Posted on 01/25/2025 3:46:12 AM PST by edwinland
The 2024 election left Democrats with three fundamental questions. First, what is the party "about" (i.e., what are our core principles)? Second, how do we explain what we are about (i.e., what is our "brand)?" Third, how do we approach the Trump 2.0 era in a way that matches those core principles and strengthens that brand? In other words, what is our strategy?
The answer to all three starts by recognizing a painful truth: that the crux of President Donald Trump's argument was right. It hurts to hear (and to write), because of the sheer awfulness that he brings to nearly everything. But Democrats have to deal with it if we're going to get our mojo back. And the good news is that it's not as big a leap as it seems.
The reasoning requires an ultra-brief review of recent economic history.
In the early 1970s, changes to the post-World War II international monetary system spurred a dramatic increase in international trade. That meant that by the 1980s there was a lot more global competition for U.S.-made goods, which began to depress U.S. wages, particularly for lower-education workers most vulnerable to being undercut by foreign labor.
Two watersheds accelerated the trend. First, the United States entered the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. That directly wiped out about 700,000 mostly manufacturing jobs. The people pushed out found that their new jobs were disproportionately service sector jobs that brought in half as much income. NAFTA also put a broader damper on incomes, driving those still in manufacturing into accepting lower wages.
Critically, it also fueled a dramatic increase in illegal immigration that added downward pressure on pay, particularly for those with lower income to start with.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
Drop all their left-wing policies and become conservative?
We?
The author sorta gets it, but his TDS shines through quite brightly.
The problem is the Democrats knitted together a bunch of mutually exclusive constituents. Lesbians despise trans people. Blacks, the ones in the party, must have ALL the marbles. But the same is true for the other grievance groups. At one point the Democrats were made up of the middle class and labor unions. They took their core for granted and went shopping for extremists and grievance groups. No matter how Left the core was, in comparison to the race and alphabet crowd, the old core now looks solidly conservative. All things being relative.
The article totally ignored the culture wars and mass censorship.
The author is still living in their urban leftist bubble.
It’s interesting to watch a one of our Arrogant Superiors explain how Orange Man Bad stole “It’s the Economy Stupid” from the Dems.
>>>The answer to all three starts by recognizing a painful truth: that the crux of President Donald Trump’s argument was right. >>>
Johnny come lately just now realizing he was wrong and the truth hurts.
The left has forfeited their right to ever be taken seriously again. Just like this clown. Trump has banished them away forever just like Scripture says Jesus will one day banish Satan away.......forever.
What is the party “about”?
Seizing power in order to enrich themselves through corruption. Nothing more.
My answers and advice for the Democrats.
“First, what is the party “about” (i.e., what are our core principles)?”
1. HATING America
2. HATING Americans
3. HATING Conservatives
4. HATING Whites
5. HATING Men
6. HATING Babies
7. HATING Jews
...to name a few (in order of importance). They also take the lead in hating Russia, but far too many ‘conservatives’ join them in that.
“Second, how do we explain what we are about?”
Do you guys really want to?
“Third, how do we approach the Trump 2.0 era in a way that matches those core principles and strengthens that brand?”
Just keep being yourselves.
The Dems have a difficult time with identity politics. To keep a base, they must label and classify people. Which really means not everyone is equal. They might want others to treat these people equally, but as long as they have names, labels, and tags for everyone.....there are differences. And the irony is, they do a lot of this based on the color of one’s skin. Its really not a color blind society in their world.
The Dems also discourage individual thought, responsibility, and achievement. That doesn’t exactly sit well with some of their own and certainly the other side. The Dems get away with their superiority by virtue signaling....frequently.
The Dem party is probably more class based that the R party. The upper class Dems need a lower class to maintain their power. I didn’t say “need the lower class”, they “need a lower class”. So any and all groups will work. They acquired the trans group recently to expand their base.
Notice how it’s all about the party with these Democrats and not about the country - how can they get power back.
Navigate like its a poison to avoid, F em
Easy answer. Check the Communist Party USA at https://www.cpusa.org for its Constitution and compare to the
Democratic Party platform.
The leadership of the democrat party was/is overrun by hard core lefties. That is who they are. Their message has to be les and deception because they do not want the normies to know who they are.
That no longer works. For the last two Democratic administrations and now in state and local government across the country, the Democrats failed to deliver the goods in economic terms for America's middle and lower class, while progressive ideology alienated them by menacing families, schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Now the failures of border protection and essential police and fire services make clear that Democratic misrule and Leftist ideology and bad policies are a threat to survival, even for the affluent.
Democrats who see the need to rethink their party's foundations will find that hard to do. For the next several election cycles at least, Republicans will be able to hammer the Democrats hard for their dismal record. Meanwhile, the second Trump administration seems likely to establish a conservative GOP as the party of American success, peace, and prosperity. That combination will leave little political space for the Democrats to find new political footings.
That will make the Democratic party a waning force, mostly putting themselves up to bid as a way for interest groups and angry individuals and groups to frustrate Republican policies they do not like. There will always be hedge funds and the wealthy looking for tax breaks. The Democrats will take their cash and play act as if being their hirelings was about jobs, justice, abortion rights, or progress, or something.
The Democrat party has no principals. It exists to grasp at power and pelf.
Core value and brand: destroy america. Kill babies and mutilate young people with mental illness.
Democrats leaving identity politics? I don’t think they can even if they want. They have been weaponize race since LBJ with his war on poverty, and have created an army of people living in victimhood. Add the DEI policies (I think it should be DIE instead) to that, we have a party trapped in their own stupidity.
“Grievance Groups”. a great term to identify liberal progressive activists and self-explanatory to boot. my preferred term is “BMW’s”... Bitching Moaning Whiners. but that’s just me. maybe someone can generate a list of pithy liberal descriptors to fit any conversation? be much appreciated.
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