A question about "the high road".

[Caliman73]

I have questions about the idea of "the high road v. fighting back". I am hoping to have a discussion about this concept given our current situation and the future of progressive ideals and the Democratic Party moving in to 2017.

There is conflict within our party/our side regarding the idea that Democrats are too nice and that we need to fight back like Republicans. My wife and I were having this discussion the other day, one of many discussions like this through out the last 8 years/election season. She has said this many times, expressing frustration that Democrats simply do not fight back and often invoking using tactics the Republicans have used on us, against them.

I am wondering what people mean by "fighting back like Republicans". Republicans in my opinion, engage in no end of dirty tricks. They lie, they bribe, they do and say almost anything to distort messages and trick people into voting against their own interests. I am honestly wondering whether people are advocating for Democrats to use similar tactics.

If so, how will that look and what becomes of the Democratic Party when it begins using dirty tricks like the Republicans use?

If not, what then does fighting back like Republicans mean? What is your vision of how Democrats can stand up to Republicans?

As I said, hopefully this will spark discussion and not a flame war.

[HassleCat]

1. It does not work to be like them

In the presidential contest, we tried to emphasize the fact that our opponent was crazy and dangerous. We might have done better to stick with the issues, which is where we are strong. To an extent, we got suckered into playing their game.

[Caliman73]

3. Agreed

I often tell my wife that The Democratic message is harder to sell because it entails everyone working together for the common good, which implies that we all have to sacrifice a little of our desires so that everyone has enough. Also, problems are complicated and require complicated and often imperfect solutions that have to be tweaked.

Those are hard to put on bumper stickers.

Republicans on the other hand will blame government, or minorities, or immigrants, or women, or LGBT people for any problems that result from their policies of greed and zero sum competition. Easier to get people riled up and then point them toward who to hate.

So then the question is how to we get our message out effectively. We have models in FDR's campaign and I think Truman's as well, but how do we make that resonate?

[alarimer]

2. Fuck the high road.

I've given up. The Democrats are caving already and Obama is being mealy-mouthed. But guess he gets his Hawaiian vacation while Trump is preparing to fuck us all over, except his rich friends.

[Caliman73]

4. So what then?

Giving up is definitely an option. I prefer not to, which is why I posed the question about how to proceed.