Politics-What's on your mind?

[BullDog]

Originally Posted by Cin

I totally agree that in-fighting is counter productive. I don't know how it will happen but Democrats need to find a way to compromise. I think there is a much better chance for Democrats to find common ground with each other than with Republicans. A focus on Bipartisanship will lead Democrats down a dark path and is an object lesson in futility.

But I don't think constantly pushing for a move away from over focusing on choices that serve Wall St and Silicon Valley, addressing overwhelming income inequality and taking action by putting more money in the hands of the middle and working class, raising the minimum wage, caring for the poor and the homeless, fixing a broken healthcare system, demilitarization, slashing the trillion-dollar-plus annual military budget, putting an end to the country's endless wars, embracing nuclear disarmament and being a part of the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, etc... means you are not clear what a huge problem white nationalism is in the US. It just means we need to keep the focus on what really matters for the average American.

I also don't think calling out the Democratic Party elite for blaming progressives for down ballot losses means you aren't clear on the huge problem white nationalism is in the United States. On the other hand pandering to the white nationalist party, better known as the Republican Party, does make it seem as though the huge problem of white nationalism in the US isn't clear to the Democratic Party. It isn't a good plan to focus on compromising with Republicans. And it doesn't makes it seem as though there is a lot of clarity as to what the huge problem in the US right now is if we chose to do that. We will not win the hearts and minds of the white nationalists who make up most of the Republican Party, so it would be better to focus on the needs of the people who put Biden in power. Don't make choices with the Republicans in mind, they will not make concessions, they do not compromise. Bipartisanship forces Democrats to blur lines and compromise values and the end result allows both parties to only focus on the interests of their donors and not the American people.

The Democratic Party needs to focus on getting those 2 Senate seats. If that doesn't go our way we will have to do the best we can with what we have and forget about the Republicans, we can't ever get them to compromise. All of the democratic party needs to work together, progressives and centrists, left and right, whatever you want to call them. It is a war for our for nation's soul, but it is NOT going to be won through bipartisanship. Working with a party whose agenda is white nationalism and causing chaos will not get us anything. They are not interested in working together and they are not interested in what is good for all Americans. Democrats working together for the common good and letting the American people, who are crying out for change, see that the Biden Administration is interested in bringing that change will do a lot to clarify a Democrat Party agenda so that voting Democrat isn't just voting against something, against Trump, against white nationalism, but voting FOR something, real change, systemic change. It is playing the long game, but it will go a lot further toward winning hearts and minds than focusing on making compromises and concessions that will never happen with the Republican (white nationalist) Party. The Republican party's idea of compromise is that the Democrats roll over every time.

Yes, I think it's noble that Biden wants to work with everyone but he needs to be disabused of the notion that Republicans will work with him ASAP and not waste a second on it. They won't even acknowledge that he won a clear-cut victory.

I agree. Focus on the needs of those who support you. One place where Democrats I think could improve is with Latino voters. Biden is going to sign an executive order to protect the Dreamers and has pledged to try to reunite the children who are separated from their parents. Obviously, these things should be done because they are the right thing to do but hopefully, it will also show the Democrats commitment and they will continue to work on issues that impact Latino lives.

Of course, African American interests should be front and center. They are the backbone of our party.

Biden, of course, needs to focus on the coronavirus and beyond that, I say really basic economic issues that affect the lives of working-class and middle-class Americans. Get money into people's pockets and focus on job opportunities. I think an infrastructure plan would also be great because our roads, bridges, etc. are crumbling and it would create jobs. These things have nothing to do with progressive versus moderate or whatever. People need to be able to pay their bills and support their families.

I get irritated with the media about how the Democrats are supposed to better understand the Trump voter and that the messaging is all wrong. That's not to say Democrats can't do better but I sure as hell don't hear anyone saying now that Trump has lost that the Republicans really need to reach out to Democrats and understand their voters. The fact of the matter is during this crisis the Democrats tried to pass legislation to help people in need and the Republicans got rewarded for being obstructionists. It's disgusting.

Anyway, we need to continue to grow our base and just outnumber them.