Since 2010, the Democratic Party has lost hundreds of congressional and state legislative seats.

[YoungDemCA]

This is not a record to be proud of. Radical change is necessary, and it has to happen now.

[Chasstev365]

1. The DNC is 180 from your position

I happen to think you're absolutely right!

[crazycatlady]

14. That's a rather obtuse statement

An email I received today from the DNC

crazycatlady--

I want to take a quick moment to talk about the state of the party today.

From Florida to Oklahoma to New Hampshire, Democrats have won special elections these past few months in districts that voted for Republicans last November.

We're investing in every race -- and we're not going to win them all, but we miss all of the shots we don't take. So, it's our job to show up whenever there's a chance to help another Democrat win -- including two weeks from now in Virginia and 48 days from now in Alabama.

That's why we're staffing up like never before to defeat Republicans this fall, next year, and beyond. We're making major investments to strengthen our state parties and put organizers on the ground in all 50 states.

This is the new DNC, Caroline. You are the new DNC. Let's get to work.

[sheshe2]

15. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Tarheel_Dem]

26. Thanks for sharing that. Very encouraging. n/t

[emulatorloo]

32. Thanks for being fact based

[CentralMass]

29. They just purged some Sanders supporters and stacked the the deck to get back to their status quo.

[Chasstev365]

36. THANK YOU!

[emulatorloo]

52. The Democratic National committee has absolutely nothing to do with Democratic policy.

It is primarily a fund raising organization. It organizes the DEmocratic Convention during presidential years.

It is not the Democratic Party.

[emulatorloo]

51. The Democratic National Commitee does not set Democratic policy or agenda.

It is primarily a fund raising group for supporting Dem candidates in elections.

It is an administrative group.

It organizes the convention during presidential years.

It is not the Democratic Party. It does not set policy

I know some have bought into a lot of false CT spread by bad faith actors.

However the it not some all powerful Cabal. Anyone who tells you that is either ill informed or a liar.

[Blue_Tires]

2. Because we admittedly suck at fearmongering and scapegoating minorities...

But if you have some alternate proposals, I'll be happy to hear them....

[meow2u3]

48. Maybe we ought to start the fearmongering and blaming the real criminals

Namely, the repunks and corporate criminals acting above the law.

We can always start sensationalizing the truth. We just can no longer afford to present the facts in an intellectual manner; we must appeal to emotion because voters don't always respond to mere facts.

[delisen]

3. I think it best to examine why the seats were lost

and why what actions were taken in states where they were lost.

At least we are reaching the first step-which is acknowledging that loses did not occur suddenly in 2016 as many seemed to believe as soon as election 2016 was over.

[LonePirate]

4. Check back in come November 2018 and count how many hundreds of those seats we have regained.

The seats were lost because mid-term voters, particularly those in 2010, turned out in force to vote in protest of the Democratic president amidst all of the ACA furor. GOP voters were motivated and Dem voters were not. In 2018, those roles will be reversed as evidenced by the couple dozen special elections held since last November.

I don't think you are going to find the scapegoat you're seeking or the magical Fix It All Wizard, either.

[maxrandb]

12. Let's remember too that 2010

Was a census year. Sitting home because Obama didn't give you a pony fucked this country for a fucking generation.

Clinton won VA by 5 points, yet Retrumplicans took 12 of the 16 House seats.

Don't sit out elections, but if you do, don't do so in a year where redistricting can set you back 50 years.

At least I can be secure in the fact that I'll fucking get to die during Retrumplican rule, unless I live to 110.

I know the Browns won't win a Superbowl in my lifetime, but I had hoped I might see a Democratic government.

That hope is dashed. Maybe my kids and grandkids can fix the mess we've made.

[Blue_Tires]

13. We aren't supposed to remember that...

[emulatorloo]

33. We're supposed to forget lots and lots of facts.

I don't forget. Including how the Mannys on DU insinuated that we sit home in 2010 to "protest."

[EllieBC]

46. What?!?!?

Who would advocate sitting out an election? That just screws everyone over.

[emulatorloo]

47. Was more subtle than that. I suspect that most were GOP operatives pretending to be our friends

I am inclined to believe a fair number were GOP operatives/or Conservative trolls posing as "progressives" trying to depress Dem voter turnout by attacking Dems from the left w lies. (Obama is a secret Republican who wants to cut Social Security, ACA is evil blah blah blah)

[EllieBC]

53. I think there is overlap.

Between the trolls and some progressives. Some, like Sarandon, advocate a "let it all burn" approach. The idea being that some Phoenix/unicorn filled party and government will rise from the ashes.

