This is war.
We either oppose the Republicans who are supporting Trump - a likely traitor to the United States who is - without a doubt - trying to subvert the rule of law and dismantle our democracy in order to substitute a fascist white supremacist state - or we will go under.
I recently watched the movie "I Am Not Your Negro." James Baldwin describes the playwright Lorraine Hansberry, in one of the last acts of her young 34 yr old life, asking Attorney General Robert Kennedy to escort one of the young black girls about to enter a segregated public school in 1962 - to show the Kennedy Administration stood for justice. Reportedly Robert Kennedy looked at her as if she had insulted him. Hansberry told him that she had seen a photograph from Birmingham, Alabama showing a young black woman lying in the street while a white police officer kept his foot on her neck. She said the photograph made her "question what has happened to civilization."
America, 2018.
We must question what has happened to civilization.
We can fight the Republicans & Donald Trump - or we can give up all the progress we have made as a decent humane fair society these last 60 -70 years.
That would be the greatest defeat of our lifetimes. It would be a betrayal of everyone who fought for our freedom.
James Baldwin described America as "the streets of the free and the brave."
Only if we are willing now to fight to keep it.
5
Consistent voter turnout is the key to reforming our society to its greatest—diversity for all!
1
Let's hope this trend continues and that when the midterms arrive, the Republicans will be so depressed they'll practice voter-suppression on themselves.
3
Senator Durbin's comments on CNN this morning are not going to help the Democrats at all. He is signaling the Democrats will refuse to compromise on immigration and prefer to abandon the DACA recipients in favor of business as usual. Trump has offered a generous amnesty for more than 1.8 million illegal aliens, more than twice the number of people enrolled in DACA. In combination with the exact same immigration reform policies supported by African-American, Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, when she led Bill Clinton's Bipartisan Commission on Immigration Reform. I.e., chain migration reform; elimination of the diversity visa lottery; and reduction of legal immigration to a level more appropriate for a nation long past the industrial age. This is the issue Trump won on. If the Democrats continue to insist on zero immigration reform other than unlimited amnesty and de facto open borders, they may again underperform next November.
5
Why has the NYTimes suddenly turned conservative? The Nunes memo is a fascist (almost treasonable) attack on the government’s investigative powers. The president’s attack on the FBI is blatantly fascist, as are the president’s frequent attacks on the Press: fascist.
Why is the NYTimes backing off from the word “fascism” when it is so obvious here among us? Why Is the paper cautiously reporting attacks on our democracy? Why is it afraid to use the word fascist when our present conniving government is what it is: fascistic and increasingly so! Shame on the NYTimes. Why read with you?
7
This is the New York Times, not the some socialist university rag. Readers don't need to be bludgeoned with emotive descriptions of the Great Dotard and his ilk. We can see the fascists, they're in plain sight.
If you think the commentary here is conservative, then you need to read more widely. I suggest you start with the National Review. A half-hour spent reading there may well give your objectivity meter a desperately needed reset.
5
Attention Peter H: I have and do read all the best on political that is available . All college profs like me do. But nonetheless I am disturbed by the weakened progressive attitude recently in the NYTimes. I did not feel the Nunes affair was well-covered as regards it’s destructive thrust against on our Democracy. It was weak.
4
Given the number of people relying solely on Fox News I would nob be so sure that Democrats have big chances . I will vote Democrat but is my vote going to mean much I have my doubts.
2
Yes Trump is a terrible president.
But he won because Democrats had deserted their base, the working poor, including men who are poor.
Obama did not fulfill an implicit promise to put the US on the road to universal health care. And in the aftermath of the Great Recession, Obama put more of his economic stimulus ARRA into higher EITC payments for women with children than in infrastructure jobs that would provide jobs for men.
In the meantime, China has put its men to work building 12,000 miles of high speed electric rail connecting all major cities. The US has zero miles.
To top it off, Hillary Clinton had Gloria Allred as a prominent supporter, and her feminism seems to support the shaming of men.
Make no mistake. Sexual abuse is a crime and should be prosecuted in the courts. But shaming instead of prosecution?
If I have a conflict with my neighbor, instead of going to small claims court, I can simply shame him and make sure he never works again?
What I don't understand is why the NY Times implicitly supports such shaming as what appears to be an alternative to the usual legal process.
Thus in an editorial today Kristof seems to justify the shaming of Woody Allen over a child abuse allegation for which he was found not guilty 25 years ago. And actresses are saying they will never work with him again.
I support due process. I support the constitution.
I will never vote for Democrats who argue that shaming is an appropriate means of subverting the law.
7
I agree that what is going on in Hollywood needs a mixture of therapy and pharmaceutical treatment. The mob mentality pushes us backwards and not forward. Your assertion that these folks are democrats makes the rest of your argument sound disingenuous.
"Lock her up!" Sounded like the same "mob mentality" to me, yet it was not democrats chanting this.
We are definitely in crisis. It is just that no one wants to give up their pitch fork.
5
"Obama did not..."
In our country Congress makes laws and budgets. Congress was GOP 6 of the 8 years Obama was president. And 6 of 8 years of the Bush presidency. And there was the GOP Great Recession that you seem to have ignored.
The gross incompetence of the GOP is why I do not vote GOP.
5
The Blue Wave is Coming to a statehouse near you.
6
Most people realize that the Republican party needs to go into exile for a while to rejuvenate and purge its corrupt and unprincipled approach to politics that has given us the worst and most incompetent president in US history and that supports this president at all cost -- even if it means tearing down the FBI or making a sham of congressional oversight. That most Americans are eager to correct this blemish on the national image is understandable, but it will require a major uproar to overcome the Republican gerrymandering.
6
Speaking as an independent who has typically voted Democrat, the reality is both parties gerrymander to their hearts delight. If anyone thinks the Democrats do not engage in gerrymandering, take a look at true-blue Illinois and the Congressional district for Luis Gutierrez. Probably the most gerrymandered district in the nation. Would be great if there was reform to prevent it for both parties. Has unfortunately led to increasing influence of extremists in both parties.
5
Please,
If you care about your nation, and find yourself preferring one party to another, AFFILIATE!
There is no such thing as an “Independent” voter that is just a person has decided NOT to help one party (in Canada one can affiliate with any or every party on the ballot for CA$5/party/year) choose candidates for the General Election.
An unaffiliated voter CANNOT (NY election law cited, there are 49 others) Sign a petition to allow a person, running for any office or at least a party line on the ballot from selecting a party ward representative to its presidential candidate.
That’s 50% of the election process the unaffiliated voter gives up.
Unaffiliated voters are generally NEVER welcome at local party leadership meetings that can ultimately determine party platform and policy.
While a foolish Supreme Court has ruled that money is the thing that determines how loud a voice a group can have in paid media, and the last election proved another nation can even create thousands of phony “social media” entries, it is still individual votes that decide who holds office (with the exception of the Presidency, where one can only help move one’s state) or at least gets a chance to run.
You are also losing your last chance to influence party policy without opening your wallet.
You can be a member, but vote for any candidate - who party members have chosen for you.
3
GRH made a valid point. Both parties do it. The fact is that the Democrats lack of attention to state and local races in recent years has allowed the Republicans to gerrymander to their hearts content much to the detriment of the country.
As a former Democrat who voted for every loser the Dems put up since Walter Mondale, despite having supported other candidates in the primaries I really think that nagging, mocking and dismissing people who may not be totally in lockstep with you is no way to win over potential voters.
It’s this attitude, as well as the shenanigans the DNC pulled to insure that Hillary Clinton would be the party’s nominee that convinced me to register Independent when I moved to an open primary state. Given the party’s current situation a little humility seem to be advisable.
3
Who guessed that voting in a bunch of government-hating, Republican entitled elites into power in 2010 would result in them systematically tearing down the government and stuffing their own pockets along with the pockets of donors and cronies. What a shock.
11
Republicans who lose will pull Trump Moore moves all the way. What can we do? Know about it! The corrupt GOP has damaged this country and the world, ignored our allies, alienated the nation, damaged the planet ignoring all science Crippled the CDC who protect us from many things including pandemics. Their ignorant Trump GOP nationalism has to go. Racism has to go. Trumps lack of appropriate Charlottesville response told us what he is.
7
Democrats have to call out these phony Evangelical Racist & no moral Christians if they really want to turn out voters. Young people will win the day to make the change. Democrats also have to show the hypocrisy in Republican voter suppression and selling-out to the Russian as well. "DEMOCRACY is ON THE LINE".
11
Yes, calling people you've never met racists is a good way to turn out the vote. The young people you mention have parents who might have voted for Trump. When these young people hear people like you calling their parents racists, do you think that helps your cause?
5
No. Useless tactic. These are the irredeemable deplorables.
Concentrate on people who have the ability to think.
3
@Joe. When people have racist relatives (or parents in this case), they know it. Either they agree with it or they don't. However, I do not think that people who understand their own values are confused about what Trump is saying. Maybe you are or maybe you are ashamed? If you are ashamed, perhaps you should uncover why?
There is nothing wrong with wanting stronger safer borders and a crack down on illegal immigration. I have a problem with stereotyping illegals as MS-13 gang members to make a stronger divisive argument. I have a problem with claiming that Mexicans owe us a wall or that we should reject Haitans because they come from a poorer country. I have a problem with labeling all muslims as terrorists.
I have a problem with these bigot undertones. We definitely need better candidates.
4
As the year is progressing quickly, I am surprised not to see more media attention to this topic. With the nations hyper-focused attention to the 2016 election, one would think the American public would be more concerned with who their next representatives will be. If people want change they should be more concerned with who is in the statehouses instead of sport entertainment and reality tv. Hopefully by the primaries we will see a shift in focus.
2
Indeed...this is the crossroads we find ourselves at as a country seeking to survive the biggest crisis in government mismanagement since W led us into war under false pretenses. The fact that this is the second such crisis in only fourteen years should be deemed alarming by all wishing continued survival as a viable country - and it's not coincidental both mismanaged governments were Republican run. A century or two in the future, assuming this country continues on, the 2018 congressional elections could likely be deemed the single most significant reason why the worlds oldest democracy didn't go the way of ancient Rome and Greece. Yes, as great as they were...the fell, and so could we if Republicans rule continues beyond 2018.
7
Progressives and liberals - that is, Democrats - have ignored state and local politics for decades, at least in the modern era. To their huge detriment. It sounds ridiculous, but one reason for this is that progressives and liberals interested in government want to live in DC because it’s a cooler, more cosmopolitan, place to live. They look down their noses at living in state capitals like Lansing, or Little Rock, or Frankfort, or Springfield, or almost anywhere in the MidWest. Maybe Ds are reacquainting themselves w/the fact that all politics is local. But mostly it’s still like pulling teeth to get them to actually participate in local government. On the other hand, conservatives (and crazy people) always show up.
4
Never underestimate the Democrats uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I don't blame the Koch bros millions for this phenomena; I blame the Democrats inability to follow though when they have the advantage. They have no political killer instinct.
8
Fox news headline right now is "DNC dead broke Party fundraising hits wall as GOP sits flush with cash ahead of midterm elections". Why so? Because it has made many feel that it has become a party of everyone else but me. It is no longer the party of main stream America. All the millions spent on the last presidential elections was wasted on what?
8
Oh you can't make this up. Fox has put on Don Junior to say the Nunes confection is "sweet revenge" for his family. Got that? Donald, in office to perform "sweet revenge" on the police force. Elect a crook, he takes revenge on the cops who filed charges. You can't make this up, not even in the Third World.
13
Wait haven't we all seen the before?;
Democrats have huge leads 2 months before the election and then the Koch brothers dump in millions of dollars, buy up all the air-time and fill it will hate speech and lies, prompting the low info voter to go out and vote (against his best interest) and the democrats narrowly lose again.
9
Now is also the perfect time to point out to evangelicals that they have been conned. Republicans talk about repealing Roe vs. Wade right before elections. And now, with complete control of the House, the Senate, the White House, and the Supreme Court, they stop talking about it.
Why? Because they know they can sucker you, and they need to keep holding abortion out there because many of you foolishly vote on that one issue, and still believe the Republican Party actually wants to change anything about it. They don't. You've been had. Wake up.
9
Oh the holier than thou racists of the GOP lining their pockets, increasing the debt to double what it was! Obstruction of justice is seen by them as divine deception apparently.
2
President Trump has passed a tax reform bill that will increase average middle class voters $2000 to $4000 per year starting in February. He has made our country safer controlling entry of illegals, cracking down on MS13.
I don’t think it’s as rosy for the democrats as you suggest.
5
You do know that your tax cut will expire, and Trump's won't, right?
6
Fake News Kathy. Recent personal income tax reductions have a life span of 10 years. Just like with Bush. (I’d reference a Democrat’s tax cut legislation but there haven’t been any). These personal rates apply to me and you and Trump too.
Corporate income tax rates were also lowered from 35 percent (highest in the world) to 21 percent. These do not expire and apply to corporations. So, they apply to Apple, Microsoft, Carrier, Caterpillar, Trump International, and all the millions of corporations in the Country.
4
It's much rosier than YOU think it is. Just wait.
Republicans have every reason to be worried about seeing Dems make significant inroads at the state level in the mid-term elections. The Dems pretty much ignored what was going on at the state level for years, so this election cycle is not about reversing a somewhat self-inflicted wound overnight - in many of the states, these elections represent a jumping off point for Dems to START to take back these states - to be competitive within state legislatures despite the "system" being heavily rigged against with blatant gerrymandering and voter suppression being just 2 of the leading features.
I've commented on a # other NYT stories trying to make the same point: what you see happening is actual, true populism at work. True Populism (as compared to a "populist message") is ALWAYS is a bottom-up process, but it starts with something that galvanizes people and spreads from there. When some years from now, historians are able to look back at this time of crisis - including being able to provide context - they'll mention a woman in Hawaii who questioned what those who were opposed to Trump could do and from there we got the the Woman's March a year ago. But IMO, what got this really going afterwards were the folks who put together the Indivisible handbook that has been followed to a T - how to organize and how to unite its followers, but most of all, the importance of tenacity and perseverance - sticking with a game plan, something you're passionate about, works.
5
In response to some comments: The polls were not wrong in 2016. It is a commonly held error to think that polls predict an exact result. What they do is estimate the probability of a result. In 2016, the final statistically best aggregation based on all of the final polls, implemented by fivethirtyeight.com, gave Trump a 30% chance of winning the electoral college. He was predicted to be less less likely to win the popular vote. These predictions of a very close race proved to be accurate, with the person winning the minority of vote gaining the electoral college. In general, if the lead for one party is 1% then the probability is hardly better than one in two that the party will win the popular vote because all polls include an estimate of variance in the outcome that is always in excess of 1%. In such a case, if the other party wins by 1% then the poll is not wrong. On the contrary, it is extremely accurate, estimating the vote within 2%. As one moves away from 50:50, the probability of a party winning the popular vote changes very quickly. If the polls show one party leading by 5% at the time of the election, in an aggregate of the polls, weighted for previous bias, and containing thousands of surveyed voters, one can typically expect the leading party to win the popular vote nine out of ten times because the variance is usually less than 5%. That means the polls know their variance and they know that the other party will win one in ten times, on average, in this example.
3
Always possible to find SOMETHING that both sides agree on. If so, I'd say it was Nancy Pelosi's "crumbs" comment -- that the $1,000-2,000 bonuses, and larger paychecks, being received by Americans since the new tax law was passed are insignificant in comparison to the giveaways to the tax breaks given to the wealthy 1%.
Those amounts may be "crumbs" to Nancy Pelosi (who's very wealthy), but they're not crumbs to the people receiving them. I see serious flaws in the new tax law, but those flaws involve the deficit, not the "crumbs" it's saving (most) taxpayers.
I anticipate that this "crumbs" comment will cost the Democrats some support, as will their (incorrect) insistence that most taxpayers will pay higher taxes under the new tax law. The new tax law may well increase deficits (my greatest complaint about it), but there's really no question that it cuts taxes for most taxpayers. Some taxpayers who will pay higher taxes (I will, for example), but I don't anticipate a lot of sympathy for this group -- almost entirely well-off taxpayers who will be hurt by the $10,000 a year cap on itemized state tax deductions. Only 10% of taxpayers are expected to itemize at all, and the few "itemizers" who suffer because of this $10,000 a year cap aren't likely to elicit a lot of sympathy from other taxpayers -- almost all of whose taxes will decrease.
Not sure how, if at all, the Democrats can exploit the new tax law, but I do know they aren't doing it right now.
3
Whose taxes will be raised in 2027 when the tax "reform" requires increased taxes to pay for the deficit caused by this huge gift to the very rich? The corporate rich will continue to receive corporate tax breaks. Ordinary tax payers will see their taxes increased, particularly small businesses and homeowners.
4
The crumbs some are happy to get will be paid for by their children, as the National Debt increases.
Some people will be happy to take crumbs from their kids. Some people will not want to take anything from their kids.
7
Doug Ducey, the governor of AZ has given his patronage cronies pay raises of over 20% while increasing teacher salaries about 1%, and the schools here (secondary and college) stink. Turnover is high, salaries are low, yet there's no money to fund education. Any business thinking of moving to AZ has to wonder where the well-trained or even trainable hires would come from.. they would need to be imported. AZ gun laws are STRONG, and environmental issues are neglected. This comes out of a rock solid right-wing AZ legislature and governor. Time for a change and it can't come soon enough for me. I'm even hoping the corrupt local town mayor and his corrupt council are replaced in November.
7
trump has a chance to turn this around, if he can develop a real infrastructure plan and figure out how to fund it, if he can show actual leadership in the north korean crisis, but he just keeps shooting himself in the foot.
his numbers are up now because of the tax deform, but its effect on the economy and the stock market could reverse that.
and he can't seem to be consistent about any policy. he just wants to sign something, he doesn't care what it is, especially if it involves reading to find out. that means he can't really get the job done.
and pretty soon some crisis will arise that needs a leader, and we won't have one.
3
.... if he can develop a real infrastructure plan.......
And one would think he could develop any plan ... based on what, exactly?
2
I don't really like either party at the moment. The Republicans are not honorable, and certainly not after the welfare of the nation or its people (us!). They are after win at all costs.
The Dems have no vision, apparently. It is only, "not him." The only visionary person they have come up with was Bernie Sanders, who was actually an independent before running for the Democratic nomination. I do like Sanders. I don't like the identity-politics-coalition.
It is about all people. It is about the dismantling of the social safety net, and an economy that is responsible for increasing disparity of wealth. It is about targeting of people of color for exclusion. It is about abuse of women; it is about the militarization of the U.S.
I can't see Republicans coming up with a remedy to our ills; they only exacerbate the problem with their wedge politics, gerrymandering strategies, and win at all costs. I would think that Dems could come up with solutions, but they have proved very poor game players. No strategy that will work, poor tactics (like, getting rid of Al Franken). Apparently no adults who will look carefully and then lead with inspiration. Seems like no vision, just elevation of victimization.
Anyone who looks to the happiness index in the world and finds Scandinavian "socialism" at the top, should heed the lessons. "socialism" is currently a wedge term; so start with a strategy of addressing that, Dems. But you won't--I truly believe you won't. God help us.
6
The Dems have a vision. I see and hear it all the time. Reduce inequality. More Healthcare for all. Equal rights for all citizens, equally. More help for working families. Better, cheaper education.
What they lack is a unifying message.
7
The Democrats have plenty of platform if you actually listen to them rather than the barrage of attack ads bought by the Kochs that drown out everything else.
6
@gratis: The unifying message is that Democrats "Work for The People", always have! Isn't that the summary of what you mention?
1
The Democratic Party is famous, or notorious depending on your viewpoint, for numerous failures to get their supposed supporters to legally register to vote and then get those same people to vote legally. The Democratic Party has been failing at that for 40 years at least. Where were these enthusiastic Democratic Party voters in 2016, 2014, 2002, 1994, etcetera? One difference between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party is that the Republican Party's supporters understand power politics better than the Democratic Party's supporters do. Those Republican Party supporters get that if the Democratic Party is in the majority criminals will be coddled, gun rights will be taken away, and all manner of nonsensical spending of taxpayer money will occur. That causes them to be passionate about preventing the Democratic Party from gaining majorities, even if they have to vote for Republican Party candidates they do not "love". The Democratic Party's supposed supporters fail to legally register to vote and fail to legally vote even if they are legally registered to vote. If the Democratic Party fails to promise that pink and purple striped ice cream cake with rainbow sprinkles will be delivered to their house each week at taxpayer expense then a lot of those supposed supporters do not vote. Or maybe it's purple and pink puppies. Maybe purple ponies. Whatever it is, they fail to vote.
How does the Democratic Party intend to fix those problems?
2
California will continue to lead the way by voting for Democrats. This year, we will work to get rid of the remaining Republicans that are either still in congress, or seats from retiring GOP members. I am fired up and can't wait to vote. I will also be contributing financially.
15
“It looks like it’s going to be a war zone,” according to one Republican. Of course it is. Having been subjected to one of the worst years in Congress in the last 70 years, people are fed up. Never before has such greed and hubris been so obvious, even to casual observers. Partisanship clearly comes before country, to the detriment of our nation and citizens. This week's release of a flawed Republican memo makes that very clear. Trump is leading his party and the country into chaos and further divisiveness, while they claim to be working toward unity.
Anyone who doesn't vote to remove Republicans who are complicit in these circumstances is either not paying attention or doesn't care about equality and tolerance, two hallmarks of our nation.
Personally, I am and will be doing all I can to persuade people to vote for Democratic candidates in my area and elsewhere. We must stop the damage that Republicans are doing to our country. This Republican party is not the "party of Lincoln" except in name.
7
Its so enjoyable angering the way left that thinks anyone who is educated and makes good money did not earn it. Does anyone really think that those persons who make 30k a year give lots of money to charities like I do. Or pays for shoes and football camp for 9 kids who could not afford it last summer. Or pay for kids to go to FBLA conventions who could not afford it. Or band camp. Or money for kids in the IB program. Or buy skeletons for the biology program. The next time you pay 90k year in taxes like I do you can call me to complain. And remind me the next time the school calls you to pay for an underprivileged kid who needs money for shoes for the soccer team, or money for a sports physical. I will be waiting by the phone.
2
Valid view.
1
Democrats, we are the majority party - let's act like it! We have been notoriously apathetic in midterm elections. This is no normal midterm. The Russo Republicans have staged a right wing coup d'état. We have one chance to take back our democracy and our sovereignty before they can tighten their grip on power. Let's not let it slip away.
10
Ww must get balance back and will if that’s if the Democrats don’t over pitch a Bernie Sanders socialist world and if Hillary Clinton is not a big voice and frankly I’d prefer not hearing from her at all. She would alienate people with her personal style and persona. Same with too much Hollywood presence. We need great women and men as candidates. DACA yes. Citizenship for all illegals ridiculous. The Democratic Party has a lot to pitch if they can get their act together and promise the liberties and equality of the US Constitution which Trump, the White House and GOP perversely subvert in the callous Republican style. Humanity, compassion, a keen awareness of social problems and the environment. Equal rights and long term hope.
3
Great women and men you say? But not dedicated hard working, knowledgeable, experienced person's like Hillary who shone in NY as State Senator and on the world stage as Secretary of State ... the great countries of the world admired and lauded her...remember?
Sounds like you got sucked up in the phony Fox News right-wing rhetoric that in their terror we're out to destroy an outstanding woman.
I can't help but think where our country would be today if Hillary were president, certainly not in the chaos and mess Trump's criminal enterprise has enveloped us in.
Hillary would have been a great president. Instead we got a habitual liar, a traitor, a low grade nitwit whose only care is to enrich his family's coffers. He will go down in infamy but not before leaving our good country's reputation and policies in shreds.
5
I hate FOX and the entire GOP, Hillary is brilliant but she alienated the people on the fence and attacked rather than reaching out to say “I hear you” putting her arm around the undecided and created the electoral loss.She’s so talented however she’s pompous and entitled. She blew it.
I love Bernie and he’s a “smartest kid on the block” just brilliant and tough but too far socialist. Yes we have our town clown Trump who former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, philanthropist,business leader and humanist said of Trump and I quote” I’m from New York and I know a con when I see one”. Trump is guilty of many crimes he doesn’t understand because his merry band of thieves kow town to him. Let our outrage win Democrats everywhere!
4
Dorothy, as long as Americans think it's more important to like a leader than to respect her (or him), they'll end up with Trumps...
As all too often, you'll be able to look at turnouts on election night in November and call it.
A lotta people show up, the Republicans and Trump are toast. A few show up, the decent people are toast. Turnout's in the middle, lots of tossups.
The question is to what extent Democrats and the Left will squabble, circular firing squad, and unrealism themselves right into the ditch. Because if the leftover Berniacs, Steiners, Pelosi and Schumer haters, and "only my issue matters," types shaddap for a bit, even the extravagant voter suppressions carried out by Republicans won't be enough.
And if you're vexed by the remark about decency, I suggest taking a good hard look at Trump and Devin Nunez. For whom there is no excuse whatsoever.
3
Once people see their take home pay increase in February "the sugar high" well Trump just re-elected himself.. Democrats can yell and scream about DACA and immigration- fact of the matter is- many "Democrats" could care less if they stay or go. They'll never tell anyone that,but that's the prevailing sentiment.
2
God, Democrats are gonna get beaten like a drum in November for there failure to be on the side of tax cuts and there will be NO DACA program passed by then... Resistance is not a strategy.
2
I'm a RINO and I think the herd is growing at a fast pace. Until Republican politicians start standing up for the values that this country has always stood for, I will gladly vote for a party that still does. As far as I am concerned the Trump administration is the biggest threat to democracy that this country has ever faced. I am ashamed that the entire Republican Party is complicit. It is pure greed, and that will be their legacy.
8
This headline has been sharing a space with another headline talking about the GOP rising in the polls. Which is it?
3
We did it in California the place that, like it or not, tends to predict the future. The national pendulum that began its swing in the '60's with that disgusting puppet Reagan's election to the governorship here is, at long last, reached its apogee with Trump and is now accelerating in the opposite direction. All you have to do is vote.
10
I've got an important but simple question for all of you liberal-socialists who think you will make inroads into the various statehouses: What platform will the Democrat candidates champion? In case you hadn't noticed, Anti-Trump hatred is not a platform. To make matters worse, the Democrats are now viewed as Swamp dwellers and the party of tyranny. Please note that if you don't believe that weaponizing the IRS, DOJ and FBI and using them to attack your political opponents is tyranny, then you have an even bigger problem than I imagined. I would normally wish you good luck in your your political fights but I cannot stand socialism because it always devolves into tyranny against the people.
1
Anti Obama hatred was Trump’s platform and It worked.
7
You might want to ask the Norwegians, Danes and Swedes what it's like to live under tyranny; they seem to be thriving. Can you stand Social Security and Medicare? Who is weaponizing the DOJ and the FBI? I think it might be our President Trump. It is odd for a President to request a loyalty oath to an appointee of a supposed independent agency.
7
"the Democrats are now viewed as Swamp dwellers and the party of tyranny."
Oh, please. You were convinced the Dems were like that the first time you swooned to Rush Limbaugh.
3
The NY Times believes that Democrat voters are motivated to vote (and some to run for office) by "exploiting Trump's unpopularity"?
Come on! This is NOT a popularity contest.
What's it about? Toxic politics and policies. It's the snake, stupid. (It's not even clear DT's the head of the snake.) Republican pandering to the wealthy and manipulation of all others, as well as playing to racial fears & economic resentments, undermining essential climate policy, blocking an investigation into Russian intervention in our election... Voters are now motivated by clarity that, not only Trump, but the GOP are destructive forces.
It is beyond silly, even insulting, to state that it's Trump's "unpopularity" that's motivating voters. We are motivated by our clear- eyed concerns & love of country and Constitution.
4
If Trump can keep from doing anything too dumb in September and October, the damage to the GOP won't be too bad in November. Of course, that is a big "if".
Democrats can target all they want. Their corruption and despicable behavior in in conjunction with the liberal media has made most people realize they don't want democrats in office.
3
A Democrat won the popular vote by 3M votes; a Republican entered the WH with a thin margin of 77,000 votes, hardly a mandate.
4
Well, you got it. The GOP has been in control of Congress for 13 of the last 17 years. Why do you seem dissatisfied?
3
Trump is head of the Republican Party and Trump is a horrible person. So many people despise Trump and his party that they will vote for Democrats for the foreseeable future. Just look at Virginia. After November 2018, Trump will be impeached.
3
Racial gerrymandering, and political gerrymandering are an art form in the Tea Party legislature of the bathroom birther state of NC.
And SCOTUS, 5/4 will give them an ”atta boy” come Spring.
Just watch.
2
So the NYTimes thinks college educated, white women are going to vote Dem. Not this one. The parties far-left take-over and demand for open borders, starting with DACA and an ever growing number of those dreamers, is enough for me to find a third party. If no one runs, I'll still not vote Dem. What is their obsession with 'progressive' policies that have proven to fail around the world? What is their obsession with illegal immigrants?
10
Ma – please cite evidence of even ONE Dem who 'demands' open borders (which, btw, has nothing to do with DACA).
4
Could you name who it is that you're talking about? I've never heard a Democrat, or anybody Left for that matter, demand absolutely-open borders.
What we demand is, first and foremost, some kind of rational path to citizenship for DACA recipients. You may have noticed that that's Donald Trump's posit, at least this week: in fact he's gone further, to include up to a million more.
Take that up with your Prez, I'd say.
Otherwise, yeah, we're against spending at least $25, 000, 000, 000 on a pointless Wall, or ziggurat, or whatever the current plan is.
And we'd like to see a sane immigration Blll get passed. Myself--and by your standards, i'm pretty much a commie--I'd like to see strong border enforcement, the Checks system for employers, some kind of combo of green cards and "get in line," for the maybe nine million illegally in this country, the so-called chain migration," rules left alone because they ain't broke, some kind of revisit of the lottery system, things like that.
Sorry. Maybe later, I can get into us commies' plans for Red Dawn.
2
So better to support an autocrat that will roll back your reproductive rights as a woman and support a party that sees women as livestock to breed future republicans. If being a progressive means caring about the least fortunate and the most marginalized among our society then so be it. If we truly wanted a solution on immigration we would had done it 20 years ago. Immigrants illegal or otherwise have been a political football to keep the GOP base in line with fear and racism i.e. "Build a Wall!" A third century solution will not solve a 21st century problem.
6
Democrats should not count their chickens just yet.
Polls were wrong in 16 and likely are wrong again. People will not admit to support of Trump. But there is some serious anti-intellectualism in this country along with longstanding hatred of LGBT, immigrants, disdain of this women's movement, etc. We are a huge country with huge pockets of isolation and bigotry.
Economy is up and in America, that's all most care about: cash. "It's the economy, stupid." Democrats, you're warned. Stop with the identity issues. (I'm queer.)
12
Polls were right on target in 2016!
They predicted Hillary winning by about 3-4 percentage points and she did!
State polling was not being done as much, especially not in a couple of the states she lost, where only 30-40,000 votes TOTAL changed the entire election result.
The polls did quite well with House and Senate races.
