House Democrats blame losses on polls, message, even Trump

[question everything]

WASHINGTON — Their majority shrunk, House Democrats cast blame Thursday on their election message, ground game and leadership under Speaker Nancy Pelosi's team after expectations for big wins came crashing down by a stark reversal in Trump country. They focused too narrowly on health care, when voters were also worried about the economy.

They failed to fight back when Republicans labeled them "socialists" aligned with the party's most liberal firebrands.

They didn't knock on doors to meet voters, focusing instead on phone calls, digital outreach and TV ads, due to the health risks of campaigning during the pandemic. They lost Latino voters in some places, and white, working class men in others. They did not pass more COVID aid through Congress when Americans needed help most.

And perhaps most importantly, Democrats are coming to grips with the fact that whether President Donald Trump is e-elected or defeated by rival Joe Biden, they still have a problem understanding and winning over Trump voters. Lawmakers unloaded during a caucus call Thursday — Democratic freshman Rep. Abigail Spanberger, in a so-tight race in Virginia, spoke with "passion" about the party's campaign failures, according to a person familiar with the private call and granted anonymity to discuss it. The marathon call ran three hours, with some 30 members adding their views.

(snip)

Rather than bolstering their majority, as planned, Democrats lost a handful of freshman lawmakers who had just won in a 2018 midterm election backlash against the president. They also failed to add to their ranks as Republicans defeated one Democratic challenger after another.

Asked what went wrong, one Democratic strategist granted anonymity to frankly run through the list shortcomings, said: "All of the above."

More..

https://www.startribune.com/house-democrats-blame-losses-on-polls-message-even-trump/572988862/

[Qutzupalotl]

1. Don't forget the pandemic itself.

That limited our ability to knock on doors, have a full convention, GOTV, etc. Republicans just ignored it.

[andym]

2. Trump was the main problem-- his supporters were underpolled

and his mini-red wave in 2020 neutralized our blue wave voters from 2018, putting newly won districts and even old districts like Donna Shalala's at risk. Fortunately, more people voted Democratic than Republican again.

[ananda]

5. Yes, Trump had real coattails.

Biden got more votes, but hardly any coattails.

[question everything]

8. BINGO

[question everything]

7. He is, was. And let's be honest, many voted for Biden to get rid of this embarrassment

not so much to have him in the White House, which explains why Biden did not generate much of a coat tail.

[brush]

3. That "socialism" tag is a killer. It's toxic to so many voters.

I wonder if fighting back with messaging that trump and his Putin ties are a slippery slope to fascism?

[Turin_C3PO]

13. That's what I think we should have done.

We can’t stop Repubs from labeling us as socialist no matter how centrist the politician. We need to label them as fascist at every turn. That’s closer to to the truth than the lies the Repubs tell about Democrats.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

32. This. nt

[question everything]

39. There were reports, not sure on these pages, that Sandes - who is not even a Democrat -

and AOC already "promised" to shift the Biden's administration to the "left;" whatever this means.

Here in Minnesota, Omar was effectively used to flip a Democratic congressional seat, a long term member who was one of two who voted NO on the impeachment..

[Turin_C3PO]

40. Well, they're free to ask for whatever they want.

Their districts obviously like them. I hope they don’t work against Biden but they’ll do what they’re gonna do.

[EarlG]

4. "They still have a problem understanding and winning over Trump voters"

Maybe at some point they'll figure out that it's not whether they're too "liberal" or too "centrist," but that a large percentage of the American voting public is deeply susceptible to Internet-driven propaganda.

The strategists can argue all day about election messages vs. ground games vs. leadership -- I don't know how that's going to change the minds of people who are convinced Democrats are drinking the blood of children in the basement of pizza parlors because that's what OANN, Steve Bannon, and Vladimir Putin have been constantly shoveling into their brains via Facebook.

[marylandblue]

11. Won't change them, but there are enough swing voters open to the right message.

I think people want economic progressivism, not socialism and not social pregressivism. We can do that. The party should lead with that. Fifteen dollar minimum wage won in Florida. That's a pointed lesson.

