to set realistic expectations * Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #33

You think that's a winning strategy? Yavin4 Jan 17 #37

No. The selfish "not-voting to punish the party" strategy is failing. Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #40

You keep talking as if the party hasn't been doing exactly what you're saying for years now. Yavin4 Jan 17 #41

Ridiculous. Totally absurd. Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #46

So, more competition in primaries is akin to "Shitting on Democrats and bad-mouthing our party" Yavin4 Jan 17 #47

No, that's not what you're calling for. Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #49

Any politician worth his or her salt should be able to easily defeat a primary challenger. Yavin4 Jan 17 #60

As I've said being "worth one's salt" does not mean endless supplies of cash. Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #62

This doesn't make sense JustAnotherGen Jan 19 #73

That's ridiculous qazplm135 Jan 17 #54

For individuals who may find patience challenging Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #66

Lol qazplm135 Jan 17 #67

It's not about me. Nice try. Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #68

Gosh qazplm135 Jan 17 #69

Indeed. There's no excuse for not voting or for voting third-party * Oopsie Daisy Jan 18 #71

What if I disregard JustAnotherGen Jan 19 #72

Preach! sheshe2 Jan 17 #65

Not sure I agree JonAndKatePlusABird Jan 16 #7

"Party elites decide things because they are elites." Ars Longa Jan 16 #9

Don't agree DeepWinter Jan 17 #17

You don't stand for anything by allowing the principles of the party to be destroyed. bucolic_frolic Jan 17 #18

What's with the hyperbole qazplm135 Jan 17 #28

The strategy of "let's suppress younger leaders and then get mad when young people don't vote for us" Yavin4 Jan 17 #42

Nobody is doing that. That's nobody's "strategy" and saying it is only HURTS DEMOCRATS. Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #55

What principles would be destroyed by opening the leadership competition to younger Dems? TheRickles Jan 17 #51

Good lord. Why spend time depleting the campaign funds of incumbents so that they can be out spent by Republicans? Oopsie Daisy Jan 16 #6

We cannot defeat Republicans without engaging the voters. Yavin4 Jan 16 #11

Educating them DOES work. Why would anyone be opposed to educating the voting populace? Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #56

RIGGED! ELITES! betsuni Jan 16 #13

I feel like I need to get out my BINGO CARD when threads and posts like this one come around. Oopsie Daisy Jan 17 #35

Awesome...I read the OP 3X - Don't see the word "Elites" in there at all? Fix The Stupid Jan 17 #53

It may be worth considering the immediate future of the other party in the short term. taxi Jan 17 #16

So, wait for a collapse? Yavin4 Jan 17 #21

Not exactly taxi Jan 17 #26

That sword cuts both ways qazplm135 Jan 17 #29

Exactly the point. taxi Jan 17 #31

Republicans quickly discard and forget their failures. Yavin4 Jan 17 #44

Relying on the Republican Party to screw up and consequently winning by default seems to have been the Democratic Midwestern Democrat Jan 19 #74

Excellent point Yavin4 Jan 19 #75

Eh thebigidea Jan 17 #19

She's not "great on Twitter". She has an intense following. Yavin4 Jan 17 #22

Exactly! Patton French Jan 17 #25

Just a reminder, Pelosi and Schumer shut out any other candidates early Arazi Jan 17 #30

The failure of your rationale here is believing that it was Schumer/Pelosi that prevented anyone else from running... W_HAMILTON Jan 17 #43

6 of one, half a dozen of another Arazi Jan 17 #45

The fact that Obama became the nominee in 2008 shows that the process is at least somewhat open karynnj Jan 17 #32

The process needs to be open nationwide. Yavin4 Jan 17 #39

This is an unfair characterization of HRC's 2008 presidential campaign. StevieM Jan 17 #50

All things being equal I'd agree with you Blue_Tires Jan 17 #34

The best way to get "people willing to do whatever it takes to fucking WIN" is through competitive primaries. Yavin4 Jan 17 #38

If those are the people competing, then okay Blue_Tires Jan 17 #63

Why...that sounds like..GASP!! ....'Democracy!!' Fix The Stupid Jan 17 #48

Old politicians never just give up the power, they have to be forced out. krawhitham Jan 17 #52

No. That has proven to be create chaos. The party duty at this time is to boston bean Jan 17 #58

So keep the same people in positions of power Yavin4 Jan 17 #59

nah mdmc Jan 17 #61

We need a leader who will take the leadership away from the left-wing media. everyonematters Jan 17 #64

Good thought. Boots on the ground, instead of top ticket crazy top ticket obsession. LeftInTX Jan 18 #70

I agree with the sentiment iemanja Jan 19 #76