Rep. Bare, one of the reasons Democrats are not connecting is that a centrist-verging-on-Republican position is alienating a huge number of voters. Those of us who vote blue have been essentially abandoned by our own party, a party that prioritizes playing game with Republicans over fighting for our democracy. There's a tendency to dismiss anything left of classic Republican as "far left", which is a frankly ridiculous thing to do in a country that hasn't seen a real left wing party.
This particular message--the disappointment over lack of funds for the sheriffs--is proof positive that the Democrats aren't connected to the constituency. How often have we called for "defund the police"?
I do not want to meet halfway with a people who are determined to bring back brown shirts. I don't! We have a constitutional crisis on our hands, with people getting straight-up disappeared for the crime of looking not white. They aren't "deported" (with the connotation of "sent back to a supposed home country"); they're doing hard labor in an El Salvador prison, just because some cop didn't like a Real Madrid tattoo.
Thank you so much for voting against that bill and for speaking out on Substack. I know it's not easy, but it's the right thing to do and I'm proud to have voted for you. Please keep it up!
Thank you, Mike, for the opportunity to share our thoughts, frustrations, fears and dreams. Midnight Run's comment about "centrist-verging-on-Republican position" and "anything left of classic Republican as 'far left'" resonated with me. I long for a moderate on either side of the aisle. We need to cut spending with a scalpel not a bulldozer, but if we also cut revenue sources, how is that tactic supposed to pay off our debt? Or is that even the real reason for making the changes? "I don't know what to believe" is a common comment I hear.
Regarding immigration: Do people realize that we are 8.5 million laborers short due to retiring baby boomers, declining birth rates, over programmed teens, incarceration, and addiction? Have they talked to business owners who would take all the refugees and legal immigrants they could? I have, but the communities in which they work don't have enough housing to support them. Housing unit construction declined massively during the Great Recession and many communities haven't caught up and existing units need a lot of work.
Regarding what's missing from leadership: Humility. I wasn't confident that Paul Ryan's economic policies were going to work, but I trusted that his decisions were based on an educated assessment. In March of 2016, my respect for him grew when he apologized for previous misconceptions of those that received government benefits. In "Flourishing in the Age of Climate Change", author William Throop, discusses how we praise scientists for changing their minds based on new data, but yet criticize political leaders for the same thing and call them "flip-floppers". This creates intransigence and deepening political divide. If the US is a metaphorical Titanic, our crew should be praised for their ability to identify, inform, and change course for the survival of all on board.
Re: difficulty connecting with voters: the vast majority of the contact people have with the Dems is mailers, calls, and texts asking for money. Is it any wonder people regard the Dem party like a deadbeat relative who only calls to ask for a "loan"? The Dem communication strategy has made them a nuisance to be avoided.
Additionally, in the rare moments when Dems do achieve wins, they barely whisper about it, let alone shouting it from the rooftops. Frankly, y'all are simply *terrible* at messaging. The Repubs have you beaten by *leagues* on that front. Most people don't pay attention to politics - it sucks but it is what it is - and all they know when they step into the voting booth is the talking points they've heard most often or most recently. You have to get airtime, be ALL OVER the media, constantly, with short memorable messages. That doesn't mean you gotta lie like the Repubs, and it sure as hell doesn't mean you neglect what makes good policy, but you HAVE to be better than your competition at messaging.
2. Interactions between the party/candidates/officeholders and the public should be as POSITIVE and HELPFUL as possible, and frequent to boot.
3. DO NOT BACK DOWN, AND DO NOT COMPROMISE. Your opponents want to dismantle the government and line their own pockets, regardless of who or how many people that hurts. Playing ball with them makes you the bad guys too. They're not gonna "come to their senses" if you make nicey-nice with them. They know what they're doing and they're not gonna stop until someone MAKES them stop. Stop acting like a codependent abused spouse and kick their asses to the curb!
"Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man. You take a step towards him, he takes a step back. Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man." - A.R. Moxon
The million dollar question!!! What have republicans done for working Americans? Working people have been under attack by republicans (start with reagan) they have attacked unions, they have underfunded public education, the would do away with health care, have attacked Social Security, increased taxes on the Middle class while reducing taxes for the wealthy. We are now at the stage when all of the above are being eliminated or are in consideration for elimination or massive reductions! When will Americans, the working class realize that voting for a Republican is against their self interest! It's called "false consciousness" . Wakeup thought it might be much too late.
