Jeff Greenfield had an interesting article in Politico.

[Tomconroy]

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/07/11/democrats-trapped-republicans-bend-rules-498854

A few of his points:
1. The 2020 election was much closer than we like to acknowledge. The 7 million votes Biden won by all came from California and New York. The margin that mattered in the electoral college numbered in the thousands.
2. Economic fairness is the raison d'etre for the Democratic Party. A fairer tax system and the benefits of the stimulus program and infrastructure are the winning issues and the program to run on.
3. Issues that have no chance of passage like expanding the Supreme Court, voting rights bills that may be unconstitutional are not going to get Democrats elected. An issue like refund the police is going to get Republicans elected.

Social progress only happens when large Democratic majorities are elected. For that to happen Democrats need to win elections.

[comradebillyboy]

1. He's right. Joe Biden knows this as well. Which is why he isn't

spending time fighting battles he can't win. Politics is the art of the possible and Joe is very good at politics.

[Indykatie]

2. Smart Politicians Like Biden Know You Need Independents and Centrists to Win the White House.

He was smart to disregard calls to move further left in the campaign. Moving further left doesn't capture new voters when you get to the General.. The Electoral College sucks but it's rule we have to play by.

[lagomorph777]

5. Moving to the right doesn't capture voters on the right. They are permatrumpers.

...and there is no such thing as a centrist anymore.

Yes, economic issues are very important.

But if we don't protect elections and voters, it's all for naught. Election protection is not a leftist issue. It's a life or death issue.

[pnwmom]

3. I hate it when people disparage Biden's win by saying things like his margin

all came from 2 states. The 7 million votes came from any number of states. CA has enough land mass to encompass at least half a dozen east coast states, but it's more shocking to pretend one or two states provided most of Biden's lead.

[Tomconroy]

6. The Democrats will probably never again lose

The popular vote in a presidential election. But we probably will lose presidential elections. The electoral college is the only vote that matters. And I find the margins on the states that determined the outcome to be pretty scary.

[lagomorph777]

4. Item 3 is a straight up invitation to catastrophe.

Failing to stop the voter repression surge will get Reptilians elected. Forever. With no recourse.



Greenfield seriously thinks we should not address voting rights? That's right-wing insanity.

And yes, expanding SCROTUS is essential to protecting voters. It is not optional.

[Tomconroy]

7. I don't think he is saying voting rights don't matter.

I think he is saying that the votes aren't there to pass it and as an issue it doesn't have the appeal that economic fairness does.

[lagomorph777]

8. "Appeal?" That is not the point. It's not just another issue.

It's not whether voters get excited about it. It's whether anybody gets to vote at all.