Trying to win over Republicans is a bad strategy

[Willie Pep]

Following Gianforte's win I notice a lot of people writing about cuts to social programs like Medicare and how this will hurt Republican voters thus showing how deluded and stupid these voters are. But are less affluent people really voting for the GOP in huge numbers? My understanding is that the GOP's voter base is still more affluent than that of the Democrats and so pointing out the awfulness of GOP economic policy in order to win over Republicans seems like a lost cause to me. Many Republicans probably won't be directly hurt by cuts to Medicare and other social programs and they will be happy to see these cuts happen as long as they get tax cuts. It seems to me that Democrats need to do more to get out the vote among less affluent people who often don't vote as opposed to trying to win over Republicans.

[applegrove]

1. It is an excellent strategy. We have woken up a few million. Time to wake up

more.

[angstlessk]

2. Well, the 'base' is base...the racists etc...but you are correct...however

his promises to the rich folk may fall as flat as those to the dupes?

Time will tell.

[Willie Pep]

6. The hardcore racist part of the base was never winnable either.

The Republican base includes racists for sure, but it also includes affluent "broken glass" Republicans who will vote GOP no matter what. Not to bring up anecdotes but I know a few people like that, people who didn't like Trump and his crazier rhetoric but voted for him anyway because tax cuts are their number one issue. But you rarely hear about people like that, instead the meme is that Republican voters are all stupid, poor hillbillies. I don't think that is entirely accurate. If I remember correctly Trump's core supporters made a little over 70K household income which is higher than the median.

I think the only winnable Republican voters are the swing voters and fence sitters, the kind of people who may have voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 but voted for Trump in 2016 because they liked what he said about trade or they fell for the narrative that Hillary was corrupt because of the "both sides are equally bad" nature of media reporting.

[angstlessk]

8. You are correct...the Bernie or bust...who got busted with trump..my husband's sister

who is black LOVED Bernie, and voted for trump...I never got the connection, except it wasn't Hillary?

And those who expect huge tax breaks and racists...PLUS the russian invasion via cyber attacks.

[Warpy]

3. It's a failed strategy that the party has pursued for far too long

because given a choice between GOP lite and GOP, voters will go for the real thing because they know he's not lying.

What the party needs to do is try to motivate its own people. GOP lite isn't going to do that, either.

[Hoyt]

4. Many other GOPers aren't wealthy, yet they are so vile they don't want one nickel going to help

poor people if it means helping "minorities."

[Me.]

5. Rahm Was All For That Strategy When He Was In Charge

Recruiting blue dogs right and left. pushing popular progressives out of the way. Blue dogs that were eventually voted out or lost initially. We'd be in better shape now if it wasn't for him.

[beachbum bob]

7. Hardcore conservatives never change and are easily defeated when

Democrats get off their asses and vote...we are a big tent party and imposing litmus test....obedience is not what we do...we preach tolerance and we ourselves must have tolerance for all democrats and their beliefs....otherwise we are just a version of conservative assholes