A post-mortem of the Dems is largely pointless, because after Trump, we as a people will be so

[Fast Walker 52]

desperate for someone who is not a crazy conservative, that we will take another neo-liberal or corporate Dem.

Of course that that will not be our first choice, but it may be our only choice of an electable candidate, if they have the other qualities we want.

This is the problem of being a purist party in an election like we just had. Where it seemed obvious there was a clear choice in the candidates, but too many on the left believed Hillary was too corrupt or centrist or warlike, and so didn't turn out for her. Thus we get Trump, and have to suffer the consequences, and then have to settle for someone less optimal.

So the cycle continues...

And yes-- this assumes we actually have another open election in which Dems have a chance, and I'm not convinced that will be true in our Trumpian world.

[dhol82]

1. She won the popular vote by 2.6 million votes

We should be working on getting rid of the electoral college.

[PoliticAverse]

3. But didn't manage to help get enough Democrats elected to capture the Senate anyway. n/t

[still_one]

4. that won't happen, it requires an amendment to the Constitution

[Fast Walker 52]

9. I agree-- it's waste of time and effort. No way it will happen in the near future

[Donald Ian Rankin]

11. Not exactly.

States could sign laws stating that, if states with total electoral votes equal to more than half the total sign similar laws, they will pledge their electors to the candidate who won the popular vote.

That would be functionally equivalent, and wouldn't require an amendment.

[Demsrule86]

13. States are rigged by the Gop right now...they won't do that.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

16. I'm inclined to agree, but it's a step less far than a constitutional amendment. N.T.

[Grey Lemercier]

31. The Popular Vote Compact will be found unconstitutional

The Compact clause in the Constitution forbids states making legally binding compacts with other states without Congressional approval and the Rethugs and small states will NEVER allow large swing states to be cuffed to a blue wall.

[kimbutgar]

2. I think the rethugs have so perfected the vote suppression and vote flipping techniques

That we will Never have a Democratic President, Senate or House ever again. There was a coup in this country and it is game over for our democracy. Look at the trouble that is occurring in getting votes recounted. Only living in a blue state will be able to take some of the sting out. I never thought in my lifetime we would go down the path of Germany in the 1930's.

[still_one]

5. At the national level you are absolutely right. This was a generational election

It will take a generation to come back, and the only way that can be done is winning local and state elections first. It will take decades.

Noam Chomsky said it best I believe:

"Noam Chomsky: Progressives who refused to vote for Hillary Clinton made a ‘bad mistake’

In that same interview he also pointed out:

"the arguments made by philosopher Slavoj Zizek, who argued that Trump’s election would at least shake up the system and provide a real rallying point for the left.

“[Zizek makes a] terrible point,” Chomsky told Hasan. “It was the same point that people like him said about Hitler in the early ’30s… he’ll shake up the system in bad ways.”

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/noam-chomsky-progressives-who-refused-to-vote-for-hillary-clinton-made-a-bad-mistake/

[Eleanors38]

6. It took decades for the far right to gain permanent power...

...it may take that long for a real liberal/progressive alternative to defeat that, as half the time will be spent overcoming the Beltway Dems now in control of the Party.

[still_one]

7. anyone who thinks otherwise I believe is not fully appreciating what just happened, and when I use

word "appreciate" I mean it in a negative sense

[Fast Walker 52]

12. I do "appreciate" it

[still_one]

14. I hope it can happen sooner by organizing and getting people out to vote. 47% not voting is not

acceptable

[Fast Walker 52]

15. agree... I think if Trump and the GOP are as awful as expected, it shouldn't be hard

as long as we can HAVE an election

We do need to work the media better, and build a better presence in rural Repub areas.

[Eleanors38]

29. Many in this thread and on DU don't seem to realize...

(1) They are falling into the place which critics have identified: An elitist coastal party intolerant of a greater portion of white America.

(2) They are literally denying the fundament of a party in a democracy; that is, to formulate policies and beliefs which appeal to most people.

________

Concerning the latter, I believe that these many are genuinely afraid to take specific stands.

[bdamomma]

17. we were the good guys in 1930's

who is going to rescue us??? look at what we replaced our country with a stupid deadly man. People are so freaking stupid they didn't want to vote for a woman we wouldn't be in this situation or would we??? A friggin white supremacist and fascist. Damn this is 2016.

