The problem with the US Democratic Party

[Anonymous]

Most of their big donors are on both coasts and have very different interests than working class people in the centre of the country.

[Anonymous]

Dems need a message



Midterms posed bigger challenge for Democrats than Trump



Historically, midterm elections are not favourable to the White House.



In the 2014 midterms, then U.S. president Barack Obama said, "We got beat" and took full responsibility for losing control of the Senate to the Republicans.



Of course Obama is not President Donald Trump, who pretty much claimed victory after defeat in this month's midterms in which the Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats.



But Democrats should also realize they didn't win in the larger sense of American politics.



Last week's election was not just a vote on issues, but a referendum on Trump who, according to the Democrats, is the worst U.S. president ever.



If that's the best argument they've got to defeat him two years from now in the presidential race, they're in trouble.



No doubt the world has taken a turn for the worse in recent years, but if Democrats hope to regain power by unloading the entire responsibility on Trump, they should think again.



Trump is only part of the problem.



He won the presidency two years ago because his Democratic predecessors failed.



First Obama and then Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, failed to address real issues bothering American voters including the threat of terrorism, domestic insecurity and a lax immigration system leading to a porous U.S. border.



Worse, they dangerously withdrew from global affairs, letting Russian president Vladimir Putin expand his influence in Ukraine and the Middle East.



Democrats might not consider terrorism, security and immigration priority concerns for most Americans, but they never developed an effective communications strategy to explain to voters what they did think was important.



They chose instead to demonize Trump for raising those concerns and the voters who were listening to him.



Clinton and the Democrats, divided and ideologically bereft of new ideas internally, radicalized the external debate, (see Clinton's infamous "basket of deplorables" referring to Trump supporters), antagonizing moderate voters and giving oxygen to extremists.



In so doing, they played into Trump's strength as a street fighter, who prefers yelling to debating and threatening to negotiating.



The Democrats insist they are nothing like Trump, but in reality, on many issues, they're behaving like Trump, demonizing anyone who supports him.



In that context, Trump's "defeat" in the midterms might turn into a Pyrrhic victory for the Democrats and help Trump to win the presidential election in two years.



Controlling the House makes the Democrats more vulnerable because they will now be part of the decision-making process and must take responsibility for the outcome.



For example, what's the Democrats' plan for the strange caravan of asylum seekers when it finally arrives at the Mexico-us border?



Will they oppose Trump's determination to keep them out?



[size=150]With their new majority in the House, will the Democrats use this opportunity to present new ideas and programs, or will they devote themselves to impeaching the president?

[/size]

This would mean more mud-slinging and extreme political views coming to the fore, welcome news for Trump because that's the political environment in which he thrives.



If that happens, it will mean the Democrats have learned nothing from the rise of Trump, which is that trying to match the American president riot for riot and scandal for scandal has taken them nowhere, having only scratched Trump in the midterms, which almost always happens to incumbent US presidents.



The Democrats need a new leader and a new strategy to take on Trump, not more mud-throwing which Trump is better at than they are.



That they don't have either to this point, is their real problem.

[Anonymous]

The American Democrats are the party of rich progs. Not the GOP is much better, but they haven't entirely thrown working people under the bus yet.

[Bricktop]

All the above highlights that modern democracy is a total catastrophe. Wherever it is practiced.



I have no faith in the system any more, and many people I know in Australia feel the same.



Adversarial politics is tearing our nations apart.

[Anonymous]

All the above highlights that modern democracy is a total catastrophe. Wherever it is practiced.



I have no faith in the system any more, and many people I know in Australia feel the same.



Adversarial politics is tearing our nations apart.

I am not ready to throw the baby out with the bath water just yet. But, Trump's election highlighted both US parties, but especially the Democrats needs to decide what they are about.

[Bricktop]

We already know what they are about. Whatever the other guys are NOT about.



Contrariness for it's own sake is the platform of modern politics. Political power is the aim, not the greater good.



