Thank you, Robert , for sharing your smart, strategic view of our job as the opposition---"chunking it!" Love your emphasis---no finger pointing and working together as an effective opposition party.
It's much more important to fix the problem than to fix the blame!
In addition to "chunking it" and being strategic in our responses, we have to be strategic about which battles are worth fighting. If trump has shown us nothing else, it's that he's an expert at tossing hand grenades and shiny objects. We can't jump on all of the grenades or chase all of the shiny objects.
"Chunking it" is the most helpful and calming information since waking on November 6. Are Biden, Schumer and Durbin working overtime to seal off as much Trump damage as possible?
See Substack " What Joe Biden did today" .. or check out the White House website. You are right, legacy media is not telling us. Our President is busy... "they" just won't tell us.
Was just going to mention this. I hope they change the title and focus to What Trump Did Today when (sadly) the time comes. So important to have a record and a single place to base statements etc. on.
Well he gave a Medal of Freedom out for which I did see press. And I know a Durham NC just got a big grant. They keep pressing Trump to sign the Oath declarations law that HCR laid out the story as to how/why that was passed in 1963.
But your question is appropriate.
The VP took a week vacation to Hawaii which I believe is about over.
Considering the madcap speed of the campaign, she deserves the break, and time to think about the future. I hope Biden puts her front and center for the next few weeks.
We can and should analyze so as to learn and improve, but we absolutely must not engage in finger pointing. We divide the herd that way. Predators cull; it's what they do. Trump's goal is to divide us, and separate us from each other and from those who need our support.
Robert, I second this comment. You're doing a terrific job for us, your voice is soothing, and your perspective is astronomical. I feel much better after listening to you, and then wrapping my head around the perspective of the size and beauty of the cosmos.
MESSAGING!!! That is the important point. Donald will be hammering us daily, probably preening in front of a camera somewhere, about how wildly successful his election win was and how much he is achieving, minute by minute.
All lies and fabrications, of course.
My point is, somehow, someway, our opposition needs to find its way to counteract that….DAILY, with clear, strong accusations and targeted messages pointing out to the fine people of America that the Republicans are soon coming after Social Security and Medicare to reduce the massive manufactured budget deficits after implementing massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.
Harris campaign was as good as it gets. The Trump campaign could not have been worse and yet we lost so there had to be illegal influence to blame. Why could we not block the psyops?
Really I think it’s because 66% of Americans (33% that voted for trump & 33% that sat home) really believe the “American Experiment” needs to die. They want it broken, and “broken” in their minds is pictured in ways it individually helps them. “I hate abortion”, “I hate black people”, “I hate gays”, “I hate Immigrants”………….in their minds it’s all going to work out for them, personally. And that’s all that matters to them. A portion of the founding fathers did not believe in “All men are created equal”. That portion won the election. That portion will continue to perpetuate a myth that we are the “Home of the Free and the Brave.” We are not. We proved it with this election.
Agree. You forgot "a woman's place is for my bed, having my kids, and taking care of me." For some a woman's place is to be a punching bag. And, a president can NEVER be female attitude was prevalent.
In a nutshell, acquiescence. MSM should not have run those ads. Fell for a lot of the propaganda, De-sanitized a guy who called his opponent a cunt, a streetwalker, performed cunnilingus on a microphone.......
With Musk working from inside, Putin must be happy still, with his investment in the trump brand. Americans sold America out in order that they may now "own" us. Well, our "bosses" are about to get screwed six ways to Sunday. We know what's coming.....somewhat!
I foreseen a huge falling out between Trump and Musk due to Trump's personality quirks, and his ability to get rid of Elon may well be hampered by Putin and minions.
Thank you Mike. Social Security and Medicare have been a major boon to my life, starting halfway through my 60s, when I went on LBJcare, as I like to call it. I didn't take Social Security until I turned 70, a year and a half ago, so that I'd get the cost of living increases. At this age, I no longer have to work. I can read Today's Edition, Letters from an American, and several others at my leisure, as well as books, and I can go out and run around a beautiful pond with my border collie, which helps me maintain my health, my low weight, and my sanity.
I've never done podcasts, but with my classic car shirts, which I made using photos I've taken at car shows ('51 Caddy, '57 Chevy, '58 Edsel), the MAGAts might think I'm one of them, or at least that I'm not the Massachusetts liberal that I am, and I could let them know what's going on.
With the weakness of under reporting of Trump's lies, misinformation, and disinformation by much of the media, MAGA has only a few sources of truth to get rid of. I foresee immediate attacks on new sources, opinion writers, and podcasts and such that America relies on for truth to be one of Trump's first actions.
A local “pro-life” physician has been chosen to lead CDC. Weldon was a US Congressman years ago and was known for his role in the Terri Schiavo controversy where he tried to use his MD credentials to dispute her diagnosis after she suffered brain death. Weldon has had several failed bids to return to politics, most recently as Fl Rep where he lost in the primary this year to a Trump-endorsed candidate.Weldon was endorsed by a Freedom Caucus Rep and our “constitutional” sheriff.
Our Fl Surgeon General is now urging communities to pull fluoride from their water supplies. This is a trend in Fl. Our local MAGA county commissioner pulled fluoride out of her municipality’s system.The area is rural and includes an underserved population.
Please remember it all starts at the local level ! We have had several successful pushbacks against voter suppression and corporate power when locals here resisted and made their voices heard. I realize it can be exhausting, especially after the election but we must keep trying…
Last night I ventured back to MSNBC for the first time since the election. I listened to NY Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado on the Chris Hayes show. He was saying exactly what I think. He gave his view regarding what Democrats at all levels and in all areas should consider going forward. First, please quit thinking that working class voters are all white. The African American community of people that I am involved with are all working class. Some are working, some are retired. Working class voters encompass all working-class people of all races, national origin, color, etc.
These are part of the Democratic base, including youth, Hispanic and African American voters, also working-class women. A significant portion are people who did not vote for Trump but sat it out.
Mr. Delgato said that we are not listening to these voters, and when we have power, we are not addressing their very real and precarious economic living situation. We "tinker around the edges" with policies that try to address their economic situation, which is not fixing it.
He says, and I agree, that we need to get the folks who sat this election out back, if we have any hope of breaking this 50-50 logjam and make progress in 2026. The question is, how.
How many people who are part of this Substack ecosystem are working class people who "sat it out" this election? How many of us have first-hand knowledge regarding why these people did not vote?
It will be okay to work on some strategies to resist the ways this administration attempts to dismantle democracy, but frankly, if that is the only strategy, we will just continue to lose voters in elections, more and more people will give up. They won't vote Trump or Republicans; they just won't vote.
What is everyone's definition of "grassroots organizing". Is it developing more groups on issues that we think are important, those of us active in this Substack group, or in an issue-based group like abortion or fighting Christian nationalism? Or is it working with voters who are not members of these groups, who are inches away from homelessness due to a variety of factors, and helping empower these people to influence local government, vote, or run for office?
I keep suggesting that people read the book, "Politics is for Power", by Hersh. Robert, you should have this guy on one of your webinars.
I submit that if we do not engage with these voters on their issues, particularly with young voters, we will continue to see Democratic voters drop out.
Most of the people in my little sphere are becoming open to what I am asking of us. We are just now determining how to engage with disaffected voters. I will keep hammering away at this whenever and wherever.
I am glad you will hammer away at engaging disaffected voters. But before you do, I would like to challenge Mr. Delgado's lecturing of Democrats for ignoring the working class and young voters.
You write, "Mr. Delgado said that we are not listening to these [young] voters." Really? Is that why Kamala Harris's policies focused on making their lives better? Do you think Kamala Harris ignored young voters? If so, how? What issues did she "ignore?"
I attended a Kamala Harris rally. A substantial portion of her speech was directed to young people and the working class. Do you think Mr. Delgado properly acknowledges the outreach by Kamala Harris to young people and working class voters?
You say, "If we do not engage with these voters on their issues . . . ." Again, how have we not engaged? By trying to increase the minimum wage? By ensuring they have health insurance? By offering them a subsidy to buy a home? By offering to forgive their student loan debt? By protecting their right to reproductive healthcare? By offering tax credits to the lowest wage earners without children? By offering child tax credits to families with children? By offering the lower and middle classes a tax cut? By trying to protect their environment? By protecting their right to marry whomever they want?
I understand that Mr. Delgado may think those initiatives above are "tinkering around the edges," but do you share that view? If so, what initiatives would not be "tinkering around the edges."
I have to attend to several issues today that will preclude me from reading your response here. So, if you can please email me at rbhubbell@gmail.com to let me know what issues Democrats are ignoring that affect young voters, I am interested in knowing what those issues are. I hear this criticism a lot, but it seems to contradict the campaign that Kamala Harris ran.
I will reply here and to you via email. The Democrat's messaging and Kamala Harris's proposals do not ignore the working class. But because we as Democrats are not engaged in these communities, we are not aware of, nor do we address, the fact that the federal level Biden/Harris Adm. successes at the federal level, do not reach the intended recipients.
I thought Kamala ran a brilliant campaign, and did offer proposals that would help. I love her. I hope she runs again. She is not the issue.
She campaigned on some affordable housing proposals, however, frankly, they did not address the issues people face who are living in neighborhoods that need upgrading and if vulnerable to storms, need resiliency solutions. Rental costs are increasing so that these units are becoming unaffordable. Young people that I know in these neighborhoods did not vote. Their parents, most of them, did.
