Where should the Democratic Party go from here?

[kentuck]

This is just my opinion, but I think we need new leadership across the board. We have a lot of great young leaders that should step up to the challenge.

Also, this is not the time for "bi-partisanship". This is a time to defend our democracy and our Constitution. We should use the First Amendment to expose and tell the truth about these authoritarian charlatans at every opportunity. This is a time to fight, not a time for appeasement.

Donald Trump is still a liar, a grifter, and a criminal that cares about no one except himself. The election did not change that illuminating fact.

In my opinion, Democrats should be more involved in telling the people the truth about these transition nominees that Trump has put forth. This is no time for silence or agreement.

Democrats should criticize the corporate media for paying off the threats with which Trump has extorted them. They are not for the American people. They should be ostracized and boycotted, in my opinion. We do not need such spineless characters giving us the "news". Let them get into another line of work.

Bottom line: Democrats need to be the opposition Party. We cannot sit back and wait for them to destroy themselves. It may be too costly.

We need designated spokespeople to go on line, and on television, and define this Administration and their actions and consequences. Just as they need to be in front of the cameras on the floor of the House and Senate, like Newt Gingrich in the '90's.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is said to be the meaning of "insanity".

We need to return to sanity.

[Think. Again.]

1. Great post, thanks...

See also this...

https://democraticunderground.com/10143357300

[Clouds Passing]

2. Democrats need to go full on Progressive Democratic Socialism like Europe.

NeoLiberalism is not working for the Dems and the 99%. Joe didn’t have long enough and did not have a full Democratic majority to enact FDR type policies. He would have.

[Walleye]

6. You really think this is the way to win after this last election. Policies don't get votes.

We are running against an entire party of con men. The majority of the voters have no idea what neo liberalism and progressive ism means.

[Clouds Passing]

40. True.

And plus we won’t have to vote anymore

[Walleye]

41. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, well maybe I won't live that long. I'll be 76 in a month.

[Clouds Passing]

42. What a strange decade it has been

[Walleye]

43. Certainly has spoiled my retirement fun

[Clouds Passing]

44. And mine

We need to honor each other and live the best we are able.

[Oneear]

3. People Need to check if Palm Beach FL

The water Lines running to Mar-a-Lago have Lead Water Pipes, and the Building has Lead Water Pipes EPA.gov lead

[Lulu KC]

45. Not seeing the connection to this topic

but it would explain a lot!

[Walleye]

4. We need to emphasize loyalty to the United States and the constitution.

Maybe we need to do podcast to explain what the constitution says. Apparently many people who take an oath to it don’t even know what it says. We have to keep emphasizing the basics. Equality under the law, job security, intelligence and competence in office. Sane and worldwide foreign policy, where we support our allies and don’t support our enemies.

[kentuck]

7. I agree.

We need a nationwide education campaign to educate the people on our Constitution.

[Walleye]

12. I believe it is the most important thing we could do.Economic numbers are always being twisted by scam artists

The constitution should be our Northstar

[CrispyQ]

18. Thom Hartmann has an excellent comic-style book about our nation's beginning & the threats it's faced & faces now.

It was written during the Bush years & the Patriot Act, but it's even more applicable today. He shows that we've been down this road before, once soon after the Revolutionary War. He goes into how We the People's power has been usurped by the corporations since the 1880s. Hartmann points out how corporations are artificial entities with Constitutional rights but they don't need things like clean air & water & healthcare & food. It's a good primer on a few topics & a very quick read. It should be in elementary schools.

https://www.amazon.com/We-People-America-Hartmann-Paperback/dp/B008AUBVCI/ref=sr_1_2

And here's an interesting timeline of people power vs corporate power. A visual of when people gained & lost rights vs the corporations. People need to learn the difference between shareholder rights & stakeholder rights. Right now, corporations are only beholden to their shareholders, & not at all to the people affected by their policies & actions. WTF?

https://reclaimdemocracy.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/personhood_timeline.pdf

I wish Hartmann would write another comic-style book on SCOTUS. Maybe he & Senator Whitehouse could collaborate.

