Confirmation bias and election results

[Recursion]

I've noticed this the past couple of midterms, so I thought I would do a poll to see DU's opinion.

Take two narratives of this election, which I will label as Penguin and Woodchuck.

Penguin narrative: The safest seats were the most liberal members of our caucus; the candidates who got into trouble were the ones who ran as moderates or conservatives and distanced themselves from the President. So, Democratic candidates should stop running as moderates or conservatives because it doesn't work (and anyways we don't want our caucus to get more conservative). Summary: Democratic candidates who move to the right lose.

Woodchuck narrative: The candidates who ran to the right did so because they are in states or districts that are much more conservative than the nation as a whole. Because the Democratic party is unpopular there, the candidates' only real chance is to downplay their party affiliation and run on particular issues, which may often involve specific positions that are not in line with the party at large. Summary: Democratic candidates who are less likely to win respond by moving to the right.

Which of the two narratives do you think is closer to the truth?

4 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Moderate/conservative Democratic candidates lose
	1 (25%)
	Democratic candidates facing tough elections run as moderates/conservatives
	3 (75%)
	Your summary of the narratives is wrong, and I'll tell you why...
	0 (0%)
	Manchester United are playing very badly this year
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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