The Biden/Harris administration passed remarkable and creative legislation to address this. The problem is that those resources did not reach their intended target. I know that because I am involved with neighborhoods that would benefit from the resources, if the county and/or state government were willing to make it happen.
And that is the problem: The right wing has successfully stopped the ability of the federal government to deliver resources directly to these people. These voters are an important part of the Democratic base, and enough of them did not vote that Harris lost.
Please understand, I am not "blaming" the Democratic Party. I am telling you that if we do not involve ourselves with these communities, understand from their point of view why they have disengaged and do our best to address it, we will simply continue to bleed those voters.
These are not MAGA voters. I cringe when I read criticisms that white women are to blame, or Hispanics, or black men, or Biden got out too late, or Harris was black and female. We are told she "underperformed" in traditional Democratic areas, like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
What that means to me is that the same voters that did not vote here who are literally inches away from homelessness, people who worked all their lives at working class jobs, never welfare, have no faith that any party will rescue them. I feel that blaming groups of people for not voting or bemoaning the fact that MAGA people voted for Trump, fails to look at why we are bleeding Democrats.
It is not Kamala Harris's fault. It is a class issue. The Democratic funders and volunteers like me, those of us are mostly upper middle class, professional, or upper-class people, and we do not relate to the precarious situation these people live with. If the increasing storms threaten my ability to live here, I will move north. These people do not have that option.
The Biden/Harris Administration passed a series of laws that devoted funds to "environmental justice" communities, delivered through community block grant programs, and other private grants. In addition, there was significant funding available through HUD to upgrade and grow affordable housing. I will tell you; these resources never reached the intended targets here in Florida.
I spent a lot of my time these past years trying to figure out a way to bypass state and local government and get these resources to this community, to no avail. In part that is due to the disfunction here in Florida, but also the bureaucracy at the federal level, coupled with the cynicism and repeated disappointments suffered by the homeowners here. I wish I had had 3 other Democrats to help me advocate. They were focused on abortion rights.
I am pushing for a discussion and analysis with data, not assumptions, about what Democratic voters did not vote, and why. Not an analysis based upon stereotypes of various categories of people, but based on what they tell us why they did not vote. My opinions are based upon my experience with some communities of people. I could be completely wrong, as could be people on this thread with their opinions that I do not agree on.
“But because we as Democrats are not engaged in these communities, we are not aware of, nor do we address, the fact that the federal level Biden/Harris Adm. successes at the federal level, do not reach the intended recipients.”
And therein lies the problem. Republicans block or misappropriate federal funding. How many times have I read that Republican governors turned down federal funds for things like summer lunch programs for kids? What we need to address is how to stop Republicans from blocking programs that go to the heart of helping those most in need, from the local level all the way up to Congress. Tax breaks for the rich to make them even wealthier, no problem for Republicans even as the national debt explodes. But heaven forbid Democrats try to level the playing field for workers and those in need.
Another area for Democrats to work on is to spend more time on right wing media outlets. We need more people like Pete Buttigieg to speak the truth to those viewers. I love my substack writers like Robert Hubbell, but we are “preaching to the choir” here.
Democrats may not have «ignored» young and working-class voters. However the voting statistics seem to suggest that Democrats didn’t get through to the extent the party counted on and which people like me thought they would/should have.
I’m sorry but maybe because I’m in a pissy mood this morning, I disagree. I’m also tired of people telling me we didn’t listen to these voters. Nearly all of VP Harris’s policy proposals, and indeed most of what Biden has already put in place were aimed at the middle class and the youth vote. Child tax credits, down payments for buying a new home, big credits for starting a business, student loan relief…..I could go on and on. No, the racism, misogyny and disinformation were so loud that people couldn’t hear the truth.
Thank you, Judy. Delgato is saying something similar as Senator Chris Murphy of CT.
Murphy says Democrats need to embrace a new "populism". IMO, we have not offered enough "change" for the working class who are suffering. They need relief. They need MONEY.
We can knock on doors, send postcards, phone bank, donate...all for naught. Unless we come up with a brand new platform that harks back to the Democrats of old. A people's party that demands a reversal of money to the top.
Carville was right again. "It's about the economy, stupid!" But it's the average person's checkbook economy that should be our talking point. Instead of crowing about how much the broad economy has improved, we need to offer help! Big time help.
"Don't tell me how inflation has dropped, tell me how I can afford child care!"
Bill, Delgado and Carville are professional critics, trying to blame everyone else and setting themselves up as smarter than everyone else.
You pose the rhetorical question at the end of your comment: "Don't tell me how inflation has dropped, tell me how I can afford childcare."
Okay, I will tell you. The Biden administration proposed expanding a CHILD tax credit that helped struggling young families to afford child care. The Republicans killed it.
The Biden administration proposed a (separate) CHILDCARE tax credit for families with children. The Republicans killed it.
The Biden administration offered an increase in the earned income tax credit for low wage earners that would have put cash into the pockets of low wage earners--regardless of whether they paid or owed any taxes. The Republicans killed it.
The Biden administration sought to cap prescription drug costs for all Americans, not just those on Medicare. The Republicans killed it.
The Biden administration sought to expand SNAP benefits to assist families with food insecurity. The Republicans killed it.
The common theme above is that Democrats tried to help young families struggling with childcare (and other expenses) but Republicans killed it.
You are now praising Delgado and Carville and Murphy for slamming Democrats for failing to do enough to help young familes.
Do you see the disconnect, Bill? Why is the first impulse always to blame Democrats when they TRIED to do what you suggest but were blocked by Republicans?
Can you please direct a bit of your ire toward Republicans? What Delgado and Carville are doing is lazy, counterprodctive, and factually wrong. I don't understand why we would amplify their fallacies.
It would have helped if Biden or Harris had explained these proposals and the reasons they were killed, to the voters. Maybe they did but all I heard about was the border bill, over and over.
Robert wrote: « The Biden administration sought to cap prescription drug costs for all Americans, not just those on Medicare. The Republicans killed it. » And so on.
Correct – but that didn’t get across. It did not get through! Among other things, Biden Administration messaging I saw was was pitched way too high. Same for other Democratic Party messaging, which was too damned abstract.
And in the end, it apparently came down to a couple of *concrete* items, gasoline and eggs. When the price of gasoline began to come below $3:00, did Democrats trumpet it and say more reductions were in store? No.
Robert, forgive me if I was not clear enough. I don't have any "ire" towards Democrats. I'm not "praising" anyone.
My comment was future oriented. We need a platform that does more. A plan that DOES include much of what Democrats have tried to do. The immigration bill fiasco is a prime example of good policy clobbered by Trump and crew.
I am making the case that instead of searching through all the reasons that pundits say we lost, that we listen to folks who are struggling and get radical about helping them.
Yes, Harris offered some great stuff. But it obviously wasn't enough to motivate millions who stayed home. Rightly or wrongly, she was " more of the same" - not in my eyes, but in the view of the electorate.
We need a whole new package of projects that will lift people out of their desperation. That is what Senator Murphy and future Senator Gallego are saying. We need a new populism. Call it whatever you want. But it must be exciting enough to get some serious attention which could lead to electoral traction.
And this could resonate soon. Because "they" will be the "establishment", the entrenched politicians, the swamp. We can be the underdogs demanding change.
Sorry, Bill. I disagree. Carville is an idiot who is full of himself and terribly outdated. Our loss was not about the economy. Anyone who believes that is terribly out of touch, needs to take a sociology 101, read today’s letter from Robert, or create your own substack. Let’s face it: racism, sexism, and white supremacy were THE causes of a country willing to elect a man like Trump with 34 felonies, 3 wives, 20+ accusations from other women, theft of classified documents, lies about immigrants eating cats and dogs, lies about immigrant criminals, and so on. Any surveyor with training knows that respondents will not admit their racist, sexist, and white preferences. Corporate media failed us before AND after election.
Many ‘little’ things seem to have piled onto the electoral scales. In this election, ‘fixing’ a couple of them might have tipped the scales.
Democrats could have done little about racism, sexism, and white supremacy, to which you attribute Democrats’ losses. If you believe they were controlling factors, then you believe Democrats were and will be doomed.
Bill, While I don’t dispute any of your points, I fear many have forgotten the progressive legislation that passed in the House in 2021 and stalled in the Senate, despite it being packaged under budget reconciliation requiring only 50 Senate votes, the VP casting the 51st. I expect people here do remember that Manchin and Sinema joined the 50 Republicans who opposed the legislation, which, if memory serves, included a $15 hourly minimum wage, extending the child tax credit, providing affordable quality childcare, universal Pre-K, investments in housing, in eldercare, and more.
I further would note that several of us flooded, first, the Biden campaign and, later, Harris with urgent messages to remind voters that all of this nearly-passed legislation received zero Republican support.
An example of the failure of governing Democrats is the failure of the Biden Administration to ensure that the funds specifically earmarked for affordable housing and resiliency to go to these working-class communities who are very vulnerable to losing their homes, and whose homes require upgrading to livable standards. They are what we call the working poor, and because of economic policy weighted against the working class, there are more and more of them who are inches away from being homeless and in this category.
There are a number of ways the Republicans changed federal administrative policy that allows local and state republican governments to refuse funds, for example, community block grant programs. And often both Democrats and Republican governments do take the funds but manipulate it so that it does not go to working families, but rather, real estate developers.
Why bother voting, if you know at some point you will lose housing and Democrats have not addressed it?
It really does not matter to people whether Republicans blocked these funds from getting to those who need it, or whether the Republicans blocked legislation altogether. All they know is they are still struggling after 4 years of a Democratic administration.
