The State of the Democratic Party Post-2016

[Greater USA]

He's a self-proclaimed socialist! You think most Americans would actually go for that? There's a reason why Obama has been trying to run away from that term since 2008. It just doesn't work.

I find it bizarre that many liberals point out that crime is at an all-time low, but talk endlessly about the need to fix the inner cities and poor neighborhoods. Do you know what these areas need? They need better law enforcement to go after gangs and drugs. Moms and dads in "the hood" are either scared to death for their kids, or are so neglectful that their kids have no choice but to seek belonging in a gang. And values are also part of the conversation. The single greatest cause of poverty in America is being in an unstable single-parent household. Maybe if parents actually stayed together for the sake of their children, things would be better.

There's more. Poor areas need businesses to create jobs and spurred economic activity. They need the chance to send their kids to better schools. And they need opportunity. Kids who are able to train to become plumbers, carpenters, and craftsmen will be able to find jobs that provide health insurance and other basics. Jobs, jobs, jobs.

Not all poor people live in areas where they have to spend every day in fear for their safety. My neighborhood has a lot of poor people, but it's safe to walk around and so on. Poverty definitely needs to be addressed separately from law enforcement because there are places like Maine that have real problems with poverty, even though it is one of the safest places in the US.

To be sure, my post focuses squarely on high-crime urban areas (of which there are many). My point about school choice and more jobs still stands with all areas though.

[Zhopgrad]

Would you all like to hear my opinion on the Democrats?
Imma tell you
I believe the party went from Slavery Supporters before The Civil War to corrupt idiots trying to gain support from Minorities. This time it seems they failed to A Business Man.
Oh I forgot to Mention the possibility of the Clinton's killing people who did not support them Like a new Stalin.

[Arlenton]

Would you all like to hear my opinion on the Democrats?
Imma tell you
I believe the party went from Slavery Supporters before The Civil War to corrupt idiots trying to gain support from Minorities. This time it seems they failed to A Business Man.
Oh I forgot to Mention the possibility of the Clinton's killing people who did not support them Like a new Stalin.

You know right-wing propaganda is good when even communists are falling for it.

[Greater USA]

Would you all like to hear my opinion on the Democrats?
Imma tell you
I believe the party went from Slavery Supporters before The Civil War to corrupt idiots trying to gain support from Minorities. This time it seems they failed to A Business Man.
Oh I forgot to Mention the possibility of the Clinton's killing people who did not support them Like a new Stalin.

You know right-wing propaganda is good when even communists are falling for it.

Seriously though. Some of the things I read on Breitbart make me want to vomit. They don't give a damn about liberty, only fear-mongering for the right.

[USS Monitor]

Not all poor people live in areas where they have to spend every day in fear for their safety. My neighborhood has a lot of poor people, but it's safe to walk around and so on. Poverty definitely needs to be addressed separately from law enforcement because there are places like Maine that have real problems with poverty, even though it is one of the safest places in the US.

To be sure, my post focuses squarely on high-crime urban areas (of which there are many). My point about school choice and more jobs still stands with all areas though.

Maine's schools aren't bad. School choice would not solve their problems. Bringing in jobs would, but figuring out you need jobs is a lot easier than figuring out the policies to make that happen.

[USS Monitor]

You know right-wing propaganda is good when even communists are falling for it.

Seriously though. Some of the things I read on Breitbart make me want to vomit. They don't give a damn about liberty, only fear-mongering for the right.

Hey, we agree!

[Collatis]

Would you all like to hear my opinion on the Democrats?
Imma tell you
I believe the party went from Slavery Supporters before The Civil War to corrupt idiots trying to gain support from Minorities. This time it seems they failed to A Business Man.
Oh I forgot to Mention the possibility of the Clinton's killing people who did not support them Like a new Stalin.

You know right-wing propaganda is good when even communists are falling for it.

That gave me a chuckle, but it's very true unfortunately. I know quite a few Bernie (BernieOrBust) supporters who buy into every single Clinton conspiracy theory. It got to the point that I preferred talking politics with my more moderate friends, because at least I didn't have to try and disprove conspiracy theories every five seconds.

[Lalaki]

You know right-wing propaganda is good when even communists are falling for it.

That gave me a chuckle, but it's very true unfortunately. I know quite a few Bernie (BernieOrBust) supporters who buy into every single Clinton conspiracy theory. It got to the point that I preferred talking politics with my more moderate friends, because at least I didn't have to try and disprove conspiracy theories every five seconds.

Given the fact that Trump won Wisconsin by a mere 25,000 votes (and Michigan/Pennsylvania by similar margins), I wouldn't be surprised if the anger from these Bernie-or-Bust folks cost Democrats the election. I'm not mad that they made Clinton lose...I'm not a big fan of her either at this point. But I am mad that they were willing to sacrifice paid leave, the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court, and other essential issues because of how much they hated Hillary.

[The Lone Alliance]

I agree that Democrats need to do a better job of grassroots organizing. The majority of Americans believe in liberal policy positions (universal child care, gun background checks, increasing the minimum wage, paid leave) -- yet many of these folks vote Republican based on false perceptions of what the two parties stand for.

No the polls tell us that's what Americans believe. There's a difference.

