Democrats are at a disadvantage in elections

[Pototan]

Democrats vote on issues and philosophy. Individual candidates are necessary for Democracy to work, but if our candidate is flawed (think Al Franken), we will turn away from him or her. After all, we are trying to advance our issues. And those issues are different for each group in our vast coalition. Younger voters want college debt forgiveness and are concerned about climate change. African Americans about police and prison reform. Most women are advocates for reproductive rights. Union members are keen on the right to organize, workplace safety and wage increases. We have a whole host of other groups, like gays, Asians, Jews, Muslims, Native Americans and I'm sure I'm leaving out a lot, but you get my point.

Of course, we all care about Democracy, the economy, education and healthcare. It is so easy for one of our candidates to be good and honest and still lose our vote. It is so difficult to be all things to everyone in our coalition, without gaining here to lose there. Now you add the natural human element, such as "I just don't like her (Hillary, 2016) or "he's too old" (Biden, 2024) and it's easy to see how difficult it is to hold our voters together.

On the other hand, the other side is a cult. No question about it. Flaws be damned. Sexual assault, fraud, espionage, bankruptcy, adultery, incompetence. It doesn't matter. Issues are irrelevant. The 2020 Republican Party Platform says, "we stand by everything Trump says". Trump can be on one side of an issue one day and change his mind the next. A vast majority of his own appointees say he is a danger to this country. No matter, Trump "can shoot someone on 5th avenue and still not lose any votes". We thought that was funny when he said that in 2016, but how true that has turned out to be. It's unbelievable.

I point this out not to criticize Democrats. We are acting like a normal political party with divergent interests. I was for Hillary in 2008, but when Obama clinched that nomination, I supported him just as much. That's because it's the philosophy, not the individual for me. Bill Clinton, Obama, Hillary, John Kerry, Joe Biden, it doesn't matter. I have a preference in a primary, but my loyalty is not to any individual, it is to my party because my party reflects my philosophy.

There is a reason why dictatorships are more efficient than Democracies. There are no opposing views allowed. A dictator, like a cult leader, does all the thinking for you.

We must recognize that we are at a disadvantage because our coalition of voters think for themselves. Cultists, on the other hand, just do what they're told to do by just one person.

Well, there I go. I usually criticize others for pointing out the problem but providing no solution. I guess I'm guilty of that with this post. I can use some suggestions.

[betsuni]

1. I hate the "flawed candidate" thing! As if Trump was a fabulous candidate and ran a great campaign.

Impossible for a big diverse tent like the Democratic Party to be like Republicans.

[Pototan]

2. To my point

The fact that it's impossible to be like "Republicans" was not a big deal, pre-Trump. Republicans also had diverse positions on abortion and civil rights. In fact, 20 years ago, they voted almost unanimously to renew the voting rights act. It's not a party anymore. McCain (family), Romney and both Presidents Bush are to one degree or another anti-cultists.

When i mention flawed candidates or office holders, an example is we will not defend Andrew Como, because he doesn't deserve it. Al Franken was an extreme example, and deserved our support, but didn't get it. Ala in all, my point is that our philosophy is more important than any individual. That's normal. What we have on the other side is abnormal.

We can criticize our standard bearers, as members of any normal political party can. Cultists are not a normal political party.

[betsuni]

3. Of course Republicans aren't normal party.

If Biden loses the next election, 100% guarantee it'll be blamed on him being a flawed candidate who ran a horrible campaign when just like 2016 it's total bullshit.

[Walleye]

4. I see your point. I get very aggravated when I hear people say "it's not about party"

And they will self righteously say, “I don’t vote for the party I vote for the person”. What they are really saying to me is that they don’t understand the first thing about American politics. If you don’t know what party you are, you are you’re not paying attention. GOP have gone out of their way to confuse people on this issue. Because their party sucks

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Not disadvantage to elect comparatively principled, ethical, logical, knowledgeable people

For one thing, they are more likely to be re-elected!

[Pototan]

7. I'm saying the voters

on our side are not as understanding of a binary choice as the cultists on the other side.

[Think. Again.]

6. I think you've had the solution all along...

Your post is true, strong, and meaningful.

By sharing that statement with us, you rightfully encourage increased engagement from voters to choose the more positive approach to elections.

If all of us who agree with you can also work toward sharing your message, we can strengthen election results for Democratic candidates individually AND for the Democratic Party itself.

Thank You for writing and sharing this post.

