How many Democrats deserted the Party in the last election?

[kentuck]

Especially in the states of PA, MI, OH, and WI? They were supposed to be part of the "Blue Wall" that was solid Democratic? If the Democratic Party cannot get them to return to the Party, how do they win those states in the next election? In my opinion, it is a huge problem for the Party.

Although Democrats won the popular vote, primarily due to the state of California, the voting across the nation was very close, otherwise. That is the reality. It shouldn't have been that way but it is what it is.

The right-wing propagandists were successful in branding Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party as out of touch "liberals". It worked for them. Many Americans, including many Democrats, bought into their propaganda. As much as we would like to re-assure ourselves with the polls and the exposure of all the right-wing lies, not much has really changed since the last election day.

[cyclonefence]

1. Hillary Clinton would have been a splendid President

but she was a terrible candidate, not because of anything she did or didn't do but because, apparently, of who she is. It doesn't matter why, but many, many people said "I just can't bring myself to vote for Hillary," and a lot of those people were Democrats who either didn't vote at all or who voted for everything but President. Hillary is for some reason unlikable for a lot of people who otherwise are strong Democrats. I am not entering the "well, Bernie would've won" argument, just suggesting that our candidate did not appeal to a considerable segment of our party. RW and Russian propaganda didn't help, but I don't think those factors were determining.

[kentuck]

3. I think so, also.

But perception is reality and she was perceived as she was portrayed by Dirty Don.

[NCDem777]

2. Well there are other factors

Last edited Sat Aug 5, 2017, 04:28 PM - Edit history (2)

many converted to third parties, some due to really messed up shit during the primary (real or imagined) or due to HRC being another warhawk. The American public voted for Pres. Obama, hoping he'd draw down our involvement in the Middle East. Instead, he got us involved in more ME fights.

Fighting ISIS in Iraq was understandable but why are we involved in Syria and Libya? What good has it done anyone aside from arms dealers?

The fact is when SoS Clinton and Pres. Obama dragged us kicking and screaming into two more conflicts that most of America, particularly the far left, did not want us involved in, it created a major refugee crisis that galvanized the right and depressed the anti-war left.

The Dems are trying to win back the wrong voters. Trump voters, pro-life voters, they're cultists that will be too difficult to convince. We need to focus on the far left voters.

If you want to win back those voters, you have to take a strong anti-war/anti-interventionism stance. Not just when the GOP is in power but when Dems are in power.

The various Muslim militias (most of whom are lowlife theocrats who are just mad that the dictator isn't religious enough) will scream and cry that they just neeeeeeed our help. The GOP will call us every name under the sun.

But we have to stay strong and level-headed. We need to make it clear that the U.S. military is NOT a babysitting service.

[KG]

4. this.

[samnsara]

5. those who defected were not true dems IMHO

[delisen]

6. Fixing facts around a favorite theory doesn't seem to be

able to help us move in the right direction.

Trying to view presidential politics without regard to clear trends which emerged in the non-presidential cycles preceding
presidential races gives only a partial picture from which to deduce.

The Democratic Party which ran candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 was a shadow of the Democratic Party which ran Barak Obama in 2008.

What was happening in Wisconsin, for example, in those eight years that caused so many Wisconsin Democratic candidates to lose to Republicans in those years?

Why did Wisconsin Democrats vote for Scott Walker in 2010, let him survive a recall, then vote him into the governorship again in 2014. Why did he get corporate union support in his attack on public workers.

Why did the careers of Reince Preibus and Paul Ryan take off in those early years? Two Republicans whose success in Wisconsin brought them to the national stage and gave them the opportunity to do much damage to the rest of us.

Why is Mitch McConnell in Kentucky so rich and powerful and Kentucky so poor? I don't think presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is responsible for that long-term situation.

[marylandblue]

8. This is the question we don't ask enough

Wisconsin was supposed to be part of the blue wall, but somehow we didn't notice that it has been trending red for years. Same thing in Michigan.

I don't know much about those states, so I may be wrong, but I think the loss of manufacturing jobs in those areas was key. These losses may not be the Democrats fault, but we didn't offer any solutions either.

[beachbum bob]

7. the couple million that voted for Jill Stein for starters

and another few million that refused to vote for lesser of 2 evils