Lots of people confused the probability estimates -- Hillary with a 70% change of winning as a declaration she was going to win.
Hardly true at all. It's a *probability*.
If a forecaster said there was a 70% chance of snow tomorrow and it alerted or rained instead, you'd hardly say the forecaster was wrong! Or, if you did, you'd be wrong!
The more worrying trend is that the polling numbers are estimates based upon models that are increasingly difficult to create because few people respond to pollsters any more. Tweak the model a bit; weight a bit differently; and, just like hurricane forecasting, the track can vary greatly -- being the difference between a miss and a disaster -- between living safely in quiet neighborhoods and facing wanton destruction and an undermining of one's life.
Just as what happened when Hurricane Trump made landfall!
Sigh. The polls weren't wrong. Not only were they within margin-of-error, but they pretty much called the pop vote.
3
Mrs. Burns & Blinder, The President is not unpopular in Bucks County, as you state. Of course you want him to be. So, you keep sending out the message, from you "bully pulpit", that Mr. Trump is unpopular, hoping that by repeating it enough you will brainwash those who read you propaganda. Also, PLEASE don't insult my intelligence by labelling yourselves and you followers as liberal. You are not in anyway truly Liberal. Don't you have the courage to refer to yourselves as what you are, leftist ideologues, who think they are "smarter than the room".
4
With the increasing number of low information voters, I'm not counting this chicken quite yet.
19
Do you Americans ever tire of always being faced with elections? It's constant. And you know a few days after the mid terms all the hype will turn to the 2020 presidential election, then a few days rest and onto to the all important 2022 midterms then the 2024 presidential.............Then throw in state elections plus special elections and it's election overload. Seriously, you need a rest from all this nonsense.
7
I believe your nation has attempted to create a proportional representative democracy using a parliament like system. Vote for political parties instead of individuals. That system has advantages over ours, namely the increased probability of minor parties being represented in the legislative branch. Changing to such a system would require a new constitution for the USofA. Most USofA citizens would rather live with the difficulties of multiple elections than endure a constitutional convention.
1
Perhaps if your elected politicians got to work on governing after an election instead of constant worrying about the next election you wouldn't have to live with so many difficulties and get a rest you so definitely deserve.
2
Is the NYT sexist?
According to a commenter who says she's from the same area:
"Interesting that the photo published with this article references Steve Santarsiero ... but not Representative Tina Davis (in the foreground of the photo)."
Indeed. When I first saw the photo, I thought the person being highlighted was the woman in the foreground. But the caption told me I should be looking instead at the white male in the background.
2
Since you didn't invite comment on...
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/us/politics/trump-fbi-justice.html
"...The agencies have been “disgraceful” and “should be ashamed,” President Trump declared Friday...
My sentiments exactly....
.....................
Continuing...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/19/opinion/columnists/fbi-blacks-civil-r...
"...There is a slippery slope between this kind of intelligence assessment and acts of repression. The F.B.I. has slid gleefully down that slope before...
Yours too, apparently...
Wonder if quotes from the two stories were swapped, if the progressivista could tell the difference...
3
Is this true?
"Unemployment at record lows, especially for minorities..."
Trump claims this, and the Democrats haven't denied it, but that doesn't make it true. Is it?
I've read complaints that black unemployment is significantly higher than white unemployment, and that certainly would bother me if I were black. But I'd also like to learn that black unemployment is way down. Is it?
3
Black (and white) unemployment has been steadily declining since 2010. Trump takes credit but deserves none.
1
If, as people say, it's always the economy stupid, then state governments are going to be in for huge challenges in the near future. As the federal government under current GOP leadership pulls away from providing services and infrastructure support, it will be up the states to either fill in the gap or not.
State taxes will have to increase to maintain programs, schools or roads or those will decline. This is how the GOP wants it.
Each state on its own, The examples of Kansas and Wisconsin come to mind.
Both enjoying increasing discontent within their borders as people in both states do with less. This is a result of the zero sum GOP agenda. All or nothing.
And in spite of the GOP cult, people are starting to wake up and realize that they do have have to live like this anymore.
5
That why GOP's agenda will always fail in the long term. Government should work on behalf of the people to provide basic services and benefits. Not strictly work for the ultra wealthy in the form of trickle down tax cuts.
4
Trump Presidency is the toughest test for American democracy since civil war days in 1860s. Most Republican congressman are at the wrong side of the history- just like those slave holding states and their leaders.
I expect it to be the end of Republican party, at least in its present form, once the crisis is over and Trump and his supporters in Congress are defeated in 2020 election.
And that's another reasons, I want Trump to remain President till that day and then face consequences once a new non-Trump supporting person becomes the nest US President. That's why I do not support impeaching Trump- only to make another Trump supporting puppet like Mike Pense, to become next President and use presidential pardon for all the crimes Trump have done so far.
9
They do?
"And the 2018 elections are only Act I. The Democrats stand an even greater chance of victories in 2020."
Whom, exactly, will the Democrats run in 2020? Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders (perhaps promising "a bottle of Geritol in every pot")? Or someone fairly new, such as Kamala Harris, or Corey Booker, or Kirsten Gillibrand? Or someone we haven't even heard of yet? Whom, exactly?
Trump is very old, and thus he may die or become disabled by 2020. But if he's still around, it's hard to imagine he won't be re-elected. He'll still be the same old carrot-top jerk, but Americans prefer his policies on several key issues, such as immigration, foreign wars, and deficits. He isn't "walking the walk" on deficits, but he is on the other two, and I seriously doubt the Democratic Party will ever position itself -- or even try to position itself -- as the deficit-cutting party.
4
Trump on deficits? You gotta be kidding!
Once the middle classs see their “tax cut” and do the math and process it, the GOP is doomed.
Americans don’t like being lied to by Congress about promises made to their wallets and the extra $1.37 per month I’ll gain from this cut has me feeling like the GOP sees me as an easy mark.
9
I am old enough, ancient actually, to remember the days when Republicans in the Northeast presented a viable alternative to the Democratic candidate. Lowell Weicker, Edward Brooke, Jacob Javitts, Nelson Rockefeller, John Heinz are a few names I can cite off the top of my head. No longer. If I could find a moderate Republican here in New York I would take him or her to task, for not speaking up to the leaders of their party. Right now, you can't find a Northeast Republican, including Senator Susan Collins, who will speak truth to power. They remain mealy mouthed. And for good reason. Because if they did they would find their power curtailed even further. So the lesson I have learned over the decades is you vote the party not the person. Why? Because when all things are considered, in the most crucial cases before them, we have seen it is loyalty to party which takes precedent over loyalty to country and abidance to the laws of the land. I've been a lifelong Democrat since JFK and I'm darned proud of it. From JFK to BHO, I have yet to be ashamed of voting for a Democrat, and yes, that includes Hillary. In fact, I am more proud than ever to boast of my vote for her. Except for the Hillary haters out there and in Congress, we would not be subject to the incompetence, the ridicule from abroad and the humiliation of having a president as unhinged and demagogic as the present occupier of the Oval Office.
DD
Manhattan
15
Fake news? With gerrymandered districts, voter restrictions, unlimited dark monies, etc. GOP has 2018 pretty much sewn up tight. DJT 2020, Paul Ryan 2024-28. By 2032 the Dems' self-destruction will matter to none but a few rueful historians…
3
The only disinfectant for the filth that has all but covered our democracy is the ballot. Mueller will eventually arrive at the truth but by then there may not be much left. This time, there can't be any indecision or waffling. We can't afford to give "them" another chance because they have a nice smile and a firm handshake. They also have a record of support for the current occupant and they cannot be allowed to run from what they have done. Neither can we depend on leadership from the democratic "party". Democrats have neither aided nor abetted, but holding hands and singing Joan Baez songs in the well of the house isn't a show of strong opposition. The mistake of 2016 must be corrected! Two more years of loyal support for this Stranger Things administration will spell the end of what once was a pretty good place to call home. We have to VOTE! Vote all of them out? No! Read, listen, pay attention, keep score at home, whatever. If you do those things, in most cases, there will be no clear choice other than the democrat. This won't take care of everything, but just might restore the checks and balances that Jesus intended when he gave us the Constitution, which, in turn, will allow us to flush out the White House.
2
Those who continue to try and shame Trump voters by calling them racists and other pejoratives are not helping their cause. Most voters can separate policies from personalities, and the left can offer no policies palatable to many middle and right leaning voters.
7
Oh but we can...the thing is the president doesn't have any credible policy we can support on the Left. His policies are based on fear and cold naked racism that is sugar coated to make it more palatable on the Right. Banning all Muslims won't stop terrorism here or abroad. The last domestic terrorism event in Las Vegas that was the largest mass shooting in American history was committed by a white guy. Building a wall won't address the 11.5 million souls here in our country. The only thing that Trump has going for him is his outrageous tweets and his clownish behavior. If any other president in American history displayed his deeply flawed character traits, we would had dismissed them. The basic premise that Trump ran on is that he would make the country great again for disaffected whites that felt their position at the top of the food chain was being jeopardized by brown and black people.
1
Joe- apparently so.
Affordable healthcare, affordable education, clean air and clean water are just not enough.
Hopefully a few more outrageous presidential tweets, general insults and G.O.P. blunders will help drive the point home before the next elections.
Now is the time for all good men (and women!) to come to the aid of their country....VOTE.
8
While change is going to happen, it's going to take at least two election cycles and that means being ok with small gains at first rather than a "blue Tsunami." My state of VA did our damndest to flip longstanding hard right control of the legislature, and came within one delegate of doing so against all odds. BUT, that crucial one seat was tied up in recounts in which 3 Republican judges interpreted the tiebreaking ballot that was marked for both D and R candidates as really being an R vote, when it should have been declared by state law a spoiled ballot. So, the corruption machine in place will take a while to dismantle. We have to keep the long game in mind.
7
There are no longer any “moderate” Republicans. Every single one of them is now part of the Party of Trump, of Roy Moore, and of Joe Arpaio. Every single one of them, even those posing as moderates, deserve a resounding defeat on their next ballot appearance. Even those such as Sen. Flake, who at least stands up to Trump with words, fails on deeds, voting for the tax sham and the health care idiocy that characterizes the entire party.
9
It already has happened in our state.
3
Last I heard Washington was already a blues state.
Washington State has always been blue. That’s no change.
Those who think Washington is deep blue do not know about the eastern part of the state, which is more like Idaho.
We've seen it happen time and again where, if you can't get your issue done at a national level you can always rely on some state to impose it in there. All politics are local -- local yocal you mean. Its where you can obfuscate the lack of merit of an issue and water it down so that its acceptable to a fringe constituency who'll buy into some part of it. That same obfuscation is what Amazon is using to extort the best tax break out of what are bribable dupes, who'll agree to forgo taxes for its taxes for decades while the local government then has to turn to citizens to float levies every year to make up for the tax break scheme to pay for services. Its not like Amazon wouldn't have hired from some community somewhere anyway. Its just a cheap and slippery business practice that ignores the greater responsibility towards communities. Funny, it even reflects American foreign policy; divide and conquer. You're either a cabal or a collective.
1
There are 55 million registered republicans, 75 million registered democrats and 42 registered independent voters in the USA. #45 unknowingly has created a backlash against his inane actions. So thank you Mr. President for getting voters angry enough to do something about their government.
7
As a life-long moderate Democrat, I firmly believe we have some internal changes that need to happen before 2018. New faces need to be at the top of the party. The old guard, were the guard in place while the GOP stormed the gates. For all the good they may have done and for all their intellect, the top Democrats seem incapable of recognizing that the time has come to freshen up the brand. A well-timed change of guard this summer would do wonders to undermine the GOPs likely strategy before Nov 2018. Two fresh faces could do wonders to invigorate the base and to demonstrate to moderates and GOP that are sick of watching their party under DT that the Democrats are listening.
If, as a life long democrat, I'm tired of the old guard, trust me, moderate GOP and independents are going to struggle even more. Pelosi and Schumer could maintain influence from behind the curtain and lend their wisdom to the next generation. The question remains if they are capable of leadership that doesn't include a spotlight.
7
It's possible to think Trump is a total jerk but to favor his policies.
For example, most Americans don't want "open borders." Most Americans don't want more foreign wars. Most Americans don't want larger deficits. Trump claims he's against all three, and his behavior so far is consistent with that claim on the first two at least. (Like every President we've ever had, Trump thinks it's pretty neat to spend money we don't have, and so the "no more larger deficits" part has been discarded.)
Hillary Clinton, by contrast, has openly called for open borders, and has voted or pressed at every opportunity for more war. When she was a US Senator, she supported George W. Bush in the US attack on Iraq. When she was the Secretary of State, she pressed Obama to intervene more forcefully and longer in Libya. When she was running for President, she vowed to establish a "no fly zone" over all of Syria.
Nor was Hillary Clinton consistent on other issues. She was strongly opposed to same-sex marriage until she switched to being strongly in favor of same-sex marriage. She was in favor of the Keystone XL Pipeline until she was against the Keystone XL Pipeline. She was strongly in favor of the Trans-Pacific Partnership until she was against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And so on.
In short, while Hillary Clinton may have "looked" the part better than carrot-top Trump, what she would have actually done was not what most Americans want done.
2
This article sums up my thoughts regarding midterms. Admittedly, I haven't voted as much as I should have in the past during local, state and special elections. That all changed November 2016. This Progressive will NEVER miss another chance to keep an administration like this from power again.
5
The behind the scenes struggle here is of two campaign theories - the triangulation of Bill Clinton, versus the turnout strategy of Barack Obama. Clinton's political contribution was to win election by seizing the middle away from your opponent. Obama's strategy was to enrage and frighten your base, scare them into a near hysteria, and drive turnout.
Trump took the Obama strategy and used it to get elected. So we have 12 years of the extremism as a political strategy working. I think all of us are old enough to remember the Democrat's strategy that took the words of Akers and assured women that they would be raped by Republicans. This seemed dangerous and insane at the time, but it worked. It divided the nation and caused untold damage to our civil society, but it got Barack elected. Trump used the same strategy by casting Barack Obama as a Muslim spy.
The question is, is there no strategy that while effective, is too divisive and destructive to pursue? That's a question of personal morals. Either we as a nation have personal morals, or we don't, and that will be all the difference. When a Democrat stands up and says "enough with the race baiting, enough with the hate" then we might have a hope for a future.
2
For those who have no idea that this push for a conservative business run Oligarchy had its beginnings in the 1970's when a strong right winger put out his roadmap document for taking over the political structure of the US.
Conveniently called the "Powell Doctrine" which is available on-line, just search for it.
It clearly describes what the Republicans have to do to make this country a true homeland for the rich, powerful and probably "Nordic Americans".
Just to view how successful his Doctrine has become, in 2010 and then cemented in the next 2 congressional votes, the Republicans took over the governorships and their state chambers leadership of more than half the states as well as both Congress and the Senate.
The Democrats were asleep and the president was not a pugnacious ividual and the whole Democratic party simply stood still as the end results show.
Now is the best opportunity for the Democrats to show they are not cowards and fight for the return of our country as it should be, not as side job for the most unqualified, uninformed self proclaimed Potentate.
r t
3
I am in Mia Love's district in Utah, one of the "Top 10" of gerrymandered states. This new district was created by the overwhelmingly Republican legislature to defeat Jim Matheson (D) and ensure that the congressional delegation would be entirely Republican. It was successful, but it left many frustrated city-dwellers with no representation. The district map is carefully drawn so that 'liberal' areas like Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden and even Moab are 'cracked' apart... bundled in with rural areas that can be more than 100 miles away. In a 2015 poll, 65% of Utahans said they want our districts drawn by an independent commission. A ballot initiative is underway that would do just that. IF Better Boundaries gets on the ballot AND passes, there is an opportunity for everyone in the state to be represented fairly. I can't wait!
3
It's Democrats versus the Russo-Republican party in November. It should be a blowout, right? Not so fast. The Russo-Republicans will be working feverishly on social media to stir up dissension among Democrats and stoke racism and xenophobia in their base. There will be a well organized voter suppression strategy. They will be well financed by the likes of the brothers Koch and their fellow kleptocrats. They have successfully implemented hi tech gerrymandering which their Supreme Court seems reluctant to undo. We Democrats have two advantages; there are many more of us and I believe this time we are highly motivated by our knowledge that this may be democracy's last stand.
2
Democrats beware and be smart. This is not the time to count your chickens before they hatch. Proceed with caution and strategy. The Republican/Trump machine (with already confirmed assistance from Russian bots) will continue to steamroll its way to the midterms, crushing the integrity and honor that upholds our Democracy. Democratic candidates need to present strong, with solid platforms that make sense and work to unite the great divide we are living.
3
Democrats must come to their senses swiftly. They need bold messages from new young leadership and not policy wonks like Elizabeth Warren or old-fashioned politicians like Nancy Pelosi. Donald Trump won in part because he was "charismatic" in the true definition of the word: charming, fascinating, strong in character;
magnetic, captivating,beguiling, attractive,appealing, alluring,winning,
"a charismatic leader"
The greater part of voters in this country do not follow most policies they cannot relate to except in their own situations.They vote for someone they like or someone who is different from the establishment. He appealed to their raw instincts and long-held belief systems from racism to nationalism to threatening immigrants or anyone who was not like them. Most had zero idea of what TPP was or NATO for that matter.
As a young Democrat I am yet to see any possible candidate I can vote for with the exception of Cory Booker and unfortunately another passionate intelligent, charismatic black politician will never have his or her time in the White House in my generation.
3
Trump's presidency has no doubt rattled many of his voters. For the moment Democrats can benefit from a buyer's remorse. As unpredictable as he is and the nation's mood months ahead, it is difficult to gauge how successful Democrats will be in the November mid-terms. Of course it would be nice to win a wave-election. It's time for them to retake control, before the country veers toward a plutocratic autocracy under Trump.
6
Let's face it. The presence of Barack Obama in the White House for eight highly successful years was enough to spark the racial eerie inherent in Evangelicals.
Unfortunately, the racial hatred and misogyny inherent in the Evangelical movement lead them elect djt. HIS presence in the WH, that is, an incompetent thrice married, immigrant hating, self proclaimed life-long sexual predator of women has sparked the eerie of college educated women, immigrants, and all men that respect women. djt will be a one term potus, if not removed early. Evangelicals have mortgaged their future. The movement is a fraud and the children of Evangelicals know it, most disassociating themselves from the hatred deep within their parents. It's a new dawn folks, and finally the hypocrisy of the movement is leading to its demise. This is a great day in America, despite all the negativity being spewed from the top.
12
(1) Vote.
(2) Persuade your friends to vote.
(3) Persuade your colleagues to vote.
(4) Persuade your neighbors to vote.
(5) Fight.
(6) Fight.
(7) Fight.
If the Republican candidate runs an ad about your candidate's "softness" on crime, run an ad about his son's drug dealer.
If the Republican candidate spreads a rumor about an illegal immigrant who cleans your house, spread a rumor about his wife's "exotic" lover.
Michelle Obama's advice--"when they go low, we go high"--is suitable for saints. For the rest of us, when they go low, we go lower.
15
We the people are coming for you, Republicans, and we are not taking prisoners. Your glory days of greed, racism, religious fanaticism and hypocrisy will be over very soon.
18
Great description of a Democrat ! Combative and unaccepting of others views with a delusional belief in their superiority.
Your guy Trump's not combative?
1
George:
A+ for projection. Seriously, First Rate.
Deven Nunez memo comes to mind.
I live with the hope that someday I will witness the voters of South Carolina being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century!
11
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. That is the last sort of rhetoric that would persuade South Carolinians to do anything, except resist.
This has nearly always been a one-party state. When I was a child, it was all Democratic, and these days it's all Republican. There was a period of about 20 or so years in there where we had a two-party state, but those days are gone. (We last elected a Democratic governor in 1999. And show no signs of electing one any time soon. As for Senator - forget it.)
The GOP is a fraudulent party; they are led by a criminal, devoid of a strategic vision for this country and feckless in their use of religion and the military as "props." Intelligent, thoughtful Americans - of any political stripe, or background - owe it to themselves and their children to eviscerate the GOP in the mid-term elections. We can't allow the fate of the nation to be determined by the 30% that supports comrade trump. These "deplorables" - as HRC rightly described them - should have no seat in government; they are the least educated, the most racist and vile amongst us - and deserving of public scorn and ridicule.
11
Dems still don't have an actual platform that will attract the voters they have lost over the past 6 years. Running against Trump because he is an idiot narcissist is not sustainable, especially with current leadership that is pandering to the uber-liberal left. I deplore the Republican party but don't get excited at all for supporting the Democrats. To capture the middle and mon-extreme right, it's time for a real third party alternative to emerge: fiscally responsible, limited government but socially and environmentally progressive. I am curious what the NYT editorial board thinks about this concept.
3
A great comment! Dems need to put forth a detailed program that speaks to people 's needs: better schools, affordable healthcare, reasonable immigration policy, more housing, student loan reform, low inflation, climate change education, get U.S. out of Afghanistan, cooperation with Allies, transparent government, New young candidates. If this is done the Dems can win. also no more identity politics!
3
Unfortunately , a third party would all but guarantee the political dominance of the 35% of the U.S. electorate who would vote for Trump even if he " shot someone on 5th Avenue . Moving to a third party requires an open mind and logical thinking ,something that is in short supply in the Trumpista camp.
4
So you think Libertarian is the way to go? They are exactly what you described....fiscally responsible and socially liberal. They are also an arm of the GOP. Don’t be fooled, Libertarians enjoy bashing government. And yes government exists to make life better for ALL of us....
The "hatred toward Trump camp" just expanded into the defenders of the FBI, the rule of law and anti-Putin camp.
9
What were your thoughts about the memo that seems to be saying that high-ranking members of the Justice Department and FBI omitted relevant information on a FISA warrant application? Is this worth defending? Is this what you mean by defending the FBI? I find it troubling, personally. I think the FBI having a free hand to spy on Americans is quite disturbing. We all assumed that the FISA process was protecting our privacy, but this memo is saying that didn't happen.
Did you notice the part where the memo alleges that the spying was done against a member of a rival political campaign? Does that trouble you at all? Would you defend that action by the FBI, would you defend the FBI being used as a means to spy on one's political opponents during a campaign?
One of the things the election of Trump has done, in a charitable sense we can say it has enraged some people to condone behavior that they would never have condoned, and in a less generous sense we can say it has exposed some people as not being what they have claimed to be. We have people now defending the acts of the FBI in spying on Americans under false pretenses. This is extraordinary. Trump's crazy and combative style has either unhinged may people, turning them against their own sworn principles, or in a less charitable sense it has exposed them for never really having the values they once espoused so urgently.
1
My thoughts about the memo is that it proves nothing of what those who issued it say it does. The FBI can't spy against a rival political campaign because it isn't a poltical campaign. The memo itself acknowledges that the FBI was on the trail of Carter Page prior to the Steele dossier because of remarks that Papadopoulous made. The memo itself it cherry-picked and thus its claim that the FBI omitted relevant information doesn't carry much weight.
Don’t just boo, VOTE!
Join organizations such as Red2Blue, Indivisible or Power to the Polls. We can throw the bums out, but only with a committed, strong effort.
10
That is the problem, do you not see?
All those organizations. No coordination.
I do not belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat!
Voters are the true patriots against corruption, bigotry, and fascism. Apathy is the enemy of democracy. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE
13
“I wish it was a presidential year,” she said. “People want to vote. They can’t wait to vote.”
Can'tWait2Vote
Sounds like a movement.
13
In order to win the votes of people you must eventually be FOR something. Democrats seem to be wandering in the desert trying to come up with something they are for. Or maybe they can't say that because no one in their right mind would agree with them. Having said that. They will probably try to just smear and say what they are against. Trump presents a big target with his juvenile rants but juvenile rants are the standard of the left as well.
Little wonder that 2/3rds of Americans will probably stay home on election day.
1
@Steve: Try going to a meeting of any Democratic organization. You will hear plenty of discussion about the major topics and platforms. If you think the Dems don't have any issues to run on, you haven't been paying attention. I went to a local meet and greet for congressional candidates last week, and the issues crystallized clearly:
1. Healthcare reform - preferably universal healthcare
2. Elimination of gerrymandering
3. Repealing the wealthcare tax bill of 2017 and truly reforming the tax code to favor the middle and working classes.
4. Giving DACA kids a path to citizenship, and enforcement of the immigration laws currently on the books.
5. Funding public infrastructure projects, so that our bridges, roads, and schools are strengthened, and higher education becomes affordable again.
Those were the top five issues. Just below that was the issue of enforcing anti-trust laws and breaking up corporate monopolies.
Join a group like Indivisible, or any local Democratic organization, and you will know what is going on. Don't just sit around complaining!
8
Well said...
The troubling thing is not Trump's fascist behavior. It's that so many congressional Republicans who should know better are imitating Trump. And that's why today's GOP is no longer the party of law and order, much less the party of responsible leadership.
If I were a registered Republican, I'd demand leadership from my elected representatives. Instead, we have Republicans slavishly obeying a dangerous fool. I look forward to punishing them in November.
7
The democrats haven't done anything to deserve this unbounded optimism.
Trump remains their only tool.
2
What's at stake is... Nothing.
Hope and Change Obama was basically '03 Mitt Romney.
Sanders was the only candidate with a difference and was ignored by the US media. He had more press in Canada and the UK that in this paper.
3
So if so many state houses and legislative bodies are Republican and all of DC is Republican, then we should be able to blame them for everything that goes wrong everywhere.
6
Well we will see how hate/resist/obstruction and illegals over citizens works out for the democrats. Along with more taxes, spend, etc. America is tapped out on taxes. Student debt/bankruptcy with student loans etc. Social Security, Medicare, Medicare are not solvent and financially killing us. People want the democrats; then expect socialism and no take home pay.
2
I'm so tired of this notion that socialism will ruin this country. Europe is having a pretty good run with democratic socialist governments. America was at its best when we had high tax rates and a strong safety net. 40 years of trickle down have fractured this country, leaving us peasants to fight each other for the scraps while the ultra rich pick our pockets.
The Tennessee House of Representative is composed of 74 Republicans and 25 Democrats. I don't see that changing anytime soon. And, God willing, it won't! Thank you.
3
Yep and look how well that's working for you. Your state consistently ranks towards the bottom when it comes to wages, health care, education etc.
7
You're probably right about Tennessee. Sad.
7
Most of the Dems in the Tennessee statehouse are from Memphis. One of the nation's most crime ridden cities. Thank you.
1
You liberals act like you are in the majority and if you just showed up at the polls, you would win. While that may be the case in the few coastal blue States where you already control state legislatures, in the vast majority of States your ideas conflict with the bulk of the population. What you espouse has to change before you will stand a chance in the part of the Country you never visit. Being pro tax will never fly in fly-over country. Change that one thing and you may get a voter to listen to you. But, as long and Chuck and Nancy say tax cuts are evil and characterize what to us is a new car payment as ‘crumbs’, you won’t stand a chance.
7
I will fly over you for the rest of my life and never look down. Come November of 2018, we will reclaim our country from those of you who have begun to normalize the destruction of our democracy. I’d like to say I pity you, but you don’t deserve pity.
6
That’s the attitude that got you in the position you are in now. Please keep it up. It assures Republican domination for the foreseeable future.
Dems ARE in the majority in terms of actual numbers of votes cast, which would actually mean something were it not for the electoral college, voter suppression, and extravagantly Republican- gerrymandered Congressional districts. And, oh, Illinois is not on either the east or west coast--although some would call it the"mid coast"--and it does have a Democratically-controlled legislature, whose greatest latest accomplishment perhaps has been to save us from wildly unpopular Republican Governor Bruce Rauner's worst instincts. Luckily, Illinois voters will ensure Rauner's return to the private sector in November. And other midwestern voters, such as those who turned up en masse in rural Wisconsin to vote Democratic in a special election, show signs of coming to their senses and voting Democratic--returning to the party that actually looks out for the benefits of the middle class, rather than the richest of the richest 1%.
1
I'm no political strategist, but Democrats, if they're interested in actually turning the tide on red-statism at any level state or federal, would do well to actually articulate hard-hitting platforms, & to prepare for battle.
Newt Gingrich virtually created the red-state tide, & he did it by implementing some sort of national Reaganist warfare strategy.
Democrats would do well to study what Newt did in the '90's, & how he did it then & since. If only because he's promoting yet another a new strategy to do for Trumpism what he did for Reaganism, & its likely to be formidable.
Assume whatever they're strategizing for a nationwide 'total war' will be very effective, & implement & mobilize a powerful & detailed counterstrategy, or democrats will be overrun, again.
Assume Dems have read Newt, either prepare a more compelling counterattack & mobilization plan, or Trumpism will be America for decades, generations to come:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/02/03/newt-gingrich-heres-my-strateg...
2
Republicans have been in the "hail Mary" mode for a year now. This is their last hurrah. They are going for broke; hanging their hopes on Trump.
Lots of Republicans are jumping ship before their captain runs them into the proverbial iceberg. And there is an iceberg on the horizon. When it hits, who will be at the helm? Who will be on lookout? We know the captain will be down below sleeping in his cabin. Will there be enough room on the lifeboats?
We can't be sad about their fate: most of them leave office millionaires, so I am sure a seat on those lifeboats can be bought.
10
The elections of 2018 and the 2020 will be the most important tests of the heart and mindset of Americans in 50 years. It’s our opportunity to reject the ignorance and incompetence of the current administration, and to remove the enablers from the Republican Party who have been complicit in the destruction of our democracy. The ballot box is our most effective tool to prevent the normalization of the nightmare we are experiencing.
10
The next turn of the wheel: Now Democrats see their chance to "take over" and stick it to the evil Republicans. So there will be a another "my way or the highway" now run by Demos - ban the word compromise.
I wonder what would happen if the Congress was EQUALLY DIVIDED between the two parties! Which party would win then? Maybe we would learn to compromise again and America would win!
1
The Senate is currently equally divided (or about one vote off from it), and I don't see much compromise going on there.
1
Vote distributions might show some departure from the usual preferences for incumbents, but as usual ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox will decide.
1
Voting is the one, absolute last chance we all have to save our democracy from the Trump coup. However, there are still far too many uninformed voters who will easily fall prey to Fox News and other propaganda spewed at them. The major job for the Democrats will be to overcome the fear-mongering messages and outright lies the far right has vomited all over our country for the last 10 years.
8
"Bring on the ballot box!"
There's the problem! Someone, way back, decided it would be pretty neat to let people choose their own leaders. They called it "democracy," and it's been all the rage ever since.
But we're learning now that voting is a great idea only if the voters choose the candidates you want them to choose. If not, they shouldn't be allowed to vote, and anybody they elect should be impeached.
For better or worse, that's not how it works in a democracy. Pretty much everyone gets to vote, the intellectual basis of that practice being that nobody is better positioned than anyone else to decide what's best for a particular voter. For example, nobody asks a prospective voter any of the following questions:
"Are you deplorable?"
"Have you ever brushed your teeth?"
"Have you ever heard of any of the following items: toothbrush, comb, belt, shoes?"
They just hand them a ballot.
I knew this comment came from someone in San Francisco before I ever went back and looked. That’s the Nancy view of the Country that has left you in the political wilderness.
