In the wake of yesterday’s elections, the prospects around the electoral strength of the Democratic Party appear, at least for this moment in time, bleak.
I am thinking about why a two-party system is the majority of energy in this country. What's a winning strategy these days? There are Red/Blue states and now today, I heard purple states. The evidence of lies and division will always be visible regardless of racism, social media or print media, and the political system. The potency of a people's America is coming of age as together we celebrate the holidays, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas while training the 80 % of our next generation on the principles of faith. I haven't given up hope on finding a co-funded apartment where I can be retired to do research, writing, photography, and meditation, because I will never amount to anything (per what my father said to me, the one who gave me life). The rhetoric of this weakened country is God.
My thought is the underestimation of "how many voters are in play" has once again bitten the Democrats in this election cannot be discounted. Regardless of our views or your views, there is still a large swath of moderates that can't be written off. If you turn that group off, you won't win elections in all but the most deep blue places.
I'd also believe that the infighting going on in Congress and holding the infrastructure bill at ransom created the sense of inaction. I'd note the ridiculousness of the bill passing a few days after the election. Were they blind or foolish enough to not see that coming?
Yes I agree and that has been my experience too! This process about how the curriculum is decided should be communicated in these campaigns.
Unbelievable that those teachers were teaching evangelical end times instead of history on the actual Holocaust! How many other schools is this happening in I wonder.
You have a great way to answer this CRT fear craziness. The problem is the democrat candidates seem to go on the defense instead of, like you offered, to take an assertive stance and communicate their trust in parents.
Dan -- I might be wrong, but I think that more uninformed voters turned out than in previous years, not necessarily fewer Democrats.
I also have serious concerns about what the blind Republicans who are still following former president Trump really want. They seem to only want to upset the political structure, with no real goal in sight. I am also angered that no matter what we do (and by we, I mean any conscientious American -- party notwithstanding), we cannot suppress the hideous monster
that is racism.
When I speak to octogenarians, their response is invariably the same: Their expectation of the future is grim. I for one, refuse to dim my optimism, for the sake of my children, grandchildren, and great-nieces and nephews. I have thought on many occasions, that if anyone can take up residency in a different country, they should.
I grew up with the notion that the world, with all its many differences, is for EVERYONE to live in.
There are also some unsettling concerns about the character of this former president and his cohorts. These flaws have a direct affect on both the moral and financial health of this country. I cannot allow a handful of misguided souls to shape my future.
As a New Jerseyan, I was on edge for two days, with fingers and toes crossed, hoping that my state would not oust a fairly progressive governor who has taken care of us throughout this pandemic. When I saw that Governor Murphy would be in charge for another four years, I felt immediate relief. His reelection was not helped by the media, though, as EVERY news story was rife with loaded adjectives. Why do we still have to read about "chaotic" and "disastrous" events? I am tired of the meanness and the pettiness of so many people. I am disheartened by the overt racism and exceptionalism I experience daily. I am sick of our country continuing to see itself (as Albright did) as the Indispensable Nation, quick to interfere in the business of other countries and slow to help our own people. I believe in the current President's mission, and I truly hope that we will see a shift to a more progressive agenda across our nation. Right now, though, I am tired of misinformation, lies, and inaction.
If this election wasn't a wake-up call to Democrats nationwide, I don't know what will be. If it wasn't a wake-up call to the Democrats in our House, and Senate, there will never be a more clear signal sent than was done in this election.
There is no one to blame than the Democrats we have sitting in Washington DC in the House, ands the Senate. Every last one of them. Their meandering around, not getting these issues resolved, arguing back and forth with each other, and we have two Democrats that have taken it upon themselves to go against everything trying to be done, or to better themselves, when all they are doing is hurting themselves, and the party. PLUS, they are all sitting back letting the Republicans control everything. Not making decisions when these decisions should have been made months ago. These bills they are still arguing over were presented by the president in his inauguration speech, and here we are, 9 months later, still arguing over these same issues. Nothing getting done, because the Republicans have put the brakes on everything, and causing the Democrats to implode, to cost them the majority. When, in actuality, the opposite should be happening. The Democrats should take charge and get this stuff done, or there will be no majority to worry about next year.