[BigOleDummy]

8. It IS..... a party of ideals.

Just because I want x to not have to live in fear that doesn't mean that y must always win. We are a stronger viable Party when we pass our ideals on to our next generation. (Not saying anything bad about Joe, he's my MAN!) But we can't be blind to who comes after us. Yeah, my particular tilt to the left is more acute than ..... some....... people but that doesn't mean I can't work with a much more viable alternative. The end goal is what we are after and its sure a better vision for America than the orange ones cult. That we have to drive that point home is bizarre enough but sadly, thats the task at hand. If we smash em over the head with facts enough, SOME will have to stick. Maybe just a little per person but its all we got. We have to tie gop'ers to what they are doing.

[MistakenLamb]

9. Republicans fall in line Democrats fall in love

[Pototan]

10. That slogan was applicable for 70 years

before Trump turned the modern-day Republican Party into the American Nazi Party.

Now, they are a cult that does more than just "fall in line".

[MistakenLamb]

12. they still show up every election

Democrats don’t

[MyNameIsJonas]

13. Except when they don't, right?

They sure didn't show up in the numbers needed to win the Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona senate races last year.

Democrats won each of those races and in many, the Republican actually did worse than Trump did in 2020.

[CTyankee]

15. Then we have to find out why they are not showing up and work on it from that perspective.

They must have knowledge about lots of things. Just saying "Be sure to vote!" doesn't do the job. To some extent we do this in New Haven, making sure with flyers to people's homes about where there polling station is and offering a ride if people need one. What to do if they are sick on Election Day, the absentee ballot process, how they can vote if they are in a homeless shelter. Dem Party volunteers do a lot of leg work in organizing neighborhoods, knowing their neighborhoods and being comfortable in having conversations with their friends and neighbors. "When we vote, we win."

[Ozzi]