2
With the Democrat losing position on immigration and the barrage of information yet to come showing the corruption and cheating that Democrats engage in, I can’t imagine there will be people volunteering that they are one.
3
The blame game among the GOP after November will epic...the twitter rants by Trump as he denies any part in the disaster will be a sight to behold...stay tuned.
6
Unfortunately, there has been a recent series of bad news for Democrats:
Unemployment at record lows, especially for minorities
Wages increasing significantly for average wage earner
Taxes reduced for the average worker
Illegal immigration is at a new low
401Ks increasing "bigly" in value
This is all terrible news for Democrats. And consider the optics: Democrats wishing for greater suffering among the American people just so they can win some elections. Is this what the Democratic Party will run on?
3
How is this terrible news for Democrats? The architecture was executed by Obama and his appointees such as Yellen who pulled us out of Bush II depression-lite. This is great news for Democrats--only the uninformed think that Trump and his revolving door administration set this up.
5
How are the Democrats responsible for the tax reduction? That is irrefutably a Republican plan that every Democrat opposed, with Pelosi calling it "crumbs." And there is general consensus that reduced regulation and repatriation of American business dollars, all due to Trump initiatives, are boosting the economy.. Again, these are all measures the Democrats opposed. The American people are not fooled.
The Democratic pushback will not work unless the Democratic Party gets in gear and starts working at the local level in a very serious way.
--Commenter William O. Beeman
Hey, William--we're in gear out here in Dead Red, downshifting as we hit the hills. As precinct chairs, we're going to fundraisers and walking the blocks for Democratic candidates, including those running in other districts. We're going out today in our own precinct with a letter urging "our" Democrats to vote in every election from dog-catcher on up and giving them dates, times, and places for voting in the primary elections next month and links to Web sites with more information. We've hand-written special thanks to those who voted in city council elections last November. Tomorrow morning we'll be registering voters in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood. Next, we and our little team of block-walkers will be taking out voter reminders and campaign literature for every Democrat. After the primaries, we'll begin a months-long block-walk to visit every household where there are Democrats, Independents, people with Hispanic names, and single women. We'll also talk with folks who have voted Republican, but particularly those who sat out the 2016 election. We attend SRO meetings of local political organizations. We write letters and make phone calls. We continue our one-man street-corner protest with signs mocking His Orange Ungodliness.
So, yeah. Local and dead-serious.
12
@R Nelson: YES! We are doing the same thing out here in a place still dominated by the (GOP) Greed Over People Party. The issues are clear, and the mobilization effort is fantastic! Republicans won't know what hit them. Good luck to y'all!
5
If...
> Every Democrat candidate is licking their chops to run against Trump
> Every Republican candidate is licking their chops to run against Pelosi
Then...
Just have the two of them debate each other - everyone else can stay home or spend time doing more important things, like meeting with donors and lobbyists...
Perhaps these debates could be weekly - for an hour or so, on Sundays...
Or longer - and the NFL could play games during the debate's half-time...
Though that might cause the audience to drop off, noticeably...
I will vote for the Democrats but I won't campaign for them again until they change their attitude and work for the middle class. Instead, the Democrats backed by Clinton, Inc. have lied to us. They have taken our money and become GOP-lite.
I have a powerful voice. I can walk into an independent's living room and turn him around. I won't be doing that again while smug Democrats promise to be just a little bit better than those monster, the Republicans.
2
Well, at least they won't have to worry as much about Schumer and Pelosi talking endlessly about immigration policies that most of the country opposes, including progressives and moderate democrats, and which, if they continue, will evaporate any hope of taking back Congress
2
There are two keys to election fairness and equity: gerrymandering and Citizens United. No matter how disappointing elections might have been before these twin horrors of gerrymandering and Citizens United, most voters could live with the results of elections that didn’t go their way, knowing they were correctable in a reasonable time. After the Republicans with the aid of the SCOTUS in several non-reality-check decisions made these two things into ballistic missiles our democracy has been the target of both foreign enemies and capitalist greedies. Watching the nation’s system being torn apart by both these forces is painful beyond measure. Man does not live by bread alone, neither is democracy and justice synonymous with free market.
6
Let's go back to 2016 when Hillary was given an 80% probability of winning. It ain't over 'til it's over, and there is an eternity between now and the midterms. As a nervous "conservative liberal", I know that the well-meaning Democrats don't have a message or a messenger. While the messenger is not as important in the midterms, which tend to portray voters' reaction to the new President, 2018 can give the Democrats another chance to demonstrate their skill at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory because of overconfidence and blurry messages. As a resident of Illinois - where the Democratic party has done immeasurable, if not terminal, damage to the State's financial well-being - I would rather vote for the Republican candidate and live with legislative gridlock rather than the lame and infeasible promises that are being promoted by the likes of Democrat candidates Pritzker and Biss.
2
I'm a lifelong D and also can't wait to rid MY country of the R scourge and neutralize Trump, but time & time again I've seen Ds snatch defeat from an obvious victory. Schumer and Pelosi need to be replaced by someone with the skills of Frank Luntz. I'm old too but at least I have to sense not to play high performance games with 30 year old kids who've studied behaviors and computer science. The planet is depending upon Ds and it's time we sent in the Marines, not relics.
11
There has never been a time in American history – at least not in the 20th and 21st centuries – when full participation by candidates and voters committed to democracy has been needed more.
Let us hope that the enthusiasm, the willingness to do the unglamorous labor of canvassing, answering phones and mailing fliers, and the flow of donations to local and national Democratic Party offices continues.
In November 2018 we don’t want to find ourselves in a coulda-shoulda funk.
6
Whether or not the GOP can retain its majorities in the House and Senate, the big winner since the election of Trump has been Vladimir Putin. With Trump in his pocket, Putin has realized his objective of throwing our country into a state of discord, finger pointing, and faux claims by Trump that the investigation of his dealings with the Russians is bogus and nothing short of persecution. Putin planted seeds of calamity in our political institutions and Trump has been a willing accomplice, pitting the three federal branches against each other. Not unexpected, Trump enjoyed a little bump in popularity after the SOTU address, but also not expected, he undid any of the positives shortly after by tweeting that the "memo" story has vindicated him completely regarding Mueller's investigation. All of this drama while Putin sits in Moscow enjoying the show.
5
The Democrat Party is fast disintegrating into the party of progressive loonies like Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Chuck Schumer and Maxine Waters whose only purpose is to discredit the President. It has nothing to offer that appeals to moderates or blue collar Americans. Their DACA and immigration rantings are clearly a faux outrage that caters to the left and perpetuates the failure to resolve of an important matter. Most of us see through their tactics and the NY Times efforts to embolden them.
As the economy keeps improving and Americans start to see the positive impact of Trump's tax reforms and more money in their pockets, as foreign companies keep investing billions into new manufacturing plants and creating jobs, and as fewer regulations help businesses grow and succeed, more Americans will recognize that Democrats do not have their best interests in mind. Trump is making America great again and Democrats will have a tough time proving he isn't.
2
Let's hope that there are Progressive Candidates (not milquetoast Democrats) running with passion, fire in the belly and ready to show that Main Street is more important than Wall Street! This is a seminal moment to take our Country back!
6
Exactly! The soak-it-to-the-rich crowd. Free everything for everybody. Forgive all debt. Animals are people too! Go solar or die!! That’s what voters want.
Didn't Trump just forgive the Russians for meddling in our election? Biggest "pass" in American diplomatic history. And so helpful to Putin's financial interests. Sweet.
1
Maximizing gains in the state legislatures should be the second-highest priority for Democrats. Only getting rid of Trump should be higher. The redrawing of congressional districts after the 2020 census will determine whether or not Democrats can compete for a majority of House seats for a decade. Right now there are so many gerrymandered districts that Democrats can't even hope for proportional representation.
Gerrymandering is a profoundly anti-democratic practice. It must be permanently done away with. If the Supreme Court were to outlaw it, that would be a welcome surprise, but I highly doubt that it will take bold enough action to really address the problem at a fundamental level.
Democrats need to win state legislatures and use their power to set up permanently independent state commissions tasked with drawing district boundaries in a fair manner. Allowing whoever has the majority in the state legislatures to set them up at the turn of each decade essentially disenfranchises so many people that it should be considered a violation of civil rights.
Gerrymandering and these fraudulent campaigns against (non-existent) voter fraud are today's equivalent of the yesteryear's poll taxes and literacy tests. They are cynical demonstrations that whatever they say, Republicans don't actually believe that all citizens should have equal rights. Claiming to believe in equality and then working to undermine it is illogical and hypocritical- at best.
8
Yes, now all the DNC has to do is get out of the way. If they support the same old candidates with the same old "eat your Brussel sprouts message", we may never recover. I hold the DNC, Third Way, types in nearly the same disregard as I do their opponents. And why not? They are just as beholden to the same - or nearly the same - donors. The only difference is that the Democratic donors are okay with LGBT and abortion.
2
It's easy to state that Democrats are energized! We shall see what happens on election day...There are two things that make me believe the Democrats won't get easy victories, let alone wins! The country is increasingly becoming Foxized! The electorate is not as educated or involved as it once was! Additionally, if the economy continues to improve Trump and the Republicans will get most of the credit. That leads in significance!!!
5
And I hope once and for all that democrats, especially progressives, millennials and elites, have learned the importance of down ballot races. That it takes more than just a veto pen and 41 senate seats to gover4n with your vision.
And, while they are attentive for once to this new found interest in local races, democrats also focus the critical but unsung office of state secretary of state, typically the chief election's officer.
Think Katherine Harris 2000 or Ken Blackwell 2004.
5
Many voted for Trump because they felt Obama had abandoned them, this included many poor men who had seen their incomes stagnate and drop over several decades, as well as both men and women who thought that Obama would provide a path to universal health care, and were disappointed with Obamacare which left many people uncovered and did not fully address exploding health care costs.
It is true that Trump has made promises that he hasn't kept.
But Democrats have also placed a new emphasis on sexual assault by males.
The NY Times for example publishes many accusations of Hollywood actresses who claim they were harassed often many decades ago.
But Hollywood lives by a different morality than middle America. While Mike Pence has had one wife, and this is typical for many who believe in families, Hollywood stars typically have many marriages, some lasting a few months, and many sexual partners who are married to other people.
In such relationships, understanding are likely to arise. Just like in a divorce, the two parties may present different stories of what has happened.
However, unlike a divorce, the charges of sexual harassment don't go to trial, except in the most egregious cases, like that of Weinstein. They don't need to, because the man is fired and never able to work again.
This does not appear fair, because sexual harassment covers a wide spectrum, and tcomplicity of the news media undercuts media credibility.
Lack of media credibility drives voters to Trump.
Mike Pence has one wife that he treats the way he treats all women, like second class citizens who don't have minds of their own. The only person worse when it comes to women than Pence is Trump.
6
Part of what this story misses is that in the wake of Hillary Clinton's failure to appeal to the highly energized Berniecrats and those with traditional Democratic values, the DNC has remained in the control of her cadre of "establishment" (Republican-lite) operatives. They will not listen to progressives and the "hard left" and, therefore, they cannot unite the natural base of opposition to the Trumpian Republican Party.
By ignoring, marginalizing, and even competing against the people who came out in droves to fill the campaign coffers of Bernie Sanders with hundreds of millions of dollars in small contributions, the DNC has distanced itself from the power of the people most likely to bring the Democrats to victory this year. The cost is evident. The CEO and Finance Chairman both quit recently and the organization is out of money and lacking engagement with the state Democratic organizations that have been winning lately. The most recent sign of failure at the national level came during the State of the Union Address, when the beleaguered DNC quietly released a financial report showing it was millions of dollars in debt.
Until punching-bag Pelosi, shutdown Schumer, and the ghosts of Hillary Clinton get out of the way, the national Democratic party will continue to be a an energizing lightning rod for Republican efforts and an impediment to uniting the money and power of true left. So far, that doesn't seem to be happening. Sad.
3
@Hugh Wudathunket
I'm a Democrat and I don't vote for the DNC or other organizations, I vote for Democratic candidates in local, state, and national elections. You seem to be stuck in primary 2016 mode.
Indeed, it seems like 2018 will be the year of the "desperation" vote - to save our country, sanity, fairness, dignity and mostly; our humanity.
6
It will take the plunging stock market to seed the downfall of Trumpism. Since much of the market enthusiasm is based on expectations, we have a long way to fall.
Well I sure hope the headline is right and that the Democrats are indeed 'energized' - because for the first time ever I am actually fearful that this administration and the GOP will prevail in their assault on the Republic of The United States of America. The President's shiny words of 'sacred investigative process' reek of hypocrisy, spoken as he simultaneously denigrates and undermines the very institutions charged with fulfilling those duties. There is not a man, woman or institution that Trump's cabal will not attack in their efforts to derail the investigation into Russian interference with US politics. Equally, just as there is no Democrat who stands out as being capable of articulating the outrageous and illegal behavior of the GOP's rogue elements - there is no Republican with the will or courage to do so either. If ever there was a call for bipartisan politics it surely is now.
5
Let us hope that the Democrats win the state legislatures and have the principles to develop voting districts that are based on geography and not demographics. Gerrymandering has resulted in polarized and paralyzed legislative responses to civic responsibilities. We need to make every man's vote count!!!
5
A time-honored tradition in US politics is for a party to ignore what's considered to be the "extremes." The Republicans typically ignore the far right, knowing that those voters aren't likely to vote Democratic any time soon. The Democrats do the same on the left -- though Bernie Sanders may have thrown a monkey wrench into that time-honored tradition.
The same is true when it comes to things like taxes and deficits. The new tax law may well increase the national debt a great deal, and that bothers me greatly. But it DOES cut taxes for most people -- "crumbs," according to Nancy Pelosi (probably not the wisest possible comment for the Democratic Party) -- and the Democrats won't have much credibility with the American people if they point out the REAL problem with the new tax law: It may increase the national debt dramatically.
The Democrats COULD fairly complain about that shortcoming in the new tax law, but they recognize they'd have near-zero credibility to present themselves to the American public as "deficit-cutters." I don't think the Republicans have earned that title either, but that doesn't mean we pretend that the Democrats have. As best I can tell, both parties think it's a great idea to spend money we don't have right now, and send the bill to future unborn generations.
1
I think they need to point out that 1) in many cases, their taxes are going UP, and that Paul Ryan and Co. are after their Social Security and Medicare, because they will be.
4
I have no crystal ball, but I do notice that the Democrats have a credibility problem.
The "anti" sentiment toward the tax-cut bill in November and December was based largely on the surprisingly successful efforts to depict it as aimed only at wealthy taxpayers. (For example, I've read many comments that insist, incorrectly, that top-bracket cuts will continue indefinitely while lower-bracket cuts will end after 2026.)
It's far from clear to me whether, and if so to whom, the new tax law will shift the tax burden -- I suspect it will be the 1%-5% group (who pay 20% of all federal income taxes). I also suspect that taxpayers in the very top 1%, who pay 40% of all federal income taxes, will get a cut, and the bottom 50%, who pay 2.75%, will stay about the same.
Whatever the impact of the new tax law will be on different taxpayer groups, many taxpayers in that bottom 50% are noticing that their federal income taxes are decreasing, resulting in bigger paychecks. These differences may strike Nancy Pelosi as mere "crumbs" -- and to her they may be -- but many taxpayers (also known as "voters") consider them to be much more than crumbs.
The Democrats have shot themselves in the foot, and are beginning to pay for it. The new tax law may increase the national debt, but there's no denying that it's a tax cut for most people. Focusing on well-off taxpayers who will be adversely affected by the $10,000 cap on state taxes won't have much appeal to voters.
This article makes some great points but perpetuates the sense that mostly or only men are involved. Urban and suburban women are very active in 2018 in running for office and supporting great candidates. Your photos and most of the examples feature only male politicians—and white men at that. The article could have given “non-white male” politicians some exposure.
I accept that there have been some articles on this subject but until all Americans can be part of an article like this, non white male politicians will always be seen as other.
1
And the 2018 elections are only Act I. The Democrats stand an even greater chance of victories in 2020. TV shows that start with high ratings among a subset of viewers start to get stale after four years, and that will happen to the Trump Reality Show. It will be cancellation time. In 2020 there will be 22 Republican senatorial seats up for election as opposed to 11 for the Democrats. The Republican tax bill will be hurting state and local governments. Infrastructure will have got worse. Act II will be a whiteout for the Republicans at all levels of government. Act III will be a government in Democratic control and the story of a nation restoring itself.
7
The main reason to vote for Democrats is that they are not Republicans and are not dedicated to to holding back the future, trying to pretend that they can reclaim the past, afraid of entering the world arena, wanting to pull the covers over their heads and count their money. The world only spins forward, and I want progressive Democrats in government who are not afraid to join other nations and peoples in global expansion where we can all thrive. America cannot be great again when it is isolated, defensive and afraid. Conservatives are holding us back when we need to be going forward. Progressives have the chance to push the conservatives out of the way so we can walk into the future, not cling to the past. I'm ready to vote.
5
This is a good time for Republicans to retire, it won't be fun for them for a while. I only hope that when and where Democrats get control that they demonstrate a higher level of politics and actually involve and include people in the minority party. We need to build unity behind our government and that can mean not always getting our way. We need to remember that instead of seeking to replicated the despicable type of governing the Republicans have offered us.
3
Really getting tired of the Republicans gerrymandering refrain. Here in California, Democrats have gerrymandered themselves into a super majority in the state house, essentially wiping out any voice for Republican voters.
They all do it and it is time to wipe Congress clean and start over. It should never be a long term career, nor was it meant to be.
Is that fair criticism?
"Lately the GOP has become the anti law enforcement party ... "
For the most obvious counter-example, many -- including Trump -- have argued that district court judges have overstepped their bounds in making their anti-travel ban injunctions applicable nation-wide. While I understand these arguments (and the counter-arguments), and don't suggest that that debate must be settled here, I note that Trump has obeyed those nation-wide injunctions. He has not ignored any court's injunction or other order. If he were "anti law enforcement," one would expect him simply to argue that some district court judge or other had overstepped his bounds and that he (Trump) would obey the court's order only in the judge's district (or circuit().
Trump hasn't done that. I'm glad that he hasn't forced the issue, but let's keep in mind that he hasn't. Anyone is entitled to complain about a judge's order -- that's called free speech.
A non-US commenter laments:
"As an outsider I've never understood why MOST of your prolific gerrymandering is deemed OK and constitutional."
If it's any consolation, both parties gerrymander, which I'd (mistakenly) thought was ended by the 1962 Supreme Court decision in Baker v. Carr.
When I was very young, our family drove about 2 hours one Sunday morning to a rural area that was much different from the suburban area where we lived. I was amazed when my father told me that the people living there were in the same Congressional district as us, and that that would remain true as we continued on. The then-Democratic legislature of my state had drawn the boundaries of that district, which -- you've probably guessed it -- looked very much like a salamander.
It all depends on which party controls the state legislature when districts are re-drawn. There are some obvious limits on the mischief in which those line-drawers engage (rivers and lakes and the like), but not much. The US Supreme Court has at least two "gerrymandering" cases under consideration right now, and so it may impose more limits. I doubt it, though.
President Trump's current negative polling numbers do not necessarily mean that those same polling respondants won't vote for him (or other Republicans governors) in future elections. The misguided 2016 election polling results proved that...
2
Tea Partiers, Koch Brothers, Republican controlled statehouses, they have all had their chance for most
of the last ten years. It's time for them to go away. Let the majority of middle of the road voters turn out in droves this year and in 2020 to return the GOP fringe back where it belongs: the dustbin of history. Think of it: no Ryan in charge anymore, lame duck Trump headed for impeachment, minority leader McConnell, and mostly democratic statehouses that truly represent the will of all people instead of just wealthy autocrats.
Get out and participate in our process to turn the Russians back and take back our country!!!!!
51
Republican strategist, Jerry Mander, says Democrats are dreaming.
11
"Republican strategist, Jerry Mander, says Democrats are dreaming."
I think Mander actually "wishes the Democrats were only dreaming". You see here in Colorado the Dems are also organizing campaigns, raising money, organizing supporters to go door to door to discuss the issues with voters, fielding strong candidates to take on GOP incumbents, and flip the state senate from red to blue, and the state attorney general and ...
6
If you are talking about the Jerry Mander who co-founded the International Forum on Globalization, works with the Foundation for Deep Ecology, and lives in the anti-establishment enclave of Bolinas, California, one of my fondest dreams is that he could be accepted by Republicans as their strategist. Given who they are and who he is, however, I think Jerry's worst nightmare would involve using his marketing and messaging skills to drive an agenda based on values that are the polar opposite of most everything he has worked for.
Who is this Jerry Mander of which *you* speak and why world we care what he says?
3
And we're dreaming big.
8
However hard it may be to accept it, Trump not only captured the soul of White America; he has been the catalyst for an astonishing transformation. Whites represent a vast reservoir of ignorance and bigotry that remained untapped as a political resource, until now. By identifying ignorance with patriotism and racism with nationalism, Trump has not only shown he is a marketing genius; he has brought to life a long-hidden version of the United States, one that is much truer to its inner self. This country, originally founded by slave holders and tax evaders, has been re-founded by ignoramuses and bigots. Trump ripped open the veneer of civilization and democracy that covered America's facade, and the ugliness beneath is in full display. The ignorant narcissistic brute carries the standard of the real America, the one long-hidden from public view, a reality of Wheel-of-Fortune gawkers, religious fanatics, illiterates, and racists. Sounds nightmarish, and it is, very much so.
37
There you go, that's how you win back voters!
1
White voters, you mean. Who will be a minority of the electorate in the next generation.
I was being facetious.
To spell it out, Mr. Monckton's post is the distillation of all the reasons why Dems lost to Trump.
1
If the Dems can stick to the messages- Republcians can't govern and Trump is a loser, they will win win.
19
Of course they will. So much winning! Where have we heard that one, before?
Paul Ryan needs to give the $1/2 billion bonus he got from Charles Koch to charity.
31
Not so fast - we have no idea what a Costco membership costs, up there in the Badger State...
6
Democrats have excellent candidates with great credentials and confirmed experience, veterans with leadership service and degrees. In comparison the Republicans give us ... Devin Nunes, an Agriculture major with zero leadership capability and a startling capacity for shoveling steaming piles of stinking cow flops, farmer Devin now in charge of the House Intelligence Committee, just about exactly the kind of cosmopolitan worldly experience you want in oversight of global clandestine critical networks. Check out the Democratic candidates, they're impressive and awesome, just like we all are. Actual experience. Relevant educations. Impressive accomplishments. Go look.
20
Veteran Agreed. BUT the Dems need to show us. They need to stop waiting for the voters to do the work and figure out who they have that are so great.
The Dems don't do enough Show and Tell. One issue HRC had was she never made her arguments in public, but instead referred people to her website. Wrong!
Dems must be loud and proud. They have to start shouting. Pelosi is failing the party because she's too demure when in the public spotlight. All she ever has is a dumb metaphor. Some silly phrase that she thinks is pithy, but flops and face-plants like a drunk.
The DNC has got to get out and raise awareness of their qualified candidates. Be they in office, or wholly new. Voters need to be poked.
1
Internationally it is said that the United States always does the right thing after trying everything else first. We are doing it again. Note that in WWII, when H-word conquered all of Europe except for Great Britain and Russia, the American public did not care and we did not enter the war. But after the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, THEN we entered the war. A patriotic wave swept the United States, sweeping the American Firsters out of office. The same thing is happening again as the American Firsters have once again after all these years risen to power and the American voters are once again turning against them in large numbers. You would think that the Republicans would have learned their lesson from the last time this happened, but apparently not.
18
Republicans don't learn "the last time it happened" or any other time for that matter. The last learning they did died with Lincoln.
5
We can put an end to this madness. VOTE!!
17
As my dear departed mother used to say, "don't count your chickens before they're hatched".
We are talking about the Democratic party. A party lead by good hearted America loving liberals who still believe in 'talking things out' when what it really needs is a 'take no prisoner' leadership.
12
...except that the Left sees "talking things out" as screaming and shouting down opposing viewpoints, threatening and vandalizing property at demonstrations, and hurling death threats to conservative speakers invited to college campuses. The Left has been using the ol' "take no prisoners" for quite a while. And look where that's gotten you. But by all means, continue...
@Elizabeth Carlisle: What? You've been watching too much TV or listening to too much AM radio. Go visit your legislature and watch what happens there. Our local right-wing legislators have actually physically attacked their opponents on the floor of the legislative house. Talk about uncivilized behavior!
You can also try writing or phoning your local Republican rep to express an opposing opinion, and see where that gets you. You'll get an arrogant boilerplate reply that completely dismisses your ideas and opinions, and steamrolls over everything you might be trying to tell them. These people ignore their constituents and do exactly what their wealthy donors order them to do. That's pretty dang irritating.
It takes two to tango, and if the right weren't so determined to force everyone who opposes them to keep their mouths shut and meekly comply with them, maybe the left wouldn't be so angry about it.
2
Republicans have "Crossed the Rubicon". From their abuse of control over state houses to their all in support of a very likely treasonous and absolutely despicable president they have decided their hold on power is more important then the survival of our constitution. At this point, it is clear the more their grip on power is threatened the more extreme will be the measures they use to hold on to power.
In effect they have ceased to speak to anyone but their base - a dwindling group made up largely of the most willfully ignorant, hate filled extremists - not in an effort to persuade voters but to justify the kind of political insurrection that is all that is left for them to hold on to power. Make no doubt about it but the worse it looks for them at the polls the more extreme will be their actions to destroy democracy.
14
It is beyond comprehension to me that some 35-40 of population think that this investigation is some sort of cooked up witch hunt when the stories keep rolling that point in the other direction.
Taking down an institution, a corrupt one like the Catholic Church or Nixon administration, Pro sports abuses like Women’s gymnastics, World Cup soccer and the Lance Armstrong doping scandal just don’t pop up like a mushroom overnight. And yet here come the naysayers in post after post on social media clamoring on to the I hate everything liberal, the snowflake jab etc is really a lot people on board a hate train that only wants to mow down truth.
An investigation like this takes time, diligence and tight lips. What I wouldn’t give to be in Bob Mueller’s ear and eyes and privy to information that is nothing short of astounding. Only Benedict Arnold will rest comfortably in his grave some day knowing he is not the most infamous traitor this country ever produced.
17
Dems, do NOT fall into the trap of even remotely appearing to care more about brown or black skinned people than the whites in your districts. If you do that then you are doomed. Do what you have to. Flatter them shamelessly as the GOP does. Tell the secretary that Speaker Ryan has his decimals wrong and you deserve at $15.00 a week raise, not $1.50.
5
Russian trolls need "liberal", "moderate", "anti-Trump comments to carry out their process of attempting to make the Truth look like a lie by marginalizing the truth and placing it in a setting where it can be ridiculed and mocked as fanciful, crazy or ridiculous. They also attempt to discredit the source of comments. Then they repeat this lie (the truth twisted) to where people, that see the familiar as being truth, begin to believe it. Even the Trump supporters, telling the lie over and over begin to believe it.
See, the Russian and GOP trolls need the truth or what they are doing won't have any effect.
Now we have the congressional version of a Russian Troll, Devil Nunes, who too needed the actual truthful intelligence data to be able to attempt to make the Truth look like a lie by marginalizing the truth and placing it in a setting where it can be ridiculed and mocked as fanciful, crazy or ridiculous. They also attempt to discredit the source of comments. Then they repeat this lie (the truth twisted) to where people, that see the familiar as being truth, begin to believe it. Even the Trump supporters, telling the lie over and over begin to believe it.
Nunes is no longer about politics, Nunes is about obstruction of justice and should be dealt with as being a part of the Russian collusion.
12
Characterizing Virginia and Wisconsin, two very traditionally Democrat Party strongholds in Congress and Presidential elections as indicators of "shellacking" and "rout" is avoiding an in-focus picture of midterms. Take the lens cap off. Try again.
5
Time to stand for something. NotTrump is neither a stance nor a vision.
6
Saving America, on the other hand, is a worthy cause with a simple pro-America message. Trump wants the US to be a fascist nation with himself as chancellor. Americans don't.
6
"But with some momentum behind Democrats — at least for now — the party appears positioned to make inroads in crucial legislatures, ..."
Thanks for the cheap shot. Sounds like a Republican posing as some unbiased onlooker taking measure of his nemesis and laughing at the preposterous positions and possibilities You need to get up a little earlier in the morning. You seem to be missing a lot.
1
I'm counting on and supporting Emily's List to get Democratic women elected to all government levels.
10
well here is some numbers i can tell you emilys list has 20 to 26 thoussand women to running. there is around 400 women running for us congress and senate last i seen. then there is another group called runforsomething which aims to get millienials to run for local office up to state legislature they got 20 thousand or so recuited there with a goal of 50 thousand by election day
4
Emily’s List sounds a lot like Romney’s “binders of women.” It’s cool for Emily, not for Romney. Got it.
1
VOTE! 11/6/18 will be here soon. Let's change the narrative from hate and fear to love and hope.
15
If more states would adopt Oregon's vote-by-mail for all elections policy, the Republican Party would be tossed to the curb. It is only by gerrymandering that they are in power, well, that and the southern racism that pretends to be about economics.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
26
Typical Democrats grasp defeat from the jaws of victory. In 2018 please avoid mealy mouth platitudes of political correctness in trying to reach a divided middle class. Be belligerent, put down the latte. Tell the Middle class what you stand for in no uncertain terms. Don't talk to each other. Talk to the people.
13
Save our Democracy. Purge the self-dealing autocrats/Republicans.
14
As an outsider I've never understood why MOST of your prolific gerrymandering is deemed OK and constitutional.
Democracy, Land of the Free? Pah.
18
Well, actually I do understand the partisan dynamic eating at America's soul - I don't understand how Republicans get away with a 6% advantage in the House through gerrymandering except by COLLUDING with a lot of Democrats putting their own incumbent power before the supposedly sacred power of voters. Power corrupts by allowing the powerful on every level to fix the rules in their own favour to maintain their power. Pity the sacred Constitution couldn't, and seemingly can't, fix that. Trump is right - the system that gave him power on a minority vote to fix for another generation the Supreme Court (nominal guardian of the Constitution) that has consistently supported gerrymandering, is indeed rigged.
Corporate Democrats will lose again until we get a real progressive party or our Government completes its turn to Fascism.
The Republicans do not care if they lie as long as their donors are free to pollute ,scam citizens out of their money or run never ending profit centers ( war ).
Almost 17 years at war and we don't have a anti war party.
6 trillion dollars to save the Wall Street Banking casino but we don't have a break up the banks party.
We pay twice as much for healthcare as the rest of the world but no single payer party.
Internet cost twice to ten times as much as the rest of the world but no Community owned affordable ISP party.
I dont believe anything will change until we have a peoples party that looks out for us.
15
If there is an election for dog catcher then people need to vote -- and to vote for the Democrat, who will find a home for stray dogs, and against the Republican, who will kill the strays.
The point being, every time there is an election, show up and vote. Democrats too often think this is something you do once every four years. It is something they need to do every time there is an election.