Here are my two cents worth. I agree with almost all the comments printed here, but from the Joe Manchin interviews I have seen, I like Senator Manchin.
Lastly, I can’t even use the former president’s name I dislike him so much.
Your many questions sent me into a tailspin where I thought I’d never come up for air!
For those who think Biden and Garland aren’t “up for the job”, I would like to address that. Let’s go back when there was no smooth transition from TFG to Biden and his staff. They have had to comb through tons of garbage left behind by the grifter admin. They simply are not finished yet. The gathering of damning evidence is being compiled in a manner of dates, times, people responsible, etc. Coupled with a worldwide pandemic that was completely botched by the Grifters and an insurrection, the Biden Admin and Garland are working at warp speed. They simply must be precise when they present the proper charges against ALL who participated in these disasters.
Okay, with that said, yes, the media hasn’t been honest and hasn’t grilled our reps, both on the right and left, relentlessly. They must stop rehashing old news.
Dems messaging just sucks! Always have. Personally, I really like it when our reps get mad. It shows they’re human. They should strike out more and much louder. The centrists should take notes from progressives who are not going to be pushed to the back of the bus any longer. I was always a middle moderate but find myself drifting heavily into the progressive range. Why? Because they truly stand for decency and fairness.
I concur with Deanna Clifford. Even more as a medical professional I’m tired of seeing people put us in the bad guy role but that is another issue impacted by the current truth or lies country we live in now.
I have voted for both parties in the past 50 years but have found the negative rhetoric put out by the GOP more a reason to not vote for them than any! While at the same time feeling irritated that the Democrats don’t respond to the rhetoric with the truth.
For example the Nancy Pelosi ruining Medicare by taking away prescription benefits. Not true they are trying to do something healthcare professionals and others have begged for for years, get better prices like all the insurance companies do. Thats what they want to do! They do not want to take away but get better pricing.
So why do they not say that? I’m not a big fan of Nancy Pelosi but why not fight the negativity? People believe that BS; afterall the networks show them; so they must be true. I’ve actually had people tell me that.
Term limits need to be placed by we the people. The only way to keep the small businesses that are really huge corporations out of politics is by limiting how long folks are in office. Then those who have been bought and paid for are gone. PS small business are local business not chains.
We can change this course by replacing any senator or congressman that has served more than 2 terms. AND stop believing social media and everything the news says! Be diverse in the news chanels you watch and dont just stick with those negative ones like fox, one nation and others with negative rhetoric.
We need to join as a group stop fighting each other and fix this bs! We hold the power to be a democracy or let it slide into a autocratic society or worse a dictatorship! It is truly our choice, complacency no longer will work:)
Please mostly check all of the above for me. I will say that I've yet to understand how so many people voted for so many Republican Senators and Representatives while clearly wanting to dump Trump, when seeing only as recently with Obama how stifling this is to the president of the opposite party.
Good news from NJ after all (as I am late in commenting.)
And polls change too much to be considered reliable.
Americans are uncomfortable that there is nowhere in our political system where there is unity for good and for progress.The only party that appears to be united right now is the Republican party and they are united for the wrong reasons. I believe Democrats would be able to count on Democrats if we would quit fighting amongst ourselves. It's bad enough that the Republicans seem to get the majority of the press and mostly for the smear campaign they are doing to the Democrats. Unfortunately the Democrats do not have a united front. If we are to move forward the Democrats have to stand with each other and stand for good and for progess. We have to have some unity men and women of the political world!
I underestimated the cumulative effects of the COVID pandemic in terms of mental exhaustion. But Mr. Rather's point about media coverage of Republicans' increasing authoritarian bent stands out to me as critical. I know blaming the media is a perennial sport, but the ethos of the DC cocktail party set is fueling simply inaccurate and incomplete coverage of Republicans' moves.
Dan you summed it up quite well and it was said without using many of the words I would have used, to explain it. The Democrats better go big our go home now!. We need a series of things to get done that the majority of the party want. If it means killing the filibuster or expanding the courts, The Democrats better get it done.
