General politics

[Craig Arko]

Obama was renowned for his dry sense of humor and back then it was considered a good thing.

There is a subtle but important difference between dry and foolish.

[D. Hocking]

 

Freedom fuel. Of course.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/05/us-department-of-energy-is-now-referring-to-fossil-fuels-as-freedom-gas/

 

The world is one big continual Onion headline now.

[LaBombo]

 

The world is one big continual Onion headline now.

 

+1, if you believe Yahoo Finance...

 

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

I'm shocked to learn the GoP is doing things to decrease voter access and increase their power at the expense of democracy and freedom. Shocked.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/us/census-citizenship-question-hofeller.html

[gunnarthor]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/31/democrats-must-win-rural-america-heres-how/?utm_term=.bdb65daf606f

 

Good article about Dems need to do outreach in rural America and how destroying the ACA could hurt rural America even more. "The second problem is attracting a skilled workforce that can provide needed services. She pointed to the lack of mental health professionals. A school with a suicidal child may find there is a two-month wait for that child to see a mental health professional, Heitkamp said. “Rural health care is in crisis.""

 

Dems need to start showing up and talking about these voters problems to get them back in the fold.

[Mike Sixel]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/31/democrats-must-win-rural-america-heres-how/?utm_term=.bdb65daf606f

 

Good article about Dems need to do outreach in rural America and how destroying the ACA could hurt rural America even more. "The second problem is attracting a skilled workforce that can provide needed services. She pointed to the lack of mental health professionals. A school with a suicidal child may find there is a two-month wait for that child to see a mental health professional, Heitkamp said. “Rural health care is in crisis.""

 

Dems need to start showing up and talking about these voters problems to get them back in the fold.

Fixing rural issues costs money, and rural voters keep voting for tax cutting. What's the message?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/31/democrats-must-win-rural-america-heres-how/?utm_term=.bdb65daf606f

 

Good article about Dems need to do outreach in rural America and how destroying the ACA could hurt rural America even more. "The second problem is attracting a skilled workforce that can provide needed services. She pointed to the lack of mental health professionals. A school with a suicidal child may find there is a two-month wait for that child to see a mental health professional, Heitkamp said. “Rural health care is in crisis.""

 

Dems need to start showing up and talking about these voters problems to get them back in the fold.

I don't even know if that's really possible in 2020 but it needs to be the Democratic long game. They need to break the social clutch the GOP has on rural America and start selling those people on things that will actually help them.

 

Which is why I still seethe at Hillary's "basket of deplorables" comment. It was pure idiocy on her part and that kind of damage takes a long time to repair.

[Squirrel]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/31/democrats-must-win-rural-america-heres-how/?utm_term=.bdb65daf606f

 

Good article about Dems need to do outreach in rural America and how destroying the ACA could hurt rural America even more. "The second problem is attracting a skilled workforce that can provide needed services. She pointed to the lack of mental health professionals. A school with a suicidal child may find there is a two-month wait for that child to see a mental health professional, Heitkamp said. “Rural health care is in crisis.""

 

Dems need to start showing up and talking about these voters problems to get them back in the fold.

This is how Lauren Underwood won her Congressional seat. She beat an incumbent Republican and that race wasn’t on anyone’s radar it was assumed the Republican would win. She ran a grassroots campaign and went into every corner, rural and suburbs, and talked to people and ran her campaign on healthcare and gun control. In a conservative district in Illinois that is part rural and part suburb. And won. Wasn’t even close. And an election no one predicted she’d win.

[gunnarthor]

 

This is how Lauren Underwood won her Congressional seat. She beat an incumbent Republican and that race wasn’t on anyone’s radar it was assumed the Republican would win. She ran a grassroots campaign and went into every corner, rural and suburbs, and talked to people and ran her campaign on healthcare and gun control. In a conservative district in Illinois that is part rural and part suburb. And won. Wasn’t even close. And an election no one predicted she’d win.

Yeah, her race was fantastic. I really enjoyed that one.

[gunnarthor]

 

Fixing rural issues costs money, and rural voters keep voting for tax cutting. What's the message?

