Saying something here that might not go over well but here it is...

[TiberiusB]

29. So the problem is democratic voters

Last edited Fri Apr 29, 2022, 11:53 AM - Edit history (5)

Or is it the progressive caucus? The 2010 crushing defeat has been analyzed endlessly. The reasons were numerous, and depressed turnout was a factor, but it was across many demographic groups and historically not exactly unprecedented:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/10/14211994/obama-democrats-downballot

Did "socialism" in the form of the ACA hurt them?

https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/04/12/healthcare-vote-doomed-13-democrats-in-2010-elections

There are arguments and counter arguments for all of them. What is obvious, I think, is that the GOP has aggressively capitalized on every opportunity to entrench their power while the Democrats have leaned too heavily on expected norms and traditions. That, and the profound corruption that comes from the rising tsunami of corporate cash.

The 2016 loss, again, had multiple factors. Hillary Clinton, whether you loathe or love her, was deeply despised by the Right and had enduring trust issues across the board thanks to decades of consistent messaging from the Right and the often complicit media. The "but her emails" accusations strongly fed into this narrative. I'd say Comey cost her the election, not the Left. Her campaign was also criticized for weak messaging and ignoring states that were assumed to be sure wins. Minority turnout was decidedly in her favor, but the overall numbers were lower than they were for Obama. White women, who were expected to largely be energized at the prospect of a woman President, went for Trump. In the end, Trump still lost the popular vote, but the GOP targeted the Electoral College, and so managed to eek out a victory without winning the majority. Biden almost suffered the same fate. I think people largely forget that he won in much the same way Trump did, with narrow victories in key states. Yes, he got a bigger share of the popular vote, but getting more voters in the cities and blue districts that are already in the bag doesn't move the electoral needle, sadly.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/02/why-im-defending-hillary-clinton-commentary.html