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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMoving center-right for the Democrats is a failed strategy.
For many here, the Democratic party has done exactly what you suggested. Run center-right Dems in red states. Run away from the Liberal/Progressive platform and name. Run against Obama (and Clinton when he was president). Appeal to moderates and independents and ignore the Democratic base entirely.
They've done exactly what you've prescribed and look at the map. Look at the results that you're getting. The people in the red states are not as different than the people in the blue states. They want a positive vision of the future for themselves and their families. They want to know how to feed their family. They want jobs that pay better than minimum wage. They want to know how to compete in a global marketplace.
They're not hearing that from the Dems. All that they hear is, "I'm not Obama", "I'm pro-gun", "I'm pro dirty energy", etc. etc. etc.
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Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)
Yavin4
(35,437 posts)It's like asking someone out on a date and saying, "hey, I'm not as bad as Charles Manson".
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)Disgusting cronyism.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)projectile vomit for hours. And the worst part of it is that for once the Chimperor spoke the 100% truth.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)Who defends her to the death with 50 posts a thread and refuses to accept this truth. She called everyone misogynists for suggesting that if Bill Clinton is considered family by the Bushes than she is too. Troll.
Populist_Prole
(5,364 posts)Unfortunately, for the group/system that has painted itself into a corner by making a deal with the Wall St devil; it's about the only way they can govern. Basically being republicans economically while throwing some BS social issue crumbs.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)and saying, in essence, "me too" is a recipe for failure as has been proved ever since Harry Truman pointed the fact out back in the 1940s. Yet some never learn.
K&R
Yavin4
(35,437 posts)platform for governing.
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)with more of this nonsense.
Say you're a Democrat running in a state that loves its women but think they have enough rights an' stuf, doesn't think much of its black folks or immigrants, loves its cops and guns but hates abortion, thinks the military is just the life with the more wars the better, but the schools have too much science and too little God.
Your boss is far more interested in your welfare than any old union or the gummint. And don't even think about rights for homosexuals...
So, just how would you campaign on your progressive values?
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)My question is just how does someone running there deal with it?
It's easy to make blanket declarations when you don't have to live with them yourself.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)You made the example, let's see how you stand with it.
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)how you propose to run such a progressive campaign in such an area.
Me, I really don't know what I would do in such an imaginary situation -- far too many details are missing. But I'm sure I wouldn't do well coming off as a NYC liberal.
Those who have run have made their choices and I suspect they lost because they were still too far to the left for their voters.
So, I suppose the glib answer is that since an artificial rightwinger is a loser, why not go all the way and lose even bigger as a lefty. At least it would be an honest loss.
(But still a loss.)
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)Are your values sound? Are they good?
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)and they cast the votes.
Yavin4
(35,437 posts)Over time, people will come to your way of thinking. Will it happen in 2015? 16? 17? Probably not, but it can happen in the 2020s and beyond.
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)few years to get that foot in the door?
Or, will attitudes magically change all by themselves?
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)Constantly ceding ground to the Republicans just helps the republicans win. Agreeing with the republicans that liberlaism is bad makes conservativism stronger.
The only way to change, is to aggressively, assertively be liberal. Demand lineral candidates. Demand liberal policies. Showcase them. Advocate them. Push them.
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)there's a big difference. Stand up every time a school board insists on teaching creation "science", have a voice at every town hall meeting that endorses some sort of discrimination or segregation...
It's hard work and doesn't stop when an election is over.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)And the votes of those who love them? Why is it, in your plan, the idea is to try to get the votes of the bigots, the anti gay, the misogynists? People who don't want women to have rights do not love women, they hate them. How about going for the votes of those women? Women, blacks, gays and immigrants can and do vote. None of us are going to vote for your right wing Republican stand in. And I would exit a Party that played those games. Swiftly.
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)countering the simplistic thinking that somehow we can miraculously win elections by being ourselves.
Sure, there are groups we can attract everywhere, but the reality is that within each election district, state, or whatever the candidates have to do the counts and work on realistic expectations of who will vote and why.