Those of us on this thread are most likely unaware and unaffected by this. That is why we really must become aware and develop activities and strategies to engage with these voters.
Judy, I expect most of us on this thread are quite aware of the 60% living precariously from paycheck to paycheck, wherein the family income, in many cases, is only sustained by more people working longer hours while still weighted down by debt. Hence, I imagine none of us is surprised that the American people in poll after poll report that the economy and inflation are their two major issues. Accordingly, not only should we not ignore these issues; we also, in my view, should make it clear to working families throughout the country, many of whom vote Republican, that they are voting for a Party, which on every single issue economically runs counter to their interests and concerns. We do this by not allowing Republican deceptions and distortions to go unanswered.
Hi, Judy. When you write to me, can. you include a reference for this statement? "The failure of the Biden Administration to ensure that the funds specifically earmarked for affordable housing and resiliency to go to these working-class communities." Thanks! Rbhubbell@gmail.com
Judy, you ask, "Why bother voting, if you know at some point you will lose housing and Democrats have not addressed it?" I can think of several reasons:
By not voting, 1) one risks that a sexual assaulter will become president; 2) The rich will get richer, get more tax cuts and continue to profit from everytime you pay more for necessities; 3) You not have affordable child care; 3) Your Social Security and even more the Social Security of your working class parents will be in jeopardy; 5) You, your loved ones, your relatives and friends may die at the hands of an administration that killed 100,000 of our fellow citizens by their ignorance, incompetence, greed, and cowardice in 2020-2022; 6) All the women you know will be increased danger of dying and families will no longer have any control of some of the most intimate decisions in thier lives. I could go on but you get my point. Not a single person in the poor or oft-talked-about-but-seldom-seen 'middle class" will be better off in the coming Trump administration than they are now, let alone where they might be if Kamala Harris had become president and begun to enact the child care provisions, minimum wage rules, housing plans, infrastructure improvements and economic benefits for all American that were a part of her agenda. Many people didn't vote. Many who vote for Trump are rich and will benefit in the short term from his policies. Many who are poor and middle class who voted for Trump did so because they got sold a bill of goods that transgender Americans are more of a threat to their life and happiness than Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Vladimir Putin. -- on top of all this they couldn't stomach a President who was a woman, Black, and South Asian.
There are 93M people who didn't vote at all that claim they want things to be better, that they want Medicare for All, Parental Leave, lower prices on childcare, medical care and lower costs of living but didn't bother to go vote when they had the chance. I don't know how we can reach those people. It's infuriating, they are adults that know we are a 2 party system in America and know that one side will win and the other side will lose during election season so by not voting they de facto are accepting someone who will not work to make things better...
Then on the other hand, there are disaffected people who just didn't want to vote because they believe nothing ever changes, and both parties are the same except for tax reasons or whatever. I feel like we are hitting up against a wall of uninformed people. Trump has a lot of populist messaging as well, so I feel like we need more than populist messages because some things are just fiscally impossible and we don't want to lie to voters. We can't reduce taxes on everyone and not tax tips, overtime, or social security... The math ain't mathing. About 60% of Americans are invested in the stock market and saw record highs but still believe things are going poorly, is it all vibe based? I dunno.
“'It’s the economy, stupid!' But it is not the economy of statistics that moves voters to support candidates.
"Want to see glazed over eyes? Babble on about how inflation has improved and unemployment is the lowest in decades and the chips factories we are building and blah, blah, blah. We have invested in infrastructure and green energy like no others before us…blah, blah. It IS truly good stuff. But it is irrelevant if you are living a nightmare of underpaid jobs and escalating costs for everything. And…you have NO HOPE that it will get better."
"Blah, blah, blah" is right, Bill! As Eliza Doolittle says: "Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words! I get words all day through; First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?
"Don't talk of love lasting through time. Make me no undying vow. Show me now!
"Sing me no song! Read me no rhyme! Don't waste my time, Show me!
"Don't talk of June, Don't talk of fall! Don't talk at all! Show me!
"Don't wait until wrinkles and lines Pop out all over my brow, Show me now!"
I recommend another message. Fairness, the rule of law, social equity...all good. But we need a message about bringing prosperity back to the working class.
I watched most of them. They were good. They were positive and uplifting. But "we" failed to identify solutions that could include showing just how much money has flowed to the rich. Maybe we were afraid of alienating some rich donors?
We were selling joy and inclusiveness. Unity is great. I am a social justice fan.
But if I am one small emergency away from losing everything, what are ya gonna do for me?
Bringing chips production to the US is brilliant. But it won't help most Americans. They need something put in their checkbook. And the funds are available if we had the courage to tell Mark Zuckerberg that he only needs one yacht.
The Republicans are bringing a wrecking ball to democracy. That sold. Stunning, isn't it? What if we took a wrecking ball to greed and excessive wealth and sent it to working hard families?
The message is heard very well, the listening, comprehending, understanding the vast importance of the message, is not being taken to heart. What will be, will be....transformational. Buckle up everyone!
You ask if we have first hand knowledge of why some did not vote. Well, I know a few people who could not bring themselves to vote for Harris or Trump. They did not vote for Harris because they are Christian and do not like her pro-choice stance. They also do not like the LGBTQ movement or giving government assistance to immigrants. It seems no one wants to talk about this but it is a reality we have to deal with.
This excerpt from an interview Robert P. Jones (author of “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy”) who writes here on Substack, did with Chauncey Vega of Salon Magazine is the best explanation I have seen of why Democrats lost, and it has nothing to do with the economy or whatever else legacy media has to say:
“The biggest thing mainstream analysis refuses to comprehend is the continued power of a politics of racial grievance and religious nostalgia among white Christian Americans. Many pundits thought that a candidate who ran the most racist campaign since George Wallace in 1968 couldn’t possibly move above a ceiling that would keep them far short of a majority. But in this election, most people who consider themselves to be good white Christians flatly declared that white supremacy was, at a minimum, not a deal breaker for them. As has been the case every time Trump has run, eight in ten white evangelicals cast their vote for him, as did six in ten white Catholics and six in ten white non-evangelical Protestants. By contrast, 86% of Black protestants voted for Harris.
The answer to the question on so many Americans’ lips — "How did we get here?” — is straightforward. That answer won’t be found in the margins of which group shifted toward Trump between 2020 and 2024. It is right in front of us. White evangelical Protestants, along with other conservative white Christians, were the principal actors who baptized, defended, rehabilitated and sustained Trump’s candidacy. More than any other group, these white Christians, who once proudly called themselves “values voters,” have provided moral and religious cover for the immoral and the profane. Even a modest shift among white Christian voters would have denied Trump the Republican nomination and the presidency. So, the responsibility for Trump’s initial rise to power, his resurrection, and everything that is now coming sits squarely with white Christian Americans.”
This: "most people who consider themselves to be good white Christians flatly declared that white supremacy was, at a minimum, not a deal breaker for them."
100%. I will just add that white male Evangelical and Catholic voters also want women to have subservient roles in society. In their view women should be content to be wives and mothers and to obey their godly "Christian " husbands. These men do not like women who think for themselves and who want to make their own decisions.
Maybe those same Republicans who used the economy as an excuse to vote for Trump were afraid to admit that racism and sexism was the determining factors in their vote. Interesting of all four candidates running for President and Vice President only Harris had long term experience in Congress and was on some major committees. So if it wasn’t the economy, experience and trustworthiness that voters considered we are back to racism and sexism. The biggest challenge Democrats have is to make sure all voters understand the incompetency of the Trump administration because somehow they forgot about the pandemic mismanagement.
Hi Stephen. Good to see your shares. The stark fight racism underpinnings that HCR describes today about Lady Bird describing the events of Dallas in '63 brings up the perennial questions of racism, sexism, etc. that pollute our shared history. In reality I believe many didn't hide their views.
Yes, Stephen, “somehow they forgot about the pandemic mismanagement.” Partly, I guess because people tend to suppress painful memories. Maybe also because the anti-mask, Freedom! people got more attention than critiques of PPE shortages, death rates, etc.
Judith, Because I didn’t see your comment when I posted about two hours ago, I am reposting my comment here:
Currently, I’m viewing Indivisible webinars hosted by Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg and also reading their updated guide to learn all I can about connecting with other Indivisibles to try and ensure that when we as voters hand our power over to a representative it’s only temporary and constrained by sufficient safeguards that help to ensure the ultimate power still remains with the people to render their verdict every 2 and 4 years of whether or not their representatives do a good job. To be clear, I don’t underestimate the challenge given the results of the 2024 democratic election that stand in profound contrast with the principles of the Constitution.
On a personal note, I would amplify that our local indivisible group is finding that connecting with Indivisibles within our region is helping to arm us with a host of actions we can take that are both targeted and broader in scope. To learn more, you can contact Indivisible at indivisible.org
Assuming you're the Judith I know, your question brings particularly pause. And brings a reality whether the ideal of chunking will be a false narrative. Given recent personal life joys, it's really hard for me to not be grateful and optimistic in some capacity.
This is one of my deepest fears...that he will find a way (create some kind of "crisis") to suspend the mid-terms. The Roberts Court has given him permission to do whatever he wants, no matter how unconstutional or even criminal.
The role of the NYT normalizing corruption and criminal behavior.
This is what I sent to the NYT today
Your coverage of the newly elected president's nominations for the highest offices in the upcoming administration fails to integrate the NYT normalization of criminal behaviors and sexual misconduct that provided cover for Republican elites to support Trump's presidency. Any analysis and coverage of nominations as if they were regular nominations from other presidencies is irrelevant and continues to perpetuate the model that Republicans are put into place to disrupt and eventually destroy American democracy. Has the NYT become a tool of this destruction?
