Great letter, as always. Thank you. I don’t understand why some Democrats continue to say things like “the Democrats are the party of the elites”. Such blindness to the reality that Democrats are fighting for the rights of all seems like willful defeatism.
IMHO-- DJT won in large part because 77,303,573 voters did not disqualify him for attempting to overthrow our precious Democracy on Jan 6 2021, for being a felon, for stealing and hiding top secrets, for hate speech too vile to repeat, for...... regardless of the Dem messaging and the Republican silos on mis-information, these facts were there for everybody.
“… the asymmetry of Democratic and Republican dedication to the Constitution. The only cure for that psychic injury will be to defeat the Republican candidate in 2028 by such an overwhelming margin that the GOP dare not raise their hands in protest on January 6, 2029.” –
A partial – and necessary — cure would be to elect a Democratic Congress in 2026.
Thank you for this, Robert. You continue to talk me off the ledge and inspire me to quit wallowing and DO SOMETHING, if only calling, writing, and volunteering!
Robert, I found this piece from POLITICO very interesting. I agree with the author that the Democrats have to spread their tent although nobody appealed more to the working class than Joe Biden. But somehow the message did not get across so the main work has to be in breaking through the right wing propaganda machine. I am heartened by the growth of platforms like the Meidas Touch and the Free Press which seem to be attracting a huge number of readers who formerly relied on the New York Times or the Washington Post for their news.
In addition, I do agree with this author that we have to stop the demonstrations and protests. They may make us feel good, but I don’t think they do anything to change the conversation and often serve to deepen the political divide..
Key sentence for me in Robert’s message: “Failing to consider how TRUMP’S MESSAGES (caps mine) affected the outcome is a profound analytical error.” Also, tons of disinformation enveloping gullible voters. E.g. strategic deceitful anti-trans ads on football games reaching millions of viewers. And Elon Musk riding on to the scene, with his millions and his X platform, reaching millions.
You had me at referring to The NY Times Jonathan Weisman’s article. I’ve been a subscriber to the New York Times “forever” and never until these past two years did I feel that the New York Times had given up its mantle of “All the News That’s Fit to Print”. When the Times decided to ignore Trump’s lies and insane behavior and instead dissected every word uttered by President Biden it became obvious that “the Gray Lady” has joined the members of the media who became Trump Normalizers. Disappointing, yes, but revealing. We now know we have no one to look to for aid but ourselves. The media and the billionaire owners have already “bent the knee” and the sooner we realize that the better. You, Heather Cox, Joyce Vance and others in that class will have to provide the untainted information we will be able to rely on. Let’s all focus on that.
Democrats didn’t lose this election. Strategists did. Trump tied Harris to Biden. Harris and social media forgot Trump had a past. They didn’t use it. Trump killed your mother, father, brother….by his reaction to Covid. It’s about the economy could have been turned into it’s about Covid deaths and the economy. He develops a vaccine then is an anti-vaxer. He almost died himself with his stupid parties where others died. Same with his rallies. His immigration record was bad. There was so much and strategists didn’t want to hurt anyones feelings. Fox News paid 3/4 of a billion for lying and Tucker got fired. Play hard of go home. That’s todays politics. Play the game.
Thank you, Robert, for once again being the "voice of reason". There were many factors involved in the way that the election went - but none of those reasons involved the Democratic party being "elitist" or insensitive to the issues confronting working class Americans. (Remember Joe Biden in the picket line with auto workers? Remember Kamala Harris promising to expand the housing market?) Maybe the thing that frustrates me the most is that President Biden inherited an economy that was in deep trouble, and through wise and compassionate stewardship, he turned it around. But the effects of his leadership couldn't be felt right away, so inevitably, Trump will take the credit for the taming of inflation. So there will once again be the perception that Republicans are "Better for The Economy than Democrats". (sigh.) We will find a way to go forward. I may not know what it is right now, but I trust that we'll find it together.
It is also difficult for me to read about blame of Democrats for election loss. Can we just mention that trumpb lied about what he could and would do when elected. People believed his lies over Kamalas genuine efforts to be honest.
Robert, thanks for your take on Jonathan Weismann’s article. It was unsettling and, to me, simplistic. But it is so much easier to lay blame than suggest solutions.
VP Harris was a vision in dignity and adherence to the Constitution as she accepted Trump winning the electoral vote count. I cried inside for her - what a travesty to accept her opponent when he would not have accepted her win.
As for Marc Elias - he has fought many voter suppression cases in NC and hopefully will continue to fight our extreme gerrymandering. The NC Supreme Court Justice Griffin who lost the vote after 3 re counts will still not concede his loss. Instead he wants to get rid of 60,00 voters' ballots - if he succeeds it would ironic if they are tossed out then Harris may win NC!!!!!
I'll just point out that Jonathan Weisman, at the end of the second paragraph of his long NY Times article, "How the Democrats Lost the Working-Class Vote," quotes Robert Reich in 1994
as noting that society was separating into two tiers, with "A LARGER GROUP OF AMERICANS LEFT BEHIND, WHOSE ANGER AND WHOSE DISILLUIONMENT IS EASILY MANIPULATED."
This squares with Robert Hubbell's comments on Trump in 2016 and 2024. Trump's racism
and xenophobia certainly manipulated many Americans, with possibly disastrous consequences.
Great letter, as always. Thank you. I don’t understand why some Democrats continue to say things like “the Democrats are the party of the elites”. Such blindness to the reality that Democrats are fighting for the rights of all seems like willful defeatism.