I'm always baffled when I read that the Democrats wanted to 'defund the police' because I've never seen a single bill proposed by Democrats proposing such a thing. What am I missing?
Could you post a link to a bill or proposal they made in which they indicated that they wanted to 'defund the police'? As someone with two cops in the family, I'd have noticed that, and opposed it -- but I'm not even sure what it would mean to 'defund the police'. I'll wait for your reply.
This debate really shows how much of our politics is still built on the illusion that we’re separate.
Separate parties, separate interests, separate communities. But we’re not.
Even in calling out injustice, we often reinforce the very divisions we claim to oppose. Immigrants, law enforcement, lawmakers... we all live under the same sky, in the same towns, depending on each other more than we like to admit.
Real solutions don’t come from drawing harder lines or punishing those we disagree with. They come from recognizing that our futures are bound together, and that our communities are only as strong as the compassion and fairness we extend across those artificial divides.
I have no Empathy is not something I would want emblazoned on T-shirt. If one steps back and asks what would I do if I were in the impossible position most illegal immigrants face, inability to grow food secondary to climate change induced drought patterns, death, rape, or imprisonment threats to self or family from drug gangs or autocratic governments? In my case, I would brave the Darien Gap, Coyotes and the US Border patrol and try to survive.
There are many ways that Democrats have alienated the center/center left. For me the dumbest hill to die on is too pure political correctness. For me, the expectation of having to display pronouns, is one such issue. I will gladly let people love who they want and let them identify in any way they feels is necessary to live their life, but for me it is not society's responsibility to pay for gender affirming care. There is inequity in our lives. I'm an old white guy who has had a tailwind most of my life. My top issues include maintaining an inhabitable planet, addressing structural poverty and racism, providing educational opportunities, public health
Your in a diffrent world. Trying to figure out what lies you need to tell people to get vote. You miss the point that the majority want the mass deportation to take place, that why Trump was voted in.
Rep. Bare, one of the reasons Democrats are not connecting is that a centrist-verging-on-Republican position is alienating a huge number of voters. Those of us who vote blue have been essentially abandoned by our own party, a party that prioritizes playing game with Republicans over fighting for our democracy. There's a tendency to dismiss anything left of classic Republican as "far left", which is a frankly ridiculous thing to do in a country that hasn't seen a real left wing party.
This particular message--the disappointment over lack of funds for the sheriffs--is proof positive that the Democrats aren't connected to the constituency. How often have we called for "defund the police"?
I do not want to meet halfway with a people who are determined to bring back brown shirts. I don't! We have a constitutional crisis on our hands, with people getting straight-up disappeared for the crime of looking not white. They aren't "deported" (with the connotation of "sent back to a supposed home country"); they're doing hard labor in an El Salvador prison, just because some cop didn't like a Real Madrid tattoo.
Meet the moment, man.
Thank you so much for voting against that bill and for speaking out on Substack. I know it's not easy, but it's the right thing to do and I'm proud to have voted for you. Please keep it up!
I agree that the Democratic politicians are abandoning their constituents and siding with the GOP. They seem to have no spine anymore.
Thank you, Mike, for the opportunity to share our thoughts, frustrations, fears and dreams. Midnight Run's comment about "centrist-verging-on-Republican position" and "anything left of classic Republican as 'far left'" resonated with me. I long for a moderate on either side of the aisle. We need to cut spending with a scalpel not a bulldozer, but if we also cut revenue sources, how is that tactic supposed to pay off our debt? Or is that even the real reason for making the changes? "I don't know what to believe" is a common comment I hear.
Regarding immigration: Do people realize that we are 8.5 million laborers short due to retiring baby boomers, declining birth rates, over programmed teens, incarceration, and addiction? Have they talked to business owners who would take all the refugees and legal immigrants they could? I have, but the communities in which they work don't have enough housing to support them. Housing unit construction declined massively during the Great Recession and many communities haven't caught up and existing units need a lot of work.
Regarding what's missing from leadership: Humility. I wasn't confident that Paul Ryan's economic policies were going to work, but I trusted that his decisions were based on an educated assessment. In March of 2016, my respect for him grew when he apologized for previous misconceptions of those that received government benefits. In "Flourishing in the Age of Climate Change", author William Throop, discusses how we praise scientists for changing their minds based on new data, but yet criticize political leaders for the same thing and call them "flip-floppers". This creates intransigence and deepening political divide. If the US is a metaphorical Titanic, our crew should be praised for their ability to identify, inform, and change course for the survival of all on board.
