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pat_k

(10,879 posts)
Mon Nov 11, 2024, 03:36 PM Nov 11

I'm sick of post-mortems too, but... [View all]

...here are a couple puzzle pieces -- no particular ranking or assertion that this or that item is "The Reason."

Unions
My step-father was a union steward at Boeing for decades. In his opinion, the Dems have done a lousy job with unions -- starting with NAFTA.
I don't want to argue how great we are for union people, or how we are comparatively better. The breach exists and we've got to repair that breach somehow.

Student loan forgiveness
Ties into the above and same source. Big problem. Ties right into our "brand" as elitist. Once again, I don't want to argue, but the forgiveness program just opened wounds with non-college educated working people. As my step-father put it. "I can't tell you how many truly qualified people lost promotions to some unqualified asshole with a degree. And now they get that degree at no cost? Fuck them."

Elitist brand.
Yes, it is part of the far right propaganda machine, but some of it sticks because there are grains of truth. One person -- can't remember who -- captured some of this pointing out that you can't reach working people by hammering on offering "them" the opportunity for education to become one of "us."

Stop ignoring what we are being told.
Anoiting an incumbent with a 40% approval is a death sentence. In the name of party unity we got behind very unpopular candidates (including Hillary) without a real contest. Let's not do that again. We've got a deep bench and when we are up against a "throw the bums out" mentality, we need a truly open primary to hammer things out.

Far-right brainwashing.
This is not a political propaganda war. It is a social problem. Some ideas here:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19612951




23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I'm tired of "experts " who predicted Harris would win, now telling me why she lost. surfered Nov 11 #1
Hardly anyone who was being objective definitively predicted that she would win. TwilightZone Nov 11 #6
My brother thought she would lose at the start Meowmee Nov 11 #10
My mom told me she would lose the day it was clear that she would be the nominee. TwilightZone Nov 11 #12
Yes agree on all of that Meowmee Nov 11 #13
How it was not seen that student loan forgiveness programs were further alienating working kelly1mm Nov 11 #2
I noticed that when the issue was raised it was dismissed or rationalized. pat_k Nov 11 #5
Biden won voters who had a union member in the household 57/40. TwilightZone Nov 11 #3
As I said, I don't want to argue, but holding Union support has been a struggle since NAFTA. pat_k Nov 11 #7
For me, weather by hook or by crook the repukes got more votes plain and simple. nt mitch96 Nov 11 #4
Both the 2016 and 2020 primaries were "real contests" emulatorloo Nov 11 #8
My view of 2016 is probably a minority view... pat_k Nov 11 #16
Biden broke no promise. He never said he was only going to be a one term president. emulatorloo Nov 11 #18
Being a "transitional" president and "bridge" . . . pat_k Nov 11 #20
Nothing you've posted is factual. Just 'assumptions' and 'conclusions' that can not be supported w fact. emulatorloo Nov 11 #22
Obviously. pat_k Nov 11 #23
2016 Primary: Sanders, Clinton, O'Malley, Chaffee, Webb, Lessing emulatorloo Nov 11 #19
The party coalesced around her as presumed nominee in early 2014 pat_k Nov 11 #21
Dems had only 1/10 the time to campaign compared to IT. CoopersDad Nov 11 #9
Kamala did a spectacular job. pat_k Nov 11 #15
I don't listen to arguments that claim our candidates were "anointed." yardwork Nov 11 #11
No one ran against Biden because he was the incumbent. pat_k Nov 11 #14
There were many kinds of stupidity in this election mvd Nov 11 #17
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