IMHO-- DJT won in large part because 77,303,573 voters did not disqualify him for attempting to overthrow our precious Democracy on Jan 6 2021, for being a felon, for stealing and hiding top secrets, for hate speech too vile to repeat, for...... regardless of the Dem messaging and the Republican silos on mis-information, these facts were there for everybody.
“… the asymmetry of Democratic and Republican dedication to the Constitution. The only cure for that psychic injury will be to defeat the Republican candidate in 2028 by such an overwhelming margin that the GOP dare not raise their hands in protest on January 6, 2029.” –
A partial – and necessary — cure would be to elect a Democratic Congress in 2026.
Thank you for this, Robert. You continue to talk me off the ledge and inspire me to quit wallowing and DO SOMETHING, if only calling, writing, and volunteering!
Robert, I found this piece from POLITICO very interesting. I agree with the author that the Democrats have to spread their tent although nobody appealed more to the working class than Joe Biden. But somehow the message did not get across so the main work has to be in breaking through the right wing propaganda machine. I am heartened by the growth of platforms like the Meidas Touch and the Free Press which seem to be attracting a huge number of readers who formerly relied on the New York Times or the Washington Post for their news.
In addition, I do agree with this author that we have to stop the demonstrations and protests. They may make us feel good, but I don’t think they do anything to change the conversation and often serve to deepen the political divide..
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/12/01/anti-trumpists-guide-next-four-years-00191724
Robert, thanks for every word of this post!
Key sentence for me in Robert’s message: “Failing to consider how TRUMP’S MESSAGES (caps mine) affected the outcome is a profound analytical error.” Also, tons of disinformation enveloping gullible voters. E.g. strategic deceitful anti-trans ads on football games reaching millions of viewers. And Elon Musk riding on to the scene, with his millions and his X platform, reaching millions.
You had me at referring to The NY Times Jonathan Weisman’s article. I’ve been a subscriber to the New York Times “forever” and never until these past two years did I feel that the New York Times had given up its mantle of “All the News That’s Fit to Print”. When the Times decided to ignore Trump’s lies and insane behavior and instead dissected every word uttered by President Biden it became obvious that “the Gray Lady” has joined the members of the media who became Trump Normalizers. Disappointing, yes, but revealing. We now know we have no one to look to for aid but ourselves. The media and the billionaire owners have already “bent the knee” and the sooner we realize that the better. You, Heather Cox, Joyce Vance and others in that class will have to provide the untainted information we will be able to rely on. Let’s all focus on that.
Democrats didn’t lose this election. Strategists did. Trump tied Harris to Biden. Harris and social media forgot Trump had a past. They didn’t use it. Trump killed your mother, father, brother….by his reaction to Covid. It’s about the economy could have been turned into it’s about Covid deaths and the economy. He develops a vaccine then is an anti-vaxer. He almost died himself with his stupid parties where others died. Same with his rallies. His immigration record was bad. There was so much and strategists didn’t want to hurt anyones feelings. Fox News paid 3/4 of a billion for lying and Tucker got fired. Play hard of go home. That’s todays politics. Play the game.
I’m still hopeful that we can make changes at the midterms.
Thank you, Robert, for once again being the "voice of reason". There were many factors involved in the way that the election went - but none of those reasons involved the Democratic party being "elitist" or insensitive to the issues confronting working class Americans. (Remember Joe Biden in the picket line with auto workers? Remember Kamala Harris promising to expand the housing market?) Maybe the thing that frustrates me the most is that President Biden inherited an economy that was in deep trouble, and through wise and compassionate stewardship, he turned it around. But the effects of his leadership couldn't be felt right away, so inevitably, Trump will take the credit for the taming of inflation. So there will once again be the perception that Republicans are "Better for The Economy than Democrats". (sigh.) We will find a way to go forward. I may not know what it is right now, but I trust that we'll find it together.
I am disappointed that so many readers are listening to the “blame Democrats” nonsense.
It is also difficult for me to read about blame of Democrats for election loss. Can we just mention that trumpb lied about what he could and would do when elected. People believed his lies over Kamalas genuine efforts to be honest.
Robert, thanks for your take on Jonathan Weismann’s article. It was unsettling and, to me, simplistic. But it is so much easier to lay blame than suggest solutions.
VP Harris was a vision in dignity and adherence to the Constitution as she accepted Trump winning the electoral vote count. I cried inside for her - what a travesty to accept her opponent when he would not have accepted her win.
As for Marc Elias - he has fought many voter suppression cases in NC and hopefully will continue to fight our extreme gerrymandering. The NC Supreme Court Justice Griffin who lost the vote after 3 re counts will still not concede his loss. Instead he wants to get rid of 60,00 voters' ballots - if he succeeds it would ironic if they are tossed out then Harris may win NC!!!!!
I'll just point out that Jonathan Weisman, at the end of the second paragraph of his long NY Times article, "How the Democrats Lost the Working-Class Vote," quotes Robert Reich in 1994
as noting that society was separating into two tiers, with "A LARGER GROUP OF AMERICANS LEFT BEHIND, WHOSE ANGER AND WHOSE DISILLUIONMENT IS EASILY MANIPULATED."
This squares with Robert Hubbell's comments on Trump in 2016 and 2024. Trump's racism
and xenophobia certainly manipulated many Americans, with possibly disastrous consequences.
Michael Wolf
New York, NY