Robert writes, "Here's my point: While we cannot relent, the period of maximal effort will be the next twenty months (Dec and January, plus eighteen months before the 2026 midterms). What happens after that depends on whether Democrats retake the House in 2026."
It helps to look at the next 4 years as sequential stages during which we must stay focused and also adaptable as to how we can resist those who would dismantle our country.
Track which of Trump's nominees worked on Project 2025 with this interactive map. Or search by name, the position they were nominated for, who is a billionaire or used to work at FOX.
Thanks for the pep talk, Coach. I do think “we” liberals have always had a penchant for designer hair shirts (to bolster our humility, no doubt) but it is time to distinguish between being “nice” and being civil. Just because we endorse the rule of law doesn't mean we have to flog ourselves when the other side breaks it. On to action, Chief!
Hi all. Robert. I can’t get on the call today but I wanted to put a plug in for all of us who follow and and Jessica Craven to also get on board with Simon Rosenberg and Hopi Chronicles. You three are my trifecta for action and to dos and smart ways to think. Heather is who I read for the news each day. Simon Rosenberg is taking a deep research dive into what went wrong. He is interviewing smart people and gathering information from various angles. He has been a strategist for the Dems for 30 years and is very concerned about HOW we work and how we can change with the changing times. He is bold and thoughtful and smart. If you’re not already on that group I suggest adding it. I know it’s A LOT to read, digest and think about every day. I’m overwhelmed. But I think it’s good hard work.
Mr Hubbell writes it would be wrong to do the following:, "One op-ed published in legacy media today effectively advocated abandoning support for unions and LGBTQ people." In looking for whom to blame for the Democrat's 2024 losses.
With two recent cabinet nominees Trump seems not to be unwilling to advance either union or LGBTQ people. Trump has name Scott Bessent, an openly gay man, as his nominee for Treasury Secretary and Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who has union creds, as his nominee for Labor Secretary.
Identity politics is not the way forward for Democrats.. Identity politics is more divide and conquer. We Democrats should be developing universalist policies and programs: new ones like Medicare for All and strengthening current ones like Social Security and public education. All would benefit.
If "identity politics" is defending Black voters and LGBTQ people and women everywhere against demotion to second class citizenship, then we need more identity politics, not less.
"Identity politics" is an attack by right-wing idealogues to defend against criticism they receive when THEY target Black voters, LGBTQ people, and women everywhere. When Democrats rise in their defense, Republicans cry, "Identity politics."
How do we defend against anti-woman legislation without lifting up women? How do we defend the right to same-sex marriage without lifting up LGBTQ people? How do we defend the voting rights of Black voters without lifting up Black voters?
I was responding to Delgado's suggestion that we stop defending union workers and LGBTQ people. I wasn't suggesting "identity politics" as a way forward--he was, by suggesting that we stop talking about specific groups in the Democratic coalition.
We can do more than one thing. Abandoning unions and marginalized communities to appease the mythical “middle” moves us to the right and I’m unwilling to do that. It plays right into their hands.
Absolutely. Bessent's sexual orientation is not what matters. What he is willing to do, argue for, and support to protect the freedom of others does matter.
That's just it, it shouldn't. But too many Democrats think only liberals like them can be open-minded/insightful/caring enough to want full civil rights and dignity of gay people. In this case Trump's appointment of a gay man denies the Democrats need, a rather self-righteous and counter-productive need, to use Republicans as the perfect foil to their superior open-minded/insightful/caring position.
I'll buy you line, Judy, as soon as I hear Bessent or any other LGBTQ+ Republican giving a full throated defense of transgender rights and against homophobia. The silence is deafening.
I do agree we have to focus less on identity politics going forward, and just focus on socioeconomic class issues. However these candidates don't necessarily mean that Trump will all of a sudden support Unions or support LGBTQ rights. These people in his administration are rich and will gladly eat their own if they get ahead.
If "identity politics" is defending Black voters and LGBTQ people and women everywhere against demotion to second class citizenship, then we need more identity politics, not less.
"Identity politics" is an attack by right-wing idealogues to defend against criticism they receive when THEY target Black voters, LGBTQ people, and women everywhere. When Democrats rise in their defense, Republicans cry, "Identity politics."
How do we defend against anti-woman legislation without lifting up women? How do we defend the right to same-sex marriage without lifting up LGBTQ people? How do we defend the voting rights of Black voters without lifting up Black voters?
I was responding to Delgado's suggestion that we stop defending union workers and LGBTQ people. I wasn't suggesting "identity politics" as a way forward--he was, by suggesting that we stop talking about specific groups in the Democratic coalition.
I am very influenced by the PBS Frontline program called "Two American Families." Here is how Frontline describes it: "t’s a central premise of the American dream: If you’re willing to work hard, you’ll be able to make a living and build a better life for your children.
But what if working hard isn’t enough to get ahead — or even to ensure your family’s basic financial stability?
Two American Families: 1991-2024, a special, two-hour documentary filmed over more than 30 years, is a portrait of perseverance from FRONTLINE, Bill Moyers, and filmmakers Tom Casciato and Kathleen Hughes that raises unsettling questions about the changing nature of the American economy and the impact on people struggling to make a living.
...(T)his is the saga of two families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — one Black, the Stanleys, and one white, the Neumanns — who have spent the past 34 years battling to keep from sliding into poverty, and who refuse to give up despite the economic challenges that their stories reveal."
I believe none of what happened to them, America's working poor, was inevitable. Over time and through a range of choices our society let these people get demoted to being 2nd class citizens. They lost the safety and security Americans came to expect. I don't know what the solutions are, but I think the main ones will be found by using universal policies and programs that seek the common good and improve peoples' economic situations.
Good point Robert and I 100% agree with you. I'll never stop defending any group that is marginalized, nor do I think we should be okay with some people being treated as second class citizens. That's not what I meant, and I'm sorry if I came across that way. I was jus talking about adopting more Bernie Sanders type class rhetoric around opportunity and socioeconomic status.
It just seems so noisy around the media right now, and it seems in interviews with voters "they feel" rightly or wrongly that Democrats aren't populist enough or broad enough, that our language is too specific to certain groups. I dunno what to do, but I am not suggesting that we stop supporting the morally correct things or civil rights for all. That wasn't my implication at all. Sorry if it came out that way.
Cleary people keep voting against their own self interests, Kamala said she wanted parental leave, medicare for all and wanted to tackle price gouging. I also don't know how we out populist a populist who will just lie and his voters will support anything he says? Cleary we have the winning policies but voters think we are only for poor people, elites, or lgbtq people or whatever group they seem to hate, but not for the "salt of the earth, working class American" that they see themselves as. I don't know, is it all media reporting and the right wing echo chamber? Like how do we get through to these people?
I'm just frustrated and want to make sure we win elections in the future , and we don't keep losing voters. It's tough to look at what is happening and not feel like this isn't a lost generation for us from a civil rights perspective, economics, foreign policy, education, justice, climate change, etc.... The damage they can do in 4 years is crazy if they carry out all of their plans. We have 2 years to try and win some seats back, but I'm tired of Republicans calling us elite, and out of touch, etc. When all I want to do is make sure they have social security, healthcare and affordable places to live. Ugh... I'm hoping that this election cycle was just a slight aberration and voters lashing out about being unhappy about the economy, inflation and what they claim was an unpopular administration and candidate. But I genuinely worry this is a deeper issue.
Thank you, Robert , for sharing your smart, strategic view of our job as the opposition---"chunking it!" Love your emphasis---no finger pointing and working together as an effective opposition party.
Michele Hendrickson
It's much more important to fix the problem than to fix the blame!
In addition to "chunking it" and being strategic in our responses, we have to be strategic about which battles are worth fighting. If trump has shown us nothing else, it's that he's an expert at tossing hand grenades and shiny objects. We can't jump on all of the grenades or chase all of the shiny objects.
Well, said. Let's not help Trump by pulling the pin on our own hand grenades. We can't do everything, but when we give up, others suffer.
"Chunking it" is the most helpful and calming information since waking on November 6. Are Biden, Schumer and Durbin working overtime to seal off as much Trump damage as possible?
Good question. Apparently the Senate is busily approving judicial nominations. It's unclear or at least not publicized what the President is doing.
See Substack " What Joe Biden did today" .. or check out the White House website. You are right, legacy media is not telling us. Our President is busy... "they" just won't tell us.
Was just going to mention this. I hope they change the title and focus to What Trump Did Today when (sadly) the time comes. So important to have a record and a single place to base statements etc. on.
Amy Siskind has re-started The Weekly List to track Trump.
I read that they will do just that. On that promise, I paid.
Well he gave a Medal of Freedom out for which I did see press. And I know a Durham NC just got a big grant. They keep pressing Trump to sign the Oath declarations law that HCR laid out the story as to how/why that was passed in 1963.
But your question is appropriate.
The VP took a week vacation to Hawaii which I believe is about over.
Considering the madcap speed of the campaign, she deserves the break, and time to think about the future. I hope Biden puts her front and center for the next few weeks.
https://whatdidbidendotoday.substack.com/p/what-did-joe-biden-do-today-951
https://whatdidbidendotoday.substack.com/p/what-did-joe-biden-do-today-035?publication_id=954002&post_id=152082043&isFreemail=true&r=1gnqn&triedRedirect=true
Biden was the first President to visit the Amazon while in office!
I suspect every agency in the government is doing it as well.