[Walleye]

22. Sounds good, thanks. Definitely needs an update.

I think we are sailing into the infamous uncharted waters

[Johonny]

5. As the oligarchs take over the government

The public will become more and more angry at them when it is clear they are really in charge. In otherwords, the democrats should move from attacking the GOP to channeling the anti-oligarch movement that is likely to sweep the nation the next 4 years.

[kentuck]

13. Good idea.

If we can separate the battle from Dems vs Repubs, it is to our advantage. They close their minds to criticism of any and every sort that might mention Trump or Republicans specifically.

[Walleye]

23. I don't know, humanity versus the Covid virus became Dems versus Republicans

[kentuck]

31. Trump likes division...

No doubt about it.

[CrispyQ]

20. As long as dems need big money to get elected & re-elected we're kind of screwed.

Money in politics is the biggest reason we don't have a representative government. Our electoral process is an industry that a ton of people profit from, including our senators & reps. It's obscene & disgusting. Years before Citizens United there was a bumper sticker, WE HAVE THE BEST DEMOCRACY MONEY CAN BUY. It's even more true today.

[Johonny]

36. I think the logic goes like

Musk is taking a real active role in Hungergames 1.0 The GOP is really happy to let him be the face of it. (I wonder why?)

Musk and a few select oligarchs are very likely to be hated, hated by 2028. The democrats should not hesitate to shit on them. Much like Health Care executive, you will find a lot of cross political spectrum dislike for them.

There are still a lot of faceless oligarchs that don't want to be lynch in public. Musk however seem too stupid to understand why he is getting this great opportunity to be hated, absolutely hated.

[sop]

8. Agree.

Party leaders should also review President Franklin Roosevelt’s 1944 State of the Union message calling for an Economic Bill of Rights for All Americans.

https://www.ushistory.org/documents/economic_bill_of_rights.htm?srsltid=AfmBOorggvdgn_KwJxHSwl2PxmppHXpY9R0EvR9VRYFJ2EeW6fJQwEdv

[Autumn]

9. We need new, younger leadership, people who have skin in the game.

They need to move to where the younger people are.

[Magoo48]

17. Yes, young progressives. And, stop casting them with the worn out old molds.

Let them find their way. Share your experience; don’t tell them how to do it.

[Walleye]

24. The young people have to step up, it's not our job to push them into it

If they want to take charge of the party, they just have to do it and quit talking about it. Power is never given

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

10. To the libraries and brush up on Jim Crow era politics.

Because that's what's coming down the pike. GOP + Southern strategy = Trump.

[lees1975]

14. You've made some good points.

The party needs to unite and get over it and be the strongest opposition party possible. We are the minority party now, but we are a bit larger than the GOP minority that stopped a lot of what Biden wanted to do. That needs to be ground zero. Do we really believe all that rhetoric about this being the most consequential election of our lifetime, and that Trump is an existential threat to Democracy? Then we have to stop with the foolish protocols they've ignored for decades and do what we think is best. They killed statesmanship, it's dead and this is the way things are. So we need to get with it and we need leadership who is willing and able to do that.

We absolutely must find a way to land out message on as many ears as possible. That's also a priority, and if that means finding some of our bigger donors to gain market share control of a television network and turn it into the anti-Fox, or build outlets of our own, we can't let that go with Trump trying to shut every opposing voice down.

And here's the advantage we have. This guy can't function in a position like this. He's already losing support from the parade of deplorables he is nominating for his cabinet. He never convinced a majority of American voters he's the guy for the job and that will continue to deteriorate once again, especially now that he is aged and senile. He has a knack for activating apathetic people to oppose him and it won't take long. So instead of sitting back and enjoying what perks we still have left, Democrats need to gear up campaigns for mid-term seats and start the election campaign rolling NOW! Target senators we want to see gone, start raising the money and get with it.

[kentuck]

16. I think there should be a new program called "The FOX Monitor".

They should come on daily at prime time.

And they should monitor the lies and partisan propaganda that many people are missing. They need to understand that FOX is not part of the media, they are part of the Republican Party's propaganda machine.

And they should be reported on as the enemy of the truth.