[Zakuvia]

I agree that Democrats need to do a better job of grassroots organizing. The majority of Americans believe in liberal policy positions (universal child care, gun background checks, increasing the minimum wage, paid leave) -- yet many of these folks vote Republican based on false perceptions of what the two parties stand for.

No the polls tell us that's what Americans believe. There's a difference.

If the polls meant anything, Hillary Clinton would be the President.

[Valrifell]

No the polls tell us that's what Americans believe. There's a difference.

If the polls meant anything, Hillary Clinton would be the President.

Friendly reminder that the final results were within the margin of error.

[Zakuvia]

If the polls meant anything, Hillary Clinton would be the President.

Friendly reminder that the final results were within the margin of error.

Tell that to Nate Silver.

[Valrifell]

Friendly reminder that the final results were within the margin of error.

Tell that to Nate Silver.

I will also note that you are using the fact that a few polls for a specific purpose were wrong (even though they really weren't) and using that is some bizarre justification to state that all polls are wrong.

Also, Nate Silver and his precious model were also off, they just so happened to be marginally less wrong.

[Uiiop]

Friendly reminder that the final results were within the margin of error.

Tell that to Nate Silver.

I would but he's where i got it from.

[The Lone Alliance]

If the polls meant anything, Hillary Clinton would be the President.

Friendly reminder that the final results were within the margin of error.

And that the polls can be made to say whatever you want them to say simply by how the poll is worded.

[Valrifell]

Friendly reminder that the final results were within the margin of error.

And that the polls can be made to say whatever you want them to say simply by how the poll is worded.

During the polling or after the fact?

[Corrian]

The popular vote polling was almost spot on.

The state polling was a mess.

It was an unpredictable election, but as a whole, polling is still generally reliable.

Also, I don't think the Bernie or Busters really made Clinton lose. I think Clinton made Clinton lose. Incompetent campaigning. Thinking they had these states in the bag despite people on the ground trying to tell them that there was a problem. If we had competent campaigning, things probably would have gone fine.

[Ngelmish]

The popular vote polling was almost spot on.

The state polling was a mess.

It was an unpredictable election, but as a whole, polling is still generally reliable.

Also, I don't think the Bernie or Busters really made Clinton lose. I think Clinton made Clinton lose. Incompetent campaigning. Thinking they had these states in the bag despite people on the ground trying to tell them that there was a problem. If we had competent campaigning, things probably would have gone fine.

In a race that was ultimately so narrow, it's wrong to say that there was any one thing that caused Clinton to lose. Campaign strategy certainly played a role (ultimately her play for intellectually honest Republicans who would be too revolted to vote for Trump is probably the biggest killer there, it was an understandable gamble to make, but it was a gamble and she lost it), the primary, and more particularly the Sanders campaign, played a role too.

What we're seeing right now in terms of the seesaw of what is most to blame is basically just a retread of 2000. The recriminations, if Gore had campaigned differently, if Nader hadn't acted as a spoiler, if the media had covered the candidates more honestly, etc. ran exactly the same gauntlet. What's most troubling about this is that Gore then and Clinton now, are being reduced to caricatures, being called to account for the sins of other politicians (most notably Bill Clinton) by those whose aim is primarily political: To capture and exercise and redefine the levers of power in the Democratic Party. Most of the "It's Clinton's fault!" crowd are wielding hyperbolic arguments as a blunt instrument without looking at the nuances of the case, because that's not what they're interested in.

It'll be interesting to see which groups prevail in the DNC race.

[Corrian]

There is literally an article about their incompetence with ignoring Michigan and such like that, when they were blatantly told there was a problem. So yes, I'd say the Clinton campaigns arrogance is a big part of their loss. If they were simply competent, they could have won those.

[Yorkers]

Make Keith Ellison the chair so that any deluded whites who still vote Democrat will snap out of their trance and realize how much their party hates them, and thus move over to the Republicans.

[USS Monitor]

Make Keith Ellison the chair so that any deluded whites who still vote Democrat will snap out of their trance and realize how much their party hates them, and thus move over to the Republicans.

Not sure why you think choosing Ellison would do that...

[New Chalcedon]

Make Keith Ellison the chair so that any deluded whites who still vote Democrat will snap out of their trance and realize how much their party hates them, and thus move over to the Republicans.

Not sure why you think choosing Ellison would do that...

Apparently, nonwhites get their "WHITE GENOCIDE" membership cards at birth or something. /s

[Gauthier]

Not sure why you think choosing Ellison would do that...

Apparently, nonwhites get their "WHITE GENOCIDE" membership cards at birth or something. /s

And "WHITE GENOCIDE" usually means "Hey where da white women at?"

[Genivaria]

Apparently, nonwhites get their "WHITE GENOCIDE" membership cards at birth or something. /s

And "WHITE GENOCIDE" usually means "Hey where da white women at?"

I find that funny because I'm 'white' and I ask "Where da Mexican women at?"

[Genivaria]

Make Keith Ellison the chair so that any deluded whites who still vote Democrat will snap out of their trance and realize how much their party hates them, and thus move over to the Republicans.

I'm pale as fuck and I have nothing against Ellison.