The defeat in Virginia should be a huge wake up call for (us) Dems. I believe that where we are is not simply about what has happened in our country during the previous administration’s tenure and the beginning of President Biden’s term in office. I think that our country is now suffering from extreme neglect. The Obama administration’s hands were essentially tied for eight years and then for another four years we and our democratic institutions were essentially abused by the the Trump administration (I refer to it administration for lack of any other term to use)….twelve years of neglect due to the consistent blocking of any meaningful progress by power hungry and radicalized Republicans.(I hesitate to capitalize because I don’t think it is truly a party of the US any more) I believe that today we are now suffering the consequences of this neglect, and like climate change, there is a hard deadline on our chances to save America.
This is not business or politics as usual, and I agree that all of the Dem support groups that ask me for money with the same tired pleas and empty promises almost hourly need to think outside the box with their messaging and find ways to reignite engagement and get our America back! If they fail, so will President Biden’s priorities. I am a life long Dem and my heart is broken, and I’m also so angry about where we are that my hair is on fire most every day.
To steal and adjust a well-known snippet, "It's the messaging, stupid"
Democrats are disastrously inept at messaging, both the initial message and keeping the Republicans from rewriting/reworking it to their advantage. Remember when Obama was President and there were few days over the entire 8 years when McConnell and a sea of male white faces, or some version of that, were on the news countering anything and everything? That worked because the Democrats were nowhere to be seen so the only messaging that most TV watchers were getting was the Republican version. How many times has Schumer been on the evening news creating his own message, surrounded by a diversity of faces. Democrats cannot continue to believe that their logical fact-based approach will just magically carry the day. We cannot come up with terms like "defund" and we need to "sell" what we're doing in simple language. It is astonishingly and embarrassingly easy to make us look out of touch and if we can't address that, we will have many more years of losses. While I believe in and support the liberal and even progressive interests, we aren't going to be able to get any of that done if we can't win elections. And we can't win elections unless we are communicating effectively with everyone.
I am thinking about why a two-party system is the majority of energy in this country. What's a winning strategy these days? There are Red/Blue states and now today, I heard purple states. The evidence of lies and division will always be visible regardless of racism, social media or print media, and the political system. The potency of a people's America is coming of age as together we celebrate the holidays, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas while training the 80 % of our next generation on the principles of faith. I haven't given up hope on finding a co-funded apartment where I can be retired to do research, writing, photography, and meditation, because I will never amount to anything (per what my father said to me, the one who gave me life). The rhetoric of this weakened country is God.
My thought is the underestimation of "how many voters are in play" has once again bitten the Democrats in this election cannot be discounted. Regardless of our views or your views, there is still a large swath of moderates that can't be written off. If you turn that group off, you won't win elections in all but the most deep blue places.
I'd also believe that the infighting going on in Congress and holding the infrastructure bill at ransom created the sense of inaction. I'd note the ridiculousness of the bill passing a few days after the election. Were they blind or foolish enough to not see that coming?
Yes I agree and that has been my experience too! This process about how the curriculum is decided should be communicated in these campaigns.
Unbelievable that those teachers were teaching evangelical end times instead of history on the actual Holocaust! How many other schools is this happening in I wonder.
You have a great way to answer this CRT fear craziness. The problem is the democrat candidates seem to go on the defense instead of, like you offered, to take an assertive stance and communicate their trust in parents.
Celeste Olivia Tyson Sandersjust now
Dan -- I might be wrong, but I think that more uninformed voters turned out than in previous years, not necessarily fewer Democrats.
I also have serious concerns about what the blind Republicans who are still following former president Trump really want. They seem to only want to upset the political structure, with no real goal in sight. I am also angered that no matter what we do (and by we, I mean any conscientious American -- party notwithstanding), we cannot suppress the hideous monster
that is racism.
When I speak to octogenarians, their response is invariably the same: Their expectation of the future is grim. I for one, refuse to dim my optimism, for the sake of my children, grandchildren, and great-nieces and nephews. I have thought on many occasions, that if anyone can take up residency in a different country, they should.
