What did Democrats do wrong?

[dirtywick]

that and once all the votes were tallied it was actually a pretty close race

 

[d4m10n]

If a customer switches from Product A to Product B, but dislikes Product B’s main feature even more, then that feature clearly wasn't the reason for the switch.

Your analogy presumes that the feature worked as advertised, but I'm done talking about Product B here; we already have so many threads about Product B. You are welcome to continue derailing, but I'm not going to help.

 

[theprestige]

I suppose if we want to get down to fundamentals, what the Democrats did wrong was not take necessary measures once they realized they couldn't win and couldn't risk the destruction of American democracy.

 

[wareyin]

Your analogy presumes that the feature worked as advertised, but I'm done talking about Product B here; we already have so many threads about Product B. You are welcome to continue derailing, but I'm not going to help.

Whether the feature "worked" is irrelevant. The point is that if the alternative is more unpopular on that specific issue, then that issue could not have been the deciding factor. You can't accurately diagnose a loss in a vacuum while ignoring the actual choice the voters made.

 

[johnny karate]

Your conclusion doesn't remotely follow from your premises here; both parties can fumble the same issue in different ways.

"Let's talk Trump instead!" is such a tired non-sequitur in this thread.

Republicans didn't fumble anything in terms of the policies they proposed and the policies they enacted. They did exactly what they said they were going to do, and the results are exactly as predicted.

In normal times, this would be considered a success, not a fumble.

But instead, doing what they said they would do in the way they said they would do it has been a disaster for Republicans.

That's because voters weren't responding to actual problems, they were responding to propaganda that convinced them there was a problem.

Any analysis of the 2024 election that ignores the fact the voters now hate the exact things they voted for a year ago is worthless.

 

[johnny karate]

Your analogy presumes that the feature worked as advertised, but I'm done talking about Product B here; we already have so many threads about Product B. You are welcome to continue derailing, but I'm not going to help.

Yes, we can't have your faulty premise tested by facts and reality. That might lead to a meaningful conclusion. Regurgitating the same old bull ◊◊◊◊ is definitely the way forward.

 

[johnny karate]

I suppose if we want to get down to fundamentals, what the Democrats did wrong was not take necessary measures once they realized they couldn't win and couldn't risk the destruction of American democracy.

Voters for the destruction of American democracy have thoughts on how Democrats didn't try hard enough to stop them.

 

[theprestige]

Voters for the destruction of American democracy have thoughts on how Democrats didn't try hard enough to stop them.

At least someone in this thread is having thoughts about what the Democrats did wrong.

 

[johnny karate]

At least someone in this thread is having thoughts about what the Democrats did wrong.

I've repeatedly said that Democrats didn't adequately respond to the firehose of propaganda, misinformation, and lies that was coming from the right and getting laundered through mainstream media. And they still aren't.

Another thing they did wrong was letting Trump up off the mat after January 6th. They should have rounded up that whole cabal and prosecuted them to the full extent of the law to finally put the last nail in the coffin of MAGA.

These are actual factors that contributed to where we are now as opposed to the circle jerk you're engaged in.

 

[thaiboxerken]

And. Democrats are playing by the rules. So that is a significant handicap against a party who doesn't bother.

 

[Flo]

I've repeatedly said that Democrats didn't adequately respond to the firehose of propaganda, misinformation, and lies that was coming from the right and getting laundered through mainstream media. And they still aren't.

Another thing they did wrong was letting Trump up off the mat after January 6th. They should have rounded up that whole cabal and prosecuted them to the full extent of the law to finally put the last nail in the coffin of MAGA.

These are actual factors that contributed to where we are now as opposed to the circle jerk you're engaged in.

That would absolutely be a very welcome nail, but would it really have been the last nail ?

 

[P.J. Denyer]

That would absolutely be a very welcome nail, but would it really have been the last nail ?

Quite possibly, these are people who've spent their lives immune to consequences. Start treating them like everyone who didn't inherit enough money to see them through this life in luxury and what they have to lose will replace stealing everything else in their to-do list.