[Turin_C3PO]

15. We can't abandon social liberalism.

Women, minorities, and GLBTQ are a huge part of our base and we won’t leave them out in the cold.

[marylandblue]

20. We don't have to abandon them. But it can't be our main focus.

I think the lesson of 2016 and 2020 is clear on that. The Democratic Party is a diverse coalition. We need to address the concerns of white voters without college degrees. They are feeling left out because they aren't minorities and being called "privileged" and "racist." Stop telling them what's wrong with them, and rather bring them back into our coalition with things that will help them.

[StarfishSaver]

23. The only way to get those Trump voters is to a abandon our base

Democrats would have to convince them that we are not important and don't matter. That's a non-starter.

Do people realize how obnoxious and insulting it is for black voters, who year after year have to give our sweat, tears, time and shoe leather to dragging this party over the finish line because a majority of white people won't vote with us, have to watch and hear Democrats kiss up to those people who vote Republican because they disdain us?

[marylandblue]

29. I think you are missing the point. First of all, we need more voters.

And unfortunately some of them are in states that are very white. We need to offer them things they want, that we usually don't talk about anymore. This is not a zero sum game. Or at least it doesn't have to be.

[StarfishSaver]

37. I'm not missing the point at all

We need more voters. We just don't need THOSE voters.

I'm not talking about white voters. I'm talking about racist white voters who continue to vote Republican because they align with their racial attitudes and don't vote for Democrats because they hate ours.

The only thing we could give them that would convince them to vote Democratic is an assurance that we don't matter. That ain't gonna happen.

There are plenty of other voters we can go after. You may not mind sharing the tent with racists and racist enablers, but I do.

[marylandblue]

41. I don't know. We really are talking about two different things.

Biden is going to have to hold all this together. I hope he can.

[EarlG]

25. I'd argue that

the problem isn't that Democratic politicians are telling white voters without college degrees what's wrong with them.

The problem is that people on the Internet are being propagandized into believing that Democratic politicians are telling white voters without college degrees what's wrong with them.

How do you fight that?

[Turin_C3PO]

26. I disagree.

I don’t think there’s an obvious solution to us winning back non college educated white people. They’ve long been conned by Limbaugh, Fox, and others and it’s not going to be easy to change them. I think a better strategy is to try and increase turnout among demographics that support us.

[EarlG]

18. I believe you are right about swing voters

but when it comes to "understanding Trump voters" I think this snip from a recent Atlantic article explains it pretty well:

Nor was I among the progressives who believed America would repudiate Trump’s policies. For one thing, I am a conservative—and I know my former tribe. Trump voters don’t care about policy. They didn’t care about it in 2016, and they don’t care about it now. The party of national security, fiscal austerity, and personal responsibility supports a president who is in the pocket of the Russians, has exploded the national deficit, and refuses to take responsibility for anything.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214475717

Nevertheless, we shouldn't discount the fact that even though millions of people voted for a monster, Biden/Harris just scored the most votes for any ticket in American history, and crushed Trump in the popular vote. Despite America's messed up election system, we are still the majority in this country, as we have been for 7 of the last 8 presidential elections.

Hopefully it won't take long for people to remember what it's like to have a real American president, and if Biden just provides some strong, steady leadership, and gets some popular policies passed, maybe we can start to chip away at some of the brainwashed.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

12. Exactly this!

The RW propaganda machine has for decades been waging a well-funded, long term, expertly planned campaign to convince people that Democrats are evil.

[groundloop]

30. Absolutely true, and we need to understand this instead of starting a circular firing squad

GOPers have for decades been masters of labeling, propaganda, and outright lies.

Also, Democrats are a lot more politically diverse than GOPers and therefore it's nearly impossible to make everyone happy on every single issue.

When it's all said and done party leadership needs to take a long, hard look at what Stacy Abrams was able to accomplish in Georgia, and (in my most humble opinion) consider Stacy for DNC Chair.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

38. Great points.

And Stacey Abrams for DNC chair is an excellent idea!