17
A timely example of arrogant, out of touch Republicans with their tax bill benefiting the rich is the Saturday tweet posted, then deleted, by GOP Speaker Paul Ryan.
Note how he completely failed to detect sarcasm. Incredibly clueless.
Anti-Republican political ads literally write themselves:
“A secretary at a public high school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said she was pleasantly surprised her pay went up $1.50 a week ... she said [that] will more than cover her Costco membership for the year,” Ryan tweeted.
11
#2018. As a Pennsylvanian, that doesn’t trust SCOTUS right now, how else to redistrict our gerrymandered state??
7
Democrats must take back state legislatures because they will be needed after the Democrats take back the Congress and White House in 2020. Then they will need state legislatures to ratify constitutional amendments to overturn "Citizens United" and eliminate that holdover from the 18th Century era of human slavery known as the "Electoral College" which gave us the Bush2 and Trump presidencies. Back to the principle of one citizen one vote.
10
Currently the RNC has 40 million dollars. The DnC has 500,000. Dems should brace for many more losses. Economy is roaring and bonuses are everywhere.
3
P McGrath--The DNC will not accept that we want non-corporate progressive candidates. If they did, they would be lousy with small donations, as was Bernie, from people just like me. In its current iteration, I won't send them a dime. I will send money to particular, non-corporate, candidates, around the country.
3
@P McGrath
Maybe we could get the Koch brothers to buy our party too.
1
It's no just the Republican party operatives and politicians. It's their voters who are the enemy. The fanatics who vote for them, filled with hate and petty vindictiveness, are literally out to get the rest of us; believe it. They want to destroy democracy and impose their own version of a theocratic state.
10
Has America really lost its character? Has it devolved into a panicked band of unaware and emotionally-vulnerable people ready to ditch Democracy for a chance to feel superior to or to "get even" with others?
Are we ready to abandon our law enforcement agencies to protect one band of crooks and possible traitors?
Not me.
10
George--Not me, either, but many are ready to chuck it all, just so long as they don't have to think too hard about it,.
3
I wonder why the Trump supporters race to post around these types of articles. Surely they are not regular readers or fans of the "liberal" New York Times. They are just looking for openings. They don't make an impact, they get a few likes, only a fraction of those on the opposite side, but I guess feel they accomplish something. For the rest of us, hopefully we can share some points to further enlighten each other.
6
>
>
America is a rightwing country, always has been.
A German diplomat once explained it this way: 'many, many years ago there was a group of people in Europe that did not want to live socially with the changing norms of the day and with the majority of the people; in other words, they did not play well with others, etc.....
These obstinate people got on a boat and sailed to America.
You connect the dots.
7
"America is a right wing country, always has been. "
You must have missed FDR and LBJ.
3
My Irish ancestors came to the US seeking food and my German ancestors came to avoid conscription in the years leading up to WWI. Cracking a history book may give you a better understanding of why people came here (opportunity and freedom) than listening to a white nationalist.
6
@mak
1] I'm not a white nationalist; where you derived that from will remain in your head since it has no truth outside of it.
2] I have a major in History and a Master's in Engineering and short a dissertation in Engineering as to a Ph. D.. I've forgotten more about history than you know. Also I'm an autodidactic philosopher.
3] I'm perfectly aware of where & why my Irish ancestors came here, and this in no way debunks what I said. The genealogy argument still holds.
Also one man's freedom can often be another's enslavement.
"I can out-learn you. I can out-read you. I can out-think you. And I can out-philosophize you."
Max Cady
I may live in the bluest of the blue states; nevertheless on Tuesday, I will become a voting member of my town's Democratic Town Committee. In 2016 I made calls for Hillary to Florida; in December I made GOTV calls to Alabamians for the AL NAACP.
No matter where you live, you can do something to help Democrats anywhere.
18
Keep your eyes on Texas too! There are so many highly qualified, accomplished, passionate democrats running in both State and US races: Steven Kling, Joseph Kopser, Derrick Crowe, Gina Ortiz Jones, Justin Nelson, Mike Collier, Kim Olson, Mark White, Stephanie Phillips ... and the list goes on! These candidates are not accepting any corporate PAC money and they're out raising their republican opponents in individual donations. The Lone Star State is turning blue!
15
Time will tell who is on the losing side. Somehow I doubt it will be the Republican incumbent. Red states do not turn blue merely because crying liberal democrats want them to . The democrats still do not have a platform that resonates with the people. Unemployment is at record lows, employers a giving bonuses, etc.. Better luck in 2020 buttercup! (I somehow I doubt the democrats will! )
7
The question is: Will the national Democratic Party "leadership" protect its power and control yet again, regardless of whether they lose again in state houses, congressional districts, and the Senate, or will they recognize that they are less important and that, now, more than ever, winning is the only thing that matters. If we're going to save the nation from the incipient fascist state it's becoming, because Trump IS a fascist and Ryan and McConnell won't stop him, although they could, we must win.
SOMEBODY needs to make clear to the Pelosi / Hoyer / Schumer /Tom Perez leadership that BIG changes are needed and that THEIR paradigm hasn't worked for years. Raising money from big donors and then spending on "approved" consultants have consistently failed, but exciting the base, getting them to register and get their friends to register, getting to knock on doors, make phone calls, and GET THEM TO VOTE! And you can't do that with big donors and expensive DC-based consultants who keep losing!
The leaders must change or step down, and Mrs. Pelosi, of all of them, has proven the most resistant to change. Plus, she's THE red flag to the Republican brainless fighting bulls, now that Hillary Clinton's out of the picture.
She and her cohort need to lead the new way, follow, or get out of the way!
10
Well stated. And it won't happen unless Dems fail again in 2018. The perfect storm is brewing.
1
This is wishful thinking on behalf of the NYT's. The democratic party, as displayed by its leadership, continues to be tone deaf on national and local issues that impact most citizens; economics, national security, law and order, and immigration. The party's behavior during the State of the Union speech by the President was blatantly disrespectful to non-beltway Americans. As more comes out about the highly inappropriate use of FBI and DOJ assets during and after the election, it is the democrats who should be worried.
4
The Democrats will fight tooth and nail to make this a Third World country.
And they want to start at the top by holding on to the Presidency indefinitely thus gaining absolute control over the bureaucracies in Washington. Which is why they're so very bitter and will not accept their loss in 2016. When they win, they won. When they lose, it was because of some fantastical conspiracy.
What Democrats are forgetting is just how unpopular they've become. The whole Democratic Establishment comes across as angry, stale, and out of touch with working and middle class America. Committed almost entirely to the effete dated fantasies of clueless bi-Coastal liberals: Wide-open borders, unlimited immigration, and the supremacy of the Clinton/Soros machine in American governance.
I think they're in for a nasty surprise come the local elections.
3
Jose,
You've got this so wrong. It's the GOP that has shifted the tax burden to the middle class while enriching the plutocrats that have manipulated government to serve them exclusively: that's a banana republic.
The Democrats have failed because of lack of faith. The Clintons created a money machine that was irresistible. Sanders proved that small donors could support a political movement. Until the Democrats figure that out they will be nothing more than GOP-lite.
3
Stay woke and vote in every election, every time - go out and vote even if it is just for the school board or for dog catcher.
We are here today through complacency and ambivalence.
Get your id’s in order
Register to vote
Show up every Election Day and vote
Drive a few people to the polls
13
Democrats are kidding themselves. Strategic mistakes like shutting the Government down over illegal immigration show just how little they know about the general electorate. It is all about jobs and earnings —- all working in Trump's favor, irrespective of whether he deserves it or not.
And the don’t count on the white female vote coming to the rescue. The self confessed molester still got 62% of the non college educated women's vote and 45% of the college educated vote is the 2016 election.
There will be more hand ringing after the mid terms are over as the bumbling Democrats try and work out how they could have possibly lost again.
4
My vote in the First District of Kansas doesn’t count for much but it will not go to a Republican for any office. The revulsion I have for the Republican Party is a direct result of the election of Trump and the refusal of McConnell to allow a vote on President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee. The Republican Party needs to go away and be replaced by a normal, decent party that is cognizant of the constitution and accepts that there are limits to power. The current brand of Republicans are spineless, vindictive, greedy and traitorous. I hope the shellacking they take on November is unprecedented.
16
Democrats found out what happens when you stay home. They didn’t like Clinton so voted for their dog, or daughter (my son) or just stayed home. It did not mean they voted for a Trump as seen by the millions more votes Clinton received.
Fool me once, this year Dems will vote AGAINST the Devil they know, a congress that gets little done while wearing blinders to ignore the White House debacle. In my state voters are energized and I am guessing they are in other states as well
9
Isn't that the problem Ann: two unappealing choices created by monsters like the Koch brothers?
2
Is this "news," "news analysis", or an opinion piece? It is incredibly biased. Apparently Republicans are only ahead in states because of "gerrymandering." Has this been proven or is this the authors' opinion? The most glaring omission from this piece is the recognition that all politics are cyclical. The Democrats lost so many seats, on all levels, during the Obama years that they truly have no place to go but up.
2
Trump is only a Republican for now, while it is convenient to him.
1
Tax cut. Unemployment at record lows. Renegotiating NAFTA. Providing better border security. Economy booming and companies issuing bonuses to employees.
As they say, Democrats better be careful what they wish for...
4
Racism in the White House. International Embarrassment. Collusion with foreign governments. Lies to the American People.
Republicans have made a deal with the devil, and are going to have to pay the cost.
11
Along with removing the U.S. from a position of respect and power from the world stage. We will pay dearly for this breach.
Countries are moving ahead without us, they see how unpredictable our president is, they've lost trust (so have the majority of Americans!).
4
In my home state, the GOP has had a stranglehold on the two legislative bodies, including the governor's office.
Through these years of one-party (and at times it seems theocratic rule), we have endured tax increases of all types (GOP raises taxes? That is Democrat turf.) and spends those monies on their very own spending sprees to their crony developers and construction companies.
Our senior Senator has called the President of Mar a Lago (who is off spending our tax dollars-again-on golf) the best president ever. Given that statement, that is the issue in many of these extremely "red' states. The GOP could run stable muffins (you know what I mean) for office as long they are Pure GOP stable muffins, and the voters would cheer and elect them in office, as they did for the "stable" genius and every other white, republican male in office in the Utah state government.
Yesiree, the GOP-the party of diversity.
8
The Democrats have a narrow path if they accept the Trump DACA deal.
They do not like the deal because it eliminates chain migration. Tammy Duckworth, my Senator, broke the silence and gave an impassioned plea for allowing each new DACA citizen to invite (statistically) 20 other relatives by retaining chain migration. This answered my question of "What is the problem" with Trumps DACA deal.
It appears that the Democrats will throw citizenship for 1.8 million DACA residents under the bus to retain chain migration ($25 Billion for the wall is chump change - about 2 weeks of Medicaid). Trump is willing to take a considerable hit with his base to give the DACA illegals citizenship - apparently the Democrats are not.
Historic lows in unemployment for Blacks and Hispanics, the first real wage increases for the middle class in decades, a booming stock market and companies returning to the US in droves all argue that the Republicans are headed for victory. The "Chump Change" comment echos through the heartland where half of all Americans would have trouble finding $400 for an unexpected expense.
Big blue states continue to lose people to Southern red states with jobs.
Democrats lost the moral high ground with the FISA Memo as it is clear they colluded with Russia trying to affect the election.
Wallow in your hate of Trump if you wish, but don't be surprised if your neighbors quietly vote Republican.
3
Did you personally read the "FISA" memo written by Intelligence staffers? Do you have any idea what they "cherry-picked" to compose the memo? Probably not.
5
I hope the Democrats side, all 10 pages of it, gets out - but all that will do is create "combative narratives."
The Inspector Generals report should be out within a couple three months - can you wait that long for a balanced view?
I live in what can be called a Democratic Paradise. A single man, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has been in power for 32, years (only a 2 yr. gap). Our taxes are on par with NY and CA and like NY and CA, we are loosing 100 people per day (1 per county per day - that's two family's of four moving out of each county each weekend). At $150 Billion in pension debt, we are almost equal to Puerto Rico (after the Hurricane). This is the Democratic Paradise I live in, and given the population reductions, so do people in CA and NY.
It is one thing to believe in an ideal Paradise, it is quite another to actually live in the reality of one.
It's clear Trump was elected because of the disconnect that exists between "ideal and reality." More and more will simply walk away from the ideal until...and unless...they look and adopt some semblance of reality.
The DACA deal Trump is pushing is a good one and every Democrat knows it - embracing it creates 1.8 million motivated and educated citizens that I believe, and likely so do you, will improve our country.
The DACA deal is a good one, even if a slimy, ghastly bad, obnoxious, Republican President named Trump proposed it.
In addition to possibly committing an obstruction of justice, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy with the Russians(the so-called "collusion"), the increasingly desperate and unprecedented recent actions by Trump to interfere with, and undermine, the Mueller Investigation makes me truly wonder whether he had gone a step further in his past, secret actions, committing constitutional/legal treason against the United States.
Trump clearly evinces with the latest attacks on the F.B.I. and the Justice Department a personal willingness to cross known, bright, "red lines". What could have motivated such an extraordinary, hyper-aggressive, even reckless, reaction by him? One explanation is that he fully realizes that the Mueller prosecutors are also investigating a case of possible presidential treason committed by him, in addition to those other felonious offenses. Stay tuned!
9
Right next to this story is one with the headline "The Last Two Weeks of Polls Have Been Great for Republicans. Do They Signal a Shift?" I'm very confused.
4
Surreptitiously Russian meddling in our election process is already being shoved into high gear for 2018, and trump's complicity in it will become even more brazen, concerted and entrenched. The man is power crazed and has no scruples about pulling out all stops to keep it that way. The GOP will continue to use its wide elective powers to aggressively advance their voter suppression scheming in blatant gerrymandering and tampering with voting rights and mechanisms. At this very moment they are expanding the "Interstate Crosscheck" that has already illegally and unconstitutionally denied over 1 million poor, minority, and inner city people their right to vote.
6
Did you know that tax-cuts on everyday Americans are set to expire in in a few years yet tax cuts for the wealthy (such as the estate tax) are permanent? This is a brilliant con and we need to let Americans know about it. Plus let's put our money to work to battle Republican corruption: swingleft.org
11
There are too many people voting republican because their daddy or grandfather did. It is like the scene out of Forest Gump where Lt. Dan says “there has been a member of my family that has died in every American war” but with the republican voters it would be “members of my family have voted republican in every American presidential season”. Interestingly enough, the results of both Lt. Dan’s family and the family members who vote republican, both pretty much end with the same results. The cult of “family” passing down through the years the dysfunction all held up proudly as if it was an honor to do so. Women and children being forced to vote republican because their dominating husband or father forced them to do so. Male driven religions, Adams rib, reducing women and children to be less than whatever man has been assigned to govern them. Meanwhile what the GOP stands for is against the very needs of those women and children and in doing so is actually against any healthy man’s family.
5
“People want to vote. They can’t wait to vote.”
Amen. Everyone on the ballot in November with an "R" after his/her name must be directly linked to Trump and his illegal, immoral and unethical assault on our democracy. Republicans have not just sat idly by, but have actively supported Trump's extreme and divisive agenda. Every last one of them must go.
10
That's OK, if the Republicans lose they can adopt the Democrats tactics. Deny the election, start a law suit every time the Democrats make a decision, spread fake new all over the media, refuse to co-operate with the Democrats and refuse to obey laws they don't like. Two can play that game.
3
Law suits and Congressional investigations are normal government tactics for changing government policy. Go back government class in high school bill t.
Fake news? Start asking questions when you read a story, any story, from any source. It's called critical thinking bill t: learn it.
2
While Democrats may pick up some, the "angry" right will also come out in big numbers to vote in hopes that they do not lose the benefits of their party having the majority in most state houses.
I think this will be a testament of which party can pull more voters into voting and not standing on the side during this election. This changing will be a long slog for years to come.
BTW the comment that Democrats need great candidates is not necessarily true in red states where the Republicans had no opposition for years. If there is a chance to vote Democratic they will.
5
To help Democrats win, people must vote. The larger the turnout, the more chances Democrats have to make America great--or at least normal--again. Don't let the under 80,00 votes from 2016 continue to haunt--and taunt us.
8
It is time for gender parity to take hold in our local and national politics. It is quite obvious the "Good Ole Boy" tradition is not serving us well. Since Women make up over half the voting age population of our country, that needs to be reflected in all branches of government.
6
Considering the amount of Trump-era dirty laundry that the Democrats have to choose from in this next election, it would be hard to believe that the party won't pick up a number of seats in state offices. But that's no reason to be over-confident. If anything, state elections are more worrisome regarding how they're run, to say nothing of the re-districting & restrictive voter laws. The 2016 presidential election was a cautionary tale that shouldn't be ignored.
2
Dems on the upturn with a come back attitude, but hardly a tsunami.
Most people vote their pocketbook first. Tax breaks for the vast middle, meager or not, and an sustained economic upturn will favor the GOP no matter how over the top DJT’s antics get.
If things get really dicy for Trump and the Republicans brazen over reach could be in the cards, something not unlike the headlong, totally unnecessary move to war in Iraq in 2003.
America is deep in the weeds politically for fundamental reasons that are largely being ignored while the Trump clown show grips center stage nationally. Unseating the status quo and fixing deep systemic problems in our political system will not come easily, if at all.
Long haul to November 2018, and even more so to 3 November 2020.
2
Wait a few years when the temporary middle class tax cuts expire and the GOP has eliminated Medicare, SSI and other "entitlements" (which most pay into ourselves!)
3
It's about more than Trump. People in Wisconsin are pretty concerned about how close to the Kansas "experiment" Walker in the R's in the legislature are willing to take our state.
8
I wonder if Trump and members of his family have any idea what life in this country will be for them after his presidency? They will all need security, 24 hours a day, because there will be so many people who will want to "get even" with them. That is if he survives the four years. When you make as many enemies as they did, better watch out! A day of reckoning is coming.
2
Democratic Party missing in action on-
1.) Environment. Doing more than nothing is not the same as doing something meaningful.
2.) Healthcare. The Democratic Party passed a Republican healthcare reform bill. All they managed to do was turn moderate-Republican policy into left-wing policy- ensuring no meaningful reform for another generation
3.) War- we are still at it folks. The wars are the biggest blunder in our history- still eating up large amounts of our resources. The Democrats will never, ever, end the wars.
4.) Immigration- the Democrats fully support illegal immigration as an electoral strategy. They are trying to make our politics racially based. They seem to hold white people who do not agree with their agenda 100 percent as being a problem that needs to be eradicated.
5.) Economics- the Democrats have done nothing- NOTHING- for working class citizens for decades now.
Good policies help every citizen. The Democratic Party could win huge majorities of citizens if they stopped denigrating half of the population. The Democratic Party would control the Federal government if they stopped trying to replace the current electorate and started listening to it.
3
1. That the authors of this article should fail to mention the Koch brothers’ election machinery is surprising. The Koch network is actually the third party as it has grown at the expense of the Republican party, especially in state houses.
2. 43% of voters didn’t show up in the past elections. If all those lazy non-voters got themselves to vote, the election results would be quite different.
4
Except that Republicans have developed a grassroots presence throughout the country while the Democrats have focused on the federal government and the New York/California contingent. Don't break out the 2018 champagne quite yet.
1
The mid term elections in November 2018 will most likely not change the congressional and senate majorities of the Republican. Americans voting in that election in state house will be influenced by local politics and how each individual feels about their situation at that time. High state tax states may vote for reduction in state taxes so that they do not exceed their state tax deduction limit. If unemployment does not rise overall and among African Americans and Hispanics, the Republicans will benefit from eroding the democratic vote banks. For a while the energized democrats seem to be benefiting from demonizing Trump among women voters but that advantage will fade away by November if the economy is still strong. Democrats need to shed their image of worn out career politicians with very few new ideas for governing to benefit the people and address their concerns.
4
Federal Income Tax withholding rates just went down so millions upon millions of wage earners will be seeing the benefit of Trump's tax bill displacing all the claims to the contrary by Pelosi and others.
2
Temporarily, while HUGE tax cuts to the insanely rich are permanent. Really?!!
"Let them eat cake" is heard from the well-paid GOP.
2
LMJr – those same people will see the extra $$$ in their checks eaten up, and then some, by increases in their health ins. costs, among other things. And of course by the time that tax 'break' is phased out (to help cover the enormous corporate tax breaks), they won't even remember how it happened.
2
@LMJr.
Yeah, and when people go to file their 2018 taxes I hope they still think what a deal that tax cut was. And when the tax cuts end for us, how high will they be to start paying for the permanent for the rich tax cuts. And, I'm still waiting for my wage increase. Still waiting for coal to come back. Still waiting for Carrier to come back to Indiana as they close the plant they said they wouldn't. Still waiting for the best health care plan ever.
Not so fast there, liberals. The tax cut is just now increasing in popularity (the same tax cut that EVERY Dem voted against) while wages are finally increasing and consumer confidence is at a 17y high, both Trump and the GOP favorability ratings are increasing in the polls, and the Dems still have NO message and nothing to stand on except the same old identity politics. Just like in 2016, the media will keep reporting on wishful thinking until the last minute, then they will cry on-air just like CNN did on election night.
2
Every two weeks from now until election day (and beyond) every American will be reminded that one party cut their taxes and one party fought tooth and nail NOT to give them tax relief. Good luck with that blue wave.
16
Don't spend it in one place.
37
Within a few years, 83% of the tax cuts will benefit ONLY the 1%. Many in the middle class and lower classes will end up paying higher taxes than they previously did.
To do this, Trump and the GOP added $1.5 trillion to the national debt. Already this year, the government due to the loss of revenues is expected to run out of revenue sooner than earlier estimates had.
6
You mean the tax scam that gave 83% of the cuts to the top 1%?
8
When Trump ran for president his message was MAGA. When Mrs Clinton ran for president her message was well no one really knows what her message was. Dems still have that same message.
17
The message may be .. end Russian involvement in our elections, impeach Trump now.
32
"Vote for me because I am a woman" was the Hillary message. A real winner.
3
I wasn't a huge fan of Hillary, but it's disingenuous to say that she had no policy. It was never given any air time. Meanwhile, Donald Trump had no policy proposals, and was challenged on that by the media. But who cares, right? This is America, where nuance is overrated and the salesman hawking empty promises will always win
1
Given Democrats are at their lowest level in almost a century, they are bound to bottom out and bounce back sooner or later. Many of their current national policies are not going to help with that however. If they ditch identity politics and the Russia investigation and focus on economic benefits for the middle classsnd they'll have a chance. As the successful Democrats at the local level do.
12
I think that the giant evacuation of manufacturing in the US began with Reagan's tax cuts that made asset-stripping lucrative, and his abolition of the official Metric conversion initiated by Carter.
2
I'm so sick of the "identity politics" phrase. No one even explains what that means.
Democrats demand equal treatment for everyone which is what the U.S. is supposed to stand for.
3
The polls show that the Democrats are at their highest level, but I'm sure you would disagree with these polls because they disagree with you.
2
Lately the GOP has become the anti law enforcement party, and the anti- health care party, and arguably, by elevating a philanderer as their standard bearer, they are now also the anti-family values party. That doesn't sound very American to me.
39
No amount of. Republican money will diminish the intensity of disgust that propels American voters to the polls in 2018. Let the pundits and statisticians try to read this undercurrent with their daily/weekly/monthly polls and commentary. The madness of this past year in our American history will be checked by voters who know the difference between right and wrong.
35
Correct. Voters are wise very wise. They saw thru the Dems corruption and dirty tricks once and will do it again. The Russia hoax, the obstruction, not accepting the generous DACA deal, the identity politics, the lying leftist media and on and on.
The disgust will be just as strong as it was on 11/8/2016 when wise Americans elected Trump.
1
I'm gonna be really surprised if the Democrats actually pull off some victories. The GOP and Trump may be unpopular but that has been the core of Democratic strategy since 2008 it seems - point at the Republicans and say 'look! Look how bad they are!' without really being able to articulate how they're going to help us. And I don't mean just putting a bandaid on issues and taking donor money.
I'm talking about what are they going to do substantively to get us out of Afghaniraq? What are they gonna do about the $1.6 trillion student loan bubble? Our stagnant wages? Our astronomical housing prices? Our inability to make a living wage?
The party has generally taken a pack of going after various trendy interest groups that make them look like they care when doing as little as possible to help the common working man, and while many of us laugh the progress made for women's rights and LGBT freedoms, that hasn't really meant much for the working class make who isn't taking home a reasonable salary and can't support a family. More and more this defines America. And the Dems are either woefully unaware as they desperately pursue the votes of moderate Republicans or relatives of illegal immigrants. White men they treat with general disdain, millennials they see as being entitled to their vote.
Don't be surprised when, once again, young people stay home because A. They aren't Democrats and never have been Republicans either and B. Restate their reasons for either voting third party.
14
Trump has more support now than election day. Here is what mature professionals do after a tough loss.....tell me how many of these things the Democrats have done:
1. praise your opponent..."we lost to a great team"...that raises your own side
2. accept FULL responsibility
3. a cold assessment of your own flaws
4. implement changes so it does not happen again
5. develop a whole new strategy.. Do not retain a proven losing strategy.
6. new ideas, new leaders
7. always always always respect your opponent.
1
Special elections don’t support your claim. Young people did turn out and they voted overwhelmingly for the Democrats.
3
Why should a losing team respect the opponent when they so brazenly cheated? (With help from foreign governments?)
2
You can rest assured that many of those state representative and, with the exception of Nebraska, senate districts are gerrymandered just like the house districts are.
5
The states are a permanent structural gerrymander that nullify the votes of the most educated people in the US.
4
Interesting that the photo published with this article references Steve Santarsiero, running for one of the seats where the incumbent has chosen not to run for re-election, but not Representative Tina Davis (in the foreground of the photo). Tina Davis is running for the State Senate seat currently held by Tommy Tomlinson. Tomlinson has not pulled out of the election, but should be equally interesting for the readers of this article to see a Democratic woman who has served 8 years in the PA House of Representatives running against a Republican male incumbent.
6
GOP lawmakers are not running again because they suddenly developed an aversion to the perks of the job, they have sat down with their advisers and internal pollsters and were told the bad news, they were going to swept out of office.
Paul Ryan will soon join that list as he knows if he every wants to have a chance at running for President, he can't be sitting in his present seat come November.
12
They're going to be swept into federal judicial roles to lock in the Trump coup d'état.
UGH, you mean it actually can get worse? UGH.
1
Reform is essential, especially in Pennsylvania, a moderate state that I happen to hail from. The Congressional delegation is disproportionately Republican, whereas the population is about evenly distributed between Democrats and Republicans. Rural small town voters have more representation that those that live in or near urban centers.
Gerrymandering, which is blatantly unconstitutional, must be ended. Voting, including same-day registration, should be made legal. Early voting and open primaries would help as well. But the biggest item should be taking money out of politics. Repealing the CITIZENS decision, would be a great start.
Citizens, particularly women, are more involved in politics. This is great news as we need a system where women and men are approximately equal in their numbers as representatives of ALL the people.
Moderates and progressives are excited about the prospect of taking back our country in 2018 and beyond.
16
US citizens should be able to vote in presidential elections wherever they are on election day.
1
I would recommend to the Democrats running at the local level, remember Tip O'Neil's adage, " all politics is local". Focus on the local level, don't try to solve the national ills.
12
Tip O'Neill is so last-century. Politics is scale-independent. It feels the same in coop boards as in all levels of public elections.
What's at stake is nothing less than the truth. We need the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Truth matters at so many different levels, from the pledge we give to our significant others to be faithful to them to the expectation that a politician will actually try to implement the things they say they will fight for when campaigning. When you think about this, the Constitution itself is meaningless unless people are truthful.
The Republicans, and Trump in particular, seem to have a group of supporters who, for whatever reasons, think that the truth isn't important. Trump doesn't like what the AG is doing in allowing the FBI's truth-seeking investigative team to continue their work, even though Trump appointed the current AG. Trump thinks it's OK to just claim that the AG/FBI have, en masse, got a grudge against him and all bad things said about Trump, past, present, or future, are automatically lies. When the facts suggest that Trump is the one who's lying, his shills say that Trump has "alternative facts" (aka lies).
Enough! Let's dump the my-team-is-winning mentality and substitute it for us all pulling together in a search for the truth.
The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. Winston Churchill.
12
Let’s keep it simple; stupid! It’s not about Trump, it’s about the quality of life of the average American voter. On a local level it’s hard to mask environmental tragedies, bankruptcies, joblessness, addiction, no health care, and despair. The GOP cannot pull off any slight of hand to magically make those chronic problems go away in 2018, particularly with the Federal government weakening consumer protections and civil liberties on a daily basis. Acknowledging the voters’ actual economic problems with proposed strategies should carry the day. Obviously, if the nation is to be made whole and healthy the tide will have to rise up from the state level rather “trickle down” from the top. Focusing on the “Trump effect” is a red herring and a trap. Any Democrat who takes that tac will be on the book tour circuit with Hillary next year! Both Republican and Democrat voters are willing and receptive to real economic and political enfranchisement in their governance near and far. The only questions the electorate need to ask the candidates are: What are you specifically going to do to improve our lives? And, who are your donors?! With that approach it won’t matter what Trump does because he’s already done enough.
9
You will be left with nothing but a local tax base to address these issues by the Republicans.
1
What doesn't seem to be mentioned here is the vast amounts of money being poured into statehouse races by the deep pockets that have been behind the red plague for years. Bloomberg reported the Koch's have "budgeted" $400 million for the upcoming mid-terms. That's just the Koch's. Add in the Mercers, Addelson, Theil, etc., along with the already republican held states that are actively engaging in multiple forms of voter suppression and it's going to take massive voter turn out to turn it around.
But, I think it's entirely possible. Even here in GA I think people are wising up, fed up and with The Mistake in the oval, informed enough as to what republicans are all about, that they will show up at the polls. It was Koch money that turned Wisconsin red - and look what Walker has done to it. Look at Oklahoma, Kansas, what Jindal did to Louisiana - no thanks. If we don't turn this thing around now, we may never get another chance.
13
It's coming, and we must be vigilant with regard to interference, foreign or domestic.
6
My favorite sign in the Women's March speaks volumes...
Grab Them By the Mid-Terms
The Blue Tsunami is coming and the GOP seems to not care as it their big money special interest donors will save them from a huge political backlash.
More women and Democrats taking seats in the House and Senate should offset the Trump insanity since the current GOP-led Congress could care less and is complicit.
15
Where I live our US representative is the slippery Mike Coffman. This former military officer has managed to win three straight elections he was expected to lose because he has slithered his way into morphed positions that please enough in the swing district.
This year Coffman's magic will hopefully disappear. I hope the Democratic candidate hangs Trump around his neck like an anvil. And Trump is not popular here.
8
In many areas, the GOP has remained in control, despite losing the popular vote, by gerrymandering and voter suppression. It's time for Republican cheating and treachery to end.
14
Watch how the ALEC is interacting within the states... They will do their part in undermining the elections to the benefit of the republicans because the republicans forward exact ALEC written laws into congress.