They are either ignorant or apathetic though to the great number of innocent people who will burn in the inferno as well.

[JHan]

35. ++++++++

And they're going to continue to amp up voter suppression, after the VRA was gutted.

[shanny]

50. I for one didn't expect any ponies.

Unless bankers going to jail for fraud counts as a "pony."

[Eliot Rosewater]

5. I know I might get in trouble for saying this, but I am proud to be a Democrat.

[guillaumeb]

6. I remember hearing of a 50 state strategy.

What ever happened to that process?

[underpants]

7. You mean the one that created a Democratic majority in the House?

It went bye bye. The DNC doesn't want to fight more than a few battles each election cycle and they do THAT badly.

[guillaumeb]

8. Yes, that was the one.

Imagine if, instead of focusing only on the few that are considered winnable, the Party contested every election. But the GOP money advantage would need to be countered with an organizing advantage.

[underpants]

9. Well truth be told, both parties like gerrymandering

It keeps a core set of seats for each party and protects Congress people who hold great power. Basically they agree that about 40 seats are really up for grabs.

[guillaumeb]

10. A nice point. Safe districts benefit most incumbents.

And most incumbents are re-elected over and over.

[Mediumsizedhand]

19. I would consider that fact of purity in our party that could not handle the Dems elected in those

areas. They were not pure enough for a faction of our party and an effort to not support them and get them out of office all the while knowing the purity test was not going to win in these areas. Can't have it both ways, as much of a challenge it is when they vote against us sometimes. Not nearly, even close to as often as the Republican in that seat.

[underpants]

28. I agree but at least have someone on the ballot.

When Cantor got beat the Dems didn't even have a primary so they had to scramble to get someone on the ballot. Granted this district is so gerrymandered that it's next for a Dem to win but Creigh Deeds did get relatively close.

BTW the gerrymandering was a big factor in Cantor losing. They dumped the reddest areas (really red) into his district to protect other Repubs. Also it was an open primary (with no Dem primary) so Democrats turned out. Brett's margin of 7,000 is about 5% of the 140,000 of the Dems who voted for Obama in this district.

[Mediumsizedhand]

54. Interesting. Thanks.

[stevenleser]

44. Excellent point, can you imagine the moaning and groaning by folks

today if we ran similar candidates that Deans DNC recruited and ran?

“LOOK AT THE CORPORATE CONSERVADEM THAT THE DNC RECRUITED TO RUN IN RED STATE DISTRICT X. Of course because the DNC is beholden to big money!!11!1!1!1111111”

That’s all we would be hearing

[Mediumsizedhand]

55. It is all we would hear and it is wrong. It is wrong to put forth an argument but an argument that

has no substance or is fact based. That is unfortunately how these faction want their candidates to run and nothing close to what they vote for can possibly happen. Then you have either the side that blindly follows regardless claiming success, or regardless of what is accomplished dismiss it because it is not all that was wanted.

If there is going to be an argument for something, it should at least be based in reality.

[mcar]

16. That was a great strategy

IIRC, some on the left began loudly criticizing the "Blue Dog Dems" who gave us the majority and who helped us get the ACA passed.

[Mediumsizedhand]

20. Exactly. But, let's ignore the problem to and real issues to complain unencumbered.

[mcar]

37. You'll find it tends to be the norm

[Mediumsizedhand]

56. Well, if this is going to be the norm then the Op should understand they are reinforcing their

reality and are part of the problem.

[bearsfootball516]

22. That was a big part, yes

I'd rather have a Democrat in office who votes Democrat 70 percent of the time than a Republican who votes Republican 100 percent of the time.

[mcar]

39. Me too

Common sense, IMO.

fellow Floridian.

[Drunken Irishman]

34. Exactly right. Look at Heath Shuler.

He won in the heart of conservative North Carolina, a district that was reliably Republican, and the left despised him. But he was pushed to run by Rahm and won over a Republican incumbent.

Because of the 2010 election, the majority GOP legislature in NC redrew his district and it became nearly impossible for him to win, so, he didn't rub again in 2012.

Same thing happened in Utah with Jim Matheson.

Was he a good Democrat? No. Was he 1,000x better than who replaced him? Absolutely.

[mcar]

40. Happened over and over again

And many of the same people who praised the DNC's excellent strategy decried the DINOs!

[maxsolomon]

11. Lay the plan on us, Young Dem from CA

Here in WA, the Dems had complete control of the State House, Senate, and Governor's office. Then 2 Democratic State Senators, Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon, betrayed their party and went to Caucus with the GOP, giving them leadership positions and the Republicans control of the State Senate. That didn't happen in an Election.