I grew up with the notion that the world, with all its many differences, is for EVERYONE to live in.
There are also some unsettling concerns about the character of this former president and his cohorts. These flaws have a direct affect on both the moral and financial health of this country. I cannot allow a handful of misguided souls to shape my future.
As a New Jerseyan, I was on edge for two days, with fingers and toes crossed, hoping that my state would not oust a fairly progressive governor who has taken care of us throughout this pandemic. When I saw that Governor Murphy would be in charge for another four years, I felt immediate relief. His reelection was not helped by the media, though, as EVERY news story was rife with loaded adjectives. Why do we still have to read about "chaotic" and "disastrous" events? I am tired of the meanness and the pettiness of so many people. I am disheartened by the overt racism and exceptionalism I experience daily. I am sick of our country continuing to see itself (as Albright did) as the Indispensable Nation, quick to interfere in the business of other countries and slow to help our own people. I believe in the current President's mission, and I truly hope that we will see a shift to a more progressive agenda across our nation. Right now, though, I am tired of misinformation, lies, and inaction.
If this election wasn't a wake-up call to Democrats nationwide, I don't know what will be. If it wasn't a wake-up call to the Democrats in our House, and Senate, there will never be a more clear signal sent than was done in this election.
There is no one to blame than the Democrats we have sitting in Washington DC in the House, ands the Senate. Every last one of them. Their meandering around, not getting these issues resolved, arguing back and forth with each other, and we have two Democrats that have taken it upon themselves to go against everything trying to be done, or to better themselves, when all they are doing is hurting themselves, and the party. PLUS, they are all sitting back letting the Republicans control everything. Not making decisions when these decisions should have been made months ago. These bills they are still arguing over were presented by the president in his inauguration speech, and here we are, 9 months later, still arguing over these same issues. Nothing getting done, because the Republicans have put the brakes on everything, and causing the Democrats to implode, to cost them the majority. When, in actuality, the opposite should be happening. The Democrats should take charge and get this stuff done, or there will be no majority to worry about next year.
It's just this simple people.
Here are my two cents worth. I agree with almost all the comments printed here, but from the Joe Manchin interviews I have seen, I like Senator Manchin.
Lastly, I can’t even use the former president’s name I dislike him so much.
It is unbelievable that so many support him.
William
Your many questions sent me into a tailspin where I thought I’d never come up for air!
For those who think Biden and Garland aren’t “up for the job”, I would like to address that. Let’s go back when there was no smooth transition from TFG to Biden and his staff. They have had to comb through tons of garbage left behind by the grifter admin. They simply are not finished yet. The gathering of damning evidence is being compiled in a manner of dates, times, people responsible, etc. Coupled with a worldwide pandemic that was completely botched by the Grifters and an insurrection, the Biden Admin and Garland are working at warp speed. They simply must be precise when they present the proper charges against ALL who participated in these disasters.
Okay, with that said, yes, the media hasn’t been honest and hasn’t grilled our reps, both on the right and left, relentlessly. They must stop rehashing old news.
Dems messaging just sucks! Always have. Personally, I really like it when our reps get mad. It shows they’re human. They should strike out more and much louder. The centrists should take notes from progressives who are not going to be pushed to the back of the bus any longer. I was always a middle moderate but find myself drifting heavily into the progressive range. Why? Because they truly stand for decency and fairness.
I concur with Deanna Clifford. Even more as a medical professional I’m tired of seeing people put us in the bad guy role but that is another issue impacted by the current truth or lies country we live in now.
I have voted for both parties in the past 50 years but have found the negative rhetoric put out by the GOP more a reason to not vote for them than any! While at the same time feeling irritated that the Democrats don’t respond to the rhetoric with the truth.
For example the Nancy Pelosi ruining Medicare by taking away prescription benefits. Not true they are trying to do something healthcare professionals and others have begged for for years, get better prices like all the insurance companies do. Thats what they want to do! They do not want to take away but get better pricing.
So why do they not say that? I’m not a big fan of Nancy Pelosi but why not fight the negativity? People believe that BS; afterall the networks show them; so they must be true. I’ve actually had people tell me that.
