Do the Democrats need a new strategy?

I have just found out about the poor results for the party in the special elections and it seems obvious that in spite of everything that Trump has done, there is little or no sign that the Dems are about to win big on the back of it.

The Republican base vote shows zero sign of collapsing because of Trump and if that hasn't happened by now then it never will. Trump's approval rating is low but seemingly not low enough for Republican voters to see him as worse than their traditional political opponents. The Democrats - by contrast - have the same old problems motivating their own base to turn up outside of Presidential elections. It seems to me that the Democrats are boxing defensively; attacking Trump over Russia and for being crazy and whatever, but not offering an alternative vision or narrative of their own. Yearning for the old status quo only works when the status que is popular and Trump's victory itself proves that this is not the case in America.

The Bernie wing of the Democrats maintain that the party should offer a more leftward platform in order to win back white working class voters and to increase the youth turnout. Jeremy Corbyn's relative success in the recent UK election seems to back up that theory, though even I have to admit that JC did benefit from some unusually favourable circumstances during ghe campaign, some of which (like the looming Brexit) are not transferable across the Atlantic . Also note that the Sanders backed Rob Quist faild to beat the Republicans in Montana

There is no magic wand for the Democrats but waiting for Trump to implode will not win an election on its own. The Democrats need to connect to people's values and offer change, building loyalty over a long period.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Mert5356 · 41-45, M

The Democrats are being too centrist and still playing to corporate donors. It is going to take a revolution (not literally) of new Democrats to step forward and take control. It has indeed begun and as Corbyn's win in the UK shows, it is possible.

puck61

@Mert5356: You honestly think the democrats haven't moved far enough left? My dream would be that more democrats in positions of power felt like you do! If you were the minority leader you would be my hero!

firefall · 61-69, M

@Mert5356: Um. Corbyn didn't win.

Mert5356 · 41-45, M

@firefall: You need to learn more about parliamentary elections

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@firefall: That is something we still need to remember. He would certainly favourite to win if there was another election any time soon but it would not be a formality.

He got the youth vote out better than any other Labour person would have done but it is also true that a lot of centre-left people voted Labour in spite of having reservations about Corbyn because they had more reservations about May and hard Brexit. It [i]could[/i] be a different ball game against a different Tory leader and I would be worried in the unlikely event that they get Ruth Davidson to stand. Then again if the Tories fail badly with Brexit negotiations and are blamed for it by the public then they could be out of power for a decade or more.

Its all just really hard to predict. The political centre blows in the wing. Though I want the left to win because I agree with them and that is my guide. ;-)

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@Mert5356: [quote]@firefall: You need to learn more about parliamentary elections[/quote]

TBF he comes from New Zealand and has lived in the UK so he knows full well. I generally agree with you Mert, or at least want to, but this is complex and not an open shut case.

firefall · 61-69, M

@Mert5356: I'm intimately familiar with parliamentary elections.

I agree with Burnley that JC did -much- better than expected, and overcame an incredible amount of media-hatred of him. But it's still not a win, though I hope he'll actually win the next one, in the next 6 months or so.