Honestly, there is so much govt waste I don't really worry about money. Cut military spending by 10%, fix everything.

[Mike Sixel]

Honestly, there is so much govt waste I don't really worry about money. Cut military spending by 10%, fix everything.

There is no more government waste than business waste. Now, what they spend it on, that's different. To be clear, your message to rural voters is cut defense spending.....?

[Mr. Brooks]

Honestly, there is so much govt waste I don't really worry about money. Cut military spending by 10%, fix everything.

Good luck selling rural voters on cutting military spending.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Fixing rural issues costs money, and rural voters keep voting for tax cutting. What's the message?

 

Health care.  Plus, half the battle is just showing up to show you care.  Lauren Underwood is a wonderful example, so what did she talk about?

 

Infrastructure spending.  Health Care.  Jobs.  

 

It's really that simple.  Talk to people as if you care about them and then talk about what they care about.  Once you're in office, then work for change on broader platforms.  (As Underwood is.  She has one of the most liberal voting records in Congress)  

 

Democrats are terrible at this and too many further left elements frown on it....but it's how you win.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

... too many further left elements frown on it....but it's how you win.

Like who?

[TheLeviathan]

 

Like who?

 

Every liberal who thinks talking to rural people is "pandering" or being a "moderate".  Articles like this abound.  Just google "Democrats should move left" and take your pick.

 

Candidates and commentators who talk about reaching out to Trump voters are immediately slandered with the label "moderate".  We've seen the links in this thread and others.  

 

Ideology is being given primacy over winning by some on the left.  It is being argued that you have to sound "bold" and "progressive" in order to "inspire" voters to win.  But the facts on the ground don't support that at all.

 

If you want to win, Underwood has the playbook mapped out.  And the best part?  She's exactly the kind of progressive,bold, inspirational person that these same lefties want!  She just did the exact opposite of what they say to win her seat.  I'm so glad Carole pointed her out, she's the perfect road map.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Every liberal who thinks talking to rural people is "pandering" or being a "moderate". Articles like this abound. Just google "Democrats should move left" and take your pick.

 

Candidates and commentators who talk about reaching out to Trump voters are immediately slandered with the label "moderate". We've seen the links in this thread and others.

 

Ideology is being given primacy over winning by some on the left. It is being argued that you have to sound "bold" and "progressive" in order to "inspire" voters to win. But the facts on the ground don't support that at all.

 

If you want to win, Underwood has the playbook mapped out. And the best part? She's exactly the kind of progressive,bold, inspirational person that these same lefties want! She just did the exact opposite of what they say to win her seat. I'm so glad Carole pointed her out, she's the perfect road map.

Who are the “further left” Democrats who frown on talking to constituents? That’s the question I am asking.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Who are the “further left” Democrats who frown on talking to constituents? That’s the question I am asking.

 

It was suggested, just here on this forum, that the left needs to reach out to rural whites.  This is one of the responses:

 

If the takeaway from this election is to pander to rural whites or lose, this country is screwed.

 

Of course, no one wants "pandering".  But that is the framing it gets as soon as outreach is suggested.  That quote represents a segment of the left.  A minority, to be sure, but a vocal one.  Here's another at this link.

 

You win elections with a broad coalition.  So broaden!  You can talk to the concerns of racism and urban dilemmas for minorities and talk to rural whites about their problems.  They aren't mutually exclusive, in fact, they often overlap.  There are also many rural minorities that would appreciate someone coming to talk to them and look out for them.  

 

I'm heartened to see the actual Democrats in this field and in the party seem to understand this and learned from the mistakes of Clinton.  Double down on it and keep going.  I want 2020 to be a decimation of the Republican party.

 

[biggentleben]

Tom Daschle did a lot for the state of South Dakota by working hard in DC and spending his campaign time in the state attending all levels of rallies, not just the big ones. He made connections with voters young and old, of all races, and had incredible support from Republican voters in the state. Then he was put in the role of the Senate's voice for the Democrats to oppose Dubya Bush policies. Every conservative radio talk head made him a point of attack, as did early Fox News, and potential voters ate it up. When he ran next, he avoided the smaller rallies, running on his record...and he was defeated.

