Democrats Need To Emphasize Hope To Win In November

[LongTomH]

[merrily]

1. If Trump remains the Republican candidate, I can't see Republicans winning.

Even if the Republican convention chooses someone else, I think there is already enough momentum against Republicans. I never believe in being cocky about any election but I don't see a Republican in the White House come January.

[BlueCaliDem]

3. It's not only the presidency that we want. We need to win back Congress, too. eom

[merrily]

7. I agree with down ticket Republicans on this: Trump has negative coattails.

They're terrified and I think they are right to be.

[BlueCaliDem]

2. Choose Julian Castro as Hillary's running mate, and we'll get an AVALANCHE of hope with the fastest

growing demographic in our country today who can make or break elections in key States like Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.

To say Hispanics will be excited at the prospect of a Latino at the top of the ticket with the promise to one day become president of the most powerful country in the world, would be an understatement.

[Gene Debs]

4. Democrats had damn well better have something more to offer than vague, empty words like "hope" and

"change." Being offered "hope" doesn't mean shit to people who are desperately struggling and broke, and there are MILLIONS of Americans in that particular boat. They're gonna want to know what you're going to DO. As my grandmother used to say, "Hope in one hand and sh*t in the other, and see which hand fills up first."

And Democrats ignore that reality at their own peril. Actually, OUR peril. Too many people in the Democratic Party seem incapable of realizing that the rest of America doesn't necessarily view Hillary Clinton as the tsunami of infallible awesome that they do. Republicans will crawl ten miles over broken glass to vote against her. So, the Democrats better have something a little less vague than "hope" to offer.

[840high]

6. .that^

[merrily]

8. Also, we did the "hope" thing in 2008.

[passiveporcupine]

9. I think someone can campaign on hope without even using that word

I think what Thom means is campaigning on positive messages, including her platform issues and how they will be handled.

Spending your campaign time attacking your opponent, as Hillary seems bent on right now with Trump, is a negative campaign style, not a positive one, and I think she needs to change her game. She has always had a tendency to be defensive and go negative (it's become a trademark for her), but from watching the success of both Obama's and Bernie's mostly positive campaigns, focused on issues, not people, she really needs to learn from them, and drop the constant attack mode. It's OK to call him on his issues, but stop attacking him personally.

One of the reasons Obama and Bernie were so compelling is because they rose above that.

Pushing fear and hatred of your opponent only appeals to the people like Trump supporters.

[stuffmatters]

11. Or Trump qvetching/grinding - it's getting really boring, almost painful

[Magoo48]

10. Hope is often paralyzing, as is despair...

All of the real work gets done somewhere in between. Real, progressive work, on the local, grassroots level is usually the answer. Hope, like faith, without works is DOA...

[LongTomH]

12. +1000