11. Great Post. I have some Ideas & Thoughts from Auzzie perspective.

I rarely post online and only here or at my ABC. I tend to ramble too much. Anyway I thought your post was direct and clear. I agree your Democrat party is disadvantaged because they generally play by the rules and easily disavow anyone who slips up. None of us are perfect. No political, social system is perfect But Maga Repubs seem to have no rules or baseline behaviour. They are coming at more principled citizens and public servants from multi levels of hurt. eg Cult, Wealth, Power, Religion, Greed, Malcontents and Kooks all seem to play a weighted role in the Maga Party. Its crazy as, don't they have children, family, freedom and opportunities that they seek to have and enjoy and care for. Here in Australia we have many private and public supports, with important watchguards, so that most citizen groups and individuals have a baseline of comfort, security, motivation, health, learning and opportunity. Why would any party or individual try to undermine the tax department, the military, reproductive care, health care, citizen freedoms, protections, public / social and structural infrastructure as well as overall planet health etc. Who the hell gains from that! I guess its just short sighted need greed ignorance and bias. Maybe from a poorly supported family needs or public education system. From fear of immigrants or guns. But doesn't seem to be from a fear of bigotry or inequality. Let the extreme wealthy take the cake, but not the poor or needy. Extreme Business and Media takeovers don't help. Extreme Money in politics doesn't help. For too long your Right Wing Political Party has been able to change your social/political structures and rules to suit certain wealthy groups, religious groups or self serving groups. Groups that frown on Citizen aid. Giving support and comfort for those that lag behind. When truth is, its the meek and diverse that can teach us so much. Those that struggle moderately, give tremendously. But moderation is the key.
Anyway my ideas relate to diverse and dominantly placed polical election messaging using catchy slogans, clear graphs, images, tables, truth and statistics with comparison, contrast imagination and passion. Shown around US everywhere anywhere legally possible. Public spaces and Private areas. Show the Political Party differnces. Each election message needs to be simple and clear. I have no expertise in this apart from general teaching, art and psych learning at University. I imagine comparisons between States and Countries that enjoy the best or worse of modern capitalistic humanistic management policies. The best and worse of political party style, comportment and ambitions. I imagine a picture of someone on the metaphorical Maga path and someone on the metaphorical Democrat path with all or some of the diverse Governing obstacles and benefits along the way. Start with family or a croud that diminishes as they traverse on a Right Wing path. Getting poorer, with blinkers on, bowed down from overwork, mindlessly struggling on a crumbling path, surrounded by a increasingly barren wasteland, fearing each other, violence, guns, enforced exits for minorities, disabled, children, women, ill, or any kind of diversity that is 'unacceptable' as they see distrust and feel derision. At each struggle point, describe a stated Maga Policy objective or Plan, such as ones that allow too young children to overwork or marry, ones that remove America from International Unity Organisations, or that restrict particular freedoms/ safeguards / rights etc.
On the Democracy path, its brighter, greener, more diverse, alive, well, accepting, clear, happy, tolerant safe and getting easier and with support when theres a bump. Theres more social supports, less guns, more health care, consumer protections, safeguards etc. That kind of imagery, side by side. Maybe less o these concepts to keep it simpler. Another idea is using AI. An image of a difficult pregnancy outcome due to a fear medical practitioner, of teaching children a dumb Maga rule or having less books, history and losing good teachers etc. An image of a future thats like the wild west but worse. An image of a dictatorship where children are indoctrinated in one faith in a public school or learn to fear diversity.
Im just brainstorming here and its all from an outsider's point of view. I particularly like facts and real out there reported on political ambitions, on the record statements set alongside charts images contrasts etc. I like the idea of compare and contrast with other Countries like Australia or Netherlands. Or between States. Between Parties. Which party has the most proven historical corruption, crime or lies. Which has policys that detract from freedoms, tax collections, fom health and welfare. OR...Which dont detract but boost and regulate fairly. Which States has the highest crime/death by gun. Greatest death/injury of women or children due to policy driven loss of reproductive freedoms. Which has the most violence against women, minorities etc. Try to focus on future scenarios, children, women, health and wealth opportunities as well as rights and well designed checks and balances. Show an imagined image of a child's future under each political side with quotes, policies, statistics and comments. A child in school, a child fearing violence, a teen fearing pregnancy, fearing police etc. How happy are they, how diverse are they allowed to be, how healthy, how safe, how evolved. Be upfront and in-the-face about condeming any election thuggery or trickery using creative logistic put-downs. Its interesting how ex-Republicans are more direct, damning, loud and intense over any Maga Republican infraction or community betrayal. Radically so. Ex Republicans must feel the most betrayed and disenfranchised. They do great videos and presentations to show the differences, the significance and the realities. Democrats need to take more pages from their methodology and enlist more of their passion.
I suggest these ideas as an outsider from a not perfect Country, with no perfect political party in charge but in terms of pretty good current citizen's rights and welfare. I have travelled to nearly 35 countries and spent nearly a year driving around your amazing Country by myself. I truly loved your scenery and many people were really nice, BUT it was eye opening just in my first week alone. I travelled around 50-60ks everywhere, mainly keeping to natural scenery and a few main cities. I really want your democracy to stay hardy and healthy. I worry about keeping as many reasonable political democratic practices worldwide aspossible, certainly in the strong majority and especially maintaining vital large powerful democracies like the USA and Europe. I fear the ripple effect of another Trump Presidenc, especially as a parent and grandparent. We have international risks and threats here so I worry about greater world wellbeing, i fear increasing political trickery and heightened violence due to extreme inequality, ignorance and/or negative discriminations. I often try to inject more discussions about international and national democracy as a vital endangered species worthy of overt interest and protection, within my social circle and within my political governing party.
In my opinion, not enough is discussed about your Education System. Public education, organizations, utilities, infrastructure, defence and social /consumer supports should remain at a highest priorty. It saves money long term and aids community positives and future wellbeing. Any motivated community needs a healthy mix of public and private systems with clear concise essential Checks and Balances. Its costly, but helps sustain citizen lives at a reasonable level, to learn, feel safe and evolve. All this crucially involves environmental/infrastructure safeguards, citizen involvement and pre-planned planet health planning. Good governance saves money and lives and requires professionalism, good intentions, honesty, clarity and care. Private enterprises will only give people those things at a reasonable level IF they are checked and regulated. Human and environmental stuctural health comes with well targeted, widely considered investment.
Sorry if I am rambling but sometimes it just seems like commonsense that a good lawmaker would start with individual / family health, opportunity, environment, multiple protections and especially education and schooling. Good schooling is THE start to move people from ignorance and cults. From mistrust and prejudice to tolerance and trust. For example, don't replace good public schools with charter schools that can fold as you walk to school. Dont lose your public health care. Maintain your banking regulations. etc. Basic human rights and needs must have a healthy mix of public and private and its NOT socialism, its practical, creates healthy diversity and opportunity and just makes sense.
Where I live I don't fear leaving my home, my family has been well supported through a multitude of common misfortunes and now my children work with good pay or run a small highly successful busines with several staff. I have been able to use real estate laws to increase my wealth. As is also common, we are suffering global weather problems, some increasing wealth/business inequity, increasing citizen bigotry, lots of housing/rental shortages. Increased violence and bigotry and economic fear rarely stays within borders and Ive noticed our Political Right have developed more unworthy scarey political tricks and more dishonest governing and election practices, much of it I suspect from watching Trump & Co or seeing an increase in malpractice from larger and more wordly sophisticated right wing political/social/private groups. .
I think our political system has less flaws than US. Less relying on trusting ethics and handshakes and more on written regulations. We are required to engage and vote for which I am truly greatful. Our election cycle are less, less often and take up less time and its easy to vote. We have generally great employment/banking/private enterprise safeguards, lots of public holidays and time off work rights so people can have more quality time to recreat and reflect. Our Councils must enforce a certain level of greenery, services, transport and public infrastructure per square mile. Experts, like judges, senior officials and enforcers generally install experts, like judges, senior officials and enforcers etc. I, and my family, have been generally very safe, content, aware and involved. Our economy is doing well and we dealt with the Covid crises really well. My community only had to be confined a few weeks in total as we closed our State border very effectively, and there was very little rejection of masks and vaccines. All that helped us get through relatively unscathed. A happy safe healthy involved educatedcommunity cares about a happy, safe, healthy, involved educated community.

