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.

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Northwest · M

We, the party needs a new strategy. Specifically:

1. Stop wasting valuable resources, running LOCAL elections, as if they were national elections. The Georgia district, won by a Republican yesterday, is one of the wealthiest districts in the nation. They were not going to elect a Jewish kid, living with his medical student fiancee, to Congress. Nancy Pelosi doesn't get it. She spent $25M on an election the party could never have won. The locals did not want a wiz kid, with a genius IQ, who understands international finance/economics, they wanted someone who can run interference for them at the local level.

2. Stop setting the party up for failure, by turning LOCAL issues into a referendum on the Trump presidency. The Georgia district did not vote for Trump based on his promise to put coal miners, or auto workers back to work. They don't have those, and they don't have immigrant problems, or I should say that their immigrant problems consist of one of their gardeners or maids not showing up on time. They don't have healthcare or health insurance issues. All Pelosi did, was provide Trump with more ammunition for his fake tweets.

The real test comes tomorrow, when the Republican healthcare plan is unveiled. Several Republicans Senators and Governors have been kept in the dark, because they've accepted Obamacare.

whoowho · 41-45, F

@Northwest: Man, I could not agree with you more. It's shocking how out of touch they are. Pelosi needs to go.

May I also add - WHY didn't the Democrats see this coming? We have been losing seats for awhile. No one had their eye on the "ball". It appears we became complacent and deserve the situation we are in.

Northwest · M

@whoowho: The real problem, is that Trump is now going to believe his own bull, and will think that this is an actual referendum on his presidency :-( things could get worse. I think the party should lean left, especially on issue like single payer healthcare system, and guaranteed education, regardless of income level.

whoowho · 41-45, F

@Northwest: Exactly. They need to start taking their cues from Bernie BUT because they are still "in bed" with big business and lobbyist - they will not.

They are still stuck in the old political structure.

It is such a pity.