6
The GOP deserves what it gets after so called "tax reform", and "Medicaid Reform". They deserve it for cutting taxes to hurt just about everyone, except business. They deserve it for creating a nation of hate. They deserve it, because they created more poverty. They deserve it, because they made it more dangerous to live, by cutting regulations. They deserve it, because they lied and lied again. They deserve it because they hate anyone who is not a WASP. They deserve it because they hate women. They deserve it because they hate LGBTQ. The deserve it because they are creating an autocracy. THey deserve it, because they made America more hated by our enemies, and more disliked by our friends.
And, they deserve it, because they elected Trump in office as President of the United States' and put people like Ryan, McConnell, Brownback, et al. in charge.
32
I see hate too.
I see people gleefully write about replacing citizens with new people- getting rid of worthless white conservatives and replacing them with good people.
I see the celebration of lawlessness. I see double-standards: it is ok for foreigners to break the law provided it is because they want to make more money. But when citizens or white citizens fight for their economic rights? Racist bigots.
I see all the things I care about: fairness, meritocracy, rule of law, the environment and social programs like Social Security and Medicare destroyed as we import millions every year.
The GOP is not good. But how can anyone, who is serious about our problems, support the Democratic Party? We cannot afford their social experiments- importing millions from around the world to intentionally dilute the political power of their opponents and to replace racial populations that they do not like with populations that they do like.
They want planned, legal, genocide all so their donor class can get cheap labor.
2
I hope this is true. How much more GOP abuse does it require for people to see that it shouldn't remain in power, with the exception of the 1% as always.
26
Many millions of citizens, without fancy educations, see Democratic immigration policies as abusive.
The Democratic Party does not care about working class citizens. They have their own set of millionaires / billionaires that they serve.
And they serve those folks by providing them with a steady, and large, stream of foreign workers.
The GOP is not a friend of working people but neither is the Democratic party- at least when it comes to citizens.
6
Your rhetoric means nothing. The history of the modern Democratic party reveals it is on the side of the working class. A high school American history student can tell you that.
2
Liberals speak for the weak and oppressed; want change and justice, even at risk of chaos. Conservatives speak for institutions and traditions; want order even at the cost to those at the bottom… [Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right, or center]
6
Interesting viewpoint - one which I had never realized or considered.
And it makes me realize that we have to protect the weak. The path we are on now is destroying both. It’s hurting the weak, and Trump and congress are destroying all the institutions and norms.
3
Liberals see the world and weak and strong, oppressed and not oppressed. Republicans see the world as everybody as equals. 90% of psychologists are liberals.
Republicans are tearing down norms, standards, traditions and institutions. See Gorsuch, the attack on the FBI, and judicial system. Liberals want to fix what's broken; the healthcare system, infrastructure, stagnant wages.
1
The pendulum has unreasonably swung so far right that it is teetering close to detachment from its foundation, that being an America where the people's ideal is to work towards a more perfect union. If this isn't what enough Americans believed throughout the last decade when major strides lifted us all out of an almost ruinous economy, provided access to healthcare for more families and children than ever in history, encouraged college and training; higher wages and foremost represented America on the world stage with integrity and dignity such that Americans could traverse the world with a sense of pride and belonging to a nation that was mostly admired and respected. We've lost that in the last year at a pace that is astounding and scary.
At the far side of that now which is where we are with Trump and his "base," many see a downward spiral that festers in exaggerated divisiveness, racist rhetoric, pomposity, animosity, recriminations, resignations.. I could go on and on with negatives. This is not the America I have known for the last 50 years. In 1968, I was a teen. Americans were hopeful even with the disastrous assassinations of Bobby Kennedy, MLK, Jr. and a democratic convention with people fighting in the street. Nixon won the election. We were divided but still shared a belief that America was BIG and a place for everyone. Immigrants were welcomed & people of color were "Black and proud." We melded.
Like Nixon, Trump lacks a moral compass. WE WILL VOTE FOR CHANGE!
25
Going strictly by what Trump does, he is a Russian agent being used to break up the US in retaliation for the US breaking up the USSR.
2
You are correct, sir! Actually creating big rifts in the U.S. is just for fun. What they really want to do is fracture NATO.
If the Democrats hope to "energize" their troops let alone the rest of us, the cast of usual suspects they're offering up here won't do it. Mr. Santarsiero already had two terms as a state senator and failed to get even one piece of legislation passed, in part because he couldn't reach across the aisle to work with people who didn't share his narrow view of politics. He then set his sights on a seat in congress and lost to the brother of the incumbent--a man, mind you, with no political experience whatsoever. Shellacking? The Dems will have to do much better than this, even in the current climate, to win over the voters and going back to same old, same old won't pass muster.
10
Is Tom Perez the best the DNC can up with as the Chair? Personally, I don't get a good feel that he will do a great job-and that's exactly what we need to win in November-a great leader. Plus right now, the DNC is flat broke with 10 mos to go. So, "powers to be" if we need to make a change, let's get on with it.
5
Reactions and counter-reactions, Obama and Trump and who and what comes next? American wonders and brawls while the rest of world moving ahead. Two party monopoly- an archaic political system is no longer able to serve the interest of the people and serious efforts have to be advocated in breaking up these dysfunctional political systems.
7
Isn't this the same nonsense we heard before the presidential election? America wants and deserves change and Trump and the Republicans offer that change.
5
What good does destructive change do? I don't deserve dirty air and water, bigotry and hatred and I don't believe that any other American does either.
2
Republican dominance in state legislatures is due to the primacy of money in local races. The Republicans have always had more money than the Democrats due to the fact that they have always represented the monied classes over the lower classes. The Republicans have gerrymandered the local races so severely that the courts may have to step in to correct this extremely partisan gerrymandering. But this election coming up appears to have the makings of a Democratic wave that will overcome the Republican advantage in money and gerrymandering. All the Republicans who have declined to run again for office is an ominous sign for the Republicans.
7
The danger is in viewing the 2018 election as unimportant for liberals. These state and local elections are more important than 2020. We need to eliminate the flawed Republicans currently in congress but failing to work for our country. Pour the steam on for 2018. If we win, Democrats will control at least one of the houses, if not two. Then 2020 will come our way. If we fail to replace legislators at the state and local levels, we may inherit Trump or another like him in 2020.
14
I'm done trying to speculate. In Pennsylvania, the "Trump effect" helped the most liberal candidate win the Democratic primary for District Attorney of Philadelphia. While Philadelphia has always been liberal, the new DA (who was backed by George Soros) is a shift to the left. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has also shifted to the left. The Court's gerrymandering decision should help Democrats, but the GOP leadership is defying the order to redraw the Congressional map. It is crazy. Even scarier are the television ads from GOP candidates challenging Governor Wolf. The message is angrily anti-progress and pro-Trump. I was also shocked to see “chain migration” ads on television in Philadelphia. We are a deeply, deeply divided state. I am one of those liberals who thought it was still possible to have a dialogue with the other side, but I'm losing faith.
16
I do wish that this was true but the recent shutdown debacle makes me fearful that the Democrats will come up short. Democrats have to go back to their roots and become once again the party of the majority of Americans, that is people who work for a living. Identity politics alone will not get you there.
12
Enough with the "identity politics" blather. Democrats are insisting that everyone be treated equally, Republicans are the ones trying to put discriminatory laws in place.
BTW, gay people, transgender people, people of color etc. all work for a living.
2
When you cut taxes, you have to have a surplus, otherwise you're just borrowing money in order to give it away. The money you're borrowing has to be paid back later, with interest, which makes a tax raise more likely. This doesn't sound like very sensible economic policy.
10
Democrats always raise taxes. Then they spend like crazy, and the results are deficits and debt. As in the federal debt that increased from less than $11 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight years of the Obama administration. Republicans want to cut federal and state budgets, but the Democrats just won;t let that happen. Until it does, the debt and deficit will grow and grow.
4
paul - I guess you've missed all of the recessions Republicans have treated us to.
3
I think you've omitted all facts from your comment. Rumpy just added 1.5 trillion to the deficit in a strong economy. Why? To benefit the 1% which includes the trump clan.
3
When the central government is the common enemy, the local ones are empowered. Trump capitalized on this by rallying to the cause that what the federal government has been working toward is to limit individual rights under the disguise of providing public programs and regulations. The Republican "pay as you go" approach is attractive, theoretically, but now a lot of people are discovering that they can't pay and they miss their government who used to help them through the rough patches. February is Black History Month. In the years following Brown v Board of Education, nearly half the States of the Union defunded Public Education in response to desegregation. So, what can we expect from the States?
3
First thing is to get out the vote, destroy as much of the Republican Party as possible at all levels of government, then pass laws that lift Republican restrictions on voting. We should pass "vote by mail" where forms are mailed to registered voters, filled out and returned by mail making it more convenient to vote. When Dems get majorities in the House and Senate we should insist on ending partisan gerrymandering in all states and get rid of the Electoral College. Finally, we should insist that the Democratic Party build more broad-based coalitions of voters and pay less attention to identity politics.
12
If Trump returns to form on Twitter in October, Democrats will do well as a result. If not, Democrats might actually need to develop a compelling platform and a message to gain any ground.
So far, the Democrats seem to have learned nothing from the last election. If the Democrats don't capture at least one house in Congress this year, it may be too late for democracy to stand a chance in 2020, given the rapid tilt towards corrupt authoritarianism undertaken by the Republicans. Time is running out very quickly. #MeToo and #WeAreNotTrump will not cut it.
6
I recommend everyone see John Oliver's show on state legislatures (State Legislatures and ALEC: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver). The states pass legislation at exponentially higher rates than Congress, affecting women's and voters' rights at an alarming pace. It is in the states that the tides turn.
9
The Democrats need to get their act together. There are many issues they can use to unite people, especially centrists. However, their single minded focus on immigration is not going to do it. They need to make an argument for why DACA is different than illegal immigration. They need to acknowledge that immigration on a merit base rather than diversity base may have some validity.
They also need to have an economic plan, especially an infrastructure plan that will boost the middle class. That plan should show how privatization is not good for the country. The tax cuts will eventually hurt the country but for now that's a ways off, so how will they address the impact on the economy? What is their plan for a better environmental policy that will support economic growth along with protecting our environment?
They need to also stop blaming white America and calling them racists. Nine years ago it took a significant number of whites to vote Obama in with his hope and change theme. Why did scores abandon the democrats? For many it wasn't a race base issue they simply didn't like Hillary. For others, they didn't like how Bernie Sanders was treated. The democrats need to become an issues based party that lifts up the middle class. So far, I see isolated democrats who represent that but most are still touting themes based on race and the minority. They need to show how their plan will lift all Americans rather than just the one percenters.
4
I support Democratic policies in every area except illegal immigration.
I do not want to be part of the Democratic Party social experiment of tacitly allowing millions to break our law and then granting them citizenship.
The US needs a lot of things- more people is not one of them. No country can afford growing populations anymore- climate change is going to hit us hard.
We need to be cutting our emissions- dramatically. Instead the party of the environment is pushing policies that make it more difficult for all of us. Instead of helping our own poor citizens, of which we have tens of millions, the party of working people has decided the only working people they care about are illegal economic migrants.
We are going to have a society where those at the very top, and those at the very bottom, are not subject to the law.
7
Will, actually, we do need more people. The baby boomers are retiring. The birth rate of white folks is down. Even Paul Ryan told people to start having more babies (see Forbes 12/19/2017). Trouble is, he only wants wealthier WHITE women to have those babies, and I have news for him, they aren't going to. So who will contribute to keeping Medicare, Social Security, etc., solvent?
The Dreamers did not break the law. President Obama signed the executive order because the Republicans would not work with Democrats, just like they are doing now. McConnell said publicly he would do everything he could to see to it that Obama passed nothing they had a problem with and they had a problem with everything that was for the people, and not just for the rich. I see nothing problematic about the party of the people being concerned with all of the people, those who immigrated generations ago, like all of us except Native Americans, and those who are more recent. The Dreamers are in the military, are teachers, doctors, nurses. They pay taxes and can receive no welfare benefits. The Republicans are making this about ALL immigration, it does not have to be. We can deal with everything in steps.
I see this administration as seeking to divide us, mostly on the basis of race, but also, on wealth and class. We don't have to succumb.
3
I can’t do much from Massachusetts - I approve of my elected officials already.
But I urge anyone reading this to vote blue in the upcoming midterm elections. Let’s bring some sanity back to Washington.
5
There is nothing sane about inviting millions of people into the country, illegally, and then granting them citizenship in order to win future elections.
For the first time in my life I will be voting Republican.
Yes, Will, throw democracy under the bus based on this one issue so effectively politicized by the Republicans that they have convinced you, an otherwise open-minded person, that it’s worth supporting authoritarianism to prevent the browning of America. Good people on both sides, indeed!
1
Those of you who are writing here in support of Democratic candidates, please just allocate $100 or more if you can to the 2018 midterm elections. If we pitch in together, there is no way the Republicans will be able to preserve their majority, whether at the state or federal level. We can turn back the dismantling of our democracy, the needless and cruel deportations, the attacks on our environment, and the destruction of our reputation around the world.
8
Remember that each state has a National Guard under the command of the Governor.
If all the efforts of the state GOP fail to reduce or eliminate voting, then there is a
Commander-in-Chief who step in.
I believe that in November the Democrats will do the impossible and lose again because they do not offer America a positive message, and they have not learned from their defeat. Trump made his case by successfully portraying the Democrats as a bunch of elitists who are outsourcing American jobs and destroying the middle-class. Contrary to this article, a few special elections do not amount to a trend. The only thing they can hope for is that the charges of Russian collusion will stick, but it's out of their control and a long shot at best. In the meantime what do they have to offer? More big government? They've already lost that case at the polls.
5
Hogwash. Trump's products are made overseas.
3
It's the economy stupid. So, keep an eye on the economy. A 7-8% drop in the Dow, mortgage rates going above 5%, gas at the pump spiking another 50cents,and home prices stalling, will more than offset the good feel affect of the tax cut.
6
Considering the current republican advantage, the all but certain 2020 gerry mander will cement Republican state house control for a decade unless Dems stage a big comeback. The white man's party (GOP) will retain control and woe unto any non white, non male, non Christian person. We will have the tyranny of the majority so feared by James Madison and many of our founding fathers.
15
The tyranny of the majority feared by Madison was that of the common, non-property owning people. He wanted the government that you have: the government of capital over working people.
2
Spread the word for all Americans to watch the movie "Mudbound" on Netflix, YouTube, etc. so by November elections everyone truly understands Trump's base and the soul of the Republican Party. Pretty much a reminder of the South and its "men in white."
Also an excellent book on the history of America's immigrants and the state of the South, read Nancy Isenberg's "White Trash." A best selling book but very enjoyable on your favorite audio-book provider.
109
Or people could actually talk about the policies with each other and see why people hold the view they do.
Trump supporters are citizens too. We can assume they have bad motives for the views they hold- or we can try to find out what their reasons are.
I have yet to meet a single Trump supporter who matches the caricature drawn by Trump detractors. People have reasons for the beliefs they hold- surprisingly few people say they take a position because they are evil, racist, bigoted.
3
if a republican is elected dog catcher? he will somehow make repealing roe v. wade a part of his job......
127
this so-called president and the rest of the treasonous republican cabal that has thrust our nation into the alternate reality and parallel universe that they so often fear, but is now our reality, should have complete and total fear of being annihilated at the polls. they should all be sent back under the rocks from which they came, and barring that, strung up in public squares and stoned, or worse, for the despicable traitors they are. i hope the next bit of "american carnage" is the bleeding republican majority - reduced to nothing but a trivial spot of insect detritus on the windshield of history.
125
Most dogs are Democrats and if they COULD vote they certainly would not vote for a Republican.
2
You win the comments section today!
Yeah, ok. Nice wishful thinking.
As the economy booms and the tax bill takes effect, the Dems...who did not vote for the tax bill and shut the government over illegal immigarants....will find themselves losing even more seats.
Being the anti-American party is a really bad look.
28
The Trump tax law gives small tax cuts to average Americans, working people and small business owners and huge, long-term tax cuts to billionaires and huge corporations. It also destroys health care plans that help millions of people. Anyone who still supports this bill needs to sit down and take a look at what the bill actually does. It is evil. By the way, the stock market sure wasn't booming last week.
4
The tax bill isn't very popular with most of the country. I'm not sure how you missed that.
1
Both parties are anti-American. I haven’t forgotten the Cold War and the fact that Russia actually is our enemy.
1
They have a fearsome propaganda machine, more so when allied with Russian technical intelligence and know-how. Whether or not they seem to be cognizant that they have been co-opted seems to be beside the point--it seems rather painfully obvious day by day.
That said, the propaganda is rather formulaic--it can be known and possibly countered, though to what extent counter measures are effective, has yet to be seen. The fact that they are by and large utterly oblivious to their corruption is perhaps their one weakness. Hopefully this will be enough to ensure their just defeat.
28
Yup, our last real President, Obama, certainly did not do the Dems any favor by setting us on a solid road to recovery from the Recession. It will be an uphill battle to keep the Republicons from claiming all credit for that. It will be REALLY hard to keep our current acting president from taking credit, for sure. But hopefully enough real Americans will see through the baloney and vote their conscience. It's certainly NOT a sure thing, and no one should deceive themselves about that.
2
Despite the fact that Trump and his party are vile and despicable the Democrats could still learn from them.
First, you need a party marketing slogan. Something like "Trust Goes Both Ways".
Remember the people that the red hats appeal to are still forgotten and still need good leaders. The evangelicals, the rural, thirsty, hungry, and abandoned by manufacturing companies and healthcare facilities. The only infrastructure project the Trump administration is focused on is The Wall that will never be built. The biggest cost of the "tax cuts" is the infrastructure jobs that would have been created and given life to the economy for all.
35
Unfortunately for them those workers are disposable to the Democrats because they're not a trendy interest group to pursue. I have very little faith in the party being able to articulate to working class men why exactly they should vote Democrats besides 'look at the naughty Republicans'.
4
Alex - Working people need health care and decent infrastructure their kids need education. That's hardly a trendy interest group.
1
How about "Back To Normal" as a slogan? That works for me.
We can hope but we shouldn't bet on widespread Democratic success in 2018. Remember, it's the Democratic Party under discussion here. So far we've seen very little proactive reason to vote Democrat in 2018. Yes, the utterly execrable performance of what the GOP has become is reason enough to vote for anything as an alternative. It would feel better if we could vote for something better than "anything."
89
Time for us voters to take responsibility for learning about the new candidates who I hear are stepping up in unusual numbers, especially rising women who have the potential to change the game. We voters cannot rely entirely on our parties to educate us--they are still, after all, political parties. We need to do some honest research to learn about the candidates that we can support.
5
I grow tired of hearing people say they don't know what Democrats stand for. Here's a simple answer: Democrats stand for equality. They believe everyone should have a chance. That's all we need to know.
8
Check out the national Democratic Party website - their platform is laid out for all to see. The first three planks are related to the economy and job creation: https://www.democrats.org/party-platform.
3
If Democrats want to win the midterm elections, they need to be more inclusive.
There are serious problems confronting all middle class and poor Americans. We need universal health care. We need good-paying jobs.
Those are the messages that Democrats used to emphasize.
One of the reasons Hillary Clinton lost was that she emphasized feminism too much. Gloria Allred was a prominent supporter. And she sought dirt on Trump. Somebody released the Access Hollywood tapes and Trump was accused of sexual harassment.
In view of Bill Clintons past, this seemed sanctimonious and hypocritical.
Moreover, Gloria Allred seems to believe it is OK to replace the admittedly slow process of trial in court with public shaming. This strongly suggests that feminists are giving up on the notion of due process.
But where exactly does this lead us? Senator Al Franken was removed from office and nobody really understands why.
Not all claims are true. Women do lie, particularly when they are encouraged to do so by lawyers who may have a political agenda.
A trial with cross-examination sometimes comes up with the wrong verdict, but it is many orders of magnitude more reliable than accusations broadcast in the media.
Politicians of both parties are miserable role models. We have to hold our nose and vote for the lesser of two evils.
But I am a male and when my rights are repeatedly attacked by liberal feminists in the media, Im sorry, but I will vote for Trump in spite of his faults.
18
I am hoping for Democrats' victories, but completely agree that Democrats are in need of new, more inclusive leadership. Old party political and identity politics are leaving the Democratic party with stale hypocrisies instead of any inspiring messages that would bring one to the conclusion that this party has returned to being the party of "the people".
I agree that as the single mother of two adult white sons, I am hating the notion that they feel excluded and like "the bad, evil guys". They are not perpetrators and the liberals (whoever that group really is) are hypocritical to put white men into yet another box.
If the Democrats want a big landslide in the Fall, they really need to have some deeply thought introspection and a change in leadership. Same old, same old won't work.
2
Jake, please read the accompanying article about pay inequity in todays paper. You might also wish to glance at Maureen Dowd's interview with Umma Thurman. Please understand, there will be backlash against historic abuses of power men have held over women. Many women are waking up to the depths of their rage, and I do mean rage. But if you cannot understand and wish to vote for Trump and his ilk at the expense of your pride, then by all means do so.
1
Democrats are easily distracted. I remember 2004 when their big agenda was passing gay-marriage laws, when they should have been focusing on unseating President Bush.
This is a recipe for disaster for the Democrats. Once Democrats reach the point where they are determining their nominees it will be clear that (1) these grassroots anti-Trumper's are not as qualified or competent from a managerial point of view as the Republican incumbents they are up against and (2) that these anti-Trumpers have very little in common at all with each other. The one high ground that Democrats held, briefly, was that they were the more moderate, common sense party. Not the case anymore. Democrats, especially the type "energized" in this article, are more extreme and less cooperative than the breed of Democrats from a few years ago. Among NYTimes commenters, that boldness may seem like a good electoral strategy, but trust me it is not.
15
I always felt there was something strange in how the Dems lost so many seats to the Republicans over the last 10 years, to the point it became a joke told by Pubs "the Dems can't win." I know they said they didn't like Obama but there was much more to how they won so many seats, not withstanding gerrymandering. Now that we know how involved the Russians were, I'm more convinced it has been going on long before and that's how the Pubs took control. There is a lot for both the CIA and the FBI to investigate, and I thank God for FISA because we now know about the Russian involvement in the election plus the money laundering of Russian money that has been occurring. I thank the NY TImes and the Washington Post for digging out the truth and saving our democracy; and for Fox-God will deal with you and the Murdoch family.
41
One can see the gathering storm coming to Republicans this Fall by noting the enormous number of Chairmen who are not seeking re-election. Some may be re-elected but they know if Republicans lose the majority they will lose their power. And so, like rats deserting a sinking ship of state, they flee. Good riddance. And yes we Dems are chomping on the bit. We can't wait to vote.
DD
Manhattan
71
Older folks like you (I know you are, only old people sign their internet posts) are gonna vote because generally speaking you already have it good, and the lack of message from the Democratic party that isn't 'trump bad' resonates with you. Younger people like me, mired in debt uniquely ubiquitous to our generation, unable to find good paying jobs, and watching our fellows waste away in 15+ years of middle east war see very little positive outcome from voting for Democrats.
Alex, what positive outcomes do you see from voting Republicans? I personally know maybe two people in my age range who voted for Trump; the rest of us Millenials are tired of being bilked by trickle down nonsense
1
Dear Alex:
Very perceptive to note how ancient I am. Indeed, I'm older than dirt. I've been posting for The Times before there was an Internet. Many readers herein are well acquainted with my self-confessed longevity. The reason I sign my posts - this has been brought up before, in some unkind ways, thinking I some kind of dope - is there was a plethora of Dennis' commentators from NYC, and I had been the recipient of replies of comments I did not author.
Now, to the point: The irony of Trump and the Republicans passage of this atrocious tax bill is my wife and I have greatly benefited while you remain mired in debt. That is wrong. My increased wealth will pass to my progeny. No job creation from I. What I en famile have is something Trump never will: Enough.
I am one of those bleeding hearts Libs who believes in a fairer equal redistribution of wealth. In my day (says this old codger) one could attend State University full-time for $200 per semester. This is downfall of working and and middle classes is directly due to Republicanism? Since Reaganomics, the tables have been turned, against folks like you, made advantageous to people like me.
I don't how you became mired in debt but I'll bet Reaganomics is a major cause. Being mired in two endless wars is also a tragedy. Why are not younger voters demanding their piece of the pie? If you fail to spot the difference between these two parties that is even a greater tragedy.
DD
Manhattan
The conversion of red states into democratic bastions may be the just price to pay for supporting a nasty demagogue, as the empty promises go on unfulfilled. People are not dumb when reality illuminates the fraudster's maneuvers in cheating them. Even Trump's enablers, once educated on the facts reality is based on, will realize the 'ugly American in chief' has been pulling their legs...and his little hands in their pockets. Trump's toxicity stems from the triad he uses to divide to conquer, "fear, hate and division". Plus the fact that he remains deeply incompetent and corrupt. Plus his flair in protecting Putin in spite of his assault on the election's integrity in the U.S. in Nov. '16, and likely again this coming November; thus far, Trump's silence is thunderous, not a 'peep'. Complicit? You judge for yourself.
22
I'm sorry but people are dumb and we have ample evidence in states like Kansas etc. to prove it.
1
I'm one of those people who can't wait to vote, and I live in solidly red South Carolina. But I am tired of the Republicans around here running virtually unopposed, and there are so many people from the north who've moved down here the last few years that it might be somewhat more competitive. At least make the GOP work a lot harder for their victories.
144
@Raindog63
I wonder why "so many people from the move north have moved down..". Is this weather related? I also wonder why anybody would want to transform South Carolina into some kind of Connecticut.
1
I'm from Massachusetts and I don't vote for anyone in any election who is unopposed. The tally, when bulleting the vote, speaks. Its one way to send a message to some good olde boy about who does and doesn't support them.
Much of the research on U.S. voting patterns suggests that how people vote is largely not rational. The election of DT certainly demonstrates this, particularly since many people bought into DT as being the Fox hyped version of DT, and the person he portrayed himself as on TV shows--strong, traditionally masculine and an effective communicator who doesn't pull punches. Of course this depiction of DT is a total fantasy and couldn't be further from the truth, but for those for whom Television is their primary means of news/information and for whom "reality" TV is real, they typically do not engage in critical, rational thought. Thus large numbers of people who voted for DT (and Republicans in general) ignorantly voted against their own interests.
Okay, so this is not news to the people who read the NYT, but figuring out how to reach such people is crucial in order to shrink not only DT's base but to enlighten these people to the damage they do to themselves and the country when they blindly vote for self-serving Republicans. We can't wait for the economy to go belly up for these voters to discover they made the wrong choice in voting for DT.
16
"We can't wait for the economy to go belly up for these voters to discover they made the wrong choice in voting for DT."
Just about every Democrat and almost every article in the NYT has stated that it is Obama's economy, but now you say that you can't wait until a recession and see people lose hundreds of billions of dollars and call it Trump's economy. So whose economy is it?
As far as applying rational thought even a little bit should have resulted in the Democratic party changing something over the last decade to stem the losses, instead of watching almost 1000 state seats, over 25 state chambers, 9 or so governorships, the House, Senate, White House, and as a result of everything else the Supreme Court. Something. But they stayed the course and are in their position in about a century.
The responibility for getting out the vote is LOCAL with funding help from wherever they can get it. Door to Door campaigning is the most effective but local advertising, rallys, etc. are what fire up the voters. Com'on Dems get out the vote, provide transportation and encouragement.
1
Lots of voters knew what they were doing -- voting for a President who had pledged to overturn Roe vs Wade. Roe vs Wade has been poisoning out democracy for 40 years, by setting a precedent for removing issues from voters' control.
Now is the time for EVERYONE eligible to vote - that Democrat votes be cast in both State and National Elections! It is time to do away with TRUMP's IDIOTIC nonsense, before he completes his journey to become (full-time) DICTATOR of our Country. He seems quite content to do away with laws that have been protecting us all these years, and he has only STARTED!!!!!
46
Good people of America from all races and races are set to take their country back. New Jersey, Virginia, and Alabama--of all places--are just the start. GOP can run but it can't hide. The blue wave is coming. Nov. 2018.
64
Of course we are energized, the only way to stop this corruption is to vote every Republican out of office. Ryan is going down, Nunes is already finished--I mean come on', you are from California, so you know how that will work out. Why vote democratic? Because we are America--all shapes, colors, ethnicities--Republicans are racist demagogues--and we aren't blinded by greed or power.
48
Its the economy stupid, its the economy stupid ... Repeat and memorize democrats. I don't love Trump either and I am a republican. As long as the democrats have Pelosi and her ilk they are not going to win the presidency and defeat Trump. The swing voters in the midwest are never ever going back to the democrats as long as we have to listen to the same old garbage from the liberal democrats i.e. income equality, more handouts, more taxes, political correctness on the campuses, anti police talk, and blaming Trump for every bad thing in this country. You have to win the middle, those of us who are educated, independent voters who make between 100k-300k a year. We despise what the democrats have become. We don't love Trump but thought Bush 2 was even dumber. We loved Bill Clinton. We don't vote party, we vote for someone who is a centrist. Not some Northeastern liberal and not some idiot right wing southerner. We despise politicians of both parties especially Congress. We tend to like our local congressional representative and municipal and county politicians. We want politicians to support the police and the military. Get rid of idiotic regulations, put criminals in jail for long terms. Those of us in this income level pay most the taxes. We already pay for most the subsidized programs in community colleges, public housing, SNAP, and a whole myriad of programs. Don't ask for more. We pay enough.
17
Democrats need to focus on the person who will run against T. the individual needs to get a grip on the agenda she/he need to make public. This means every thoughtful democrat needs to come out and vote. An intelligent, honest and thoughtful leader is what we need, not a thug.
6
There IS income inequality!! You make $100,000 and you call that "middle America"? I'm here to tell you that the vast majority of America is making much less than you are. They are VERY lucky to be making ends meet at $50,000 with a family to raise AND dual incomes.
This finger pointing has got to stop. Our country, like every other country, does need to lift up those in need. The issue is fraud, waste, and avuse, NOT welfare, and certainly NOT someone who uses welfare!! If our government is incapable of controlling fraud, waste, and abuse - shame on THEM.
For example, when a large corporation like Wal-mart gets away with refusing to pay their employees barely over minimum wage for YEARS, then continues with their bad habit by refusing to schedule full-time hours just so they don't have to pay healthcare for their employees or their familes - there is a whole lot of your HARD WORKING usually single moms on welfare. Gee, I have 2 bachelors degrees, and I cannot get a full-time job in MY field, lol. Nope, never took a penny from Uncle Sam, other than to get my degrees. I even have a disability and never filed for SSD. Too proud.
Trump is a malignant narcissist who's only goal is to make money off his presidency. He does not care about the country, anything, or anyone. He LOVES himself. If we don't get the blinders off and give him the boot, he will take us down a road we cannot recover from.
73
Wal-mart throws its sick or disabled employees on to the local communities where it also puts small businesses out of business. The family is one of the richest in the world, and gives very little back. The people who shop there, including their own employees, cannot afford to pay a higher price to support local businesses. Yes, they do create jobs, low paying jobs. They make it difficult for mothers who need to work, but also need to know when they will be required on staff.