Only dysfunction has ensued since.

If you know how to win back seats in districts full of deluded Trump voters who's chief joy in life is Stigginit, please share.

[Mediumsizedhand]

17. There are a lot of legitimate reasons that has nothing to do with bad policy.

As a Democrat, I would imagine you are aware of the issue but certainly more trashing of the Democratic Party without fact is not the answer.

How did we do with the smearing of Democrats, by Democrats in 2016? Even that did not take us down. When not considering any of the circumstance and going with an agenda driven accusation, it will always be a lose and only helping the problems along instead of resolutions.

[Lurks Often]

18. Might get worse before it gets better, CT could go red at the state level in 2018

Last edited Wed Oct 25, 2017, 08:40 PM - Edit history (1)

The State Senate is split 18-18 between Democrats and Republicans and the State House is 79-72 with the Democrats having the 7 seat lead.

Governor Malloy has chosen not to run for re-election, probably because he would lose the election. CT is in serious financial trouble and companies and residents are leaving the state. If the Republicans run the right person, it is entirely possible that person could win.

[ileus]

21. We may never lose another seat thanks to Trump.

[SharonClark]

23. Try to keep up. This issue has been done to death for why that has happened.

"Radical change' has little to do with it.

[Willie Pep]

24. I agree with you.

I don't think we can just rely on "Trump is bad" to win either. A 50-state strategy is needed. No more writing off large parts of the country as "unwinnable." Where I disagree with some progressives, though, is on the need for more party purity. You have to let candidates tailor their campaigns to their area. Even in the age of mass communication "all politics is local" still rings true. Just as an anecdote, in my area the Democrats tried to defeat a local Republican state rep by "nationalizing" the campaign and making it about Trump. It failed. The Republican won because he had built up a strong local machine in his area by helping locals out with their everyday problems, going to fests and local gatherings. He was well known. This mattered more than his right-wing voting record to a lot of people.

The Democratic Party used to be great at this kind of local electioneering but it seems like we have let many of our state and local parties atrophy. Now the party seems to think everything is about Big Data and demographics. Technology is helpful but it can't get people out to vote for you. You still need to do the legwork to get people to come out and vote and you can't do that just by cooking up what Big Data says is the perfect candidate based on demographics. You end up with candidates and campaigns that come off as out of touch and insincere.

[lapucelle]

25. Shelby County v. Holder

had a very real impact. The 2000 election had consequences, and one of them was the Roberts' court.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_County_v._Holder

[emulatorloo]

27. Because Dems voted for the stimulus and universal healthcare. And were demonized by Koch brothers

For saving the economy, revitalizing the auto industry. and getting more people access to affordable healthcare.

Kochs and other wealthy republicans lied about dems in a massive campaign raw sewage political ads.

Please include facts in your posts.

[bettyellen]

30. Rarely do people acknowledge those fact, thank you

[emulatorloo]

31. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of revisionist history

And these fact-free authoritative statements.

[emulatorloo]

41. Bush invaded Iraq in 2010?

Nice try but bullshit.

As to Bush tax cuts, more revisionist history. That happened after the "shellacking" of 2010. Elections have consequences. Republicans were negotiating from a position of strength.

That's what happens when binary-thinking ideologues and GOP trolls pretending to be "progressives" on DU insinuated Dems should sit home in 2010 while the Koch-fueled teabags came in droves.

You're welcome to all yr talking points about evil Obama and evil Democrats who are all worse than Republicans.

Don't expect that people won't push back though.

[emulatorloo]

45. Facts: Bush invaded Iraq in '03. All TARP money paid back with interest. ACA a big leap

forward from what we had before, even wbLiebermans sabotage of Public Option. Vastly expanded Medicaid. Coulda evolved easily into single payer, but now Trump killed it.

Have a nice night.

[stevenleser]

43. Nope, that is assuming a cause you have not proven

You are assuming the fault lies with the Democratic Party.

There are dozens of realistic potential causes and combinations of those dozens.

Prove your theory of causation first before you prescribe a solution.

[LiberalFighter]

49. The DNC is limited in what it can do in campaigns.

The ultimate responsibility is with the candidate. They drive the message. The DNC cannot force the campaign of a candidate to do something they don't want. And the DNC is not the only party that provides aid. There is also the state party, county party and sometimes the district party.

[NurseJackie]

57. This post is just a variation of the "Democrats-Suck" theme... please stop.

Step out from under that doom-and-gloom cloud.

[raccoon]

58. I wonder how much gerrymandering and voter suppression laws

Have to do with that.