Term limits need to be placed by we the people. The only way to keep the small businesses that are really huge corporations out of politics is by limiting how long folks are in office. Then those who have been bought and paid for are gone. PS small business are local business not chains.
We can change this course by replacing any senator or congressman that has served more than 2 terms. AND stop believing social media and everything the news says! Be diverse in the news chanels you watch and dont just stick with those negative ones like fox, one nation and others with negative rhetoric.
We need to join as a group stop fighting each other and fix this bs! We hold the power to be a democracy or let it slide into a autocratic society or worse a dictatorship! It is truly our choice, complacency no longer will work:)
Please mostly check all of the above for me. I will say that I've yet to understand how so many people voted for so many Republican Senators and Representatives while clearly wanting to dump Trump, when seeing only as recently with Obama how stifling this is to the president of the opposite party.
Good news from NJ after all (as I am late in commenting.)
And polls change too much to be considered reliable.
Americans are uncomfortable that there is nowhere in our political system where there is unity for good and for progress.The only party that appears to be united right now is the Republican party and they are united for the wrong reasons. I believe Democrats would be able to count on Democrats if we would quit fighting amongst ourselves. It's bad enough that the Republicans seem to get the majority of the press and mostly for the smear campaign they are doing to the Democrats. Unfortunately the Democrats do not have a united front. If we are to move forward the Democrats have to stand with each other and stand for good and for progess. We have to have some unity men and women of the political world!
I underestimated the cumulative effects of the COVID pandemic in terms of mental exhaustion. But Mr. Rather's point about media coverage of Republicans' increasing authoritarian bent stands out to me as critical. I know blaming the media is a perennial sport, but the ethos of the DC cocktail party set is fueling simply inaccurate and incomplete coverage of Republicans' moves.
Dan you summed it up quite well and it was said without using many of the words I would have used, to explain it. The Democrats better go big our go home now!. We need a series of things to get done that the majority of the party want. If it means killing the filibuster or expanding the courts, The Democrats better get it done.
The defeat in Virginia should be a huge wake up call for (us) Dems. I believe that where we are is not simply about what has happened in our country during the previous administration’s tenure and the beginning of President Biden’s term in office. I think that our country is now suffering from extreme neglect. The Obama administration’s hands were essentially tied for eight years and then for another four years we and our democratic institutions were essentially abused by the the Trump administration (I refer to it administration for lack of any other term to use)….twelve years of neglect due to the consistent blocking of any meaningful progress by power hungry and radicalized Republicans.(I hesitate to capitalize because I don’t think it is truly a party of the US any more) I believe that today we are now suffering the consequences of this neglect, and like climate change, there is a hard deadline on our chances to save America.
This is not business or politics as usual, and I agree that all of the Dem support groups that ask me for money with the same tired pleas and empty promises almost hourly need to think outside the box with their messaging and find ways to reignite engagement and get our America back! If they fail, so will President Biden’s priorities. I am a life long Dem and my heart is broken, and I’m also so angry about where we are that my hair is on fire most every day.
To steal and adjust a well-known snippet, "It's the messaging, stupid"
Democrats are disastrously inept at messaging, both the initial message and keeping the Republicans from rewriting/reworking it to their advantage. Remember when Obama was President and there were few days over the entire 8 years when McConnell and a sea of male white faces, or some version of that, were on the news countering anything and everything? That worked because the Democrats were nowhere to be seen so the only messaging that most TV watchers were getting was the Republican version. How many times has Schumer been on the evening news creating his own message, surrounded by a diversity of faces. Democrats cannot continue to believe that their logical fact-based approach will just magically carry the day. We cannot come up with terms like "defund" and we need to "sell" what we're doing in simple language. It is astonishingly and embarrassingly easy to make us look out of touch and if we can't address that, we will have many more years of losses. While I believe in and support the liberal and even progressive interests, we aren't going to be able to get any of that done if we can't win elections. And we can't win elections unless we are communicating effectively with everyone.
Am I the only one wondering about Bannon’s fate after defying the subpoena? Silence so far.