Democrats could take back the House with only two or three primary issues.

[kentuck]

1) the destruction of the ACA and the loss of healthcare for millions of Americans.

2) the nomination of Betsy DeVos and the damage to our public schools.

3) the failure to investigate Donald Trump's financial connections to Russia.

If the Democrats could focus on just these three issues, for election purposes, they could take back the House, in my opinion.

Democrats tend to get easily distracted by dozens of issues, which are important, but do not further the political agenda of getting a majority in the Congress.

Just my opinion.

[yuiyoshida]

1. I don't think so...

The reason being, that not only do the Republican's have the majority of the power right now, they have blocked every avenue for Democrats to get into office in the first place. The corporations own the voting machines, they have gerrymandered districts favoring Republicans, if it was a game of Chess, it would right now be checkmate.

The the future is with the Minorities, becoming a larger population, and the only hope is that many will turn to be apart of politics, so much so that they become popular enough to be voted in, at least in places that don't use the damn jury rigged voting machines.

Still with voting by hand, the Republicans can cheat there as well, ballots being tossed away and I have even seen mailboxes set on fire, just to destroy vote by mail.

We need to find some way for us to get into office in the first place and once there, bring out fellow Democrats in with us. Its going to be a WAR... Trying to get into office, because this is no longer the land of the Free.. when Republican's hold all the cards.

[kentuck]

2. From time to time, Republicans do not go to the polls to vote.

They go thru a discouragement cycle.

And I think this might be one of those times? Even gerrymandering cannot save them sometimes.

[yuiyoshida]

3. And there is also the fact that there is a faction

Who don't want a democracy, they CRAVE for a dictatorship, and with Republicans in power, could sweep away the last bit of Democracy to the point, they make it possible for this country to become just like RUSSIA.

The Christian Right and those who want a dictatorship in this country, are gaining more and more power, now that the Republicans have rigged the system in their favor.

[Cosmocat]

4. You are halfway there

You are absolutely correct that the resistance has to narrowed down a LOT. There is so much bad that 45 and his party are doing, there has to be a focus on a few issues like you note that are super important and that resonate.

BUT, the one real end of this that Democrats own is that the party has not stood for anything in decades. It has devolved into a party of "they are fucking crazy!"

Sadly, as Bill Clinton accurately noted, when dealing with the masses, it is better to be strong and wrong than right and weak.

SO, there have been small windows when repubicans fuck up on an epic level, like 06 and 08, when it is good enough to just point to them and say elect us because they are so horrible.

But, they QUICKLY rebound because even though it is insanely wrong, they STAND for something, in a united and life or death matter.

Until such time as the democratic party finds a handful of issues/policies that everyone will get behind, and like team R all liberals and democrats sing the same tune, we just are fighting in retreat, trying to limit the damage and holding ground for a bit until the retrench and make another push.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Will depend on the district

The Penneast Pipeline
Attacks on Immigrants
ACA

Those of us in Blue States are not likely to allow Devos to destroy our public education system. Our response at the rally I attended before a town hall last night?

State's Rights.

[uponit7771]

6. They should start the narrative of #3 now with the fact they wouldn't support an open investigation

... and let them stew in it

[Hortensis]

7. Basically agree, and the GOP will develop those and others for us.

But deportations have to be among them. How about when many tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants are sitting for months (and some eventually for years) in detention camps inadequately maintained by the for-profit prison industry around the country? When the stories start coming back by the hundreds about rapes, separated and lost children, kidnappings into slavery, and deaths from predators waiting for helpless people dumped in other countries? Arrests of citizens for hiding friends, relatives, or just people they found hiding in their shrubs?

Imo, DeVos's appointment is just a rocket going up to announce a huge coming controversy. If Congress is smart, they'll quash the current bill to abolish funding for public education and programs helping special needs children. Until people calm down again. But what if they go ahead with this in general, perhaps because supporters in the religious right and other extremists get impatient and start demanding? And the nation becomes aware that the intent is to abolish mandatory education and taxes paying for it altogether?

The VA dodged a bullet temporarily, but it and Medicaid are still in the crosshairs. Going after them will not only trigger outrage but make people aware that the plot to destroy Medicare and Social Security is real.

Turning over of vast areas of public lands to profiteers for ravaging? Often for pennies on the dollar?

The list of planned destruction is very long. Any of a number of others could push to the front. What might a major environmental disaster trigger?

Shocking military action?

The Republican Congress, courtesy of those funding them them into office, is far more extreme than conservatives in general. I'm very hopeful that this is the year everyone comes to understand that. And that the extremists make sure of that by deciding they can't afford to let this period of power pass without going full ahead.

[Demsrule86]

8. I think sadly the economy will be a big issue that and the ACA...

We are an auto family and my son is laid off until April...he has been out since early February... there are multiple layoffs and too many cars in the field...this is an industry that feels recession first...and is the first to recover and help pull the country out of recession. Trump is such a terrible president ...in less than a month...we are headed for an economic downturn despite the Wall Street BS...usually you can't blame a president if recession happens early in a presidential term...but Trump is causing this with his nutso tweets and policies.