Just look at the recent US elections. It was all about "winning" and keeping "power". Opposition parties are no longer different, or misguided or wrong, they are evil.



We no longer accept the principle of majority rules...a flawed and ludicrously outdated foundation of government. We are fracturing into sub-tribes, each wanting what's best for them, and to hell with the larger population.



It is unsustainable, and there will be no soft landing, because the very people who have the power to make changes are the same who profit most from the existing chaos.

[Anonymous]

We already know what they are about. Whatever the other guys are NOT about.



Contrariness for it's own sake is the platform of modern politics. Political power is the aim, not the greater good.



Just look at the recent US elections. It was all about "winning" and keeping "power". Opposition parties are no longer different, or misguided or wrong, they are evil.



We no longer accept the principle of majority rules...a flawed and ludicrously outdated foundation of government. We are fracturing into sub-tribes, each wanting what's best for them, and to hell with the larger population.



It is unsustainable, and there will be no soft landing, because the very people who have the power to make changes are the same who profit most from the existing chaos.

That's what I was getting at with the op. The Democrats are no longer offering the average American a clear alternative.

[Bricktop]

It is the same in every democracy.



Instead of policies, and promises rarely kept anyway, opposition parties merely focus on highlighting how evil the other side is. Australia and the UK are no different. Traditionally, during election campaigns, parties would tell the public their plans if elected.



The problem with that is that many of those plans never came to fruition, and we learned that any election promises were simply there to get as much attention as possible.



So now the campaigning is largely negative. "We are not them" is the central platform.



Our systems are not only dysfunctional, they are corrupt by definition. The entire process is controlled and choreographed by political parties, who act outside of public scrutiny and accountability.

[Anonymous]

It is the same in every democracy.



Instead of policies, and promises rarely kept anyway, opposition parties merely focus on highlighting how evil the other side is. Australia and the UK are no different. Traditionally, during election campaigns, parties would tell the public their plans if elected.



The problem with that is that many of those plans never came to fruition, and we learned that any election promises were simply there to get as much attention as possible.



So now the campaigning is largely negative. "We are not them" is the central platform.



Our systems are not only dysfunctional, they are corrupt by definition. The entire process is controlled and choreographed by political parties, who act outside of public scrutiny and accountability.

Trump changed that. He is keeping most of his promises. And the ones he cannot are being blocked by congress.

[Bricktop]

Point well made.



As I have maintained, the real impact of Trump will not be during his tenure, but afterwards. Will his successor follow the template Trump has utilised in getting things done? Or will the Trump era be a blip on the US political radar.



Equally importantly is will Trump inspire copy cat politicians in other countries?

[Anonymous]

Point well made.



As I have maintained, the real impact of Trump will not be during his tenure, but afterwards. Will his successor follow the template Trump has utilised in getting things done? Or will the Trump era be a blip on the US political radar.



Equally importantly is will Trump inspire copy cat politicians in other countries?

I predict he will be a blip, but more nationalists will be elected around the world.

[Bricktop]

Yet if he succeeds as a President, surely his successor would need to offer more of the same.



If you were standing for the Republicans, you would surely not say that you will be different from a successful predecessor.

[Anonymous]

Most of their big donors are on both coasts and have very different interests than working class people in the centre of the country.

My problem with the Democrats is their refusal to denounce violent organizations like Antifa and BLM.

[@realAzhyaAryola]

They are all suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. Anyone on the left is focused on getting rid of Trump. I am looking for someone who will stand up against both parties actually to end this division. I miss the days of bipartisanship where at the end of the day, they are friends even if they have totally different agendas and from different parties. What happened to those days? What has caused all this? Is there no turning back the clock? Is it only going to get worse? It's just a shame.

[@realAzhyaAryola]

I'm still waiting for Trump to make improvements to the infrastructure. He promised this during his campaign but has had not yet delivered.