Dem Voter Confidence Is Misplaced

[magicnpoetry]

As I’ve said before, we all know that Donald Trump is a cartoon. But it feels like Democrats are overly confident in this election because of that. Dr. Lara Brown, the Director of the Political Management Program at George Washington University, said recently that American voters feel that both candidates, including Hillary Clinton, lack honesty and trustworthiness. What’s troubling for Democrats is our inability to see this or at least see it as a threat.

However, we are living in a political climate where Brexit passed in the UK, Bernie Sanders, a self proclaimed socialist nearly won the nomination and where a candidate as poorly qualified as Donald Trump can ascend to the Republican nomination. These facts should be seen as warnings, not a clear path to the goal.

We Democrats are missing some important narratives: even though the email story seems dumb and manufactured, big data breaches make Americans feel unsafe because they make the news, seem dangerous and are on the rise, so when a candidate is associated with one, right or wrong, subconsciously Americans feel that. It doesn’t matter what actually happened, if it made people feel unsafe. The logical Democrat is failing to understand that not everyone who votes is logical.

Most importantly, and I’ve had so many petulant liberals fight me hard on this, Democrats must start taking the high road, promoting Hillary and stop bashing Trump. When we bash Trump, we make him the story, we add nothing to this insatiable black hole of a topic and we neglect to show the positive qualities Hillary Clinton brings to the race. Like it or not, Hillary Clinton’s 4 decades in the public eye has not made her reputation clear enough among many potential voters and simply suggesting that it’s willful ignorance to not know doesn’t help. There are willfully ignorant people that could impact the result.

But most importantly in this election, and I say this with the guarded optimism that Hillary Clinton will win the presidency, is the down ticket. If Democrats want a big victory in November, Democrats must create some enthusiasm around their candidate. I don’t mean creating the fear of Trump, again, this makes him the story. I mean selling Hillary Clinton to the people, winning over Bernie Sanders enthusiasts, energizing those swing voters who wait until about now to learn who is even running. If we don’t do that, we might end up with a presidential victory (and maybe not...Brexit) but we will be stuck with more Republican intransigence and more failed and unresponsive government.

[Loki Liesmith]

1. Did you seen this place freak out today over a handful of bad polls?

Overconfident?

[upaloopa]

2. One think that doesn't work is trying to

scare Dems into some kind of response.

No keep your fear mongering home.

[guillaumeb]

5. I do not feel this is fear-mongering.

Far too many low information voters are also regular voters. They vote their fears, their prejudices, and they vote consistently.

The results are seen in the non-Presidential elections when the GOP generally makes their best gains.

[magicnpoetry]

6. I Didn't Write This As Fear Mongering

I appreciate your reading what I wrote. I understand some people are hair triggered in this political climate, but that can cause a complete failure to see what's unfolding.

[guillaumeb]

8. Agreed. There is a reason that a plurality of GOP primary voters chose Trump.

It might not be a justifiable reason, or a functional one, but Trump's message of fear and bigotry apparently still resonates with a certain segment of the population.

[jodymarie aimee]

3. magicnpoetry you are brilliant

Folks here, some of them, are very thin skinned. Truth to power, mate.

[guillaumeb]

4. Welcome to DU, and this paragraph:

Most importantly, and I’ve had so many petulant liberals fight me hard on this, Democrats must start taking the high road, promoting Hillary and stop bashing Trump. When we bash Trump, we make him the story, we add nothing to this insatiable black hole of a topic and we neglect to show the positive qualities Hillary Clinton brings to the race. Like it or not, Hillary Clinton’s 4 decades in the public eye has not made her reputation clear enough among many potential voters and simply suggesting that it’s willful ignorance to not know doesn’t help. There are willfully ignorant people that could impact the result.

should inform every post, every letter to the paper, every debate.

Most voters and most citizens demonstrate very poor grasp of issues. Surveys consistently show large numbers of voters have no idea:
what the Bill of Rights is,
who the Vice-President is,
who their own Senators are,
and on and on. Far too many voters simply pay no attention to politics and issues. These low information voters must be educated as to the issues and the candidates. And ignorant people also vote.

[magicnpoetry]

7. Thank You!

You are right on. I think a blind spot we Democrats have is the fact that people aren't all intellectually curious. And when they are not we are critical of them, understandable, but that's not effective or helpful when we're trying to win in politics or even shape a narrative.