What did Democrats do wrong?

[johnny karate]

You are free to claim swing voters were thinking more about conspiracy theories and anti-vax than, say, inflation and immigration. As a fellow skeptic, though, you shouldn't expect us to just believe you. If you want to make claims about what actually swung the election, you need to give us data rather than snark.

First of all, I never claimed all Trump voters were more concerned about fake rigged elections and fake science about the dangers of vaccines than fake fear-mongering about immigration and inflation, but your subtle attempt to shift the goal posts in your favor is noted.

But it doesn't matter what their order of concerns were. Trump openly and unambiguously ran on election denialism and the promise to put an anti-vaxxer in charge of public health. 76 million people voted for that, whether they want to take responsibility for it or not. None of them get a pass on it because they claim to be more concerned with other issues.

There's my data.

 

[Ziggurat]

What’s factually wrong is how the Republicans presented the issue: with lies and conspiracy theories.

This thread is about what the Democrats did wrong, not what the Republicans did wrong. You think it's a lie how Republicans portrayed the Democrat stance on gender issues. Even if that is so, what did the Democrats do in response? Did they offer a coherent vision for how they want to approach gender issues in a way that will appeal to mainstream voters?

No, they absolutely did not. And that was clearly a mistake. I'm not sure why you're having such a hard time grasping this.

 

[johnny karate]

Voters who voted on inflation were not voting on campaign messaging but on incumbent performance; you are literally making my point for me here.

The incumbent performance was the best in the world. And now they've replaced him with a guy whose performance last time around was decidedly not the best in the world. You're not doing much to counter the "Trump voters are stupid" theory.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Others things that Democrats did wrong: Not admit that the 2020 election was stolen and that vaccines are dangerous don't work.

It is insane that the maga wingnuts are saying that Kamala didn't get elected because she was not running on republican talking points.

 

[Elaedith]

Donald Trump and the Republicans thank you for your service.

No, they thank people like you.

 

[johnny karate]

This thread is about what the Democrats did wrong, not what the Republicans did wrong. You think it's a lie how Republicans portrayed the Democrat stance on gender issues. Even if that is so, what did the Democrats do in response? Did they offer a coherent vision for how they want to approach gender issues in a way that will appeal to mainstream voters?

No, they absolutely did not. And that was clearly a mistake. I'm not sure why you're having such a hard time grasping this.

What Republicans did wrong is relevant when posters like you repeatedly pretend that what they did wasn't what you're accusing Democrats of doing but only worse. So I'll keep bringing it up until that nonsense stops.

I mean seriously, a "coherent vision" is what you're claiming voters wanted and voted for with Trump? What a joke.

 

[Grizzly Bear]

No, you're not the only one claiming my reasoning is flawed, along with also not being the only one unable to explain how my reasoning is flawed in a way that doesn't deny reality and observable fact.

It's a bit hard to convince you you're reasoning is wrong when you've never acknowledged the existence of the issue in the first place. When you keep deflecting and ignoring it, it's impossible to articulate how the party could have done differently, or how they will do differently in the future.

 

[d4m10n]

The incumbent performance was the best in the world. And now they've replaced him with a guy whose performance last time around was decidedly not the best in the world. You're not doing much to counter the "Trump voters are stupid" theory.

OP asks how Dems could have done better, either in terms of performance or messaging.

"Trump voters are stupid" strikes me as ineffective messaging, but perhaps not as bad as calling them deplorable.

 

[johnny karate]

It's a bit hard to convince you you're reasoning is wrong when you've never acknowledged the existence of the issue in the first place. When you keep deflecting and ignoring it, it's impossible to articulate how the party could have done differently, or how they will do differently in the future.

I'll ignore the fantasy version of the issue for as long as you keep presenting it. No discussion about how Democrats can counter what Republicans were doing can happen until you're willing to be honest about what Republicans were actually doing.

 

[johnny karate]

OP asks how Dems could have done better, either in terms of performance or messaging.

"Trump voters are stupid" strikes me as ineffective messaging, but perhaps not as bad as calling them deplorable.

They just voted to put an anti-vaxxer in charge of public health. I'd love to hear your argument for how that's not stupid.

 

[Grizzly Bear]

In the immortal words of MSNBC'S Joe Scarbarough 2 days from the debate between Biden and Trump

“Start your tape right now because I’m about to tell you the truth. And ‘F’ you if you can’t handle the truth. This version of Biden, intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever.”