We can and should analyze so as to learn and improve, but we absolutely must not engage in finger pointing. We divide the herd that way. Predators cull; it's what they do. Trump's goal is to divide us, and separate us from each other and from those who need our support.
Robert, I second this comment. You're doing a terrific job for us, your voice is soothing, and your perspective is astronomical. I feel much better after listening to you, and then wrapping my head around the perspective of the size and beauty of the cosmos.
I appreciate Robert's advice too. I copied and pasted those paragraphs into a word document so I can share it with others, citing Robert, of course.
MESSAGING!!! That is the important point. Donald will be hammering us daily, probably preening in front of a camera somewhere, about how wildly successful his election win was and how much he is achieving, minute by minute.
All lies and fabrications, of course.
My point is, somehow, someway, our opposition needs to find its way to counteract that….DAILY, with clear, strong accusations and targeted messages pointing out to the fine people of America that the Republicans are soon coming after Social Security and Medicare to reduce the massive manufactured budget deficits after implementing massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.
The real winner is Putin. Russia is no longer a world power, but Trump elevated them and but for Russian psyops, we wudda won bigly.
IMHO Russia committed election crimes and that should be priority number 1.
So far, the "opposition" has assumed the circular firing squad formation.
Harris campaign was as good as it gets. The Trump campaign could not have been worse and yet we lost so there had to be illegal influence to blame. Why could we not block the psyops?
Really I think it’s because 66% of Americans (33% that voted for trump & 33% that sat home) really believe the “American Experiment” needs to die. They want it broken, and “broken” in their minds is pictured in ways it individually helps them. “I hate abortion”, “I hate black people”, “I hate gays”, “I hate Immigrants”………….in their minds it’s all going to work out for them, personally. And that’s all that matters to them. A portion of the founding fathers did not believe in “All men are created equal”. That portion won the election. That portion will continue to perpetuate a myth that we are the “Home of the Free and the Brave.” We are not. We proved it with this election.
Agree. You forgot "a woman's place is for my bed, having my kids, and taking care of me." For some a woman's place is to be a punching bag. And, a president can NEVER be female attitude was prevalent.
It was amusing that the Taliban congratulated the U.S. for not electing a woman.
In a nutshell, acquiescence. MSM should not have run those ads. Fell for a lot of the propaganda, De-sanitized a guy who called his opponent a cunt, a streetwalker, performed cunnilingus on a microphone.......
Actually, fellatio…
Biden is taking aim at Russian financial institutions. https://whatdidbidendotoday.substack.com/p/what-did-joe-biden-do-today-951
With Musk working from inside, Putin must be happy still, with his investment in the trump brand. Americans sold America out in order that they may now "own" us. Well, our "bosses" are about to get screwed six ways to Sunday. We know what's coming.....somewhat!
I foreseen a huge falling out between Trump and Musk due to Trump's personality quirks, and his ability to get rid of Elon may well be hampered by Putin and minions.
Thank you Mike. Social Security and Medicare have been a major boon to my life, starting halfway through my 60s, when I went on LBJcare, as I like to call it. I didn't take Social Security until I turned 70, a year and a half ago, so that I'd get the cost of living increases. At this age, I no longer have to work. I can read Today's Edition, Letters from an American, and several others at my leisure, as well as books, and I can go out and run around a beautiful pond with my border collie, which helps me maintain my health, my low weight, and my sanity.
I've never done podcasts, but with my classic car shirts, which I made using photos I've taken at car shows ('51 Caddy, '57 Chevy, '58 Edsel), the MAGAts might think I'm one of them, or at least that I'm not the Massachusetts liberal that I am, and I could let them know what's going on.
I totally love this!!!!!
Thank you Mike!!!
With the weakness of under reporting of Trump's lies, misinformation, and disinformation by much of the media, MAGA has only a few sources of truth to get rid of. I foresee immediate attacks on new sources, opinion writers, and podcasts and such that America relies on for truth to be one of Trump's first actions.
Aka chunking it. Breaking it up into chunks that are more manageable.
Love it Robert the way you closed out.
A local “pro-life” physician has been chosen to lead CDC. Weldon was a US Congressman years ago and was known for his role in the Terri Schiavo controversy where he tried to use his MD credentials to dispute her diagnosis after she suffered brain death. Weldon has had several failed bids to return to politics, most recently as Fl Rep where he lost in the primary this year to a Trump-endorsed candidate.Weldon was endorsed by a Freedom Caucus Rep and our “constitutional” sheriff.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/22/dave-weldon-cdc-trump-pick-00191383
Our Fl Surgeon General is now urging communities to pull fluoride from their water supplies. This is a trend in Fl. Our local MAGA county commissioner pulled fluoride out of her municipality’s system.The area is rural and includes an underserved population.
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/11/22/nx-s1-5203114/florida-surgeon-general-ladapo-rfk-fluoride-drinking-water
Please remember it all starts at the local level ! We have had several successful pushbacks against voter suppression and corporate power when locals here resisted and made their voices heard. I realize it can be exhausting, especially after the election but we must keep trying…
Oh, and I paid 49c/# for our turkey and gas is 2.89$ in my neighborhood. Thank you, President Biden !!
thanks for the information/background, Kathy.
Keep in mind Flint, Michigan.
These "cost cutting" actions are going to cause devastation "downstream."
Tragically, the most vulnerable will be the affected first and worst.
Last night I ventured back to MSNBC for the first time since the election. I listened to NY Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado on the Chris Hayes show. He was saying exactly what I think. He gave his view regarding what Democrats at all levels and in all areas should consider going forward. First, please quit thinking that working class voters are all white. The African American community of people that I am involved with are all working class. Some are working, some are retired. Working class voters encompass all working-class people of all races, national origin, color, etc.
These are part of the Democratic base, including youth, Hispanic and African American voters, also working-class women. A significant portion are people who did not vote for Trump but sat it out.
Mr. Delgato said that we are not listening to these voters, and when we have power, we are not addressing their very real and precarious economic living situation. We "tinker around the edges" with policies that try to address their economic situation, which is not fixing it.
He says, and I agree, that we need to get the folks who sat this election out back, if we have any hope of breaking this 50-50 logjam and make progress in 2026. The question is, how.
How many people who are part of this Substack ecosystem are working class people who "sat it out" this election? How many of us have first-hand knowledge regarding why these people did not vote?
It will be okay to work on some strategies to resist the ways this administration attempts to dismantle democracy, but frankly, if that is the only strategy, we will just continue to lose voters in elections, more and more people will give up. They won't vote Trump or Republicans; they just won't vote.
What is everyone's definition of "grassroots organizing". Is it developing more groups on issues that we think are important, those of us active in this Substack group, or in an issue-based group like abortion or fighting Christian nationalism? Or is it working with voters who are not members of these groups, who are inches away from homelessness due to a variety of factors, and helping empower these people to influence local government, vote, or run for office?
I keep suggesting that people read the book, "Politics is for Power", by Hersh. Robert, you should have this guy on one of your webinars.
I submit that if we do not engage with these voters on their issues, particularly with young voters, we will continue to see Democratic voters drop out.
Most of the people in my little sphere are becoming open to what I am asking of us. We are just now determining how to engage with disaffected voters. I will keep hammering away at this whenever and wherever.
I am glad you will hammer away at engaging disaffected voters. But before you do, I would like to challenge Mr. Delgado's lecturing of Democrats for ignoring the working class and young voters.
You write, "Mr. Delgado said that we are not listening to these [young] voters." Really? Is that why Kamala Harris's policies focused on making their lives better? Do you think Kamala Harris ignored young voters? If so, how? What issues did she "ignore?"
I attended a Kamala Harris rally. A substantial portion of her speech was directed to young people and the working class. Do you think Mr. Delgado properly acknowledges the outreach by Kamala Harris to young people and working class voters?
You say, "If we do not engage with these voters on their issues . . . ." Again, how have we not engaged? By trying to increase the minimum wage? By ensuring they have health insurance? By offering them a subsidy to buy a home? By offering to forgive their student loan debt? By protecting their right to reproductive healthcare? By offering tax credits to the lowest wage earners without children? By offering child tax credits to families with children? By offering the lower and middle classes a tax cut? By trying to protect their environment? By protecting their right to marry whomever they want?
I understand that Mr. Delgado may think those initiatives above are "tinkering around the edges," but do you share that view? If so, what initiatives would not be "tinkering around the edges."
I have to attend to several issues today that will preclude me from reading your response here. So, if you can please email me at rbhubbell@gmail.com to let me know what issues Democrats are ignoring that affect young voters, I am interested in knowing what those issues are. I hear this criticism a lot, but it seems to contradict the campaign that Kamala Harris ran.
Thanks for taking the time to follow up.
I will reply here and to you via email. The Democrat's messaging and Kamala Harris's proposals do not ignore the working class. But because we as Democrats are not engaged in these communities, we are not aware of, nor do we address, the fact that the federal level Biden/Harris Adm. successes at the federal level, do not reach the intended recipients.
I thought Kamala ran a brilliant campaign, and did offer proposals that would help. I love her. I hope she runs again. She is not the issue.
She campaigned on some affordable housing proposals, however, frankly, they did not address the issues people face who are living in neighborhoods that need upgrading and if vulnerable to storms, need resiliency solutions. Rental costs are increasing so that these units are becoming unaffordable. Young people that I know in these neighborhoods did not vote. Their parents, most of them, did.
The Biden/Harris administration passed remarkable and creative legislation to address this. The problem is that those resources did not reach their intended target. I know that because I am involved with neighborhoods that would benefit from the resources, if the county and/or state government were willing to make it happen.