That is all.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)When liberal ideas are presented in polls.... like say the individual tenants of the ACA, a majority loves them.
HOW a message is presented is key.
Howard Dean was destroyed merely because of HOW an expression of enthusiasm was presented.
The right does so well because of the media.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)"Every working person deserves to be paid a livable wage"
"The police need to be protected while they do their job of PROTECTING US"
"I support the constitution including the second amendment".
" Schools are where children learn life skills, and children should learn their religious values at home".
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)that's all I ask.
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)I ask you to prove your point and you ask me for money to do it
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)Vincardog
(20,234 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)Nobody is going to follow a libertarian agenda - despite best efforts here to get us to do just that. They are laughable posters not to be taken seriously imo.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)We were great as "not a Republican" to win but that lasts only so long. And our leadership acts Republican anyway. Hillary is. .01% sell out. And this just pushes the fringe on the right further right into crazyland because they need to distinguish themselves from their cultural opposites.
WorseBeforeBetter
(11,441 posts)He's America's problem now. Kay Hagan promoted her Sensible Centrism every chance she got, but it didn't work out too well, eh? Just ONCE I wanted to hear her say she's a "proud Democrat" and list positive accomplishments of the Democratic Party. Rather than stay silent on Obamacare, she could have come out swinging by saying something like "look, I know many of you don't like Obamacare, however... (NC losing out on jobs)... (X number insured)... (NC tax dollars going to other states)... etc."
And the ads sucked. Attacking the Koch Brothers and going negative with the "War on Women" were big losers.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)Unless you're talking personal finances maybe....
(theirs, not yours)
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)Bingo. The corporatists have been very good to the sell-out "Democrats" who now pimp corporate agendas.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)... with the failed policies of the center-right.
sadoldgirl
(3,431 posts)How do you bring your message out to the people is very important.
Obviously the very fighting attitude of Sen. Warren seems to strike
a chord. A defensive stance from the beginning puts you back.
If people get clear and simple messages from some authentic
and enthusiastic candidate, they will respond much more than
listening to a long wish list or even recitals of accomplishments.
At least that is how I see it.Populism is not dead yet.
aspirant
(3,533 posts)The southern repubs ran on "I'm not Obama". What else did they campaign on? It's important to point out your principles, but you must also point out your opponent's weaknesses. If you say, I'm for expanding SS and then say this repub wants to kill SS and have grandma eating dog food, it makes a clear distinction.
You saw Obama's team in the last presidential election came right out of the box and define Romney as a greedy crook that spat on the American worker. Romney never recovered. The question is where were all these attack-hound advisers in 2014?
Repub-like will always put us on the defense and we can't win unless we score on the offense
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)closeupready
(29,503 posts)That is, it kind of sounds like something reasonable and practical, but is just a way of giving the 1% exactly what they want, but in a slower way than Republicans.
They play us for fools, and then people get demoralized, and don't show up to vote, since it feels like voting for either party will harm your interests in both cases.
We need to get the legalized bribery out of politics.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)more honest fascists is how fast they will boil the frogs in the pot - namely the rest of us.
Populist_Prole
(5,364 posts)Best and yet most condensed I seen. 
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)To raise the minimum wage, get health care for all, more jobs such as repairing our infrastructure. I am not a demanding type and have mixed emotions on subjects such as KXL. I do hear interesting issues being discussed and have never had to have items on the ballot or being "promised" by candidates to encourage me to vote. This is a part every eligible voter should take very seriously on every election. If we don't vote we can not expect anything to get better or changed, the excitement has to come from within and for the fact people have lost their lives getting the right to vote for all.
Valhallakey
(70 posts)32% in the last election? A lot of talk here is aimed at the prospect of winning an election where the presumed vote is the vast majority of the people in the state. However you don't really need to win 50+% of the states potential voters you only need to win 50+% of the people who actually get out and vote. If you can motivate that subset of people to get out and vote you can win. Being Republican light is not a motivator as has been clearly demonstrated over and over. Hopefully Democrats or... someone will learn this lesson.