So in my opinion, get those slogans and symbols and images out there to show the compare and contrasts. the futures and the risks. Put them wherever you can as you know the Maga Right Wing will be everywhere as well. In librarys, school meeting, waiting rooms, gardens, public spaces, t-shirts, on cars, through dialogue and suggestions without obvious overt judgement and criticism. Aim for communities that can benefit from such compare and contrast messages. Seems people in America want to vote their rights away, not the reverse. And maybe, some subtle psych or slight angst or controlled resentment wouldn't hurt as well. Not down and dirty tactics, Not untruths, Not preaching or with pushy entitlement, but using creative considerate data driven, simple clear proven imagined realities that voters could face or should reflect on at the ballot box as they vote. They need to be invested in how their vote counts.

As usually this took so long and I rambled. I doubt anyone will read it now. Still I hope it helps. I love your country and want democracy to succeed. I hope it wasnt too preachy. I just wish others could have the same benefits that I have. I was a long term single parent, Ive been disabled. Ive lived on below poverty income line and been overwhelmed just like many others. Ive had to support children and aged parents and even an ill ex-partner/ father of my children. Ive been a long term student, a traveller and I now have a home, safety and grateful contentment or a viable pension with great health care choices. . There always been a reasonable baseline of help and support so that my family thrived, paid a fair share of replenishment taxes, formed helpful social support groups, got involved in protests, politics and have enjoyed well supported schools and have predominantly safe spaces around me and throughout my Country. We have a great majority public/worker focused Left wing Political Party, State and Federal wide. .From what I saw as I travelled around the World, Australians really are doing well. But we have a small population, so we really need you larger democracies to stay sustainable overall and internationally involved. We really need less global racism, more savvy political safe and fair citizenship ideology, extra increased democracy defence and less angsty violent tendencies to ripply our way. Should we fear immigration more than greedy wealthy politically motivated elites. In other words, the more the merrier of democracy. enthusiasts, more Rinos, more MSNBC, more public funded radio and tv stations, more Meidas Touch, Brian Tyler, Marc Elias, Obamas and the list goes on. Thank you all of you. All that can only help sway your Country back to the norm, nice and nurturing. I and my friends are watching and thankful to those who are keeping the democratic community care pendulum balanced and fair.
Please excuse any poor sentence structure or spelling mistakes. My eyesight isn't the greatest.
i hope I made some sense, gave some ideas in that ramble.Everyone loves children. Focus on the children;s future and real public education benefits and citizen protections that usually occurs within a fair democracy under democrats. Use stark realistic true compare and contrast.worlds. Spread the word on differences and risks. .

[MyNameIsJonas]

14. This is largely untrue.

Democrats have supported flawed candidates before. The current candidate obviously has his flaws that a lot of the base swallowed to get Trump out in 2020.

Democrats also easily supported Bill Clinton, who was often reckless with his personal life and consistently pushing back against allegations that would have torpedoed some candidates.

It just depends on the Democrat and the opponent. Biden was not some great communicator who didn't enter the 2020 with some MAJOR questions about his progressive bona-fides but Democrats rallied around him just the same because they knew they had to beat Trump.

A lot of voters voted for Biden because he was the anti-Trump. That's it.

[Pototan]

18. Every candidate is flawed to some extent

since no one is perfect. My point was that Democrats have a much lower threshold for bad behavior than the new Trump Cult Republicans. Could a Democrat who is facing 91 indictments and been convicted in a civil trial for sexual assault and in another for fraud lead the primary by 50 points? That's not a political party. that's a cult and that's my point.

