Lessons from 2024 Campaign, where you go from there?

[PeterMP]

It is hard to know. Before ES died, somebody posted a think by Jon Stewart about the lessons people "learned" from the past, and it was all pundits saying things that didn't turn out to be true.

Two things are clear:
1. People's views of the economy didn't favor the incumbent and in the end people viewed Kamala has the incumbent. I've read where somebody suggested that in the end days of her campaign the big celebration rallies with celebrities and at the ellipse were mistakes. She was doing better when she was talking about economics. That lower key town halls in more depressed areas talking about economic reform might have been the better option.

2. The Dems need to kill the pro-immigration/open border talk/wing of the party. On several issues, the run left in the 2020 primary seems to have been bad for the Dems (even though Biden ended up winning).

[Corcaigh]

It is hard to know. Before ES died, somebody posted a think by Jon Stewart about the lessons people "learned" from the past, and it was all pundits saying things that didn't turn out to be true.

Two things are clear:
1. People's views of the economy didn't favor the incumbent and in the end people viewed Kamala has the incumbent. I've read where somebody suggested that in the end days of her campaign the big celebration rallies with celebrities and at the ellipse were mistakes. She was doing better when she was talking about economics. That lower key town halls in more depressed areas talking about economic reform might have been the better option.

2. The Dems need to kill the pro-immigration/open border talk/wing of the party. On several issues, the run left in the 2020 primary seems to have been bad for the Dems (even though Biden ended up winning).

Yeah, I think the lesson learned from 2024 is that the ONLY thing that will impact a majority is their personal economic self interest. Don’t campaign on anything else. Morality is unimportant. There are no disqualifying behaviors.

[The Sisko]

It is hard to know. Before ES died, somebody posted a think by Jon Stewart about the lessons people "learned" from the past, and it was all pundits saying things that didn't turn out to be true.

Two things are clear:
1. People's views of the economy didn't favor the incumbent and in the end people viewed Kamala has the incumbent. I've read where somebody suggested that in the end days of her campaign the big celebration rallies with celebrities and at the ellipse were mistakes. She was doing better when she was talking about economics. That lower key town halls in more depressed areas talking about economic reform might have been the better option.

2. The Dems need to kill the pro-immigration/open border talk/wing of the party. On several issues, the run left in the 2020 primary seems to have been bad for the Dems (even though Biden ended up winning).

Yeah, I think the lesson learned from 2024 is that the ONLY thing that will impact a majority is their personal economic self interest. Don’t campaign on anything else. Morality is unimportant. There are no disqualifying behaviors.

I'd beg to differ. You can also sway plenty of them with culture wars and xenophobia while the pocketbook voters are happy to look the other way, to the extent they aren't already a part of the others that is.

[Corcaigh]

It is hard to know. Before ES died, somebody posted a think by Jon Stewart about the lessons people "learned" from the past, and it was all pundits saying things that didn't turn out to be true.

Two things are clear:
1. People's views of the economy didn't favor the incumbent and in the end people viewed Kamala has the incumbent. I've read where somebody suggested that in the end days of her campaign the big celebration rallies with celebrities and at the ellipse were mistakes. She was doing better when she was talking about economics. That lower key town halls in more depressed areas talking about economic reform might have been the better option.

2. The Dems need to kill the pro-immigration/open border talk/wing of the party. On several issues, the run left in the 2020 primary seems to have been bad for the Dems (even though Biden ended up winning).

Yeah, I think the lesson learned from 2024 is that the ONLY thing that will impact a majority is their personal economic self interest. Don’t campaign on anything else. Morality is unimportant. There are no disqualifying behaviors.

I'd beg to differ. You can also sway plenty of them with culture wars and xenophobia while the pocketbook voters are happy to look the other way, to the extent they aren't already a part of the others that is.

But that was a consequence of failing to communicate what Biden/Harris had accomplished on the economy. The Dems lost the culture war too as any half-assed messaging on inclusiveness and tolerance was trampled by the nonsense of killer pet-eating migrants and scary trans people filling the void.

But I clearly don’t understand a damn thing. How anyone could look at the hundreds and hundreds of statements by Trump that would have disqualified a candidate prior 2016 and think he’s fit is beyond me.

[ixcuincle]

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/05/politics ... -in-crisis

Fareed’s take: Progressive government is in crisis
Fareed Zakaria, GPS

In elections around the world in 2024, left-of-center political parties fared especially badly, Fareed points out, arguing that left-leaning government is in a state of crisis. That can even be seen in the US, Fareed says, contrasting left-leaning New York with right-leaning Florida.

[88Commanders00]

Since we got some new members since the last post in this thread, any thoughts?

[88Commanders00]

Dems need a complete flush. Most of the Dems , especially the old guard, needs to be primaried in 26. No, they won’t all lose but you need, new fresh blood; who will fight the gop. You need to be aggressive and not passive in the opposition.

Also, have a plan starting now to take back things. Not just at the national level but state and local. Also, needs that control to focus on rebalancing the courts.

The gop when they lost big in 06/08; had a plan to get things back. 2010 was devastating to Dems and we are still living with that today.

Long term planning and actions, must be there with short term.

The moment Trump lost in 20, the gop has been preparing to not only win the 2024 elections but what they will do; when they win in 24. Project 2025 anyone.


The gop, well they are gone for good. Firmly, in MAGA’s grip. They will overreach and go to extremes; which will help Dems but only if they promise something different. If the Dems just hope for the gop to f*#k things up; they will find the mad voters won’t come out and vote Dem, they will just stay at home or vote 3rd party.

[DCranon21]

Dems need to get younger especially on state and local politics. Start was with Hakeem Jefferies being the leader of the congressional Dems. Also Dems messaging is damn terrible. When Obama ran in 2007, social media was just really getting started. The Dems lost the digital battle vs the GOP. Now the GOP controls next-gen media/social media(podcast, Tik Tok, X, etc) as well as legacy media, where people get their news from and messaging. Speaking of messaging, the Dems lost that too, which is why their messaging is terrible, like I mentioned before. There could have been a lot prevented from when Biden took office in '21 up until now. Also Dem leadership had/needed to convince Biden he was going to be a one term President. Because after Trump lost, everyone knew he was going to run so he could keep his ass outta prison. The Afghanistan pullout, messaging and getting the point across was terrible. Explain to people why inflation happened and the world was going through the same thing. The border crisis messaging was terrible too and when they tried to do something about it, it was already too late(but it's been an issue for a long time and they could have explained that). Bottom line, Dems need fresh new blood to fight the GOP and their messaging. Look at the podcasters and who listen to these guys. They have to figure it out.

[PeterMP]

Explain to people why inflation happened and the world was going through the same thing.

I'm not sure that you can explain enough to enough people for it to matter. Too many people don't care and can easily get their information from somewhere that will agree with them.

The only people that would read the Federalist Papers today were people that agreed with them.

And really, that wouldn't even happen. A handful of people would read the Federalist Papers. The people that agreed with the Federalist Papers would get talking points/sound bytes about the Federalist Papers from their news source.

Other people would never hear about them or would hear about how awful they are/how wrong they are (because they are essentially unplugged from the news or take in biased news).

For the foreseeable future, I think the party that has to "explain" is going to lose. (The GOP has a little bit of an advantage because there is a baked in percent of the population that likes the idea of being able to make fun/look down on other people and those people are going to lean GOP.)