[still_one]

20. somehow we will have to do it, I don't know how

[bdamomma]

22. It's not I

it's we...... we have to dig down deep and do it.

[still_one]

23. ++++++++++++++++++ agreed

[Eleanors38]

30. Correct. Condemning tens of millions of tRump voters is like condemning hypocrits in church...

Who but they are better suited to the church's ministrations?

Who but they need to have some hope for change which can benefit all?

[Jake Stern]

27. Spot on

While the Dems were playing for the big prizes (Congress and WH) the GOP were packing city councils and county commissions and running candidates for rinky dink offices like Land Commissioner or Director of Public Works.

Much of the time the Dems didn't even bother fielding candidates for these offices. Hell, most people don't even know these offices exist.

The GOP knew that once the foot was in the door the rest would follow. That Land Commissioner would quietly approve drilling on state lands and that Director of Public Works would slash the budget of the Clean Water Division.

[Fast Walker 52]

10. that is indeed my worry... I think we are headed to bigger differences between red and blue states

and maybe even secession and a civil war

[bdamomma]

18. I think we will be having a civil war

between good and evil. There is so much hate, lies and division and denial now.

[Fast Walker 52]

21. sure seems that way!

[inwiththenew]

8. They better be working toward 2018

They being the party. Or should I say we...either way that has disaster written all over it. What is it 10 Senators from states that Trump won are up for reelection. I saw a report that the group that's being formed to amplify and assist the "Trump message" is already eyeing a strategy to unseat these Senators.

[JudyM]

19. Biden has essentially already announced his candidacy. I want to see what he's going to do for the

party for 2018.

[StevieM]

25. I've been hearing that Biden may run for Senate in Delaware if Tom Carper retires.

It would be interesting if he returned to the Senate.

[StevieM]

24. I am not too worried about PA, MI and WI, those seats should be OK. Especially since the GOP

is so arrogant that they will probably run hard right candidates who lament that Dems aren't rallying around Trump, who supposedly got a mandate.

Nelson should be OK in Florida.

I guess Sherrod Brown could have a close race, but he has a solid relationship with working-class voters, and his likely opponent is an idiot who he already beat in 2012.

The tough races are in West Virginia, Missouri, North Dakota, Montana and Indiana.

We have a shot at a pick up in Nevada and maybe Arizona if Jeff Flake gets beaten in a primary.

[lonestarnot]

26. Oh nooooooooooooo we won't. Don't include me in your we.

[Fast Walker 52]

28. really??? you'll let another Trump back in the presidency rather than vote for a centrist Dem???

[0rganism]

32. i don't even want to speculate what America will want in 2020

on the one hand, it's looking like a complete and utter disaster right now, and one might be tempted to assume people will turn away to vote for the opposition whatever form it takes

on the other hand, the media will have been working hard to normalize Trump for 4 years, and with the CBO and GAO firmly in GOP hands, the numbers will become whatever the GOP says they are, and voting will be much harder for urban minorities and immigrants.

so regardless of the personal economic & social plight of Americans, the opposition candidate will be running against a wildly successful celebrity incumbent.

i would rather get to thinking about how to recover (or at least not lose ground) in 2018 and getting some kind of non-profit foundation set up to help voters obtain appropriate identification in states that are fixated on draconian voting restrictions as their remedy to Democrat-favoring demographic shifts.

[alarimer]

33. We can't just worry about the Presidency.

This is the trap Democrats seem to have fallen into in recent years. We lost so many seats and state houses on the local level that we will be redistricted out of existence. I think a part of that means reaching out to segments we have lost over the years. We cannot compromise on messages and policy of equality for all, but we can't write off whole demographics, because we need some of their votes.

Running corporate Democrats is a losing game. We have to lose the Wall Street ties and emphasize Medicare, SS and the social safety net. Talk about who is destroying that. Democrats have not been very good at that. At placing blame squarely where it belongs (a lot of times that's because they have been complicit.)

Here's a good rundown:


https://mikethemadbiologist.com/2016/12/05/on-feelings-and-firewalls/

[Fast Walker 52]

34. yes-- good points