And that is the problem: The right wing has successfully stopped the ability of the federal government to deliver resources directly to these people. These voters are an important part of the Democratic base, and enough of them did not vote that Harris lost.
Please understand, I am not "blaming" the Democratic Party. I am telling you that if we do not involve ourselves with these communities, understand from their point of view why they have disengaged and do our best to address it, we will simply continue to bleed those voters.
These are not MAGA voters. I cringe when I read criticisms that white women are to blame, or Hispanics, or black men, or Biden got out too late, or Harris was black and female. We are told she "underperformed" in traditional Democratic areas, like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
What that means to me is that the same voters that did not vote here who are literally inches away from homelessness, people who worked all their lives at working class jobs, never welfare, have no faith that any party will rescue them. I feel that blaming groups of people for not voting or bemoaning the fact that MAGA people voted for Trump, fails to look at why we are bleeding Democrats.
It is not Kamala Harris's fault. It is a class issue. The Democratic funders and volunteers like me, those of us are mostly upper middle class, professional, or upper-class people, and we do not relate to the precarious situation these people live with. If the increasing storms threaten my ability to live here, I will move north. These people do not have that option.
The Biden/Harris Administration passed a series of laws that devoted funds to "environmental justice" communities, delivered through community block grant programs, and other private grants. In addition, there was significant funding available through HUD to upgrade and grow affordable housing. I will tell you; these resources never reached the intended targets here in Florida.
I spent a lot of my time these past years trying to figure out a way to bypass state and local government and get these resources to this community, to no avail. In part that is due to the disfunction here in Florida, but also the bureaucracy at the federal level, coupled with the cynicism and repeated disappointments suffered by the homeowners here. I wish I had had 3 other Democrats to help me advocate. They were focused on abortion rights.
I am pushing for a discussion and analysis with data, not assumptions, about what Democratic voters did not vote, and why. Not an analysis based upon stereotypes of various categories of people, but based on what they tell us why they did not vote. My opinions are based upon my experience with some communities of people. I could be completely wrong, as could be people on this thread with their opinions that I do not agree on.
Then we decide how to solve the problem.
“But because we as Democrats are not engaged in these communities, we are not aware of, nor do we address, the fact that the federal level Biden/Harris Adm. successes at the federal level, do not reach the intended recipients.”
And therein lies the problem. Republicans block or misappropriate federal funding. How many times have I read that Republican governors turned down federal funds for things like summer lunch programs for kids? What we need to address is how to stop Republicans from blocking programs that go to the heart of helping those most in need, from the local level all the way up to Congress. Tax breaks for the rich to make them even wealthier, no problem for Republicans even as the national debt explodes. But heaven forbid Democrats try to level the playing field for workers and those in need.
Another area for Democrats to work on is to spend more time on right wing media outlets. We need more people like Pete Buttigieg to speak the truth to those viewers. I love my substack writers like Robert Hubbell, but we are “preaching to the choir” here.
Democrats may not have «ignored» young and working-class voters. However the voting statistics seem to suggest that Democrats didn’t get through to the extent the party counted on and which people like me thought they would/should have.
Something(s) went seriously wrong.
I’m sorry but maybe because I’m in a pissy mood this morning, I disagree. I’m also tired of people telling me we didn’t listen to these voters. Nearly all of VP Harris’s policy proposals, and indeed most of what Biden has already put in place were aimed at the middle class and the youth vote. Child tax credits, down payments for buying a new home, big credits for starting a business, student loan relief…..I could go on and on. No, the racism, misogyny and disinformation were so loud that people couldn’t hear the truth.
Thank you.
Ditto that!
I agree with you Annette, 100%!
Thank you, Judy. Delgato is saying something similar as Senator Chris Murphy of CT.
Murphy says Democrats need to embrace a new "populism". IMO, we have not offered enough "change" for the working class who are suffering. They need relief. They need MONEY.
I included Sen Murphy's statements here:
https://billalstrom.substack.com/p/what-is-populism
We can knock on doors, send postcards, phone bank, donate...all for naught. Unless we come up with a brand new platform that harks back to the Democrats of old. A people's party that demands a reversal of money to the top.
Carville was right again. "It's about the economy, stupid!" But it's the average person's checkbook economy that should be our talking point. Instead of crowing about how much the broad economy has improved, we need to offer help! Big time help.
"Don't tell me how inflation has dropped, tell me how I can afford child care!"
Bill, Delgado and Carville are professional critics, trying to blame everyone else and setting themselves up as smarter than everyone else.
You pose the rhetorical question at the end of your comment: "Don't tell me how inflation has dropped, tell me how I can afford childcare."
Okay, I will tell you. The Biden administration proposed expanding a CHILD tax credit that helped struggling young families to afford child care. The Republicans killed it.
The Biden administration proposed a (separate) CHILDCARE tax credit for families with children. The Republicans killed it.
The Biden administration offered an increase in the earned income tax credit for low wage earners that would have put cash into the pockets of low wage earners--regardless of whether they paid or owed any taxes. The Republicans killed it.
The Biden administration sought to cap prescription drug costs for all Americans, not just those on Medicare. The Republicans killed it.
The Biden administration sought to expand SNAP benefits to assist families with food insecurity. The Republicans killed it.
The common theme above is that Democrats tried to help young families struggling with childcare (and other expenses) but Republicans killed it.
You are now praising Delgado and Carville and Murphy for slamming Democrats for failing to do enough to help young familes.
Do you see the disconnect, Bill? Why is the first impulse always to blame Democrats when they TRIED to do what you suggest but were blocked by Republicans?
Can you please direct a bit of your ire toward Republicans? What Delgado and Carville are doing is lazy, counterprodctive, and factually wrong. I don't understand why we would amplify their fallacies.
It would have helped if Biden or Harris had explained these proposals and the reasons they were killed, to the voters. Maybe they did but all I heard about was the border bill, over and over.
Robert wrote: « The Biden administration sought to cap prescription drug costs for all Americans, not just those on Medicare. The Republicans killed it. » And so on.
Correct – but that didn’t get across. It did not get through! Among other things, Biden Administration messaging I saw was was pitched way too high. Same for other Democratic Party messaging, which was too damned abstract.
And in the end, it apparently came down to a couple of *concrete* items, gasoline and eggs. When the price of gasoline began to come below $3:00, did Democrats trumpet it and say more reductions were in store? No.
Robert, forgive me if I was not clear enough. I don't have any "ire" towards Democrats. I'm not "praising" anyone.
My comment was future oriented. We need a platform that does more. A plan that DOES include much of what Democrats have tried to do. The immigration bill fiasco is a prime example of good policy clobbered by Trump and crew.
I am making the case that instead of searching through all the reasons that pundits say we lost, that we listen to folks who are struggling and get radical about helping them.
Yes, Harris offered some great stuff. But it obviously wasn't enough to motivate millions who stayed home. Rightly or wrongly, she was " more of the same" - not in my eyes, but in the view of the electorate.
We need a whole new package of projects that will lift people out of their desperation. That is what Senator Murphy and future Senator Gallego are saying. We need a new populism. Call it whatever you want. But it must be exciting enough to get some serious attention which could lead to electoral traction.
And this could resonate soon. Because "they" will be the "establishment", the entrenched politicians, the swamp. We can be the underdogs demanding change.
Sorry, Bill. I disagree. Carville is an idiot who is full of himself and terribly outdated. Our loss was not about the economy. Anyone who believes that is terribly out of touch, needs to take a sociology 101, read today’s letter from Robert, or create your own substack. Let’s face it: racism, sexism, and white supremacy were THE causes of a country willing to elect a man like Trump with 34 felonies, 3 wives, 20+ accusations from other women, theft of classified documents, lies about immigrants eating cats and dogs, lies about immigrant criminals, and so on. Any surveyor with training knows that respondents will not admit their racist, sexist, and white preferences. Corporate media failed us before AND after election.
Thank for this, Bonnie: "Carville is an idiot who is full of himself and terribly outdated." And I agree with your analysis of the election loss.
Many ‘little’ things seem to have piled onto the electoral scales. In this election, ‘fixing’ a couple of them might have tipped the scales.
Democrats could have done little about racism, sexism, and white supremacy, to which you attribute Democrats’ losses. If you believe they were controlling factors, then you believe Democrats were and will be doomed.
That way lies electoral defeat after defeat.
Bill, While I don’t dispute any of your points, I fear many have forgotten the progressive legislation that passed in the House in 2021 and stalled in the Senate, despite it being packaged under budget reconciliation requiring only 50 Senate votes, the VP casting the 51st. I expect people here do remember that Manchin and Sinema joined the 50 Republicans who opposed the legislation, which, if memory serves, included a $15 hourly minimum wage, extending the child tax credit, providing affordable quality childcare, universal Pre-K, investments in housing, in eldercare, and more.
I further would note that several of us flooded, first, the Biden campaign and, later, Harris with urgent messages to remind voters that all of this nearly-passed legislation received zero Republican support.
An example of the failure of governing Democrats is the failure of the Biden Administration to ensure that the funds specifically earmarked for affordable housing and resiliency to go to these working-class communities who are very vulnerable to losing their homes, and whose homes require upgrading to livable standards. They are what we call the working poor, and because of economic policy weighted against the working class, there are more and more of them who are inches away from being homeless and in this category.
There are a number of ways the Republicans changed federal administrative policy that allows local and state republican governments to refuse funds, for example, community block grant programs. And often both Democrats and Republican governments do take the funds but manipulate it so that it does not go to working families, but rather, real estate developers.
