What changes does the Democratic Party need to make?

[kentuck]

Was it a good thing that Harry Reid retired and Chuck Shumer took over in the Senate?

Was it a good thing that Nancy Pelosi stayed on for another term?

How many new faces do the Democrats need?

Which will appeal more to the voters that are looking for somewhere to go? New or experienced?

Should Democrats start at the bottom and work up or start at the top and work down?

Do Democrats need to be more intelligent in the way they run campaigns?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. I am sure pelosi is a great leader

I would have preferred Reid to chuck, because I value Reid's experience at having dealt with this before.

[TDale313]

2. It's gonna be a long, hard slog.

But my first answer? Work from the bottom up, embrace the grass roots, understand that many do feel the current system and leadership is not meeting their needs.

You can't serve two masters. You can't take millions/billions in Wall Street dollars and still fight for the little guy who Wall Street has been screwing over for decades. It. Doesn't. Work. Whatever you think of Bernie, he showed there is a way to do politics even under Citizens United with small dollar donations.

We don't necessarily need to get rid of every person in power in Washington. We do need a new message and we need to acknowledge the genuine frustration of a large number of people all across the political spectrum. Acknowledging the issues and that anger/frustration is not a slam on Obama. It's being honest about the fact that no, we're not there yet. We still have huge structural problems that no President- particularly facing the obstacles he faced- was gonna fix in 8 years. He/we accomplished a lot- but that does *not* mean things are ok.

[doc03]

3. I would like to see Pelosi and Shumer out of there and some

new blood in Congress. The party bet the farm on Hillary Clinton for the last 12 years and
there is no bench. Elizabeth Warren, Hillary and Sanders are all getting past the age for the job.
Who do we have to fill their shoes?

[underthematrix]

4. We need to learn to examine issues and drama as adults

But that requires reading, lots of reading.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. Recognize it is never anyone's "turn" and don't start to believe your own bullshit

Say what you like about Trump, he came out on top of a brutal nomination fight. Our candidate came out of an unenthusiastic consensus and a desire to avoid a replay of Spring 2008. If we had had half a dozen national Democrat figures fighting for the nomination we wouldn't be having this conversation.

The thing that began to drive me insane was the oft repeated antidote that there were millions upon millions of housebroken Republicans ready to support Hillary Clinton. I work in finance, I spend more time with Republican types that I would wish on anyone. Their response to the Republican excesses of recent years has been is tight-lipped embarrassment and silence, not a begrudging embrace of any Democrat. This idea fed into the insane notion that there was a horse race in states like Texas.

Is it possible to peel away disillusioned Republicans? Yes. But it takes a really good candidate to do that, not just reminding them over and over again that their candidate is an embarrassment.

[kentuck]

6. Do you think these are questions Democrats should be asking?

Republicans are very good at branding. Bill and Hillary Clinton were "branded". As is Nancy Pelosi, in my opinion. Harry Reid was branded, also. With the help of the propaganda media, the Republicans work for years to brand perceived threats to their Party and are usually successful.

[0rganism]

7. some ideas

1. show people that we are willing to FIGHT for them
that means not giving up when shit gets difficult and not bending over in the name of compromise, especially when such compromise can be cast as big-donor-motivated six months down the line. adopt Sen. Sanders' approach of soliciting only small donations as standard practice.

2. lose the old leadership
many of them are strong and effective, but they've been branded as corrupt, careless, and weak so they need to step back and work on developing a new generation of leaders, people with strong progressive views and significant popular support. policy wonkery and academic credentials need to take a back seat for now.

3. build a true media presence
basically the right-wing pulled a reverse Gandhi on us
ignoring right-wing media didn't work, laughing at it hasn't worked either, fighting it has so far failed (rip Air America), and now it looks like they've won. we need to start from the ground up and build a political media presence that isn't subject to the whims of corporate sponsorship.

4. oppose damn near everything Trump and his legion of doom does and make the Republicans OWN that shit in 2018
be the wrench in his gears, not the oil for his chains. keep a detailed record of the stupid and the evil, then cherry pick the best parts for use in campaign commercials STARTING RIGHT THE FUCK NOW.

[libtodeath]

8. Stop playing nice and taking the high road.