Why Do So Many Americans Think Democrats Are Out of Touch?[Click] The way I see it, about forty years ago the “New Democrats” figured that the way to win elections was to be more like the Republicans, in order to swing those [mythological] “swing voters” (who alternate between voting Dem and GOP) their way. They saw nothing wrong with monopolies—indeed, they figured monopoly and oligopoly were probably more efficient than the anti-monopolistic, pro-competition policies at the heart of the New Deal, which they spent these past decades destroying. They also set out to appeal to upper middle class voters, I suppose because they thought those people were “natural leaders” of the mere plebeians. What probably sealed the deal was the choice made early in the Obama administration to save the banks and the bankers rather than the homeowners. So while unnumbered people lost their homes and savings (Black households on average lost all their net worth), not a few by flat-out fraud, the banks did OK, and not a single banker went to prison. Don’t get me wrong—those people who took out loans they could obviously not afford (including close relatives of mine) were chowderheads—but the bankers who sold them those loans were criminals. HRC was obviously a tool of Wall Street, and that was a big factor in her loss. And now comes Obama accepting what sure looks like a piddling $400,000 thank-you from the folks he not only made rich(er) but kept out of Leavenworth. A ten-percent fee on their profit ought to be way more than Donald Trump claims to have. And by and large what the supposed wheels in the “Democratic” Party seem to be talking about is a public relations campaign and spreading money around a little differently. They don’t seem to grasp that if people keep getting only the bad apples, they will eventually “vote against their own interests” by upsetting the apple cart—be it in the UK or the US. Talk is cheap, Dems—and it will require consistent actions to prove to people you have changed. “It’ll be different this time, Honey—I promise!” doesn’t cut it.
I will admit to having my outlook colored by living for a long time in a congressional district that was gerrymandered by Dems to elect only Republicans. The boundaries have been re-gerrymandered, but the effect remains the same. And since only GOPers can be elected here, the state and national parties obviously aren’t going to waste any money on the winner of the Democratic primary.
And I must admit that hearing about people going around knocking on doors trying to get folks to vote for their favored candidate seems very strange; a little over thirty years ago we had a visit by a candidate for city council, but other than that one time door knockers have all been proselytizing Christians of one sort or another.
Susan, I concur that Hillary and her loyalists lost this election on their own. I also believe that DT had too many leg-ups from people with ulterior motives. We are in this mess because of greedy agendas. Only Bernie remains the candidate who is truly for the people rather than self.
Rant warning!
ReplyDeleteWhy Do So Many Americans Think Democrats Are Out of Touch?[Click] The way I see it, about forty years ago the “New Democrats” figured that the way to win elections was to be more like the Republicans, in order to swing those [mythological] “swing voters” (who alternate between voting Dem and GOP) their way. They saw nothing wrong with monopolies—indeed, they figured monopoly and oligopoly were probably more efficient than the anti-monopolistic, pro-competition policies at the heart of the New Deal, which they spent these past decades destroying. They also set out to appeal to upper middle class voters, I suppose because they thought those people were “natural leaders” of the mere plebeians. What probably sealed the deal was the choice made early in the Obama administration to save the banks and the bankers rather than the homeowners. So while unnumbered people lost their homes and savings (Black households on average lost all their net worth), not a few by flat-out fraud, the banks did OK, and not a single banker went to prison. Don’t get me wrong—those people who took out loans they could obviously not afford (including close relatives of mine) were chowderheads—but the bankers who sold them those loans were criminals. HRC was obviously a tool of Wall Street, and that was a big factor in her loss. And now comes Obama accepting what sure looks like a piddling $400,000 thank-you from the folks he not only made rich(er) but kept out of Leavenworth. A ten-percent fee on their profit ought to be way more than Donald Trump claims to have. And by and large what the supposed wheels in the “Democratic” Party seem to be talking about is a public relations campaign and spreading money around a little differently. They don’t seem to grasp that if people keep getting only the bad apples, they will eventually “vote against their own interests” by upsetting the apple cart—be it in the UK or the US. Talk is cheap, Dems—and it will require consistent actions to prove to people you have changed. “It’ll be different this time, Honey—I promise!” doesn’t cut it.
I will admit to having my outlook colored by living for a long time in a congressional district that was gerrymandered by Dems to elect only Republicans. The boundaries have been re-gerrymandered, but the effect remains the same. And since only GOPers can be elected here, the state and national parties obviously aren’t going to waste any money on the winner of the Democratic primary.
And I must admit that hearing about people going around knocking on doors trying to get folks to vote for their favored candidate seems very strange; a little over thirty years ago we had a visit by a candidate for city council, but other than that one time door knockers have all been proselytizing Christians of one sort or another.
—Alan
Responding to Saturday's thread:
ReplyDeleteSusan, I concur that Hillary and her loyalists lost this election on their own. I also believe that DT had too many leg-ups from people with ulterior motives. We are in this mess because of greedy agendas. Only Bernie remains the candidate who is truly for the people rather than self.