Why bother voting, if you know at some point you will lose housing and Democrats have not addressed it?
It really does not matter to people whether Republicans blocked these funds from getting to those who need it, or whether the Republicans blocked legislation altogether. All they know is they are still struggling after 4 years of a Democratic administration.
Those of us on this thread are most likely unaware and unaffected by this. That is why we really must become aware and develop activities and strategies to engage with these voters.
Judy, I expect most of us on this thread are quite aware of the 60% living precariously from paycheck to paycheck, wherein the family income, in many cases, is only sustained by more people working longer hours while still weighted down by debt. Hence, I imagine none of us is surprised that the American people in poll after poll report that the economy and inflation are their two major issues. Accordingly, not only should we not ignore these issues; we also, in my view, should make it clear to working families throughout the country, many of whom vote Republican, that they are voting for a Party, which on every single issue economically runs counter to their interests and concerns. We do this by not allowing Republican deceptions and distortions to go unanswered.
Hi, Judy. When you write to me, can. you include a reference for this statement? "The failure of the Biden Administration to ensure that the funds specifically earmarked for affordable housing and resiliency to go to these working-class communities." Thanks! Rbhubbell@gmail.com
Judy, you ask, "Why bother voting, if you know at some point you will lose housing and Democrats have not addressed it?" I can think of several reasons:
By not voting, 1) one risks that a sexual assaulter will become president; 2) The rich will get richer, get more tax cuts and continue to profit from everytime you pay more for necessities; 3) You not have affordable child care; 3) Your Social Security and even more the Social Security of your working class parents will be in jeopardy; 5) You, your loved ones, your relatives and friends may die at the hands of an administration that killed 100,000 of our fellow citizens by their ignorance, incompetence, greed, and cowardice in 2020-2022; 6) All the women you know will be increased danger of dying and families will no longer have any control of some of the most intimate decisions in thier lives. I could go on but you get my point. Not a single person in the poor or oft-talked-about-but-seldom-seen 'middle class" will be better off in the coming Trump administration than they are now, let alone where they might be if Kamala Harris had become president and begun to enact the child care provisions, minimum wage rules, housing plans, infrastructure improvements and economic benefits for all American that were a part of her agenda. Many people didn't vote. Many who vote for Trump are rich and will benefit in the short term from his policies. Many who are poor and middle class who voted for Trump did so because they got sold a bill of goods that transgender Americans are more of a threat to their life and happiness than Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Vladimir Putin. -- on top of all this they couldn't stomach a President who was a woman, Black, and South Asian.
There are 93M people who didn't vote at all that claim they want things to be better, that they want Medicare for All, Parental Leave, lower prices on childcare, medical care and lower costs of living but didn't bother to go vote when they had the chance. I don't know how we can reach those people. It's infuriating, they are adults that know we are a 2 party system in America and know that one side will win and the other side will lose during election season so by not voting they de facto are accepting someone who will not work to make things better...
Then on the other hand, there are disaffected people who just didn't want to vote because they believe nothing ever changes, and both parties are the same except for tax reasons or whatever. I feel like we are hitting up against a wall of uninformed people. Trump has a lot of populist messaging as well, so I feel like we need more than populist messages because some things are just fiscally impossible and we don't want to lie to voters. We can't reduce taxes on everyone and not tax tips, overtime, or social security... The math ain't mathing. About 60% of Americans are invested in the stock market and saw record highs but still believe things are going poorly, is it all vibe based? I dunno.
“'It’s the economy, stupid!' But it is not the economy of statistics that moves voters to support candidates.
"Want to see glazed over eyes? Babble on about how inflation has improved and unemployment is the lowest in decades and the chips factories we are building and blah, blah, blah. We have invested in infrastructure and green energy like no others before us…blah, blah. It IS truly good stuff. But it is irrelevant if you are living a nightmare of underpaid jobs and escalating costs for everything. And…you have NO HOPE that it will get better."
"Blah, blah, blah" is right, Bill! As Eliza Doolittle says: "Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words! I get words all day through; First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?
"Don't talk of love lasting through time. Make me no undying vow. Show me now!
"Sing me no song! Read me no rhyme! Don't waste my time, Show me!
"Don't talk of June, Don't talk of fall! Don't talk at all! Show me!
"Don't wait until wrinkles and lines Pop out all over my brow, Show me now!"
There are also people who identify as "working class" who are bigots and misogynists who were never going to vote for a woman of color.
Yes, there are. But there are a lot who will, but no longer believe that either party will help them. See my discussion, above.
100%. It does no good to get 'better at messaging' if the message isn't being heard!
I recommend another message. Fairness, the rule of law, social equity...all good. But we need a message about bringing prosperity back to the working class.
I suggest that you watch any of Kamala Harris's stump speeches. That was the ENTIRE message of her campaign.
I watched most of them. They were good. They were positive and uplifting. But "we" failed to identify solutions that could include showing just how much money has flowed to the rich. Maybe we were afraid of alienating some rich donors?
We were selling joy and inclusiveness. Unity is great. I am a social justice fan.
But if I am one small emergency away from losing everything, what are ya gonna do for me?
Bringing chips production to the US is brilliant. But it won't help most Americans. They need something put in their checkbook. And the funds are available if we had the courage to tell Mark Zuckerberg that he only needs one yacht.
The Republicans are bringing a wrecking ball to democracy. That sold. Stunning, isn't it? What if we took a wrecking ball to greed and excessive wealth and sent it to working hard families?
I think that (bringing a wrecking ball to autocracy) will happen when the people see and are reminded of the chaos that trump brings.
The message is heard very well, the listening, comprehending, understanding the vast importance of the message, is not being taken to heart. What will be, will be....transformational. Buckle up everyone!
You ask if we have first hand knowledge of why some did not vote. Well, I know a few people who could not bring themselves to vote for Harris or Trump. They did not vote for Harris because they are Christian and do not like her pro-choice stance. They also do not like the LGBTQ movement or giving government assistance to immigrants. It seems no one wants to talk about this but it is a reality we have to deal with.
This excerpt from an interview Robert P. Jones (author of “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy”) who writes here on Substack, did with Chauncey Vega of Salon Magazine is the best explanation I have seen of why Democrats lost, and it has nothing to do with the economy or whatever else legacy media has to say:
“The biggest thing mainstream analysis refuses to comprehend is the continued power of a politics of racial grievance and religious nostalgia among white Christian Americans. Many pundits thought that a candidate who ran the most racist campaign since George Wallace in 1968 couldn’t possibly move above a ceiling that would keep them far short of a majority. But in this election, most people who consider themselves to be good white Christians flatly declared that white supremacy was, at a minimum, not a deal breaker for them. As has been the case every time Trump has run, eight in ten white evangelicals cast their vote for him, as did six in ten white Catholics and six in ten white non-evangelical Protestants. By contrast, 86% of Black protestants voted for Harris.
The answer to the question on so many Americans’ lips — "How did we get here?” — is straightforward. That answer won’t be found in the margins of which group shifted toward Trump between 2020 and 2024. It is right in front of us. White evangelical Protestants, along with other conservative white Christians, were the principal actors who baptized, defended, rehabilitated and sustained Trump’s candidacy. More than any other group, these white Christians, who once proudly called themselves “values voters,” have provided moral and religious cover for the immoral and the profane. Even a modest shift among white Christian voters would have denied Trump the Republican nomination and the presidency. So, the responsibility for Trump’s initial rise to power, his resurrection, and everything that is now coming sits squarely with white Christian Americans.”
This: "most people who consider themselves to be good white Christians flatly declared that white supremacy was, at a minimum, not a deal breaker for them."
100%. I will just add that white male Evangelical and Catholic voters also want women to have subservient roles in society. In their view women should be content to be wives and mothers and to obey their godly "Christian " husbands. These men do not like women who think for themselves and who want to make their own decisions.
Oh, absolutely! A significant number of them are also talking up trying to repeal the 19th amendment.
As usual, it all comes back to slavery.
Stephanie H , I think you are exactly right. Thank you
Maybe those same Republicans who used the economy as an excuse to vote for Trump were afraid to admit that racism and sexism was the determining factors in their vote. Interesting of all four candidates running for President and Vice President only Harris had long term experience in Congress and was on some major committees. So if it wasn’t the economy, experience and trustworthiness that voters considered we are back to racism and sexism. The biggest challenge Democrats have is to make sure all voters understand the incompetency of the Trump administration because somehow they forgot about the pandemic mismanagement.
Hi Stephen. Good to see your shares. The stark fight racism underpinnings that HCR describes today about Lady Bird describing the events of Dallas in '63 brings up the perennial questions of racism, sexism, etc. that pollute our shared history. In reality I believe many didn't hide their views.
Yes, Stephen, “somehow they forgot about the pandemic mismanagement.” Partly, I guess because people tend to suppress painful memories. Maybe also because the anti-mask, Freedom! people got more attention than critiques of PPE shortages, death rates, etc.
I love your optimism, but please reassure me that we will actually have free and fair mid-term elections.
Judith, Because I didn’t see your comment when I posted about two hours ago, I am reposting my comment here:
Currently, I’m viewing Indivisible webinars hosted by Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg and also reading their updated guide to learn all I can about connecting with other Indivisibles to try and ensure that when we as voters hand our power over to a representative it’s only temporary and constrained by sufficient safeguards that help to ensure the ultimate power still remains with the people to render their verdict every 2 and 4 years of whether or not their representatives do a good job. To be clear, I don’t underestimate the challenge given the results of the 2024 democratic election that stand in profound contrast with the principles of the Constitution.
