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In reply to the discussion: What must it have been like to be a Democrat after the 1984 election? [View all]pnwmom
(108,976 posts)7. We had already watched Richard Nixon carry 49 states in 1972 over George McGovern.
So to see it happen again was extremely dispiriting; and yes, there were predictions that the Democratic party was doomed.
That's one reason so many Democrats who are old enough to remember are grateful to President Clinton for turning things around. He perceived, as many Dems then and now do not, that we couldn't win without winning a significant share of centrist and Independent voters.
If we ignore those voters and cater only to our most progressive base, we risk losing 49 states. So all the progressives who proclaim him a sellout are ignoring the fact that he was the first Democratic president in years who strongly prevailed over the Republicans -- and he did it by reaching out to the middle.
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What must it have been like to be a Democrat after the 1984 election? [View all]
PlanetaryOrbit
Jun 2014
OP
I have been saying Democrat Party since 1950 and so have many other good democrats. You need
jwirr
Jun 2014
#35
"Doesn't remember the 1984 election" isn't "obviously young", considering that was 30 years ago.
Spider Jerusalem
Jun 2014
#5
Democrats lost three Presidential elections in a row. It looked bad for a while.
stevenleser
Jun 2014
#6
We had already watched Richard Nixon carry 49 states in 1972 over George McGovern.
pnwmom
Jun 2014
#7
We found that many 'Democratic' voters were actualy Republican who voted for Reagan and Nixon
Bluenorthwest
Jun 2014
#18
Reaching out to Middle is not the same as selling soul to Wall St and Big Business
Armstead
Jun 2014
#19
What pundits WERE saying was that the Republicans had an "electoral lock" on the Presidency...
brooklynite
Jun 2014
#8
I was just over 30 then… Even then I knew Reagan's dementia was being covered up...
MrMickeysMom
Jun 2014
#43
What do you mean, "What MUST it HAVE BEEN like....?" It was only 30, not 300, years ago!
WinkyDink
Jun 2014
#34
it was the first time I realized there were so many stupid, easily fooled Americans
Skittles
Jun 2014
#40