21
It is critical that Democrats and independents get out in large numbers and vote for Democratic candidates in 2018 and 2020. The Republicans have controlled state governments because they controlled the state legislatures during the 2010 census year and were able to redraw ridiculous gerrymandered maps. Thus, ensuring their continued stranglehold on our state governments. Time to end it. Power to the polls.
19
Gerrymandering works both ways. Up to 2000, Democrats in my state passed laws preventing Republican suburbs from incorporating, so that they were under the control of Democratic county governments. Once the Republicans managed to repeal the laws, cities started popping up all over the place.
.
It was recognized by wealthg right wingers like the Kochs and Mercers that a little bit of money goes a long way in local elections. The Roberts Court Citizens United decision opened the flood gates of dark corporate money.
REDMAP, was launched after the 2008 election by the Republicans under the leadership of Karl Rove. The plan involves systematic capture of state legislatures and governorship financed by Citizen's United dark money for the sole purpose of sophisticated computer-driven gerrymandering that suppresses voting by likely Democrats.
REDMAP's effect on the 2012 election is plain," reads a post-election RSLC report. "Pennsylvanians cast 83,000 more votes for Democratic U.S. House candidates . . . but elected a 13-5 Republican majority to represent them in Washington; Michiganders cast over 240,000 more votes for Democratic congressional candidates than Republicans, but still elected a 9-5 Republican delegation to Congress.”
Republicans cannot win in open and fair elections. Let us hope that massive voter turnout can overcome the distorted electoral process as conceived and deliberately executed by the Republican Party. This process has turned the Republican Congress into a service agency for the wealthy donors that now own and control the GOP.
39
I live in rural Virginia. My close friend, just a soccer mom till trump, ran and won a delegate seat in a safe red district. November cannot come soon enough. Fire and Fury is coming.
31
The democrats in the swing, Southern and the Midwest states never show up to vote. The Gerrymandering case in front of the Supreme Court is the one to pay attention to. That will be key to how America turns out in the next decade.
13
Get a clue. Talk to the Democrats in Alabama--especially the black American women there who came out in force. Detestable Trump Senate favorite Roy Moore went down in flames. The blue tide is coming Nov. 2018.
29
Pretty Boy, Boston person...
Plenty of Midwestern/Southern Dems slog to the polls year in and out - and are hopping mad and will - and do - vote.
3
Stop being the party of redistribution and you’ll have a bigger tent.
9
actually Democratic socialists are the heart of our party. We have seen things the Republican way and obviously they don't work well. the last time a republican was in office and they deregulated everything a lot of Americans lost their homes we went through a huge recession,... Republicans have now increased the national debt like never before. time for them to go.
8
GOP tent only holds stodgy old white folk. And the circle is shrinking, dude.
2
I always laugh when I hear that word used as you use it here. Republican policies are the clear winners in redistribution. They have destroyed unions, redistributing living wages workers formerly had negotiated to the owners and investors instead. They have also destroyed pensions, once reliable sources of retirement income for millions. Now it's 401Ks, which go up and down with the markets instead, and sometimes just go down. But these cost them less, so they redistribute that money to themselves as well. Then there are the former jobs now done by robots, all in the name of 'efficiency'--which translates to more money redistributed from the workers to the owners and investors again. Where would the owners be without the workers? They are doing their best to find out. But when only a few have decently-paying work, who exactly will be buying their products? Export everything? Workers in other countries still have discretionary income and can buy. The Chosen One is doing his best to create tariffs, though. Speaking of him--the tax cuts are the biggest redistribution of all. High income people get millions extra redistributed to them--a secretary gets $1.50 extra per week. With the tax revenue redistributed to the rich, next will be how "we" don't have enough money now to help those in need. Talk now is about Medicare, Medicaid, and even Social Security--into the last of which we all paid ourselves, remember? Just watch. And vote.
28
Don't ever put your faith in people who do not respond and change to new information and circumstances rationally, and you will spare yourself worlds of woes.
8
The Democratic Party is tainted
The Republican Party is tainted
10
Perhaps. But one is much much more tainted.
26
Independent:
The two INDEPENDENTS in the Senate caucus with the Democrats.
In case you missed the memo, in 1992 H. Ross Perot ran as a third party candidate for POTUS and got 19% of the popular vote. He got ZERO Electoral College votes, and did not change the outcome of the election in that regard.
What that says is EVEN GETTING 19% of the vote amounts to NOTHING.
If you are not votng for one of the two major parties, you might as well save your breath. These days, it is pretty clear that the Republicans are all traitors.
That leaves one reasonable choice, the Democrats.
2
If the democrats want to win elections, here are a few ideas to help them:
1) get rid of the corporate Dems. Wassernan schultz, pelosi, schumer, et al. Their expiration dates have long since passed
2) develop a progressive platform and stick to it. It isn’t enough to say, “vote for me, I’m not them”
3)here’s a sample progressive platform.
Raise minimum wage to a living wage ($15.00/hr is a good start)
Medicare for all, single payer
Free universal education through state college grad and professional schools.
Get off all fossil fuels by 2025. No exceptions. Build solar, wind geo thermal. Build it now.
Rename the defense department the war department and let’s start closing up shop by closing overseas bases and redundant weapons systems. Let’s end the permanent war material commercial by ending the wars.
How to pay for this — Implement Eisenhower tax rates to pay for this. Let’s start by imposing a marginal tax rate of 90% on couples making over $10 million per year and individuals making over $5 million. Income is income including investment income so let’s count it as such.
Reinstate a strenghthed Glass Steigal law
Recriminaluze moving money off shore to avoid paying taxes.
This would be a great start.
47
Great ideas!
Can we vote for you?
3
Nope.
Democrats win when they go to the middle. Even Hillary, a monumentally bad candidate, BARELY lost.
When Trump was elected my biggest two fears were that a) It vindicated the worst extremes on the right and that b) it would down the road vindicate the worst extremes on the left and intensify their calls to abandon the middle.
I'm scared of the right. But I'm equally if not more scared of the far left.
Yes, I am one of those "White Women" TM - married, affluent, suburban, stay at home mom, socially moderate, not paricularly religious but one who does value family life - who they are currently bemoaning over at The Nation as a problem to be solved.
I will vote for a moderate Democrat. I will not vote for a "progressive".
10
Yes, this is exactly the right platform for the Dems. If they want the Republicans to win again.
6
After 9/11 it was clearly evident that Republicans cannot govern. 17 years later and it's Deja-vu all over again. Democrats always have to pick up the messes Republicans leave them. Look at the education funding levels in the U.S. Red states rank lower than blue states. The current level of competence in the WH is a result of misinformed voters.
33
Come on Progressive Liberals don't be casting a conscious vote (Green Party or no vote at all) this time. It's too important. Straight Democratic down the ticket in 2018 and 2020!
66
Don't be casting a conscious vote? It seems like a lot of people must have taken that advice last time around.
Doh! My bad, good catch: should've been "conscientious"
Democrats want to win the middle? Before demanding more programs, get the existing ones to work (and show that you respect great work rather than just generic hours on the job)
As a small business owner, I'm beholden to too many external "ideas" from the legislature about how I should run my business and retain the people who voluntarily have signed up to serve customers under our umbrella. Your ideas, consequences of them fall upon me and my team and customers with no recourse.
Fix that and you'll win main st. Keep telling me I'm stupid and your ideas are better than mine (and should therefore steamroller them on the way to taking away my retirement) and I'll stay right of center.
6
Trump has his eyes on your retirement. Don't get fleeced again.
38
Everyone: PLEASE VOTE in November
Please participate
I realize some places in our country, roadblocks upon roadblocks are being raised to discourage voting
Please do not let that dissuade you
You have to vote
53
We are all compartmentalized into small districts with respect to any influence at all.
1
The Democratic Party has wreaked enough self-inflicted "damage" of its own with their superdelegates and the obstruction of the Bernie Sanders party nomination bid.
The party is currently devoid of any dynamic leadership and has failed to reach out to the country's lower and middle income classes - save for the DACA recipients and other undocumented immigrants.
The party and its supporters are in for a rude awakening if they think they'll retake the White House by merely distracting voters with their ad nauseam anti-Trump manifestos.
13
The Republican Party has wreaked enough self-inflicted "damage" of its own with their superdelegates and the obstruction of justice.
The party is currently devoid of any dynamic leadership and has failed to reach out to the country's lower and middle income classes - save for the DACA recipients and other undocumented immigrants.
The party and its supporters are in for a rude awakening if they think they'll retake the White House by merely distracting voters with their ad nauseam pro-Trump manifestos.
8
The Republican Party doesn't have superdelegates.
1
Right!
We need solutions because we are better than them!
Not spending time " distracting voters with their ad nauseam anti-Trump manifestos."
Good line.
2
Well, count me as one Republican who also cannot wait to vote.
After the last election, the NYT published a story on Republican dominance at state levels.
It said, I remember it clearly, that you can drive all the way from the south to the Canada border and never go through a Democrat state.
Gerrymandering works both ways. The Democrats did it for many years - especially before the Civil Rights era. Whether one agrees or not, the Democrats in the south were outraged. And as LBJ famously said when he signed the Civil Rights:" we just lost the South."
Democrats jubilant - were asleep at the wheel when the Republicans realized that path to power is at local levels too.
And we gerrymandered better that they could.
So, sure this election will see some shellacking which I think we deserve without a doubt.
But the Democrats are making a mistake in believing that these tax cuts are going to get more unpopular. Not withstanding the Minority Leaders characterization that $2,000 IS a small change.
Talking about mistakes, this Mr O'Hanlon below is surely joking or he wrote out this comment after a few beers on a wintry night in good ole England.
Trust me, you can keep her as long as you wish. Only when that new American import in that family becomes a queen - perhaps yes.
7
I would like to point out that voting for a Party is supporting DIVISION ???
If we want the USA and the UK to become more powerful nations than ever before we must align ourselves behind 'ONE' Governor !!! Unity of Purpose is the destiny of The Western World under a Royal Personage named 'The Ancient of Days' - I reveal that Personage has many Titles; 'ONE'; Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
2
There are "liberal" perspectives on things, and "conservative" perspectives on the same things. I enjoy debating this with actual conservatives, but reactionaries and nihilists only disgust me.
9
This country is swiftly devolving into civil war, and the enemy is the GOP.
47
I give Democrats a ghost of a chance provided:
1. They get rid of all the old dead weight that has dragged the party down for so long. I'm talking to you HRC, Donna Brazille, David A., and all the rest of you non-performers. GO AWAY and do it quickly before things get even worse.
2. Do not let Republicans get away with lying about the opposition, especially on Fox News. Allowing the lies to fester makes them impossible to dispel.
3. Stop being so tolerant and nice. Clearly the Ameerkan people do not care about the integrity, manners, or even intellect of their leaders. We need some scrappers, new fresh blood, committed folks who will not allow themselves to be mischaracterized, besmirched, belittled, marginalized, unheard, or disrespected.
31
Placeholders do not give way easily.
3
How is Donna Brazile "dead weight" ?
1
Solid rock crumbles at last under a constant flow of water. The Republicans, having been unimaginative, rigid, willfully ignorant, and frightened for two generations, are crumbling as a righteous torrent pours down on them.
13
“Exploiting”??? What an awful word to use. There is no exploitation, stop putting a cynical bent to a truly grassroots movements. You make it sound like we’re secretly pleased the GOP has been dominated by white nationalists and 1percenters. There is no pleasure in what is happening to the opposition party. We are merely fighting for the lives of those the current GOP is gleefully destroying.
37
Everybody is in the business of fund-raising, which becomes the reason for the controversy to persist forever.
2
At the moment polls indicate many Americans can have their minds swayed over to the Republicans again. I have an average income that’s being eaten up with the price increases from all the big conglomerates with their huge corporate tax breaks. Thank you for my small tax relief that only partially pays for these increases and only then, for a short amount of time. I’m still trying to dig myself out of the last recession caused by the Republicans.
Democrats certainly have enough ammunition to overcome this hostile Republican takeover. Where are you? It’s not too early to start campaigning for 2018. Trump is already campaigning for 2020. If Oprah doesn’t want to run maybe she can head the DNC. There’s no leadership now. All I get from the DNC and HRC are requests for money.
29
Tell them how to run a campaign without money. We'd all like to hear that answer.
I know a lot of folks who voted for Trump because they were more upset with the Democratic party than they were enamored with Donald Trump or the GOP. Well, they are truly singing a different tune these days and are chomping at the bit to vote come November.
I think the tide is changing once again where more folks will vote Democratic, not because they think the Dems have all of the answers, but more because they think the GOP brought more problems, chaos, hatred and fear when Trump was elected.
But for me, voting should not be about fear or hate or "evening the score" but rather, about who has the best ideas and who can sustain the most good, in the long run, for America and the tax payer. The priorities should be about the American tax payer, not the American Corporate tax dodger or breaker, and about being financially and fiscally responsible. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. I am hoping the Democrats and voters will be able to deliver the goods come November.
21
What infantile thinking that turned out to be.
5
I believe the media "misunderestimates" what's coming. The rage of the majority against the trump catastrophe and trump's enablers in Congress is colossal, and has manifested itself in unprecedented progressive grass roots and electoral activism, including large numbers of women candidates, finally. This will result in a blue tidal wave in 2018 and well beyond. If trump wanted disruption, he's got it.
28
Lordy, I hope you are right
I would love to see a blue tsunami
32
You want to be hopeful, given the circus (at best) or the march to fascism at worst going on in the GOP and the White House. Enthusiasm is great, and necessary. Viable candidates who don't frighten the average voter are even better, and let's hope that type is being nominated.
But gerrymandering may or may not be ruled unconstitutional by SCOTUS (it looks less likely as I read the legal blogs). In the best case scenario, it is checked. But demographics make it difficult to correct as Dem voters are concentrated and GOP voters are more spread out as Americans now tend to locate by cultural, ethnic , educational and values metrics.
I worry about the money gap as I expect the millionaire/billionaire class enriched by this new tax law will open their wallets and a tsunami of negative ads will inundate Democrats come fall. Too many Americans, emulate Trump, and don't read anything, except comments on social media or captions on celebrity photos. The only thing political they get, even if they avoid hate radio and Fraud Noise, is from local broadcast "news". You know, "if it bleeds it leads", and the anchors with unfunny banter and rictus smiles. Trump tweets unfiltered and without context.
For the sake of our Republic let us hope my pessimism is misplaced.
15
"Insurrection among... white women?" Puh-lease. White woman put that misogynist in office.
35
NOT so much, Stephen. DJT did not carry our VERY GOP county. Many of us voted against him.
9
A majority of white women voted for Trump. That is not fake news
11
You have no idea how angry we are. No idea.
169
It is these sentiments that give me hope because some days all I see is black, some days I am just so angry, some nights I can’t sleep.
12
Our very constitution is under attack. Anger barely begins to cover it.
Mike C. from Chicago: Unfortunately a very large segment of the voting America is this. It is revolting and disgusting but they are for real and they managed to win the Senate, the House and the Presidency. Democrats have to get behind an honest man and mobilize the masses that have not gone out and vote their books. The Blacks, the Hispanics have to vote close to 100% for anything good to happen in 2018 and 20120. Otherwise I suggest splitting the Blue and the Red States into two countries. Yes they are that different and I don't see any chance of reconciliation. This is no longer a great country (if it ever was).
21
“The Blacks, the Hispanics have to vote close to 100% for anything good to happen in 2018 and 2020..”
Because “the Blacks, the Hispanics” only vote Democrat? Nice racist generalization. Wow.
8
A tad ironic that this article appear online just above another titled “GOP rising in polls.” It’s a long way to Tipperary. And November.
15
Dems will need to show they are an entirely different animal. Trump is a horrible man, yes, but when both parties snatch vast sums of money from big business and the very wealthy one cannot help but feel that no matter who you vote for, policies will be enacted that reward their donors. Make this more than just the horror in the White House. Make it about every persons life not just the lives of donors. Since the GOP have made it plain they favor rich white people, there is an opportunity here.
11
Democrats need to show the Republicans they can hate bigotry, racism, Trumpism, misogyny and intolerance more than the Republicans hatred for equality, justice, human decency and fairness.
19
Most of these comments parrot some TV show.
Fact of the matter is, what the democratic platform has been is right in front of your face.
Single payer universal health
Tax the citizens fairly and evenly.
Educate without discrimination.
Honor workers getting kicked out now that we don't need cheap labor (Great Recession, caused by housing loan scams)
Close Guantanamo
End wars, repair conflicts, help starving neighbors with fairness.
Lastly, but mostly, BAN THE BOMB.
What Democrats are always against is fascism of which you'll get more with this attitude here.
31
How can you say that this is what the Dem platform has been when the party's last Presidential candidate (HRC) was against almost half of these things?!
3
Really? Which half? Name them. Oh, and I forgot, renewable energy.
Where are you? Here, or there?
against closing Gitmo, against single payer, against fair/even taxation, against TPP (after she was for it), against ending wars (she was a huge cheerleader for the Iraq war), against banning nukes...do you know anything about your own candidate?
America must be strong. We must take the states back from the Republicans. The Trump GOP of subversion and destruction of humanity, racism and their disregard for the environment must end. Election by election.
25
War is the Trump/Pence/republican ace up the sleeve.
If it can happen to Hawaii, It can happen in Florida or Washington DC.
The dry run was a success. Now if Trump were to conveniently get that message when Mueller is at the door with cuffs...........
Doubts?
They brazenly stole a Supreme court seat, They are Attempting to frame the FBI.
25
Earth to New York Times, there is not and will not be a Blue Wave in November. Pointing to wins in historically Blue states (like New Jersey, Virginia and Washington) is not a sign of political upheaval. Let Democrat voters be energized all they want, the only thing Democrats can campaign on is being against Trump. The examples of the ruined cities, like Detroit, are clear examples that any Democrat victories will be short lived anyway.
6
A Rand fan? You make taking America back just so much fun.
7
"the only thing Democrats can campaign on is being against Trump".
God Almighty, isn't that enough.
25
The headline "They can't wait to vote" might come to be taken literally if Trump succeeds in riding his "Fake News" momentum into a Constitutional crisis before this year's elections.
7
Interesting to watch the Democrats use this ' hate Trump ' rhetoric to unite their party. Very ' transparent. '
4
Sorry but Trump’s strategy of hate doesn’t appeal to the majority.
11
Thank you, Bruce. There is no comparison between the Dems and the GOP. The GOP prefers their voters to be angry, bitter, and ignorant. They will fail.
6
I think a lot of repectable Republicans and independents find Trump repellant. I hope the GOP's smarmy defense of him destroys their party.
23
Republicans don't believe in Democracy. They believe in cheating to hold on to their diminishing popularity. Gerrymandering, voter suppression, stealing court seats, that's how they win. Time to fight and take our country back
52
DipB –
"If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.” - David Frum
Sometimes it seems they already have.
1
So, what does Nate Cohn have to say about this? "Last month it seemed that Democrats might ride a giant tsunami to control of the House and Senate. Now, some are wondering whether there’s a Democratic wave at all."
That was today. Is this Dueling Columns?
6
The generic ballot has been moving toward Republicans of late. Democrats' advantage is down to six points. That may or may not be enough to take back the House. I suspect it's because Trump is successfully using DACA as a wedge issue.
3
Housecleaning to begin in the spring of 2018 and will finish in November.
14
"It's a new Republican Party," says Pam Hacker. Yes. It has become a party that is losing its message to a flawed president who would rather protect himself than the democracy he took a pledge to protect.
21
Do we all agree that one party dominance whether it be on the federal or state level is just not good for the American people ? It stifles debate, inhibits compromise, and leads to partisan legislation pushed through over the objection of the minority party. We all agree on that, right ? Ok , that’s settled.
Welcome to California. All our state officers are Democrats, and the Democrats hold a supermajority in the state legislature. Meaningful debate is non existent. Intrusive and costly measures pass without objection. Legislators simply trade off support for each-other’s favorite bills.
As a result we get tuition tax hikes for UC students, a 12 cent gas tax, a $65 billion dollar rail line that will only connect two obscure towns at first, and an never ending delay in completion now schedule for 2029.Meanwhile, we have shameful income inequality rate, with ultra billionaires and the worst poverty rate in the country. Below the UC system, our educational system is in shambles. We have a net out migration of businesses and middle class families.
Imagine what that $65 billion could be used for to help people in dire need.
Oh yes, we have a surplus because of very high tax rates, but we are one recession away from bankruptcy.
I am an independent, and have even voted primarily for Democrats. But this state desperately needs a loyal opposition, or it will tax and spend itself, unheeded, into oblivion. We used to be the “Calfornia Dream”. We are becoming a nightmare.
7
We have plenty of money in the state for all the programs that should be funded. Of course, if you start handing it out in large amounts all over the place, you'll always need more. Never knew it was possible how much we could pay per firefighter, lawyer, etc even before 20 years of 80% max salary (highly skewed by overtime) on pensions
Top guy on this list gets $390K PER YEAR. From taxpayers. For not working.
https://transparentcalifornia.com/pensions/2016/calpers/
5
We have to stop saying what "they" (dems) need to do and keep in mind that WE are the "they" we're talking about. Stop saying "The Dems have to run good candidates." YOU run. Stop saying "The Dems have to present a vision that resonates." YOU present that vision. Stop saying "The Dems have to get out the vote." YOU get out the vote. If we all take that attitude, WE can't lose.
20
Special prosecutor Rudolph Giuliani was appointed to investigate Hillary
Clinton's collusion with the Russian government during the 2016
presidential campaign.
The collusion accusations are based on information obtained using a FISA
warrant which was granted based on an unverified dossier financed and
created by the GOP/Trump campaign, using an opposition research firm.
Deputy Director McCabe testified before the Committee in December 2017 that no surveillance warrant would have been sought from the FISC without the Steele dossier information.
1
Regurgitation of GOP talking points. Just what we all need.
4
That state legislatures are totally filled with republicans, the idea of equal representation that should be a given has been abandoned. How can that be? Most large cities are filled with democrats/liberals. Certainly they deserve some representation in their states. Is that due to Gerrymandering?
And you can bank on democrats chomping at the bit to vote. We will swarm those polls from here on out. This isn't happening again. Ever.
11
I find it mildly interesting--only mildly, because it's what I've come to expect of them--that the left-over Berniacs and Steiners share with the wacko Right a claim that nobody knows what Democrats stand for.
It's funny they say that, since it's pretty clear:
1. Decent jobs for all.
2. Universal health insurance.
3. Protection of the environment; the Paris Accords on climate.
4. The Iran nuclear deal.
5. Accessible, affordable education.
6. A serious infrastructure plan.
7. Keeping the Dreamers around, with some kind of legal status.
8. An end to the Trumpist attack on the government.
9. Preservation of Roe v. Wade.
10. Spending less on the military.
Not sure why the Right's confused, given that they always scream at Democrats for precisely these stances. But I get why the tired Berniacs and Steiners are at it: they don't know, and refuse to find out. Oh, and they're completely unrealistic.
24
1. High paying jobs for the friends and family of the Democrat elite. Minimum wage jobs for others.
2.Encourage Mylan to increase the cost of EpiPens and instruct the FDA to drag its feet on approving generic substitutes. Encourage Kaiser Permanente to increase charges 33% for all. Close hospitals that serve the poor by eliminating subsidies.
3. Allow NYC to dump raw sewage into the waterways using their obsolete system. Sue a Western rancher for building a watering hole on private property with state permits.
4.Pay ransom for American hostages with two planeloads of cash with which Iran funds terrorism.
5.Pay Elizabeth Warren and her husband $350,000 each to teach a single class per semester.
6. Spend seven times what it costs to build a subway in Paris, France in NYC, so that there is plenty of money to cover corruption and inefficiency. Demand federal funds. Build a train to nowhere for three times the initial estimate, which will be obsolete by the time it is completed. Cost of train will be double airfare for a longer trip. Travelers will cover 25% of operating cost.
7.Maintain DACAs as a bargaining chip.
8.Ignore democracy and use the dark state to unseat a duly elected President.
9. Expand Roe v. Wade to include the unborn at 8.9 months gestation.
10.Endanger the security of America.
There is a difference between what Democrats say and what they do. Gruberized Democrats believe what their authoritarian leaders tell them instead of their lying eyes.
2
I agree w Robert but you are entitled to your view. That’s what makes America great. But if you truly believed in democracy, you would support the concept that the person w the most votes wins.
From dog catcher to mayor to governor to the House and to the Senate, the person or proposition w the most votes wins. Just ask Virginia where a tie vote was won by a random pick of the hat. I know what the constitution says, and if 45 (or W) had said, “well more people voted for my opponent, I should take that into account as president. But no, he disrespects the majority of Americans who did not vote for him. That’s one of the many reasons his approval ratings aren’t so hot.
8
I always vote. This time, I'll volunteer more time and money, with passion, to assuring the GOP is stopped. Rise Up. Resist.
What I will be supporting and pushing for:
Clear policies to benefit everyone, and keep our society strong, healthy and educated, so we can compete in a global economy. In spite of what some want, the US is still located on earth. It is not the only country located on earth and never will be.
Candidates that have been vetted and are more than just a failed TV 'star'.
Candidates that do not lie, or forget pertinent facts that color the 'truth' they proclaim.
Candidates that have demonstrated skills in ethics, logic, and the ability to pass legislation with an eye to long term impact and not just the next quarter's bottom line.
Trump is his own worst enemy, and is supported by people who are either making a lot of money off his policies of reducing protections for clean air, clean water, and scandal-free financals or people who have lost the ability for rational thought long ago, or are xTians hoping to codify their aborted view of what JC taught. They are the minority. Other Trump supporters have legitimate fears and concerns. These we will reach by clear policies to benefit everyone, and keep our society strong, healthy and educated, so we can compete in a global economy.
10
Let's hope that your assessment is correct
5
Hey Republicans, thanks for giving us new reasons every day to increase our voter intensity. We need to get rid of every Republican who has either supported Trump's attacks on our democratic norms, our allies, and our homeland security, or sat in silent complicity - hoping to maintain a low profile.
Thank you, Devin Nunes, Goodlatte, Jim Jordan, etc. for releasing that memo.
You know, the one that adds at least three notches to Trump's obstruction of justice belt.
11
Trump and the Republicans are doing what they were elected to do: confirm Gorsuch; reduce regulations that do not benefit Americans; defeat ISIS; reduce taxes; investigate the politicization of the FBI and Justice Department under Obama; administer health care laws and immigration laws as written; improve the economy; raise wages.
Yet to come: reduce unnecessary spending by reducing corporate welfare; prosecute Obama administration personnel for corruption; reduce welfare spending on wealthy people and strengthen the safety net for the needy; reduce the number of those in need by removing impediments to employment.
3
Yes, Republicans do what they do. Steal a Supreme Court seat that should have been given to Merrick, gut regulations that protected consumers, take credit for the resistance of the Kurds to ISIS but then
let the Turks suppress them, reduce taxes on the wealthy and raise taxes on the workers, politicize and undermine the FBI and the Justice Department, gut ACA funding with an eye to gutting Medicaid and Medicare in the future (to pay for the millionaires' tax cuts, whine about illegal immigrants while you hire them to undermine wages (all the millionaires hire illegals as their household help), increase economic inequality with flat wages and "gig" jobs, and refuse to raise the minimum wage.
Yes, we know exactly what Republicans are all about.
Democrats share some if not all the blame for going against the popular mood and continuing to foist Hilary as their Presidential candidate. Clearly, Bernie was the winner of the real vote and most probably would have also won the elections. Even now they are trying to push him aside and trying to project Charles Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.
6
DR: Bernie Sanders was an Independent from a small New England State; he came in at the last minute after the primaries had been held; he did not have votes at the Convention to put him forward as a candidate. The Democratic Party was not obligated to turn against a public servant of 26 years who had served as: First Lady, Arkansas, supported voting rights for black Arkansans; First Lady in the WH, supported health care for all, benefits for single mothers of dependent children, benefits for First Responders during the 9/11 emergency, supported educational benefits for those in need. She was qualified by years of service in the public sphere; she won the popular vote by 3M. What, exactly, were Trump's qualifications to be President? His bankruptcies? His refusal to release tax records? The numerous lawsuits due to Trump U fraud? His lack of governance experience?
6
What sort of "progressive math" makes you think that HRC spent 26 years in public service? I'll spot you the years as first lady of AK and the US (even though that was Bill's public service, not hers). But it still doesn't add up to 26. Are you counting her time as a partner in a private law firm, and when she was on the board of Wal-Mart?
3
@DR
Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary over Bernie Sanders by 4 million "real" votes. He lost because not enough people voted for him. A majority of real people selected Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. Get over it already.
1
For all those Trump leaning folks who are in love with the limited tax cut the Republicans gave us one question: Wouldn't it be better if the average person got a tax cut that amounted to 84% of the benefit and was ongoing not limited instead of giving those benefits to the rich and corporations?
10
This is not the time to be cutting taxes at all. The economy is already on the verge of becoming overheated.
3
The corporate rate reductions stimulate the economy. The bulk of the individual tax breaks went to those lower on the income scale and the rest to the middle class; those cuts do not stimulate the economy.
If Republicans remain in power, as spending is reduced, the individual tax breaks will be increased and made permanent. If the Democrats take charge, they will increase taxes on the middle class.
2
According to some economists, major US corporations have around 3 TRILLION in cash sequestered overseas. If the recent tax bill had leveraged the corporate tax cuts with a measure requiring some of this cash be used to increase wages or capital investment, I would have supported it. Trickle-down economics doesn't work and "benevolent capitalism" doesn't exist.
5
The Democrats might make gains in the House but it will be more difficult in the states. One reason is that in 2016 2,623 counties were Red and 489 were Blue. Democrats need to have programs and candidates that will appeal to those outside of urban areas.
4
I certainly hope there is a Blue Wave, but I have my doubts about the ability of the Democratic Party to even develop much less execute a coherent strategy of any sort. The initial shift in the tides was the GOP attempt to repeal the ACA and the passage of the GOP Tax Bill. Those both gave the Democrats a chance to position themselves as a common sense party, backed by research, advocating for working class Americans.
However, now they're solidly back in the identity politics corner, playing the obstructionist role to try and preserve a set of broken and outdated immigration policies. At this rate, they're unlikely to get DACA extended, and they appear to be slipping in national polls. Not only does identity politics fail to mobilize (and may even alienate) most centrist voters, but it also ignores the fundamental fact that many of the identity factions of the Democratic party are opposed to each other. Latinos and other migrant groups tend to be more religious, socially conservative, and patriarchal than the Democrats policy stances. This is why 34% of Hispanic voters voted for Trump - the guy who called Mexicans "rapists." Immigrant groups are unlikely to be mobilized to support abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, and feminist causes like equal pay.
The Democrats need to get back to focusing on common sense policies that target income inequality and help a much broader swath of the electorate.
5
Hopefully, from the ranks of state-level Democrats, will emerge a new leadership, because the conservative economic policies of Schumer-Pelosi-Clinton clan are what brought the party to the brink of irrelevance.