 

[d4m10n]

Republicans didn't fumble anything in terms of the policies they proposed and the policies they enacted.

You are free to keep derailing the topic, just as I am free to stop reading and replying to off-topic posts.

Happy Holidays! (PM me if you intend to once again engage with the OP.)

 

[Cain]

We're still doing 2024 autopsies?

Here's how it usually goes: My preferred political party lost because it did not adopt my positions or listen to my advice. Meanwhile, incumbent politicians lost all around the world. It's not like they suddenly forgot how to propagandize. Is it possible for someone who is unqualified for a job or way out of a woman's league to say the exact right thing in the exact right moment? Just about everything improbably breaks their way? Sure. We saw it in game seven of the World Series (and at the end of game six). Luck might be "the residue of design," but it's still dumb luck.

Republicans enjoy structural advantages in the Electoral College, and probably human nature. Years ago, someone I hate observed that "140 characters is inherently demagogic." What's more interesting is the ideological incoherence of the parties.

 

[johnny karate]

That would absolutely be a very welcome nail, but would it really have been the last nail ?

It certainly could have been. I think we all forgot just how much public sentiment was against Trump in the immediate aftermath of January 6th. Democrats should have capitalized on that and started prosecutions on day one.

 

[johnny karate]

You are free to keep derailing the topic, just as I am free to stop reading and replying to off-topic posts.

Happy Holidays! (PM me if you intend to once again engage with the OP.)

I like how you think just using the word “Republicans” is off-topic.

Happy holidays to you too. I hope Santa brings you a premise for your arguments that hasn’t already been thoroughly proven false.

 

[d4m10n]

I like how you think just using the word “Republicans” is off-topic.

I like how you reply without asking yourself whether post #3,425 had anything whatsoever to do with Democratic Party missteps.

Republicans enjoy structural advantages in the Electoral College

This would help explain how Dems lost in 2016 but not 2024.

OP is about how Dems can win going forward, i.e. things they can change on their side of the aisle; Electoral College is not one of those things.

 

[Cain]

This would help explain how Dems lost in 2016 but not 2024.

Again, the main reason in 2024 was the global economy, but we should resist monocausal explanations. While Trump won the popular vote in 2024, the unfavorable landscape in the Electoral College makes it more difficult for Democrats to compete. You're too hastily trying to separate the popular vote from the EC. In 2016, it's conceivable that if the rules had been different, perhaps Trump could have won the popular vote. We can imagine an election where a Democrat aims to win in the EC, but loses both the EC and PV. However, if the rules of the election had been different -- such as the person with the most votes wins -- the Democrat could have had a better chance of winning the popular vote.

OP is about how Dems can win going forward, i.e. things they can change on their side of the aisle; Electoral College is not one of those things.

My post was pretty clear about being an autopsy on why Democrats lost. In addition to the EC, we're also not going to alter human nature. That said, campaigning on broad election reform is something Democrats can do, but I'm less interested in seeing them win than in reforming institutions. Unfortunately, these are not easily separated. EC reform would likely only occur if Republicans won the popular vote and lost in the EC. In any case, it helps if the groundwork is laid first for whatever surprising future events transpire.

 

[d4m10n]

Again, the main reason in 2024 was the global economy, but we should resist monocausal explanations.

Agreed on both counts, but I may as well point out that I've created an entire thread about how "incumbent politicians lost all around the world." There probably won't be much overlap between that thread and this one, but if there is it would be about how the Democratic Party failed to market its new candidate as an outsider who would offer a clean break with whatever issues were making incumbent parties toxic across the OECD and the Eurozone.

 

[Tero]

The distrust of anything the government does and then the experts trying to explain their field to people (vaccines) all get to the same point. The MAGA voter gets the general idea or what is coming (the government wants to decide for you! wear mask!) and at that point they are no longer listening. Yet in other matters they follow their general idea of the government and things like patriotism. Which is a narrow idea for them.