[Blue_Tires]

15. I'm not allowed to say lest I get banned

[Emile]

19. Left

[usonian]

21. Dear Kentuck. A comment and a suggestion.

First, that idiot (not you) "definition" of insanity is crap..
I explain rather fully here:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19643403

Second, the party is basically leaderless between elections.
It needs a fairly permanent and powerful "machine" to get out the word.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219825280

[Ol Janx Spirit]

25. It is exhausting

to feel like the 'good guy' that is always there to help the love of our life recover from her bad choices in partners--only to see it happen again and again. She falls for the deregulation; the trickle-down economics; the prejudice; the fantasy that selfishness is a virtue; the macho bluster time after time. We barely get her life back on track--never having time to actually show her why WE are the better choice--before she runs off into the arms of another idiot.... And we have no choice but to always be there for her--because the alternative is so much worse. This patently self-absorbed lover will be the worst yet in my political lifetime--since about 1980 and the Reagan Revolution. Just because she often fails to see what we do to help her does not mean we should stop doing that and find our own version of 'bad guy' to play. Democrats do need new leadership--leadership that can do a much better job of communicating our values while laying out an understandable message of 'if and when they fail you on this; we will do that.' There is a reason that when people are asked--and it is worthwhile to try this in your own world with the people around you--about the policies Democrats support they are popular; yet when it comes to voting for them they often seem to fall flat. This is the actual code that must be cracked. We are up against human nature in many respects it would appear, but we have to find better ways to break through the noise lest we end up the good guy that always finishes last....

[PennRalphie]

26. Senator Fetterman

It’s a choice. Do you want to win elections? Senator Fetterman wants to win elections.

[Celerity]

37. turning semi pro MAGA is not the way to win elections

He signed up on Trump's Truth Social and with his first post said Trump's NY prosecution was political and called for Trump to be pardoned:

https://truthsocial.com/@JohnFetterman/posts/113631217394443297

[jalan48]

27. We need to reach out to uncommitted Oligarchs and get them on our side.

It's our new system of governance, and we need to get with the times.

[Beringia]

38. That sounds like a joke, oligarchs want tax cuts and numbero Uno

[jalan48]

39. If we are willing to give up progressive economic policies to get progressive social policies it could work.

I don't think it's a good idea but I'm sure there are Democrats that do.

[delisen]

28. A leader is someone who steps in front of a parade

Meaning we the people must think,
speak, demand, organize and act.
There will then be no shortage of leaders competing to lead our parade.

[uponit7771]

29. 100% a better amplification network, ""RETAIL** voters SHOULD know how tarrifs affect them but didn't

[AllaN01Bear]

30. all the core values of the democratic party, nothing else.

[usaf-vet]

32. At least take these few things into consideration. At 77 I'm tired of hearing what we should do from the same people....

.... that have been leading us to losing twice to Trump's lies. We need a new direction with new idea leaders.

We need the likes and ideas of Jamie Raskin and AOC, Jasmine Crockett, and Eric Swalwell, to name a few.


https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1322&pid=52830

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1322&pid=52833

[Initech]

33. We need to start by taking back the media.

The GOP practically has a damn monopoly on everything - social media, cable news, print media - all of it. And they also have someone to blame when things go wrong. Let's work to change that.

[kentuck]

34. The GOP got the media on their side by calling them the "liberal" media...

Democrats tried to make the media their friend. They should not view them as a friend but as an adversary in the battle for truth and facts.

It was a mistake to think the media was our friend, in my opinion.

We now see many of them for what they were all along, tools of the right wing of this country.

[Initech]

35. I keep saying, I knew something was wrong when the nation's two largest newspapers...

The LA Times and Washington Post - neither one - declined to endorse Kamala because their billionaire criminal owners blocked them from it. That's when I knew that something was totally fucked up with the election.

[Greybnk48]

46. Agree 100%. PLUS, one or two Democrats, hopefully Kamala is one of them, should declare their canidacy

for President in the next election and start campaigning in February, holding rallies and demanding coverage. Just like fat bastard did four years ago.
Just campaign the who time orange fat bastard is in office. ALSO, start going after JD Vance. He's dangerous.