On a personal note, I would amplify that our local indivisible group is finding that connecting with Indivisibles within our region is helping to arm us with a host of actions we can take that are both targeted and broader in scope. To learn more, you can contact Indivisible at indivisible.org
Yes,I worry about that too.Trump said that this presidential election would be the last time we would need to vote and that frightens me.
as it should...
Assuming you're the Judith I know, your question brings particularly pause. And brings a reality whether the ideal of chunking will be a false narrative. Given recent personal life joys, it's really hard for me to not be grateful and optimistic in some capacity.
Yes, it's the same Judith
Me, as well. Free and fair elections are not part of Project 2025. Can we gum up the gears enough before mid-terms?
This is one of my deepest fears...that he will find a way (create some kind of "crisis") to suspend the mid-terms. The Roberts Court has given him permission to do whatever he wants, no matter how unconstutional or even criminal.
The role of the NYT normalizing corruption and criminal behavior.
This is what I sent to the NYT today
Your coverage of the newly elected president's nominations for the highest offices in the upcoming administration fails to integrate the NYT normalization of criminal behaviors and sexual misconduct that provided cover for Republican elites to support Trump's presidency. Any analysis and coverage of nominations as if they were regular nominations from other presidencies is irrelevant and continues to perpetuate the model that Republicans are put into place to disrupt and eventually destroy American democracy. Has the NYT become a tool of this destruction?
Robert writes, "Here's my point: While we cannot relent, the period of maximal effort will be the next twenty months (Dec and January, plus eighteen months before the 2026 midterms). What happens after that depends on whether Democrats retake the House in 2026."
It helps to look at the next 4 years as sequential stages during which we must stay focused and also adaptable as to how we can resist those who would dismantle our country.
Track which of Trump's nominees worked on Project 2025 with this interactive map. Or search by name, the position they were nominated for, who is a billionaire or used to work at FOX.
https://embed.kumu.io/72226930b1af7417d3cd09357f441a7a
Thanks for the pep talk, Coach. I do think “we” liberals have always had a penchant for designer hair shirts (to bolster our humility, no doubt) but it is time to distinguish between being “nice” and being civil. Just because we endorse the rule of law doesn't mean we have to flog ourselves when the other side breaks it. On to action, Chief!
Hi all. Robert. I can’t get on the call today but I wanted to put a plug in for all of us who follow and and Jessica Craven to also get on board with Simon Rosenberg and Hopi Chronicles. You three are my trifecta for action and to dos and smart ways to think. Heather is who I read for the news each day. Simon Rosenberg is taking a deep research dive into what went wrong. He is interviewing smart people and gathering information from various angles. He has been a strategist for the Dems for 30 years and is very concerned about HOW we work and how we can change with the changing times. He is bold and thoughtful and smart. If you’re not already on that group I suggest adding it. I know it’s A LOT to read, digest and think about every day. I’m overwhelmed. But I think it’s good hard work.
Thank you, Robert so very much. Musk is the one that almost scares me the most.
Today’s quote from Mutts by Patrick McConnell-
We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.”
Kurt Vonnegut
I like the plan to prepare for most effective pressure in the upcoming term.
A lot can still happen (25th Amendment not excluded) and with White House, Senate, House and SCOTUS he can still do major damage.
But one fact is evident - we are here.
His efforts to deny our very existence, to erase us from the history books, the photos, or the seats at the table do not negate our reality.
As Langston Hughes wrote in his poetry
"I, too, am America."
Mr Hubbell writes it would be wrong to do the following:, "One op-ed published in legacy media today effectively advocated abandoning support for unions and LGBTQ people." In looking for whom to blame for the Democrat's 2024 losses.
With two recent cabinet nominees Trump seems not to be unwilling to advance either union or LGBTQ people. Trump has name Scott Bessent, an openly gay man, as his nominee for Treasury Secretary and Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who has union creds, as his nominee for Labor Secretary.
Identity politics is not the way forward for Democrats.. Identity politics is more divide and conquer. We Democrats should be developing universalist policies and programs: new ones like Medicare for All and strengthening current ones like Social Security and public education. All would benefit.
If "identity politics" is defending Black voters and LGBTQ people and women everywhere against demotion to second class citizenship, then we need more identity politics, not less.
"Identity politics" is an attack by right-wing idealogues to defend against criticism they receive when THEY target Black voters, LGBTQ people, and women everywhere. When Democrats rise in their defense, Republicans cry, "Identity politics."
How do we defend against anti-woman legislation without lifting up women? How do we defend the right to same-sex marriage without lifting up LGBTQ people? How do we defend the voting rights of Black voters without lifting up Black voters?
I was responding to Delgado's suggestion that we stop defending union workers and LGBTQ people. I wasn't suggesting "identity politics" as a way forward--he was, by suggesting that we stop talking about specific groups in the Democratic coalition.
We can do more than one thing. Abandoning unions and marginalized communities to appease the mythical “middle” moves us to the right and I’m unwilling to do that. It plays right into their hands.
What does it matter that Bessent is openly gay? He's also openly conservative and willing to bend to Trump's program.
Acting as if ALL LGBTQ people are inherently liberal/Democratic is naive.
Absolutely. Bessent's sexual orientation is not what matters. What he is willing to do, argue for, and support to protect the freedom of others does matter.
That's just it, it shouldn't. But too many Democrats think only liberals like them can be open-minded/insightful/caring enough to want full civil rights and dignity of gay people. In this case Trump's appointment of a gay man denies the Democrats need, a rather self-righteous and counter-productive need, to use Republicans as the perfect foil to their superior open-minded/insightful/caring position.
I'll buy you line, Judy, as soon as I hear Bessent or any other LGBTQ+ Republican giving a full throated defense of transgender rights and against homophobia. The silence is deafening.
I do agree we have to focus less on identity politics going forward, and just focus on socioeconomic class issues. However these candidates don't necessarily mean that Trump will all of a sudden support Unions or support LGBTQ rights. These people in his administration are rich and will gladly eat their own if they get ahead.
If "identity politics" is defending Black voters and LGBTQ people and women everywhere against demotion to second class citizenship, then we need more identity politics, not less.
"Identity politics" is an attack by right-wing idealogues to defend against criticism they receive when THEY target Black voters, LGBTQ people, and women everywhere. When Democrats rise in their defense, Republicans cry, "Identity politics."
How do we defend against anti-woman legislation without lifting up women? How do we defend the right to same-sex marriage without lifting up LGBTQ people? How do we defend the voting rights of Black voters without lifting up Black voters?
I was responding to Delgado's suggestion that we stop defending union workers and LGBTQ people. I wasn't suggesting "identity politics" as a way forward--he was, by suggesting that we stop talking about specific groups in the Democratic coalition.
I am very influenced by the PBS Frontline program called "Two American Families." Here is how Frontline describes it: "t’s a central premise of the American dream: If you’re willing to work hard, you’ll be able to make a living and build a better life for your children.
But what if working hard isn’t enough to get ahead — or even to ensure your family’s basic financial stability?
Two American Families: 1991-2024, a special, two-hour documentary filmed over more than 30 years, is a portrait of perseverance from FRONTLINE, Bill Moyers, and filmmakers Tom Casciato and Kathleen Hughes that raises unsettling questions about the changing nature of the American economy and the impact on people struggling to make a living.
...(T)his is the saga of two families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — one Black, the Stanleys, and one white, the Neumanns — who have spent the past 34 years battling to keep from sliding into poverty, and who refuse to give up despite the economic challenges that their stories reveal."
I believe none of what happened to them, America's working poor, was inevitable. Over time and through a range of choices our society let these people get demoted to being 2nd class citizens. They lost the safety and security Americans came to expect. I don't know what the solutions are, but I think the main ones will be found by using universal policies and programs that seek the common good and improve peoples' economic situations.
Good point Robert and I 100% agree with you. I'll never stop defending any group that is marginalized, nor do I think we should be okay with some people being treated as second class citizens. That's not what I meant, and I'm sorry if I came across that way. I was jus talking about adopting more Bernie Sanders type class rhetoric around opportunity and socioeconomic status.
It just seems so noisy around the media right now, and it seems in interviews with voters "they feel" rightly or wrongly that Democrats aren't populist enough or broad enough, that our language is too specific to certain groups. I dunno what to do, but I am not suggesting that we stop supporting the morally correct things or civil rights for all. That wasn't my implication at all. Sorry if it came out that way.
Cleary people keep voting against their own self interests, Kamala said she wanted parental leave, medicare for all and wanted to tackle price gouging. I also don't know how we out populist a populist who will just lie and his voters will support anything he says? Cleary we have the winning policies but voters think we are only for poor people, elites, or lgbtq people or whatever group they seem to hate, but not for the "salt of the earth, working class American" that they see themselves as. I don't know, is it all media reporting and the right wing echo chamber? Like how do we get through to these people?
I'm just frustrated and want to make sure we win elections in the future , and we don't keep losing voters. It's tough to look at what is happening and not feel like this isn't a lost generation for us from a civil rights perspective, economics, foreign policy, education, justice, climate change, etc.... The damage they can do in 4 years is crazy if they carry out all of their plans. We have 2 years to try and win some seats back, but I'm tired of Republicans calling us elite, and out of touch, etc. When all I want to do is make sure they have social security, healthcare and affordable places to live. Ugh... I'm hoping that this election cycle was just a slight aberration and voters lashing out about being unhappy about the economy, inflation and what they claim was an unpopular administration and candidate. But I genuinely worry this is a deeper issue.
Unions have nothing to do with identity politics.