4
That you describe Schumer-Pelosi-Clinton economic policies as conservative explains why Democrats cannot put together an economic policy that appeals to anyone not living in an urban warren. Tax and spend is not a conservative c=economic policy.
1
The Dems spent eight years acquiescing to Republican austerity demands, but I guess you were asleep. That budget device that will initiate mandatory cuts to social programs necessitated by Trump's tax cutting was agreed to by the Dems.
Being against Trump is not enough for the Democrats to win. They need to come up, quickly, with a program that will attract progressives, minorities, and independents.
And to do that they need to replace Pelosi and Schumer.
6
During the election we were told Trump had little or no chance of winning. Apparently his popularity was understated and I expect it is now.
Whatever people thing of Trump, jobs are improving, the stock market has been soaring and carrying peoples 401Ks with it, and wage stagnation has apparently reversed. My paycheck and 401K had a huge impact on my assessment of the President.
4
How did your 401k do last week?
2
The question you want to ask is "How did your 401K do last year?" Quite well.
3
You ought to ask yourself how your 401K will do when you come to retire and need to draw on it, not what's occurring with it today. Big difference unless you can predict the future.
5
So far, my state has 74 seats in the state legislature that do not have a Democratic candidate running in 2018. Some of these seats would be likely to flip--if anybody runs. Some of these seats have incumbents leaving office. (For example, if you live in Rutherford or Wilson County, TN, please consider running for office.)
This is the real problem. The state party has been underfunded, disorganized, and dispirited for too long. We've had a big injection of new blood in 2017-18 into Democratic and left-leaning organizations--but somebody has to run for those seats too.
For about 10 years, the GOP has had a lock on the "Jesus brand." But the religious right's endorsement of every bad thing Trump does has caused many people to question. The time is ripe to pry these voters away from the Republicans.
Young people seem particularly outraged by the Trump administration and will be most affected in the future by his policies. Now it's time to put your money, or you body, where your mouth is. Step up and run for something!
8
During the last election cycle, Hillary Clinton controlled all Democrat Party funds, including the state raised funds, under an arrangement made with the DNC before she even had the nomination. [Read what Donna Brazile has written.]
Hillary consumed most of the funds for her campaign and then gave back to the states a small share of any money that had been raised by the state organizations. Like Obama, Hillary was interested in her own win, not the down ticket and certainly not the state government offices.
One of the weaknesses of the Democrat Part is related to their belief in a strong central government, forgetting that we have sovereign states. They focus their energies on federal elections every two years and put on a big show in Presidential years. So there is little bench strength except in solid blue states. Even in blue states, the organizations are moribund and the establishment Party selects candidates for the House and Senate. And they never leave office until retirement, and tend to stay on past their expiration date, like Pelosi. She doesn't even consistently know who the current President is.
Without an Obama or Hillary scarfing up all of the political contributions, perhaps some of the state organizations will be revitalized.
2
The State House is the farm team or the political equivalent of the minor leagues. Just as many pro baseball players start in the minors, plenty of Governors, U.S. Senators and Presidents start at the state level. Look at where former Illinois State Senator Barack H. Obama ended up.
5
I seriously believe that the rancor in Washington with the Republicans encircling Trump like a herd of protective musk oxen signals a very real crisis that is about to get larger, deeper and darker. The first casualty will be our democracy. And I believe that we the people - 99% of us - will be the secondary collateral damage. I've never been one to see a conspiracy in every shadow but in this instance I make the very rare exception.
In anticipation of the coming storm, anyone who genuinely cares about our form of government might want to consider making themselves available to get out their vote.
I think it's time we stopped seeing (and accepting) this dysfunctional and dystopic means of governance as normal and the best way of doing that is to punish the entrenched, self-serving Republicans for their collaboration in the dimishment of The This country.
9
It takes two to tango, and if their is rancor in DC, it takes a really prejudiced view to attribute it exclusively to Republicans.
When Obama was running for the Democrat nomination in 2008, the RNC did not hire an opposition research company to produce a dossier and then have Bush use it to justify FISA warrants to spy on members of Obama's campaign organization. [That sounds like something Nixon would have done, and it is something Obama did.]
Bush did not prevent the Justice Department from investigating members of his administration. You may recall that Scooter Libby was convicted, falsely, of lying to the FBI and Bush did not even pardon him when leaving office, despite the fact that his innocence had been proven by that time.
Obama did not reveal while Hillary was Secretary of State or after that she was using a private server, despite the fact that he was aware. It wasn't until 2014, two years after she left office, that it was revealed by unrelated FOIA requests that the Obama administration had stalled, until ordered by a federal judge to comply. There is strong evidence that the Justice Department assigned people to the investigation who were determined that Trump not be elected.
When Obama was elected, Republicans did not threaten electors in the Electoral College. Republicans in the Senate confirmed six of his cabinet appointees on Inauguration Day and another seven within a week. It took two months before Democrats confirmed 13 Trump appointees.
2
I am an outsider, it is true, but I observe, ebmem, from the ten or so of your posts that I've read, that not one person has sided with your GOP opinion. This is unscientific of course as to party support but is telling. I saw a TV report a few nights back about the rise of the Democratic Party in Texas, especially the rise of women organizing for change and running as candidates. All to the good.
2
People can’t wait to vote. People who never take the time to vote can’t wait to vote. Independents can’t wait to vote and it’s ridiculous but they aren’t even concerned about the quality of Democratic candidates or the Democratic message, it’s about opposing Trump and the GOP.
The GOP will be slaughtered in the midterms.
10
I am a Canadian but with very close ties to the USA.
Nobody is embracing the Democrats they are understanding the Republicans. What made America great was a growing middle class and the bulk of Americans aspiring to middle class mores and norms. It is only the over the top attack on the middle class that has awoken what was the promise of America.
middle class.
From the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
of or relating to the middle-class especially:
High material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for personal property.
This is not today's GOP!
If the Democrats can start talking about what is the middle-class and those are the values to which they aspire they may repair America. When Democrats call
for an America that grants everyone permission to join the middle class they may end the 38 year scourge of the power of ignorance. 85% of GDP growth lies in 72 dynamic, diverse and educated cities and only the middle class has the values, education, expertise and civic responsibility to keep America running.
That is the truth of the deep state the Republicans seek to destroy. Libertarianism is fine when your nearest neighbour is five miles away but cities are the economy and cities will be more densely populated and will need a strong vibrant and powerful middle class.
Meanwhile Google City is being tried in Toronto and it is not the home of Ward, June, Wally and the Beaver.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/google-sidewalk-toronto-wat...
4
If the democrats had to sponsor a bill in which the day Tuesday will be called Tuesday, they will take a poll. Somebody will be offended and they will get wobbly and it will all fall apart. Time for a new party on the left.
4
I am hoping Robert Mueller's investigation will shed some much needed light and evidence of the alleged wrong doing of this presidency by the time the midterms roll around. If that happens, the Democrats could have a slam dunk victory on their hands at the polls - assuming they don't muck things up along the way.
5
Democrats need to campaign on local issues. The "I'm not Trump" or "Never Trump" will take care of itself. It's the elephant in the room that needn't be discussed. The deplorable Devin Nunez has strong support in his central California district because he championed water rites for the San Joaquin farmers. The transgender candidate who won in VA campaigned on improved roads. Tip O'Neal famously said "all politics is local". The one thing we democrats must do is keep the blinders on and run full speed through the finish line.
3
I live in a state that has the most popular Republican governor in the country - and the one that's most anti-Trump.
4
Thus?
1
I survived Jim McGreevy and Jon Corzine. I also used to live in a suburb where most people would be unaffected by whether the Republicans or the Democrats won the election.
Put bluntly, the Democrats have to offer better candidates. They have to get rid of people like Menendez and quite a few like him. The official platform is of little value if the voters can’t have confidence that the elected representatives have the will to implement it.
3
Those who supported Trump who knowingly violated the basis of sound judgement and "went" for the party line in lieu of what was truth will forever be damaged both politically and individually. They sided with a known pathological liar..a con man who would lie when the truth was a better option...and who has no morale basis of ethics...will forever be remembered in a negative manner.
People like Ryan..who most believe is an honest man..will also fall by the wayside when the "tide of truth" begins to return to American politics.
2
Never underestimate the ability of the Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Democratic voters do love to complain a lot, but show up at the polls for a midterm election? Not so much.
3
Count on Trump to continue supplying Democrats with fresh political ammunition. He clearly cannot control himself.
31
It's not just about good candidates. It's about a strong, unified mission that puts people before special interest groups. How hard is it to come up with a statement about that?
44
I know I am not alone in wondering how they will manage to foul up this opportunity.
69
Of COURSE we'll foul it up. We're Democrats. The only question is how badly, even with the GOP and Trump so hard at work for us. ;-)
2
"I know I am not alone in wondering how they will manage to foul up this opportunity."
"They"?
We're all in this together.
3
Yes, they always have that whiff of failure and weakness on them, don't they? Voters smell that, and they don't like it. They are so meek. They need to push for things like minimum wage, healthcare, unions, but they don't.
3
Yes, Republicans in the statehouses had better be worried, because it's not going to be a mere Democratic squall that hits them in November, but a tsunami.
102
Let's not forget that Republicans, as usual, have much more money available for their campaigns.
5
True but don't underestimate peoples revulsion with Trump and the Republican Party.
4
As long as Democrats campaign on local issues rather than "I'm not Trump" or national issues that may not resonate with voters they will be fine. Give people a plan to make their lives better and they will vote for you. As always it's still the economy and that needs to be the primary focus of the Democratic platform.
70
I thought this for a while, but I've come to disagree. In Bill Clinton's phrase, people who vote in midterms are "people with steam coming out of their ears"--and people are outraged. Their fundamental sense of being American is awakened and offended. This time, that's us. As we discovered to our mighty pain and sorrow in 11/16, people with steam coming out of their ears can and do make all the difference.
2
The Democrats also need to start talking about HEALTHCARE! Trump was more than ready to sign into law a Republican proposed health care plan that would have taken away many of our health care benefits. To me, Democrats should put major emphasis on this issue -- as it could be revisited by a Republican led congress. How else are they going to pay for all of these tax cuts for the wealthy?
6
Since the economy is doing well by standard markers (there are also low profile markers that speak to the opposite) maybe voters could vote for those that represent higher ethical and moral standards this time around, jeez what a concept.... Maybe vote for the politicians that don't support those in current administration who are in the process of shredding our democracy for the sake of money, money they already have too much of. How does voting on national issues not resonate with a U.S. citizen? Theres no excuse for not voting. Spoon feed voters a plan and they'll vote for you? We need to stop enabling the nonvoters in this country but we won't or don't or no longer can (thank you gerrymandering) because fewer people to the polls means a victory for Republicans.
3
Republican gerrymandering, now developed into a precise science, has allowed them to engineer a larger number of Republican leaning districts, but with narrower margins. They sacrificed incumbent safety for increased control of legislatures.
It has given them unprecedented power since 2010, and they walk and talk like they're kings of the world with all the answers. But Republican governance is mean spirited and victimizes women, people of color, public education, blue collar workers, teachers, and the public sector.
Since the takeover was largely funded by the libertarian Koch brothers, it's a minimalist governing style that does very little for ordinary people. It just so happens that getting government out of way mostly helps rich businessmen. You're responsible for keeping your own tap-water free of lead and dangerous chemicals.
Now, the republican brand is taking on a distinct Trumpian odor. You've probably heard of him, Trump that is. He's in the news a lot. He adds mean spiritedness, mendacity, and low moral character. Sure, one third of the population seems to love him, but it spells doom for incumbents in less safe districts. Enthusiasm also counts, and so far Democrats have that in spades.
It's way to early to predict the 2018 outcomes, but the opportunity is huge and the shift to more representative governments is long overdue. Republicans have shown they can't govern for the greater good. The challenge for Democrats will be to prove they can.
259
It was FDR who brought us out of a Depression, starting with the CCC and public works projects. He created and passed Social Security for people who were too old to work, who had no pensions or family support. The GOP fought him every inch of the way. Truman created Medicare and gave basic care to the old who could not rely on local charity or family support. The GOP fought him every step of the way. Obama finally manged to get the Affordable Care Act passed with a lot of modifications; the GOP fought him all the way to the Supreme Court. The recent tax heist which will give middle class tax payers a small gift until it sunsets in 2027, also gave the top 10% a huge permanent tax gift a Democratic Congress manages to change it, or repeal it. Perhaps the GOP would do well to prove to ordinary Americans they actually care about working people, single mothers with dependent children, communities threatened by mining sludge, lack of a national basic health care program, deportation of working people who have been in their communities for years, ripping their families and communities apart, passing a tax bill which will hurt small businesses and small homeowners when the bill for decreased revenue comes due. The GOP big donors will have been paid on the backs of ordinary Americans at all levels. Paul Ryan grew up on his father's disability benefits and went to university on Federal money. He can't wait to pull that ladder up behind him.
11
Delete all before and after “It’s way too early to predict the 2018 outcomes.”
1
The Democrats have already proven that they can govern for the greater good. Clinton pulled us out of Reagan's overdraft and back into the black; Obama put us on the right track again in so many ways and gave us an example of intelligence and class that was heartening to see in this warren of mendacious political goons that is Washington. Democrats are fighting against the fact that indeed this country can be bought and paid for. HRC was right: there is a "vast, Right-wing conspiracy". The Media mocked her words, but she was correct.
5
The two party system is broken, antiquated, and promotes tribalism on both sides.
18
Yes, the two-party system is broken. And the reason.? It's there for all to see. It's broken because of unbridled greed, love of power, and money hungry,, dishonest lying, low life politicians that are selling the American voters down the river.
Nixon looked like a Boy Scout compared to most of our elected politicians and the embarrassment we have in the White House today.
It's sickening what we see playing out before our eyes on a daily basis.
4
And social media platforms stir the tribalism pots like crazy. If you get your news from social media, beware of your bubble.
Democrats should put viable candidates up for every single election. They should put voter drawing propositions on the ballot. They should not waste a lot of money trying to unseat incumbent Democrats in competitive districts just because they aren't liberal enough. Democrats need to remember that the most important vote will be for the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate...
138
Excellent comment. Too many Democrats waste time on purity tests. Just get them IN. We can sort the details later.
3
All the constituent has to do is ask a Democratic candidate what is the Democratic platform and what the party has done to make their lives easier. All their going to get in return is the party line that Trump is dangerous and cannot be allowed to govern. In other words, a big nothing burger.
18
1) Democratic platform
https://www.democrats.org/party-platform
2) make their lives easier
Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid expansion, votes (obstructed by Republicans) to: refinance student debt, protect overtime pay........long list for anyone paying attention...
47
You appear to be confused, from prenatal care to Social Security the Democrats have had the working families back all the way. We support affordable quality education, health care and housing.
A better question would be to ask your Republican candidate, why they voted to give the rich a tax cut forever but limited the tax cuts to the working men and women to just a few years and in the meantime jacked up the cost of things middle America loves, like going to a National Park.
9
I love when the Trumpists tell us what our Democratic state legislators allegedly tell us. My state Senator has a detailed list of policies including education, social welfare, criminal justice, fiscal policy. among others. Trump supporters do the same thing Trump does; since they are used to voting for platitudes and slogans unsupported by fact, they accused the other side of doing the same thing. In Psychology its called projection.
8
In my state we have had one govenor and one mayor jailed for, bribery, tax evasion, etc. Both were republican . And we had a republican governor who left us in a fine mess in guaranteeing 75 million dollars in a loan to a sports figure for a video game company. He didn't serve prison term , but many felt he should have. You guessed , company went bust very shortly after started. This was my home state lived in untill retiring to NC, here they are trying to gerrymander and they also sought to save us from "bathroom attacks" which I could never understand. Most down here carry weapons, so why such hysteria was beyond me. It would be so nice to have actual men and women representing us who ,don't push their personal religion, agendas. Actually govern by rules of this country.
188
In my state, the Republicans dominated. Then they adopted an anti-immigrant, cut taxes, slash-funding-for-schools approach. It did not go well for them. Orange County, the largest bastion of Republicanism, went bankrupt. The party now registers fewer than 30% of voters. The state is entirely run by Democrats, without a single Republican in high office.
How is it going? We have the sixth largest economy in the world, with a dominant position in industries other states would give their eye teeth to have a piece of (technology, venture capital, biotech - not to mention the old stand-bys of agriculture, entertainment, and tourism - and now add a booming cannabis industry). We are running a surplus larger than the total budget of many states and actually using it to pay down debt, fund schools, and build infrastructure. Sure we pay more tax, but we get what we pay for.
Thank goodness we aren't in Kansas, Dorothy.
8
"Actually govern by rules of this country."
Looking at one measure of the most corrupt states 3 of the top 5 are Democrat per 2016 election results, but two states were flipped by Trump so prior to the election all were Democrat.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ranking-the-states-from-most-to-lea...
We can look at the absolute number of public officials convicted in federal court on corruption. On that score, New York was No. 1 from 1976 to 2010 with 2,522 convictions. California was No. 2, Illinois No. 3, Florida No. 4 and Pennsylvania No. 5.
3
I suppose you would rather have someone, who pushes a leftist, socialist agenda?
1
I hope the Dems have some good candidates who can scream "Trump is dangerous to the US economy, the world economy and the world." Also "My opponent supports Trump". Repeat this message--that does not hurt, since the message is true.
32
I'm hopeful, but I also know that if Dems can do one single thing consistently, it's blow elections.
Things won't stay better until the old guard of 70+ year old Dems have high profile successors 30 years younger, and the geezers get out of the way.
36
1963 : So will these ' high profile successors ' be out of mom's basement by then ? Be careful what you wish for , Sonny.
1
The GOP is going to have to brace for more than Democrats; they will need to brace for erasure.
Their ugly Guru will succumb to Robert Mueller, who has our complete and unwavering support and encouragement to continue and conclude this investigation to the best of his ability, and to find the truth.
Godspeed, Mr. Mueller!!!!!!!!
131
High tide for the Democrats was Virginia. Now the receding tide begins. Unfortunate to hear people are unhappy about the prosperity and liberty that Trump has brought back to Amercia after the Obama miasma years. Apparently these folks value an idea (black man in the White House) more than effective government for all.
9
I do miss the integrity, values, and competence of the Obama presidency. Couldn't care less that he was half black.
165
Trump has been riding Obama’s coattails on the economy. Wait until the stock market crashes when he declares war on North Korea and tries to drop a nuclear bomb there...
105
Obama managed to create 800,000 despite the GOP poisoning his Jobs Bill which included infrastructure funding, more money for higher education, funding for Planned Parenthood and walk-in clinics, et al. The GOP also managed to deny him the right to appoint a Supreme Court Justice, a moderate popular man from a Superior Court; they planted an evangelical anti-employee man on the Court: Gorsuch. He recently ruled for an employer who fired a driver who left his fully loaded container on the side of the road and drove his rig to a safe place where he would not freeze to death in an ice storm. If he had driven that container on an iced over public roadway, he would have endangered the general public. He did the right thing. Gorsuch will be making similar rulings for decades.
29
Democrats, you should have one single goal: get rid of Republicans everywhere you can, as soon as you can. Be as bold and mean as republicans have been... from now on, claim for Trumps tax returns, so systematically as Republicans have chanted "Benghazi, Benghazi!", regain control of designing election districts. Do a service to your country (and to us, rest of the world), let us get rid of your big dangerous mean twitting child, and of the party that enabled him to come to power.
It seems to be a never ending nightmare, I never favored the Republicans, but at least, I had hoped there would be enough reasonable men and women to stop this.. the last days show how rotten this party is. Democrats, Independants, fight!! please! and relentlessly ask for these tax returns.. Putin has an hold on Trump, I hope Mueller will find out. Fight!! we are all scared.
469
To help at the State level:
http://www.dlcc.org
https://democraticgovernors.org
The Republicans take their marching orders from ALEC
"back-room arrangement where corporations pay good money to get friendly legislators to introduce pre-packaged bills in state houses across the country. "
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/04/exposing-alec-how-c...
https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed
13
There are a few Republicans who don't lie - or vote for liars; and maybe there's a few non-Republicans who do lie. Right now, a lot of our problems are down to the lies being told publicly, many coming from the so-called president.
I will vote against Republicans but not because I hate them but because I want the country to be run on the truth. If someone lies and/or is willing to support a liar then they won't get my vote.
The only thing that will save the USA right now is truth.
3
That's not gonna get my vote. Not without a promise to pursue universal healthcare, maternal leave, environmental protection, tuition control, more housing, and a staunch and fearless stand for the rights of real working Americans, not disgusting billionaire freaks like Bezos.
This story is very important. It hits on the real scandal.
The Tea Party rose in opposition to Obama's election, and it targeted statehouses prior to the 2010 elections. Those were easy targets - ill-funded races for seats many people didn't care about. They won a lot of them, and used their control of statehouses to gerrymander Congressional districts after the 2010 census. Now we have a party with a minority of the overall electorate controlling the federal government and a majority of state governments.
The 2020 elections will be critical. The democrats have to win back those state seats so they can redraw the district lines. But, of course, the Trump administration knows this. One of their first targets was the Census Bureau. It is being underfunded in advance of the 2020 census so it has to change it's tactics to more cost-effective approaches that tend to undercount minority and low-income people.
The the real scandal is not that Russia would try to influence the U.S. elections. Why wouldn't they? Clearly it is in their national interest. The scandal is that we have a major political party in our country attempting to subvert our democracy so they can entrench themselves in power.
The congressional hearings I want to see after the 2018 election will be a detailed review of gerrymandering and voter suppression on a nationwide basis.
78
If the house turns the GOP will abandon Trump and he will be impeached and convicted in short order. Mueller or not Trump is doomed.
36
I fail to see where you get the 67 votes in the Senate to convict.
8
The problem with the Dems, there is less “dazzle me.” The Dems think long term. Long term is too uncertain for an instant gratification society. The Republicans are not only short term, they are shortsighted, appealing to the “tell me that you love me, although I know you don’t mean it” crowd. Is that trump’s big lie? Yes. If you’re an adult, you know there’s a big difference between making love and getting laid. To the immature mind, it’s all the same. Enter trump ( pardon the pun )
17
“You’ve got to have good candidates.” That comment says it all for Democrats in 2018. District by district, state by state. It's all about the nuts and bolts of actual campaigns door-to-door on the ground. There is no other way.
57
With the growing number of disaffected and disgusted voters, 2018 may possibly spell the beginning if the end of the Republican Party.
I for one say “Good riddance to bad rubbish”.
107
"Rubbish" is far to kind a word to describe the Republican Party.
2
Oh yes, must be hard for the Republicans to deal with 49% approval overall and 51% on the economy for our president. Tut Tut.
2
what is "the" economy? This is such a vague and unconvincing Fox-GOP talking point. Some (already wealthy) people are doing well, some workers have received a one-time bonus (which is vastly different from a real increase in wages/salary), and some have lost jobs (e.g. at Carrier). And the stock market, as we saw this week, is hardly a reliable indicator of how well "the economy" is doing.
3
Democrats have consistently led in generic party preference polls. Trump got a slight bump after the SOTU, but he'll soon be tweeting himself back to a sub 40% approval rating. And Rasmussen is not a credible source of polling data.
2
Where on earth are you getting that 49% approval figure from?
3
The democrats may have a blue wave coming due to the intense dislike of what Putin's doing to our country and hopefully dems will have a msg to go with that. But, what articles time and time again fail to mention is since our voting isn't safe from Russian hacking, (a cyberwar - it wasn't "meddling" it is war) what results can we trust electronically? Seriously, folks.
Russia will do everything and anything to stay in power in America. They're sending Russian women to FL (staying at useful idiot's property for a hefty price) to have anchor babies (not a conspiracy, there are many articles). Look - Russian sanctions are passed by Congress but are ignored at the top (or bottom...). Look - an FSB intelligence person was not allowed to come to the U.S. under President Obama and he showed up in D.C. two weeks ago.
Focus focus focus, we've had a coup or are having one. Elections are important as is stopping foreign adversaries from taking our democracy away. Understanding that voting help won't come from the blackhouse or the "republicans."
15
When the GOP wins in these states it means a lot of pain for the people of these states. Their supporters are ignorant of their true agenda which is to privatize all of government and Social security ,medicare and the Veterans Administration. Look at the states out west that voted for no more taxes they are loosing libraries , jails full time police. I can't believe their supporters don't know this. I am glad for the New York Times to daily remind us how bad the GOP are and reporting these treasonous business practices.
24
"In 31 out of 50 states, Republicans command the entire legislature; in 25 of those states, the governor is also a Republican."
With what is happening in DC, sanctioned by the Republicans in Congress, I fear fascism is rising in the U.S. Gerrymandering will make it hard for the Dems to take back seats, even though they're mad as hornets. I am truly worried about our democracy!
31
Republican dominated legislatures, especially the DC circus, should replace the opening prayer with, "once upon a time in a land far, far away" .
5
Opening prayer? Didn’t Jesus say “Be not like the hypocrites who pray in the square to be seen by men...”
8
If the Dems here promised cold beer sales on Sundays, in opposition to what the businesses here want, they'd get elected. Amnesty for Dreamers, not so much.
1
Let us hope a tsunami of Righteous Decency finally pries the grip of the extremist monied class from the control of the United States.
They have successfully used the tactics of slash and burn to ruin our electoral system, . . just as Putin planned. Now we will take it back.
8
Only 8 comments (so far) on what is the most important story on the NYT Home page right now?
Shame on all of us liberals who spend most of our time in relatively comfortable circumstances issuing, or simply imagining, moral jeremiads against Trump and the sycophantic and craven Republicans.
Democracy is about what we can and should be doing at the grass roots, and that is what this article, in all its seemingly pedestrian reality, is about.
It should be clear by now that Trump and the Republicans are impervious to moral outrage against their attempt to savage our democratic system.
So there is no point in trying to reason with them to get them to see that they are acting as if they were sociopaths.
As if, Kemosabe?
The only thing to do is to start exercising our political and Constitutional right, while we still have it, to kick the bums out of office.
Your vote, and your grassroots activity, is democratic force majeure.
Don't try to convince them. Just out vote them!
22
Thank you for mentioning Wisconsin.
As a Wisconsinite, we have suffered under Republican Governor Scott Walker.
His motto when he was first elected was “divide and conquer” which he stated to one of his wealthy woman donors, and did not realize the mic was on.
To give Walker any credit, he has indeed divided and conquered. But those days are done.
The first thing he did was take away public employee unions. Ours was the first state to have unions, to be quickly destroyed by Walker. During those protests he accepted a “fake phone call” from a Koch imposter and expressed his untoward sentiment of hard working Wisconsinites.
He defunded public schools, only to literally donate taxpayer money for vouchers to parochial schools, who reap the harvest. Parochial schools have even built new schools with our taxpayer money.
He tried to take away Family Care, a program for the disabled and seniors, until the feds halted that.
Our roads are probably the worst in the country. No money for that!
He tried to sneakily swing a mining deal through decimating the beautiful northwoods woods tourist and Wisconsinite recreation land. The mining company backed out, that’s what a slipshod deal that was.
He recently got Foxconn in here, which will take years of tax money to afford.
So to rectify this, he lies about our economy, our schools, our healthcare, our basic state of the state.
But he has some worthy opponents. And women are marching, folks!
Walker is on his way out!
290
Foxconn, a Taiwanese company, wants to drain 7 million gallons of water PER DAY from Lake Michigan.
7
Because of Walker,Wisconsin is now a State of Corruption.
10
MIMA: Wisconsin is a perfect symbol for the national Democratic Party’s shortcomings. The state party did its darnedest to block Scott Walker and the Republicans’ gutting of labor rights. The national party turned its back, didn’t even offer financial support and President Obama didn’t offer his moral support by uttering one sentence, let alone showing up in the state.
6
You still can't fix the gerrymandering. The game is rigged, the gop will prevail through decitfulness. The can not engage in a fair fight. All the way back to Watergate.
13
Until the rich Democrat donors pay handsomely to elect state-level politicians so that they can start winning, we'll continue to have this unbalanced political problem.
A wealthy carpet guy paid huge amounts of money to fund North Carolina politicians for a decade in the early 2000's and that gave them a Republican majority in the state houses, which in turn gave them the political power to gerrymander the districts to funnel votes to national-level politicians in Washington. This is a two-for one deal, and as usual the wet-noodle Democrats just got walked all over.
6
Gerrymandering is the dam keeping back a Democrat sweep. The Republicans are right to be afraid; they can't win on a level playing field. If the courts do the right thing, they are toast.
26
I hope future articles on state elections will talk about the role of new grassroots organizations. Sister District, for example, focuses exclusively on state legislative elections. (In this it differs from organizations such as SwingLeft, which focuses on federal elections.) Sister District mobilizes progressives in blue districts to help Democrats running in red ones. In 2017, Sister District raised $324,000 to support Democrats in various state elections, most of them in Virginia, and helped nearly flip Virginia blue. It has even bigger plans for 2018, targeting special elections early in the year and then aiming to flip state houses in November (or, where that's not feasible, to diminish Republican majorities.) The Republicans are right to be worried: we're energized, organized, and effective. Check out Sister District at www.sisterdistrict.com, and please get involved.
9
I hope for a positive court decision regarding gerrymandering. However, we really need a legislated solution to this problem. Gone are the days of harmless partisanship. There aren't any friendly handshakes after the game. With the right data and software, you can gerrymander district lines down to an address within minutes. I know. I've seen the data and software.
Think of gerrymandering this way. There are two teams playing football. The home team gets to choose the size of each team's end zone. Their's is 30 yards long. The opponent's is 3. The goals only rotate if the away team is winning at the end of each quarter. The state majority is the home team and the ten year census is the quart. Bookies are out of business because you don't need to bet which team will win.
The system is ludicrous and it needs to change.
16
If the people I had always backed to represent me became donor driven, deaf to wrong doings, and ineffective in passing legislation, I might decide to try my luck with those who have strenuously been out talking with their constituents and trying to get this country back to what our founders intended it to be. I'm just saying.
4
I believe that the Republicans will hold on to the statehouses for the near future. One reader has commented that the angry old white men who promote Republican values will soon be dead and make way for younger progressives. Unfortunately, that may be true for some parts of the country, but in other areas, there is still an embrace of conservatism based on experience, tradition, common sense, faith, and above all morals. As the critics of liberalism have demonstrated, many of whom are left-wing intellectuals themselves, liberalism has failed, in its embrace of capitalism. More important liberalism long-abandoned tradition for so-called progress, nothing more than permissiveness and promiscuity. If that is what is to replace Republicanism then democracy is doomed. Thank you.
2
I'm happy to report to you that none of what you listed is what progressives or conservatives stand for. The conservative gerrymandering may keep the conservatives in power but it has nothing to do with experience, tradition, common sense, faith or morality. Conservatives have lost this argument with their support of the most inexperienced, untraditional, zero common sense, conniving, scheming, faithless, financed by and beholden to corporations, and above all immoral president, governor, and legislators known in our time. And to believe that progressives are about capitalism and promiscuity says to me you don't get out of your bubble very often. To educate you, progressives are about morality, common sense, fairness, educating our kids and doing the Christian work of lifting up our poor. Conservatives do not follow Jesus' teachings and will be punished in the after-life for their heartlessness towards those less fortunate and their overall immorality.