 

[Stacyhs]

OP asks how Dems could have done better, either in terms of performance or messaging.

"Trump voters are stupid" strikes me as ineffective messaging, but perhaps not as bad as calling them deplorable.

So you don't think that people voting for a 34X convicted felon, sexual assaulter, pathological liar and extreme narcissist are stupid? You think voting for a man who makes racist and bigoted statements, shuts down a bi-partisan immigration plan so he can continue to fearmonger about how countries are sending us their murderers (with bad genes), rapists, and their insane, and Haitians are eating our cats and dogs is not stupid? We must have different definitions of what stupid means.

Nobody likes to be called stupid but that doesn't change the fact they are stupid.

 

[esquel]

So far, there has been next to no consistency in opinion of what Harris could have done to sway voters away from Trump. One group hated her border policy, another hated her economics, wash rinse repeat. Whereas anything Trump said or did has been lauded by the Republicans. It appears to me that nothing she did or said could get non-Democrats past the fact that she was a Democrat.

 

[Myriad]

"Trump voters are stupid."

So ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ what?

Is the intelligence of voters some well-kept secret Democratic candidates aren't cleared to know? Are the voters going to be less stupid in 2026 or 2028? Is "I'd rather the Democrats lose than lower themselves to appeal to any stupid people" the master plan here? Again?

Are we strategizing the next "let's try again to make the stupid voters understand that we're the elite and we know better" campaign already?

Because there's stupid, and then there's crazy...

 

[johnny karate]

"Trump voters are stupid."

So ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ what?

Is the intelligence of voters some well-kept secret Democratic candidates aren't cleared to know? Are the voters going to be less stupid in 2026 or 2028? Is "I'd rather the Democrats lose than lower themselves to appeal to any stupid people" the master plan here? Again?

Are we strategizing the next "let's try again to make the stupid voters understand that we're the elite and we know better" campaign already?

Because there's stupid, and then there's crazy...

Yes, stupid is giving a guy who was a historically terrible president the first time another crack at it.

Crazy is putting an anti-vaxxer in charge of public health.

Looks like Trump voters cover both bases.

If you have any ideas on how you get conspiracy theorists to stop believing in conspiracy theories, I know about 75 million people who would love to hear them.

 

[Myriad]

Yes, stupid is giving a guy who was a historically terrible president the first time another crack at it.

Crazy is putting an anti-vaxxer in charge of public health.

Looks like Trump voters cover both bases.

Don't forget, they're probably big doo doo heads too.

"Stop being big doo doo heads" is a sure-fire slogan for winning congress back in the mid-terms.

If you have any ideas on how you get conspiracy theorists to stop believing in conspiracy theories, I know about 75 million people who would love to hear them.

Democrats can only win if conspiracy theorists stop believing in conspiracy theories? How odd, they used to win elections all the time and I don't recall a time when conspiracy theorists didn't believe in conspiracy theories. Oh well, unsolvable problem is unsolvable.

 

[johnny karate]

Don't forget, they're probably big doo doo heads too.

"Stop being big doo doo heads" is a sure-fire slogan for winning congress back in the mid-terms.

Quite the clever retort to your own setup. Bravo.

Democrats can only win if conspiracy theorists stop believing in conspiracy theories? How odd, they used to win elections all the time and I don't recall a time when conspiracy theorists didn't believe in conspiracy theories. Oh well, unsolvable problem is unsolvable.

You asked what Democrats had planned to appeal to Trump voters. Most Trump voters believe in conspiracy theories. Your question can’t be addressed until mine is.

 

[Solitaire]

Don't forget, they're probably big doo doo heads too.

"Stop being big doo doo heads" is a sure-fire slogan for winning congress back in the mid-terms.



Democrats can only win if conspiracy theorists stop believing in conspiracy theories? How odd, they used to win elections all the time and I don't recall a time when conspiracy theorists didn't believe in conspiracy theories. Oh well, unsolvable problem is unsolvable.

Bird flu is breaking through our defenses slowly but surely and with an anti-vax in charge we could look at ten, twenty, even thirty million dead. So the problem with crazy voters eventually solves itself.

 

[d4m10n]

Nobody likes to be called stupid but that doesn't change the fact they are stupid.

There it is, the slogan that will win back swing voters in 2028.

 

[mumblethrax]

There it is, the slogan that will win back swing voters in 2028.

Is anyone suggesting running on this?

This stuff is so disingenuous.