Bernie Sanders: How Democrats Can Stop Losing Elections
In 2016, the Democratic Party lost the presidency to possibly the least popular candidate in American history. In recent years, Democrats have also lost the Senate and House to right-wing Republicans whose extremist agenda is far removed from where most Americans are politically. Republicans now control almost two-thirds of governors offices and have gained about 1,000 seats in state legislatures in the past nine years. In 24 states, Democrats have almost no political influence at all.
If these results are not a clear manifestation of a failed political strategy, I dont know what is. For the sake of our country and the world, the Democratic Party, in a very fundamental way, must change direction. It has got to open its doors wide to working people and young people. It must become less dependent on wealthy contributors, and it must make clear to the working families of this country that, in these difficult times, it is prepared to stand up and fight for their rights. Without hesitation, it must take on the powerful corporate interests that dominate the economic and political life of the country.
There are lessons to be learned from the recent campaign in Britain. The Conservatives there called the snap election with the full expectation that they would win a landslide. They didnt. Against all predictions they lost 13 seats in Parliament while Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party won 32. There is never one reason elections are won or lost, but there is widespread agreement that momentum shifted to Labour after it released a very progressive manifesto that generated much enthusiasm among young people and workers. One of the most interesting aspects of the election was the soaring turnout among voters 34 or younger.
The British elections should be a lesson for the Democratic Party. We already have among the lowest voter turnout of any major country on earth. Democrats will not win if the 2018 midterm election turnout resembles the unbelievably low 36.7 percent of eligible voters who cast ballots in 2014. The Democrats must develop an agenda that speaks to the pain of tens of millions of families who are working longer hours for lower wages and to the young people who, unless we turn the economy around, will have a lower standard of living than their parents.
more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/opinion/bernie-sanders-how-democrats-can-stop-losing-elections.html?_r=0
JI7
(89,283 posts)republican.
i think it helps that the governor is a democrat so less chance of republicans putting in place voting laws which target and hurt mostly minority and other dem leaning areas the most.
LenaBaby61
(6,979 posts)Increased Dem turnout etc. means nada if thuglican voter-suppression is off the chain and the ruskies come with some "new" cheating tactics in 2018 & 2020 to throw @ the Dems again.
Better start talking MORE about those things.
frazzled
(18,402 posts)doling out advice. Yesterday's definitive, 11 point loss by your endorsed candidate in Virginia, is yet another in a string of losses for "the revolution."
I'm still bewildered by someone who lost the Democratic primary by a significant margin, and whose endorsed candidates continue to lose, and who continues to spend time berating a political party he refuses to join, having the chutzpah to give advice to that same party on how not to lose.
I'd try actually legislating something or at least putting effort into preventing the Republicans from legislating instead of putting so much effort into disrupting the Democratic Party. The people are not buying this line.
Maven
(10,533 posts)Voltaire2
(13,244 posts)Mayor of Burlington Vermont April 6, 1981 April 4, 1989
US House of Representatives January 3, 1991 January 3, 2007
36 years of winning elections.
Maven
(10,533 posts)Voltaire2
(13,244 posts)I suppose we have ignore the primaries he won too, right?
How about this edit: "list of all the elections he's won other than all the elections he has won".
I think that would work.
Maven
(10,533 posts)Other than Bernie?
HRC won more primaries than Bernie. Should she be writing articles on how Democrats can win again?
Voltaire2
(13,244 posts)I responded to your claim that he hasn't won any elections other than the Vermont senate seat. You then edited that claim to "elections outside Vermont" because he has of course won all sorts of elections in Vermont, but then again obviously he won a bunch of primaries nationally, so that fell apart too.
No thanks, I'll stick with his electability.
Maven
(10,533 posts)Cling to your security blanket if it makes you feel better.
mwooldri
(10,303 posts)Green is Sanders, Gold is Clinton.
Notice the green outside Vermont.
But to get back on track... I favour a strategy to elect Democrats called "All of the above". A 50 state strategy. A maximise voter turnout strategy. A oppose voter rigging strategy. An anti-gerrymandering strategy. A verifiable vote strategy. On top of this, to promote a positive message for people to vote FOR. Oh yes and include everyone. No voter left behind.
Sanders is not the whole solution. His solution won't work everywhere. America is too right wing as a society to accept him, including a lot of Democrats. Social Democracy has its virtues. A better model might be Tony Blair, but without the poodling to George W Bush and following into Iraq.
Anyway, here's the map. A Bernie strategy might work in these Bernie states. But not Hillary states.
Nitram
(22,945 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)because of Brexit/nationalism/general dumbfuckery embraced by Theresa May.
yurbud
(39,405 posts)voters you will fight for those things not make a token effort then turn back to privatizing government functions, and deregulating the industries of sociopaths and bailing them out when their scams implode.