What must Democrats do in order to win in 2018?

At this point, all Democrats might need do is just sit back and watch Republicans self-destruct. Republicans haven't been able to repeal and replace Obamacare or deliver any of the fiscal stimuli they have promised (e.g. tax cuts and simplification, infrastructure spending, 3% or better economic growth, balanced budget, better and less expensive healthcare, etc.). Republicans have yet to be able to deliver on any of their promises other than to appoint another knuckle-dagger to the Supreme Court.

Republicans are now threatening to repeal Obamacare without a replacement, which would be yet another instance in which they break a campaign pledge. So if they want to kill Obamacare and deny healthcare insurance to millions of their constituents; go for it. But it's not only morally wrong; it's politically and economically stupid. Republicans have not a single plan to improve the quality of life for the folks who elected them, and then of course there is the whole matter of incompetency.

Democrats may need to do nothing except watch Republicans self-destruct.

 

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Oh yes we could, but remember what happened circa 2008-2010, we had many kinds of democrats, many corporatist moderates, that pushed through lackluster and compromised bills in a boneheaded attempt at bi-partisanship with the republicans, who by the way wanted nothing but obstruction and failure for Americas first black president.

If we get back everything in 2020, we need hard hitting progressive democrats, that will push radical reforms through, like $15 minimum wage, single payer, tax reform that rapes the rich, that taxes high-frequency trading, and will do so while telling the republicans to fuck themselves, no bi-partisanship, no compromise, and we also need to do things like try to end the electoral college, make election day a national holiday, expand voter access, end gerrymandering, we must work to not only grab hold but keep hold.

As for Republicans just repealing Obamacare, I say "Do it faggots!" the damage that will do, the death toll that will cause, will greatly strengthen demands for single payer. Yes yes I know that meme is old but there is no better time then now to bring it back.

 

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Well, I think what Democrats are missing or don't understand is a culture war is being waged. Republicans for the last 30 years have been waging a culture war, and Democrats haven't yet caught on to that fact. That's where Democrats are losing. Trump and his merry band of Republicans are and have been playing identity politics with a great deal of success. And it bothers me that Democrats don't seem to understand that is the problem. Instead, they think they just need to refine or better promulgate their economic message. The economic message isn't the problem. Democrats have a better economic message. They have always had a better economic message. Their problem is they don't have a good cultural message. Bernie had a good cultural message, and so did Warren.

What Democrats need to understand is people are frustrated with how Washington works. Trump stumbled onto that fact, and used it to his advantage. Neither Trump nor his Republican cohorts in Washington want to change Washington, and that's now a bit of a problem for them. They have to convince their base that they are changing Washington without changing Washington. But given the advantage afforded them through their entertainment industry ( e.g. Fox News, right-wing talk radio, and internet sources like Alex Jones) where their followers are taught to only believe what they tell them, that shouldn't be much of a problem for Republicans.

In the past, Democrats have supported a change agenda. They need to embrace that agenda, and they haven't. That's why I believe a Sanders or a Warren on the ticket with Hillary would have resulted in winning Democratic ticket. Democrats need to push for more democracy. They need push for some bold changes. They need to push for constitutional changes to better democratize or government and eliminate the influence money and power which permeates our government at both state and local levels. They need to run on an anti-corruption ticket, and with Trump and the current batch of Republicans, that should be a very easy thing to do.

Hillary is gone or should be gone. He had her chances, and while I think she would have been an adequate POTUS; she is not a candidate of change, and she isn't a visionary. That was one of my beefs with Clinton, she wasn't a visionary candidate. Democrats need a visionary leader and a cultural warrior. But instead of focusing on what divides us as Republicans have successfully done for the last 30 years, Democrats need to focus on what unites us. Democrats need to put life to the words "E plurbus unum". Democrats need to remind those lesser educated old white folks of what it mean to be American. Returning America to the 50s and 60s and Trump would have it, isn't a viable vision for the future. Democrats need a different and more appealing vision of the future.



Democrats don't have a problem with their economic message. They have a problem with their cultural messages, and that's what they need to work on. And every time I hear or read a Schumer or some other Democrat talking about the "need" to refine their economic message I cringe, because they don't get it. And that greatly disturbs me. Democratic leaders still don't get it.

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Democrats need to be bold and strong, but they don't need to be stupid. They need to be visionary and innovative, and they need to be more in touch with the key demographic groups and more specifically older less educated whites. They need to transfer more wealth from the uber wealthy to the poor and middle classes. They need to address the wealth inequality problems we face. But much more than that, they need to have a vision, and they need to win the culture war Republicans have been waging for the last 30 years.

Democrats need to be bold and visionary, and they need to offer a very different vision of America. But they have to stay connected to reality. They don't need to follow Republicans into that other world of delusions.

PS: As for minimum wage, I think they need innovative solutions like minimum income. I think minimum wage won't cut it, it's antiquated, and it has never really worked, but a minimum income, that's a very real possibility.

 

THEY DON'T HAVE TO WIN!!!! what is so special about them.