Democrats search for answers to stem a spreading Republican tide

(Reuters) - Still sifting through the wreckage of the Nov. 8 election, Democratic leaders nationwide are struggling to find a new message to claw back support and avoid years in the political wilderness.

Not only do Republicans control the White House and both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, they now hold 33 governor’s offices.

New England, long considered reliably Democratic, is a prime example of the party's demise.

Republican Phil Scott won in Vermont over Democrat Sue Minter who was criticized, like presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, for failing to develop an economic message that resonated with voters worried about good-paying jobs.

Considered a liberal bastion, Vermont has a tradition of sometimes choosing a Republican governor to keep one party from having too much control.

Elsewhere, Republican Chris Sununu will replace a Democratic governor in New Hampshire while Maine and Massachusetts already have Republican governors.

“We lost the governorship of freaking Vermont,” lamented Washington-based Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis. “We didn’t just lose an election. This was a national rebuke. This was biblical.”

Republicans also command 32 state legislatures and have full control -- meaning they hold the governor’s office and both legislative chambers -- in 24 states, including swing states such as Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. When President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, they controlled just nine.

“There are more Republicans at the state legislative level than there have ever been,” said Tim Storey, an analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Republicans scored a major coup when they seized the Senate in traditionally liberal Minnesota, giving it full control of the legislature, and they gained full control of next-door Iowa.

“The party’s message, structure and apparatus are broken,” said Kofinis, who was chief of staff to moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

...but cite plenty of reasons for the decline. These include a muddled economic message; an overemphasis on emerging demographic groups such as minorities and millennial at the expense of white voters; a perception the party is elitist and aligned with Wall Street; a reluctance to embrace the progressive populism of Senator Bernie Sanders, the former presidential hopeful; and failure to field strong candidates in key states.

James Oliphant is right on some of this... there wasn't a cohesive economic message - just small targeted ones for the various groups that are not really 'stronger together'.. but are pitted against each other for 'the goodies'.

The party IS 'elitist' - well, the white part that is propped up by a large black poor underclass...

But James Oliphant - the biggest mistake is to confuse Bernie Sanders with the 'ideas' of Bernie Sanders. This is not a socialist country. Bernie's ideas in the hands of a Hillary Clinton would not have sold. (If your much loved father says he'll leave you his house if you send a thousand dollars to handle the paperwork... that's different than a Nigerian Prince telling you the same story)

What 'sold' was the feeling that Bernie was a man of his word... and that he would do his best to make the things he was saying ... actually happen. HE was believable. His ideas (outside of college campuses) are NOT believable.

As far as "UNDER-RESOURCED" is concerned... that's not the problem. The problem for democrats is their funding comes from a small group of billionaires who have attached THEIR POSITIONS to the cash they give. Their concerns are NOT the concerns of the vast majority of Americans. Also, Hispanics are NOT like blacks... what appeals to them isn't the same. Most of the Hispanice in twenty years will be Republican.

I have a humble suggestion for the Dems for a starting point: love your country. Stop treating it and its history as a blot on mankind to be wiped out and replaced by something utopian. Stop treating its people as oppressive monsters when it's their system (and their blood) that are allowing you a voice. If you don't do that you will always be the dystopic cranks you are at the moment.

The thing is, there's practically no politics involved in those changes, only respect. That isn't a lot to ask.

For nearly half a century now a lot of people have carved out lucrative careers cursing America, which is ironic in itself. It was always an affectation. You don't need liberation movements when you have a vote. But you do have to use it. The monumental hypocrisy of grievance activists in thousand-dollar suits, protected by the very society they're trying to tear apart is bad enough; when we find out they don't even bother to vote it's off the charts. Discard them or go down with them. What just happened was the latter.

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