[MyNameIsJonas]

20. I don't know.

I would hope not but I also know there's currently a sitting senator from New Jersey who has won despite previous indictments and is still in the senate despite even more.

It's not quite the same but it shows that Democrats can put aside things like that and continue to support an unethical guy.

[Arthur_Frain]

16. Turns out we have a lot of single issue voters on our side too.

For decades the conservatives were incredibly good at sewing together a message that unified all of the single issue voters their side had. Be it anti abortion/homosexuals/semite I was always amazed at the degree of lockstep their side managed to vote in.

We never could message effectively to unify the diverse elements in the liberal population. In fact, I’d argue that some of our messaging was so incredibly stupid, (“defund the police” anyone?) that our poking fun at conservatives for generally being dumber than a box of rocks (Jewish space lasers, Guam might tip over if too many people go there) might turn out to be our projective hubris.

Look at the vitriol and inflexibility displayed right here on this board with respect to Middle East events in the last month. If the perception is our candidate doesn’t care enough about one side, that’s going to affect votes for our side.

Is it that democrats are at a disadvantage? Or is it that cults inherently gain an advantage through their nature? How durable is that advantage? We’re all here hoping that the blush is off the rose with enough of his cult members that he won’t prevail again. Gas prices are down, we’re not losing active service members in a hot war, the economy is trucking along, I should feel more hopeful than I do, but I don’t.

There’s a ton of stuff that realistically I can have no influence on. But I can shovel my neighbors walk. If nothing else it helps me reset. I imagine the outcome of some current legal trials will be such that I might be shoveling most of the block this winter.

[Martin Eden]

17. How many voters who care about the issues cited in the OP

Will vote for a Republican in the general election if they don't get everything they want from the Democratic candidate?

They get ZERO from the Republican Party. If they really care about issues they will vote, but they might vote 3rd party and therein lies the advantage of the Cult party.

But elections are often won by swinging voters who are in neither camp. Not everyone who has voted Republican in the last elections are in that cult.

Republicans have an advantage among swing voters because of a double standard in the mainstream media and a less than responsible approach to educating their audience.

Two cases in point:

Only 3 years separate the ages of Biden and Trump, yet Biden's age and mental fitness is portrayed as more conerning. Any little slip is widely reported, yet Trump's frequent breaks with reality and unhinged rants have essentially been normalized. No longer newsworthy, at least not enough to change public perception as to whose mental state should be of greater concern.

On the economy by every objective measure President Biden has done a fantastic job, with results directly attributable to legislation he championed. Trump couldn't match those numbers even before the pandemic. His signature legislative victory was a major tax cut which overwhelmingly favored the rich and drove up budget deficits, but public perception -- which greatly influences election outcomes -- is that Trump is much better on the economy.

Trump's incessant lies echoed by his party and the complicit "conservative" media push the overall needle rightward, whereas Democrats hold themselves to a higher standard of truthfulness.

Another disadvantage for Democrats is the agressive gerrymandering (primarily affecting House races) and voter suppression (also impacting the presidential election) by red state governments, some of which were key swing states won by Biden in 2020. The BIG LIE of that election being stolen has been used as justification for Republican efforts -- in the cause of "election integrity" -- to steal the 2024 election.

It's not an even playing field, not even close, for all those reasons.

Yet we must overcome those disadvantages, or we may soon be talking about American democracy in the past tense.

[BannonsLiver]

19. They line up and vote no matter what even when they don't like their candidates

Meanwhile, we’re over here having inane debates about whether it’s okay to make weight jokes about trump.

[DFW]

21. When I think "flawed candidate," I do NOT think of Al Franken

First of all, there is the fact that Al was never a presidential candidate in the first place--and nor did he express any interest in being one. He was judged guilty for something a Republican scam artist dreamed up. I find his fellow Senators who rushed to (their faulty) judgment to have been the "flawed" candidates, including not just Gillibrand, but also Sanders, Warren, Booker and Harris. Obviously, I would have supported our ticket no matter what, but I was very relieved when we put forth a far better person to sit in the Oval Office.

If our Unions, farmers, ethnic groups (even white evangelicals, if sincere in their beliefs, which obviously many are not), social minorities, ethnic minorities, etc. haven't figured out by now that just about the only ones who would profit from a Republican victory are polluters, tax evaders, religious scammers and arms manufacturers, then, as Joseph de Maistre said, "Every country has the government it deserves."

Of course, never forget what Winston Churchill said, either: "The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter." I see so many brief TV interviews with "average" American voters that prove Sir Winston right, it is sometimes easy to forget that 8 million more of us voted against Trump than voted for him last time. But they did, so we should NOT forget that.