 

At one time within the last 20 years, South Dakota had three Democrats in DC, so getting the state to vote for a Democrat that takes the time to invest in voters is not unheard of, but lacking a candidate that does that, the state will always end up voting Republican, and it seems very few Congressional, Governor, or Presidential candidates have taken time to engage voters, which will always lead to the default Republican vote.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Love this tweet — not even sure which thread to post it in!

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Tom Daschle did a lot for the state of South Dakota by working hard in DC and spending his campaign time in the state attending all levels of rallies, not just the big ones. He made connections with voters young and old, of all races, and had incredible support from Republican voters in the state. Then he was put in the role of the Senate's voice for the Democrats to oppose Dubya Bush policies. Every conservative radio talk head made him a point of attack, as did early Fox News, and potential voters ate it up. When he ran next, he avoided the smaller rallies, running on his record...and he was defeated.

 

At one time within the last 20 years, South Dakota had three Democrats in DC, so getting the state to vote for a Democrat that takes the time to invest in voters is not unheard of, but lacking a candidate that does that, the state will always end up voting Republican, and it seems very few Congressional, Governor, or Presidential candidates have taken time to engage voters, which will always lead to the default Republican vote.

 

that was a different time, way different time. Nothing like the politics of today.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Love this tweet — not even sure which thread to post it in!

 

 

 

Absolutely, it's one issue where you have bipartisan consensus.  Everyone hates Big Pharm.

 

Ocasio-Cortez got some love from the right for going after them a few weeks back.  Read that again if you need to.  It'd be a smart rallying point for the Dems.

[PseudoSABR]

https://twitter.com/Toure/status/1136272561237647360

[Mike Sixel]

Absolutely, it's one issue where you have bipartisan consensus. Everyone hates Big Pharm.

 

Ocasio-Cortez got some love from the right for going after them a few weeks back. Read that again if you need to. It'd be a smart rallying point for the Dems.

Except all the companies that fund politicians. I expect no change at all in terms of business owning politicians here. Not any time soon.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Except all the companies that fund politicians. I expect no change at all in terms of business owning politicians here. Not any time soon.

 

Perhaps not, I was only speaking to it as a campaign strategy.

 

We could probably end all these threads with "Politicians gonna politic", so I'm not sure how helpful that observation is

[Mike Sixel]

Perhaps not, I was only speaking to it as a campaign strategy.

 

We could probably end all these threads with "Politicians gonna politic", so I'm not sure how helpful that observation is

It's clear that some on the left won't. Until we give them power, the only things that change depending on the party in charge are abortion and pollution laws.

[TheLeviathan]

 

It's clear that some on the left won't. Until we give them power, the only things that change depending on the party in charge are abortion and pollution laws.

 

Call me jaded, but I'm not sure it's ever clear that politicians will follow up on their rhetoric.

 

Sometimes the safest place to yell about your principles is from obscurity.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Call me jaded, but I'm not sure it's ever clear that politicians will follow up on their rhetoric.

 

Sometimes the safest place to yell about your principles is from obscurity.

 

so, we're just screwed no matter what? I'm not willing to go there.

[TheLeviathan]

 

so, we're just screwed no matter what? I'm not willing to go there.

 

I admit...I'm pretty jaded.  Aren't you riot in the streets guy?

[Mike Sixel]

 

I admit...I'm pretty jaded.  Aren't you riot in the streets guy?

 

there are days......but no. but there are days.

 

Of course, you are typing with me on a day I feel defeated, and am trying not to give up. So, who knows how that changes what I type....

[TheLeviathan]

 

there are days......but no. but there are days.

 

Of course, you are typing with me on a day I feel defeated, and am trying not to give up. So, who knows how that changes what I type....

 

I hear ya.  I have no delusions about voting in a bunch of Democrats, no matter what their banners are.  But to me politics is a game of moving policy in a direction.  Right now we're heading towards oblivion and I'd prefer less of that.

 

So I try not to place expectations on elected officials, no matter what they say.  I just want to clean house of the ones that are awful.  Namely, all the Republicans.