I appreciate the update and the work you’re doing.
Re: difficulty connecting with voters: the vast majority of the contact people have with the Dems is mailers, calls, and texts asking for money. Is it any wonder people regard the Dem party like a deadbeat relative who only calls to ask for a "loan"? The Dem communication strategy has made them a nuisance to be avoided.
Additionally, in the rare moments when Dems do achieve wins, they barely whisper about it, let alone shouting it from the rooftops. Frankly, y'all are simply *terrible* at messaging. The Repubs have you beaten by *leagues* on that front. Most people don't pay attention to politics - it sucks but it is what it is - and all they know when they step into the voting booth is the talking points they've heard most often or most recently. You have to get airtime, be ALL OVER the media, constantly, with short memorable messages. That doesn't mean you gotta lie like the Repubs, and it sure as hell doesn't mean you neglect what makes good policy, but you HAVE to be better than your competition at messaging.
Other advice:
1. Do things FOR and WITH the community. Be involved! (see also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKgNrshVdMw)
2. Interactions between the party/candidates/officeholders and the public should be as POSITIVE and HELPFUL as possible, and frequent to boot.
3. DO NOT BACK DOWN, AND DO NOT COMPROMISE. Your opponents want to dismantle the government and line their own pockets, regardless of who or how many people that hurts. Playing ball with them makes you the bad guys too. They're not gonna "come to their senses" if you make nicey-nice with them. They know what they're doing and they're not gonna stop until someone MAKES them stop. Stop acting like a codependent abused spouse and kick their asses to the curb!
"Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man. You take a step towards him, he takes a step back. Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man." - A.R. Moxon
Thanks for having the courage (aka spine) to say what needs to be said. Keep up the good work, Mike.
The million dollar question!!! What have republicans done for working Americans? Working people have been under attack by republicans (start with reagan) they have attacked unions, they have underfunded public education, the would do away with health care, have attacked Social Security, increased taxes on the Middle class while reducing taxes for the wealthy. We are now at the stage when all of the above are being eliminated or are in consideration for elimination or massive reductions! When will Americans, the working class realize that voting for a Republican is against their self interest! It's called "false consciousness" . Wakeup thought it might be much too late.
Your party wanted to defund the police. Why has your position changed?
I'm always baffled when I read that the Democrats wanted to 'defund the police' because I've never seen a single bill proposed by Democrats proposing such a thing. What am I missing?
Could you post a link to a bill or proposal they made in which they indicated that they wanted to 'defund the police'? As someone with two cops in the family, I'd have noticed that, and opposed it -- but I'm not even sure what it would mean to 'defund the police'. I'll wait for your reply.
This debate really shows how much of our politics is still built on the illusion that we’re separate.
Separate parties, separate interests, separate communities. But we’re not.
Even in calling out injustice, we often reinforce the very divisions we claim to oppose. Immigrants, law enforcement, lawmakers... we all live under the same sky, in the same towns, depending on each other more than we like to admit.
Real solutions don’t come from drawing harder lines or punishing those we disagree with. They come from recognizing that our futures are bound together, and that our communities are only as strong as the compassion and fairness we extend across those artificial divides.
I have no Empathy is not something I would want emblazoned on T-shirt. If one steps back and asks what would I do if I were in the impossible position most illegal immigrants face, inability to grow food secondary to climate change induced drought patterns, death, rape, or imprisonment threats to self or family from drug gangs or autocratic governments? In my case, I would brave the Darien Gap, Coyotes and the US Border patrol and try to survive.
There are many ways that Democrats have alienated the center/center left. For me the dumbest hill to die on is too pure political correctness. For me, the expectation of having to display pronouns, is one such issue. I will gladly let people love who they want and let them identify in any way they feels is necessary to live their life, but for me it is not society's responsibility to pay for gender affirming care. There is inequity in our lives. I'm an old white guy who has had a tailwind most of my life. My top issues include maintaining an inhabitable planet, addressing structural poverty and racism, providing educational opportunities, public health
Your in a diffrent world. Trying to figure out what lies you need to tell people to get vote. You miss the point that the majority want the mass deportation to take place, that why Trump was voted in.
Troll much?