Exactly. And the other comments so far are pretty ignorant. All close elections are won by winning over independents AND people registered to the other party. Just because Republicans in Congress appear largely in lock-step with Trump doesn't mean Republican voters are.
It's fair to speculate that many Trump haters left the Republican party in 2016 and more in 2020. But certainly not all of them. And beyond the Trump haters are a swathe of people uncertain or uncomfortable with Trump who can be won over.
Not what I meant. Democrats will bend over backwards to try to appeal to Republicans before they ever consider appealing to alienated progressives.
Ah, too bad.
Elections are won by appealing to the center, where the majority of the populace sits, while not alienating (too many) people on your flank.
Two party politics is a lot of this problem. Ranked choice voting would help a lot. But even in parliamentary systems, coalitions have to gather support in the center without pissing off the edges too much.
while not alienating (too many) people on your flank.
You don't have to worry about that if you consistently blame that flank for your losses. They won't have a choice.
Elections are won by appealing to the center, where the majority of the populace sits
Which center was Trump appealing to in 2016? Which extreme did Clinton try to win that same year?
And yet, she got more votes than Trump. She did appeal to more people, it's that the system is broken that getting more votes doesn't make you the winner.
It's almost like Trump appealed to the fucking shitheads whose votes count for more than the rest of us.
She did appeal to more people, it’s that the system is broken that getting more votes doesn’t make you the winner.
So you're saying that moving to the center isn't how elections are won, then.
Speaking to the center in swing states is important and Mrs. Clinton failed to bother with MI, PA, WI, or MN, because she thought he was an easy opponent.
Was Trump speaking to the center in those states?
The ignorant center. You need ignorant people to vote for you to win elections.
You're going to sit there and tell me that Trump ran to the center?
Don't waste my time with obvious lies.
Don't accuse me of lies. Trump dog whistled to the far right and appealed to the ignorant center. The folks who thought he was a savvy business man who would run the country better than some lifelong politician. The ignorant center that somehow thought Trump would create jobs and restore the rust belt to it's former glory.
No, Trump did not run to the center of anything. From the very beginning, he was overtly racist. FFS, he called Mexicans rapists during his announcement.
If you don't want people to say you're lying, don't lie. I get that you're happy when the party moves to the right and ignores progressives, but you don't need to tell lies to justify it.
It’s because progressives always vote blue anyway, when they do, and represent a small portion of the voter base. Most Americans are liberals
So don't blame them when you lose.
I’m a progressive. Why would I do that? Most progressives live in states where voting for President has no effect anyway. The blue wall, + New York, + Illinois…
The real travesty is that this is a close election.
All close elections are won by winning over independents
Not true. It's also possible to win by increasing your side's turnout. And independents aren't all centrists.
Republicans already have a major party catering directly to their interests. Meanwhile a full third of the country doesn't vote. Obviously it's a better strategy to give non-voters a reason to be engaged rather than trying to win over people who hate you and everyone who looks like you.
Exactly. And the other comments so far are pretty ignorant. All close elections are won by winning over independents AND people registered to the other party. Just because Republicans in Congress appear largely in lock-step with Trump doesn't mean Republican voters are.
It's fair to speculate that many Trump haters left the Republican party in 2016 and more in 2020. But certainly not all of them. And beyond the Trump haters are a swathe of people uncertain or uncomfortable with Trump who can be won over.
Not what I meant. Democrats will bend over backwards to try to appeal to Republicans before they ever consider appealing to alienated progressives.
Ah, too bad.
Elections are won by appealing to the center, where the majority of the populace sits, while not alienating (too many) people on your flank.
Two party politics is a lot of this problem. Ranked choice voting would help a lot. But even in parliamentary systems, coalitions have to gather support in the center without pissing off the edges too much.
You don't have to worry about that if you consistently blame that flank for your losses. They won't have a choice.
Which center was Trump appealing to in 2016? Which extreme did Clinton try to win that same year?
And yet, she got more votes than Trump. She did appeal to more people, it's that the system is broken that getting more votes doesn't make you the winner.
It's almost like Trump appealed to the fucking shitheads whose votes count for more than the rest of us.
So you're saying that moving to the center isn't how elections are won, then.
Speaking to the center in swing states is important and Mrs. Clinton failed to bother with MI, PA, WI, or MN, because she thought he was an easy opponent.
Was Trump speaking to the center in those states?
The ignorant center. You need ignorant people to vote for you to win elections.
You're going to sit there and tell me that Trump ran to the center?
Don't waste my time with obvious lies.
Don't accuse me of lies. Trump dog whistled to the far right and appealed to the ignorant center. The folks who thought he was a savvy business man who would run the country better than some lifelong politician. The ignorant center that somehow thought Trump would create jobs and restore the rust belt to it's former glory.
No, Trump did not run to the center of anything. From the very beginning, he was overtly racist. FFS, he called Mexicans rapists during his announcement.
If you don't want people to say you're lying, don't lie. I get that you're happy when the party moves to the right and ignores progressives, but you don't need to tell lies to justify it.
It’s because progressives always vote blue anyway, when they do, and represent a small portion of the voter base. Most Americans are liberals
So don't blame them when you lose.
I’m a progressive. Why would I do that? Most progressives live in states where voting for President has no effect anyway. The blue wall, + New York, + Illinois…
The real travesty is that this is a close election.
Not true. It's also possible to win by increasing your side's turnout. And independents aren't all centrists.
Republicans already have a major party catering directly to their interests. Meanwhile a full third of the country doesn't vote. Obviously it's a better strategy to give non-voters a reason to be engaged rather than trying to win over people who hate you and everyone who looks like you.