20
So what do you make of Trump’s lawyers paying off a porn star he was having an affair with while his third wife was caring for their newborn? What do you make of Trump having to pay 25M in fines and compensation to the victims of his Trump University scam? Permissiveness and promiscuity, thy name is Trump! Not to speak of depravity and mendacity...
17
@Anna
OK, but what about Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, Anthony Weiner, Al Franken, Edward Kennedy, Kevin Spacey, just to name a few.
3
Jeff Flake said it best-"If the Republican party becomes the party of Donald Trump and Roy Moore, we're toast"!
17
The Democrats need to be tough and mean, something they never were before. They are still making the same mistake Obama did. Take the power, then do the work. Obama worked so hard to get the ACA but ignored taking Congress first. DACA can wait.
11
The majority of Americans are on the democrat side. They must be a way to win some elections.
12
“...some way to win elections” is to show up. Another commenter mentioned Scott Walker being re-elected after his recall. If I recall correctly, when he ran again fewer people showed up to vote for his opponent than petitioned for his recall.
2
As a liberal Democrat, I'm still worried that are perceived by a lot of voters as the party that is preoccupied with who uses what bathroom and the advocates for "illegals." I don't believe this and it's a foul narrative, but the Republicans have shown themselves very competent at controlling the narrative of who we are.
Unless we can present a unified message on jobs, healthcare and growth, we are toast. And, Hillary. . please don't come within 100 miles of ANY Democratic candidate. Don't raise money. Don't give speeches. Don't go on the Sunday morning talk shows. You are the kiss of death.
9
No one that ran for the presidency in 2016 should run. No one.
1
Republicans are the ones that instituted bathroom laws etc., Democrats merely stood up for the rights of all citizens to be treated equally.
This will be the case in NH.
1
The Democrats have an unrivaled ability to blow opportunities. Major wins in 2018 and 2020 will require uncharacteristic focus. The Kochs have spent decades building a ground-up political apparatus with deep roots in the states. The Democrats by contrast have spent decades frittering away their majorities.
5
The Dems need to improve their message. They are just so bad at it. And, as the article mentioned, they need to focus on the GOP record. Anti-Trump should be assumed. But they really need to focus on what they can do for voters. All voters. And they have many polices that do help all voters. But they have many policies that help certain groups, but do not affect others. And all these policies and groups... like herding cats.
My suggestion: Focus on ONE thing. Wage increases for everyone. Not just minimum wage, not just living wages, but all workers. Wage increases cuts across all lines. The GOP already proved they can sell undoable fantasies. This is actually doable. The Dems just have to rebrand democratic socialism.
7
You make an excellent point. I would add that Democrats need to unify around their candidates. While Republicans would (and did), rally around the Devil incarnate if he were on the GOP ballot line, petulant Democrats stay home when their favored individuals don't win the primaries. Rather than doing their civic duty and voting the better candidate, they'd rather pout. This behavior has got to stop if Republicans are to be prevented from destroying this country.
5
Recall from a previous election: "Its the economy, stupid." (not my words)
People vote with their wallets. Even though the other major economies; Europe, China, Japan have recovered faster and are growing at faster rate than the US,
Trump will still take credit for it. IF the US were attracting more and more business, the USDollar would be rising, its Not, its falling.
But as long as it 'appears' that the economy is doing well, he will win again.
3
Greed needs to be called out, whatever party displays it.
Wanting money for yourself with no regard for those who have little is pure greed.
2
This are the all things is good but its not at all for the site of political issue. That's the part of feedback where every people like this picture covered owners . it's a quite good at all. If they think it's obey on and only aside a civics so thinks is up to there . Thank you
Even if we cannot take majorities everywhere, we need to restore the balance of power. It is too lopsided, which allows conservative minorities to push through extremist theocratic legislation in states like Texas.
Restoring the balance of power will reduce the likelihood of small rural minorities dominating large urban centers, which are now full of disenfranchised Democrats who currently have little to no representation in state legislatures.
Restoring the balance of power will force the divided sides to actually talk to each other, negotiate with each other, even work together -- a scenario that is currently impossible with the crazed theocrats in the Texas legislature, who huddle together in clumps and refuse to even talk to Democrats, who might "contaminate" their ideological purity.
Restoring the balance of power will force Republican legislators to actually interact with their constituents who disagree with them, instead of contemptuously ignoring them, as they currently do.
2
The key is turnout. Unfortunately, many who might vote for Democrats don't show up for imperfect candidates but many who do vote for Republicans show up for imperfect candidates.
2016 had two imperfect candidates and one of the lowest turnouts in presidential election years.
9
We have a competitive race coming up in Missouri next week in a special election for a single State House seat. Democrats will not regain control of the House legislature even if they win, but this race in a very rural and highly gerrymandered district shows that at last people are looking beyond the party lines and hearing what the candidates are saying. The GOP controlled legislature has alienated the people with anti-union laws, cutting services for the poor and middle class, and wrecking havoc with the state budget in order to give more tax cuts to the rich. Where they cut, people bleed--and find they don't like it.
5
If Democrats can win in some deeply Republican states it will show how terribly the Republicans have done at helping working people even though they claim to be their champions.
Americans are finally beginning to understand the Republican hypocrisy, how they have been manipulated, and can vote for what is in their best interest an equal share of the best American promise.
4
The best way to defeat trump is to vote out republicans. We can't afford to wait for the Mueller investigation to end. If the Dems take the majority in the House or Senate, it will handcuff trump immensely. If you care for your country, VOTE in 2018.
15
People need to keep being reminded that the middle class cuts ARE NOT permanent. And look what happened to the stock market within the last two days.
12
The article does not speak enough about gerrymandering. In Wisconsin, for example, more votes have been cast at the state level for Democratic representatives but sophisticated gerrymandering has resulted in a Republican majority in Madison.
If lack of integrity toward the people you are supposed to represent is what gets you "long dominance," then perhaps it is time to re-evaluate your core values.
6
We are now experiencing Republican lies, particularly the outrageous lies by people like Sean Hannity, obvious falsehoods, in serious context, not merely to earn political points with listeners but to influence public policy of the most extreme kind.
This is very serious. We cannot have public officials who tolerate this kind of behavior. We can only assume--and for our own sake as a country, we must assume--that these Republican politicians are now part of the huge Fascist movement being sponsored quietly by a group of Right Wing Billionaires. We know the names of some of them, primarily the Koch brothers, at it for decades but the full extent brought out in the open only in recent years.
We must vote Republicans out. I am sorry. But I don't trust one single Republican any longer with my life or that of anyone about whom I care.
10
Every two weeks from now until November (and beyond) every American will be reminded which party gave them a tax cut and which party demagogued and fought tooth and nail to not give them tax relief. Good luck with that blue wave.
2
The GOP has achieved dominance in so many state houses because of a decades-long, well-coordinated effort by right-wing billionaires and Republican Party operatives/elected officials to take over our government at all levels in order to enact an agenda favorable to a small handful of uber-wealthy patrons. It sounds crazy, but a right-wing cabal of funders (led by the Koch brothers, but joined by hundreds of other right-wing millionaires) has worked diligently to misinform voters, buy candidates, win elections and then rig election rules try to ensure they become a permanent majority. If you haven't done so, please read award-winning investigative reporter Jane Mayer's book Dark Money. It is horrifying how everything we see happening in electoral politics was meticulously planned and funded by a small group of reactionary billionaires working in concert over decades - from the Citizens United decision, to gerrymandering, to vote suppression laws, to right-wing propaganda outfits pumping out a steady stream of misinformation. Like I said, I know it sounds crazy, but unfortunately it is all too real. We must wake up and vote in people who will strip big money out of politics.
8
Trump is certainly the lightening rod. The racist plutocratic overtones on Rs is certainly pronounced. Women voters are energized with the revulsion of ingrained sexism of the work place. As well as the spiraling instances where powerful males have tried to use their positions of power to harass and assault women. But the Rs have been way ahead of the Ds in focusing on the importance of local and state offices in rural states. Recent efforts by Rs to focus on the Secretary of State job, which oversees elections, are notable.
7
Get those governorships as they often have veto power over drawing of districts.
32
The Democratic pushback will not work unless the Democratic Party gets in gear and starts working at the local level in a very serious way. There has been a good start in actually fielding candidates. In the past many red state Republicans were unchallenged. But now the push for voter contact has to start in a serious way. There must be a strong positive message to voters. Identity politics is not the answer (though it will help--Trump has damanged so many sectors of our economy). Anti-Trump messages will only go so far. There has to be a reason to vote FOR Democrats, not against Republicans. Of particular concern are white women who continually vote Republican against their better personal interests. They are the key to ridding the nation of this GOP plague that is destroying our nation.
85
By meeting with local representatives and candidates and asking "How can I help?" we Democrats will regain power. It starts locally, and it requires serious commitment to getting constituents registered and voting. The GOP has worked very hard to suppress the vote. Empowering voters should be a major focus of the Democrats.
7
The media has been telling the public the tax bill is just for the rich. And the polls showed the republicans were unpopular for that. Now that the average American is get pay raises and tax cuts what lies will the media come up with now? When it comes to November it will always be the economy. A family votes for bread on the table.
4
@Jim: I have not seen a pay raise, a bonus, or a tax decrease. As a matter of fact, most of my tax deductions have been erased. My health insurance premiums have increased, and I am now starting what appears to be the third in a row of months with little to no work, continuing what have been the two worst months of my entire twenty-year career. One bad month I can survive. Two bad months, I'm hanging on. But three bad months could wipe me out entirely. So some of us are still waiting for the Trump economic "miracle" to manifest. Get out of your echo chamber and talk to those who have not benefited from the stock market boom.
13
I didn't get a "pay raise".. So people working for minimum wage will see some extra money - when? So the busboy at the diner is gonna see extra money? When? The rich got richer with trump and the poor got poorer. Republican mantra.
11
Democrats can make inroads, but only if they REMIND voters about the nightmares of the past year. Americans have short memories. Voters can not ignore what has actually happened. The past is a predictor of the future. For example, be EXPLICIT about the Republican assaults on our environment. And tie that to the future of our children. Voters across all spectrums CARE about the environment.
40
I never underestimate my party’s penchant for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. With the same old, tired, moribund leadership, we can expect the same, old, tired, moribund policy wonkish campaigns that neither excite nor inspire. Any successes they achive will be a result of circumstances across the electorate, not wise political leadership.....
I loathe Trump, Ryan, McConnell & Co. but at least they throw red meat. All Nancy Pelosi can muster is eye rolls and pablum.
47
This really isn't very difficult to figure out. We see every single day what an embarrassment we have in Washington and how the GOP rallies around this absurdity in their twisted way of selling it to the American people. Much as they may try, most Americans see this for what it is...a sham. These same people that claim to love this country are the first on line trying to destroy it for their own political gains or to satisfy an unfit President's agenda. When the outrage from the GOP is about the work of the FBI in protecting America instead of the gross and clear danger Russia is to America's democracy, then you know it's time to get these folks out of office. Think about that...attacking and demonizing the FBI for protecting our country, yet not a peep or outrage of what Russia has done and will continue to do in attacking our democracy. Their behavior would may you think that these folks in the GOP are instead agents of Russia. Their allegiance to America is simply not there.
21
My big concern right now is not about firing Mueller or Rosenstein, or nuclear war with Kim Jong Un, or anything like that. It is about Trump's immigration "deal" allowing more than double the DACA recipients a path to citizenship in exchange for some more draconian policies against chain migration and the like.
Trump's advisers (since Trump is basically a puppet) have been very clever at creating this and making a wedge issue out of it. Democrats should probably take the deal. It's not a good situation.
4
Most of us don't like Trump. But are you better off now than you were when Obama was in office? Yes, I am. My taxes went down and the stock market has increased my retirement accounts significantly. And Trump is fighting to fix the immigration problem. Do the Democrats have anything at all to offer the middle class voter? No.Absolutely.Nothing.
6
Dignity. A realization that money is not the be-all and end-all. That things like integrity matter. Compassion matters. That we are all Americans, even when we disagree.
I’m almost 60, and I still live by the words of the Little League coach:
It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.
14
@Robert Rutherford:
A well stated and appropriate comment written from the City of Brotherly Love.
While dignity, integrity and compassion are admirable qualities, can you pay your housing, food or medical expenses with them? Are these are our choices now? You can have dignity, compassion and integrity or you can provide for your family with a roof over their head, food in their belly and visits to the doctor. It used to be that most people could have both in America, for far too many Americans today, not so much.
Both parties are filled to the brim with money. The right has gone too far right and the left has gone too far left, leaving us oceans apart. Either we tack back to the center and move forward as a united American people, or we circle each other in a whirlpool that will only lead US to the bottom. The world moves on either way.
4
The short answer is no, I am not better off now than a two years ago. If you want to measure your better-ness against a year or two ago, that's fine but be complete. You also have (or soon will) a share of a much larger federal debt in your name. The stock run-up is as much Obama's as Donnie's. It is simply an extension of the recovery for the '08 recession. I see more income inequity now than anytime in my 30 year + career. This is due to tax and SEC policies. This won't bode well. I see less respect for each other and our collective selves than any time since 1968. None of this makes me feel better off. We need change and if people register themselves and others, and then vote, we will start the process of reversing it.
3
IL cannot wait to vote Bruce Rauner out.
While he is moderate and sensible on some issues, he is pure partisan hack on others—a wanna Brownback (God help us all...).
While we IL voters know that the toxic nature of our state politics is a bi-partisan problem (Madigan’s tactics are questionable at times), we are ready for a more moderate centrist candidate to shift away from attack ads and towards solutions.
IL needs a budget, and needs critical infrastructure and education funding. We seek a governor who can deliver. Traditionally, those tend to be Democrats.
18
Abolishing the Republican Party doesn't require great intelligence - just the absence of stupidity. This implies that all of the Democratic Machine candidates who think the job is "owed" to them, must not be run.
Perhaps, after the 2016 Presidential debacle, the Democrats have finally figured this out.
6
Being hopeful is not the same as being realistic. Many people seem anxious and hopeful as they look toward the 2018 election. Don't be surprised if far less happens than what people are hopeful for. Many Americans voting last year for the current president were spooked by his celebrity. The 2018 election will not produce the massive shift in the House or Senate because to have that happen the people wanting it have to "commit" to vote. And if only 30% show up the change will be minimal. In other words all those out there marching and lamenting 2016's results may seem encouraging but the only thing that counts on election day is if they get out and vote. And I am not referring to just people over 40 but the key to changing the momentum of the current debacle in Washington rests squarely on the millennial generation. After all it is their future and their children's future which will be at stake and if they don't care about the future we'll get the 30% at the polls instead of the 60% that is needed.
If the voters of this country, especially the millennials, cannot see "realistically" what is going on in Washington then you can expect to prepare for the "take down" of the U.S government over the next 6 years.
In the final analysis, also keep in mind we are 5% of the earth's population, on one of the smallest planets in our solar system among the likelihood of many universes. So who knows maybe this isn't as important as it is being made out to be.
3
I think the lesson from the success in the Virginia House of Deligates last November was to focus on local issues rather than Trump.
Sprinkle in some outrage over the president but seize on the concerns that touch people in their own backyard.
The Virginia transsexual woman who won a statehouse seat by focusing on an unsafe stretch of road that was a festering local issue is an example of "all politics is local."
And, good, personable,"like to have a beer with" candidates are key. You have to like the person for whom you vote. Absolutely.
48
While I’m happy to see this national trend, I’m not seeing enough change in Oklahoma to get excited about. Yes, we’ve won a couple of districts in the past year, but Republicans still have 72 of the 101 seats in the House and 39 of 48 seats in the Senate. The Governor is still a rabid Trumpist, and because it takes a 75% majority to raise taxes, a small radical minority on the fringe of an already reactionary party can hold the state hostage. Higher ed has been cut 21% over the past 4 years, teachers’ salaries are so low that there has been a mass migration to other states, and the legislature has met in two special sessions this fall to try to pass a budget to fill a huge budget hole that they could not do by adjournment last May. This state has such a long way to go before it can rejoin the rest of the country. I’m looking forward to the day — soon, I hope — when I can leave this god-forsaken backwater and live out the rest of my life among sane citizens.
457
Move to Texas, it's close by, the cities are blue and it only needs a relatively small movement towards blue to turn the state blue.
12
Sometimes a populace has to be punished for their votes. I’m sorry Oklahoma but you have two senators who do everything they can for federal handouts all the while ranting about higher taxes. I pay my California taxes to support you since you refuse to tax yourselves. If you want change, go door to door and make it happen. California used to be ruby red but not any more!
7
1%, your observation sounds a lot like some of my evangelical neighbors. You know, the rain falling on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45). As a native Californian who lived in both the south and the north, I would say the two states are not comparable. You would have to go back to 1958 to find both the Assembly and the Senate in GOP hands. And aside from Reagan, many of the Republican governors of California were not the nasty type we currently have. In fact, remember that Earl Warren was governor before he was Chief Justice, and his administration ran more like a New Deal Democrat than a tea party or freedom caucus Republican. Many of us who never voted for Inhofe, Lankford, Coburn or Nichols canvassed and financially supported their Democratic rivals. So blaming the progressive victims of their policies seems unjust.
2
The ordinary person is getting tired of government of Trump, by Trump and for Trump, literally.
They are finally realizing the G(reed) O(ver) P(eople) is not only destroying our democracy, but are taking all the benefits and protections the people have been paying for with their taxes, and giving it to Trump and his wealthy allies.
This is happening both statewide and locally, in addition to nationally. Their greed and scorched earth policy towards the people is wrong and inhumane.
It will be tough to change overnight, because of their gerrymandering, and may take time, but it can ultimately be done, if we go out and vote.
173
Greed Over People, that is a good one, hopefully it will be co-opted by some Democratic campaigns.
2
A key article by Burns and Blinder, as it starts this election year off with a description of how the players are beginning to organize.
Democrats need to balance the irrationality that drives the G.O.P. Were the Republican Party controlled by intelligent, rational leaders, then there would be a choice between a Democratic candidate and a Republican one.
But with Trump's insulting Republicans that forces them to fear him, they have become irrational. Fox News is really "Trump News" that riles it's market of poorly educated viewers to attack anyone, Democrat or Republican, who confronts Trump's vile behavior.
And Trump owns the Right Wing Christian movement, so he can mobilize those voters in the name of the Antichrist.
It's a tough fight for the Dems because the poorly educated Trumpists aren't going to vote Democratic any time soon. Some Dems warn not to denigrate the Trumpists, but the reality is that they are a recalcitrant bunch. Instead, we need to bring the undecided voter into the fold of rationality.
Another bad piece of news is that Trump and his Fox News lie; to an emotional voter, the lies cater to his or her irrational fears. And it makes money for Fox News.
Finally, the Trumpists could win out; we could see the end of our democracy that we have so touted to the rest of the world. Maybe China has the form of government that can keep functioning by curbing the lunatic element in its population, unlike the U.S. that is now run by a lunatic element.
25
China is a dictatorship and Xi is the dictator. Be careful what you wish for!
2
Until the Democrats- in name only, in my opinion- and one of which I used to register as- begin to shed their over-educated, yuppie, soapbox lecturing persona where they continue to shoot themselves in the foot by alienating the very working and middle class people who used to flock to the party- in droves, they will continue to lose not only votes, but new members.
Their first mistake was during the 2016 campaign. They alienated the Sanders' crowd. Second mistake? They've become a self-satisfied and extremely insular party while claiming publicly to embrace 'liberal' values.
People are fed up. And. They are angry. With the current moneyed class political schmoozing and behind the scenes, back door pay for play gamesmanship. Which further erodes public trust. Of both parties. Where is the Harry Truman of our era. Nowhere to be found.
30
Much as I might prefer to be, I'm not moneyed, but I am very well-educated and it saddens me that I'm supposed to feel bad about that. Remember the good old days, when people respected smart people and struggled to send their children to college so that they could be educated, too?
16
Oh please. Some elected Democrats may not be as liberal/left-wing as you might prefer, but to lump the Democrats in with the Republicans (both sides are bad!) in regards to policies that help or hurt working-class people is insane -- or the work of a troll/bot. Democratic policies overwhelmingly favor the middle and working classes compared to Republican policies, on everything from taxation, to education funding, to regulations on banking speculation, to consumer protection laws, to voting access, to protecting worker's rights, to shoring up our social insurance programs, to trying to get big money out of politics, and these are just off the top of my head. Is every Democrat perfect? No, but they are lightyears ahead of every Republican office holder when it comes to advocating for working and middle class citizens over the interests of the moneyed elite.
16
I am puzzled.
How is it possible to be "over-educated" ?
(Undereducated I get. That is the foundation for ignorance. And ignorance is tis why Trump wants to delegitimize and defund public education.)
14
Fortunately the "angry old white men" who are supposedly fueling the conservative destruction of democracy in OUR United States of America are dying out.
Hopefully people - socially conscious women and men who believe in social/economic justice and a vibrant, thriving nation for ALL Americans - will prevail.
OUR votes will determine it all and OUR actions are all that will prevent The Con Don and his Robber Baron brethren around the world from starting WW3 and destroying the lives of average people in their demented, insatiably greedy, socially unconscious drive to take over governments around the world.
NOW is the time to stop them by any means possible.
195
Georgia is almost 40% minority now. There are serious questions about elections -- voter suppression efforts which are fairly open, scrubbed server records, no paper trails for voting machines which have been hacked in the past, changing poll places at the last minute, and a host of other unsavory tactics. One of the GOP candidate is the secretary of state who has engaged in these practices and under whom the 2015 voter database was hacked. He has a very thin resume. The other candidates are traditional white men, usually with business backgrounds, varying from insider to outsider status.
There are two women candidates running for the governorship, both with good backgrounds in state government. One is black, one white and they represent two Democratic approaches - more moderate, and more liberal.
Whichever way the wind blows in such a red state, chances are the Republican stranglehold has to weaken in the future as the minority vote grows, and the voter suppression efforts are overcome, either through legal challenges or engaged voters. There have been strong turn outs for protests by women, for science, etc.; the position of Confederate monuments is being challenged constantly; and the Trump bumper signs have never been very prominent.
The suburbs are important here, so it is a matter of voter turnout.
559
The black Democrat in the race, Stacey Abrams, is a proponent of identity politics, and that may well win her the primary. Stacey Evans, the other Democrat is more likely to be able to win the governorship as she has a pro-business background.
7
Aren't there ways to bring attention to voter suppression? Aren't there attorneys who volunteer their time to ensure the polls are fair? Shouldn't Democrats ensure there are attorneys at every polling place?
12
There's a lot up in the air right now. A racial gerrymandering case concludes discovery in a couple of weeks (districts that were redrawn mid-decade). After the June 2017 special election, the election server that had been compromised for several months was wiped clean, possibly accidentally, possibly not. The FBI had taken custody and made copies, but it is not known whether the data was retained or an investigation is ongoing. Georgia is a state with voting machines that have no paper records, and the state government refuses to spend the money to update the system.
3
I firmly believe that the majority of Americans do not want to see the country go down the deep deep hole Trump and the Republicans are trying to drag us. While they will always be able to hold onto the 35 percent or so of hard core partisan and poorly educated voters, the majority of Americans, in particular the independents, will say enough is enough. One cannot objectively look at what is going on in the Trump administration, the House Intelligence Committee, and the Republicans willfully and knowingly undermining our most important institutions and believe that the majority of our citizens will not stand up and put a stop to this. Democracy may not be perfect, but I have to believe that it will enable the majority of good people in this country to put a stop to the dishonest, treasonous and dangerous republican attacks on our nation and its rule of law.
344
I believe we can enlighten those "poorly educated voters" if we understand how to reach them. And I learned long ago that "swing voters" are largely made up of women. What are the issues women care about?
4
They have succeeded only because what passes for democracy here is the structural remains of slavery.
2
Tom - I'm a woman and I hate admitting it but I was a Republican for a long time. I lazily adopted my parents politics.
What turned me away from Republicans forever started with the war in Iraq. Their ever increasing antagonism towards gay people nauseated me. The fact that their health care "policies" punish women and children the most motivated me to donate money to Democratic candidates.
Women tend to be practical as well as compassionate and Republicans have nothing to offer women when it comes to economic and social issues, absolutely nothing.
7
This article overlooks the other source of power in redistricting, the governor's power of the veto. Flipping entire state legislatures is a very difficult task; changing the governor less so. How about a rundown on this fall's gubernatorial races? They've largely been ignored by the media this year.
165
Good point. I'm actually helping out with a ballot initiative on redistricting where I live. Basically, we gather signatures from registered voters. If we get enough signatures, voters can vote to hand the redistricting process to an independent commission. If enough voters say yes, we bypass the state legislature and redistricting becomes a non-partisan issue in Utah.
That's how the process is supposed to work anyway. I have no delusions about Utah. The state is solidly Republican. However, Republicans are over represented on both the state and federal level explicitly due to gerrymandering. That's not right. The senate is constitutionally designed to embody non-representative government. The rest of government should accurately reflect the population. The issue is non-partisan.
You highlight my biggest concern. Even if the current initiative is successful, the governors office and the state legislature are almost guarenteed to remain Republican controlled. Will the governor and company simply fail to implement the legally required provisions in the ballot initiative? We're seeing something very similar with regards to Russian sanctions right now. Where are the judicial checks on the executive and legislative branches when the government is controlled by a single party? That's what I want to know.
Reality check to be or not to be is question american people must ask government .Do we have two party system or do we have two party choice so we can say we are free to choose in reality came club . Meaning we dont have choice .
2
We have a system where two parties conspire at the state level to block formation of any possible national alternatives.
2
What's everyone so worked up about? The Republicans have absolutely nothing to worry about. Inasmuch as absolutely NOTHING has been done by "the party in power" to deal with election meddling by the Russians, the scope and breadth of that interference will eventually reach into every ballot box in this country. In other words, the GOP can relax. Vladamir has the situation covered!!
35
Nice satire.
2
My state of Louisiana is still a solidly red state, with poor people surprisingly staying with Trump, esp because of the few dollars that the tax reform gives them. People vote their wallets and pay checks. On the other hand, we have a Democrat for governor who is doing a good job and has a 55% approval rating. He re-election however, will be tough, with the Republicans going all out money wise to beat him.
296
What other issues do these "poor people" care about? Health care? Education? The Environment? Democrats need to focus on these issues and be SPECIFIC about how people are affected. You can't just say the Republican party is not good on comprehensive health care.
15
Mgaudet,
It's a shame that lots of folks see taxes and other expenses as being unconnected.
If the repeal of the ACA mandate causes your medical insurance to increase, the slight income tax decrease may not (probably won't) cover it.
Not to mention your transportation costs associated with a lack of infrastructure spending.
And your tax break is set to expire. Your expenses will still be there.
the "few dollars" comment is just like Pelosi's "crumbs" comment. When she herself in the past was toting a $40 raise in paychecks like it was winning the lottery. Conservative will take her "crumbs" comments and paste the airwaves with it. Thousand dollar and plus bonuses are not "crumbs". The Left will fight back with "illegal aliens must be given immediate amnesty and we're not going to negotiate anything", then suffer a bloodbath at the polls.
As a voter in Bucks County, PA I've been disappointed by the representation from local Republican members of congress, and those in state house and senate as well. The results of 2016 election energized me, my family and neighbors to become much more politically active than ever. Contributions to opposition candidates, working as a volunteer for in local elections, and increased membership in local political organizations. I take time every day to write or call my members of congress. I've also gotten involved in the township government, attempting to get on the school board and joining township committees with an eye on running for township supervisor.
Yes, we voters are FIRED UP and as Helen Tai stated, we want to vote and NOW. And for our area, a special election in May will provide that chance. Bring on the ballot box!
658
The "tell" will be if the self-styled "independent" House representative from PA's 8th district, Brian Fitzpatrick, gets re-elected in 2018. The 8th went for Hillary Clinton last time around. Fitzpatrick, although from the area originally, is essentially a carpetbagger from San Diego, riding his brother Michael's coattails to lected office. While Brian positions himself as a moderate, he has yet to speak out against Trump's more egregious tweets and has not said word one condemning Rep. Patrick Meehan's inappropriate behavior with a younger female staffer. I predict Brian will be a one-term representative as a result come November.
1
If you check out another story running in today's NYT about the DNC losing it's chief executive you can see that the DEMs might not be in such good shape as they would wish. Tom Perez, I imagine, is a terrible person to work with or work for. And as the article by Jonathan Martin suggests, the DEMs are in a fix because the party's finances were all about Barack Obama and NOT about the party. And to this day, big bundlers are holding their water to see what happens. The DNC sold itself to the Clinton Crime Family, which had the money to do what the DNC couldn't (let's not talk about where that money came from at this point), and now they are STILL at the effect of that decision So I would just suggest that the DEMs stifle until they get their national story together that isn't just "we hate Trump". That's a loser strategy from the party that is smarter than the rest of us, especially those NOT on the coasts.
Thank you for your turning your concerns and activism into an inspiring message Chris.!
2
This current D.C. Administration, it’s policies, the character of it’s people and what it represents, cannot be what America has become. It just cannot. It’s disgusting. It’s revolting. I’m dry-heaving outrage daily. And so are the overwhelming majority of Americans who understand what America must represent. And it’s not this.
810
Well said, Mike C, and it's obvious the majority of intelligent Americans - who have not been brainwashed by fox so-called news, hate radio and hate social media - agree. Thank you.
21
Me too. I want my country back!
10
Actually, it is what America has always been - we have a long history of supporting "Robber Barrons".
The question is: What can we do to make it better? Just being mad at Trump is useless, unless you turn your anger into some kind of action.
Hopefully the Democratic Party will get its act together. Forming a third party is very dubious proposition; it would almost certainly get Trump re-crowned in 2020.
The one thing that would justify a third party attempt, would be a Clinton rerun attempt, which would indicate that the Democrats have not reformed themselves. A Clinton rerun would almost certainly result in the second coming of Donald "God In His Own Mind" Trump, so a third party attempt would be justified.
6
The Democrats have not yet been smart enough to make the connection between making America great again and the returning of control of government to their party.
It’s not very difficult to point out that as the GOP has gained more and more statehouses, as well as the three federal branches of government, our economy, and country in general have gone down hill.
200
Sad, but true. I'm not sure it is that Democrats have not been "smart" enough, as not BOLD enough. Our leadership is weak and complacent. Schumer and Pelosi are not strong, effective leaders. They will not change, so it up to us to demand they step down and bring in new blood.
9
The GOP has won by vitriol, white nativism, and gerrymandering. Substitute "Make America Hate Again" and you have Trump's disgusting, bigoted credo. By far the majority of Americans have woken up to his incompetence, ignorance, and demagoguery. You'll see in November. And he'll take the GOP down with him.
11
When this nation was run by Democrats, we had a chicken in every pot. Today, under the GOP, only the wealthy will have a pot, paid for by everyone else. The rest of us, thanks to the GOP, will be paying welfare to the wealthy for all our lifetimes. That contentment is what the smirks are about.
3