[ismnotwasm]

19. They aren't

I think the Democratic strategy should concentrate on political empowerment of black people and other people of color, as well as women of color . White woman again voted for Trump in greater numbers than Biden. Not only just “reaching out” —we’ve seen some of this happening already in the gain of POC getting elected to office.
Also getting and hanging on to the youth vote, reframing ideas that have merit, but sound absolutely horrid, like “defund the police” —still makes me cringe—

Since we are at a time where action is necessary in regards to climate change revamp Obama’s policies, but make damn sure Democrats get credit for what they stand for. Lots of RWers like the idea of cheap solar power. They pay bills like every one else.

The internet zombies are not going to change.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. Swing districts are gonna swing, especially with record turnout- could swing back in 2022. Nt

[Turin_C3PO]

9. The failure of the COVID aid

wasn’t our fault. That should have been laid at the feet of Mitch McConnell. As far as the socially label goes, Rethugs are going to label us as that no matter what. We just have to fight better.

[question everything]

14. Poor excuse.

At the time I posted here that, were I in dire straights, really needed help, I would have blamed both parties, wondering whether the elections were a factor. Sadly, too many here showed no empathy for the real poor and insisted on blaming the turtle.

He offered $200, or $400 a week but our side was not willing to compromise. Had we, and if the turtle would have found a way to back away, we could have used this as a leverage.

[Turin_C3PO]

16. His plan didn't include a stimulus for the people.

How are we supposed to fight that when we don’t have the Senate? I trust Nancy Pelosi and her judgment. None of us knows more about politics than her.

[marylandblue]

21. Usually she is right, but she blew it this time.

[Turin_C3PO]

28. Not in my opinion.

She did all she could. McConnell, and only McConnell, are to blame. Just because some voters were tricked doesn’t make it the Democrats’ fault. I think a big factor in our losses was that Dems didn’t do a ground game due to Covid. We could have done it safely with masks and social distancing.

[marylandblue]

31. She lost seats in Congress, so I'm just going with what the voters say.

I don't believe in assigning or avoiding "fault." She made some decisions. Some good, some bad. I think that was a bad one. I understand why she did it, and it was totally unreasonable. But it didn't work out. McConnell outmaneuvered basically.

[question everything]

22. OK, so expose him, showing that the emperor has not clothes instead of just insisting on

her plan.

Because, while not expressed on these pages, many, really poor and desperate, blamed both sides.

[Turin_C3PO]

27. I'm not disagreeing that both sides were blamed.

I’m just not sure what we could have done to change that.

[marylandblue]

33. We could have accepted the minipackage offered. Strategic decision that backfired.

I actually thought it would work too, but as the election drew closer, it became clear it wouldn't. She should have reversed course at that point.

[mshasta]

10. the ground--- Presence --lost due to covid

no ground office open due to covid-not enough signs -merchandise due to covid

text messages doesn't work as well as the face to face

and ....racist brainwash individuals are hard to educate them .

[question everything]

24. Well said. Thank you

I will take it a step further: for many white blue collars, the party emphasized "identity politics." Women, people of color, gay, others. Look at our primaries, how so many were angry and disappointed when no person of color, and no woman ended at the top.

And these blue collar workers who, yes, love their god and their guns have been saying: what about me?

Even in the past few days, there are so many posts here by many who do not want to have anything to do with rural America. Never mind that rural American provides our food, as an example.

There are Democrats who found paths to rural America: Minnesota Klobuchar, Montana Tester and others.

[Demsrule86]

35. I agree...

[Demsrule86]

34. I disagree...it was the stimulus....very unfair but as I feared the House was blamed. We know

it was McConnell but we should have put out one with just unemployment and stimulus...doubt it would have happened but we wouldn't get blamed. The seats lost were in red areas so they were already in trouble. There are people going hungry and being evicted because of not getting this done. This is not the Democrats fault of course but we were blamed.

[question everything]

36. Precisely.