A lot of the people who embrace alarm dont embrace what I think obviously follows from that alarm, which is the willingness to make strategic and political decisions you find personally discomfiting, even though they are obviously more likely to help you win, right? Taking political positions that will make it more likely to win Senate seats in Kansas and Ohio and Missouri. Trying to open your coalition to people you didnt want it open to before. Running pro-life Democrats. And one of my biggest frustrations with many people whose politics I otherwise share, is the unwillingness to match the seriousness of your politics to the seriousness of your alarm.
Why would a republican vote for a pro-life Dem when they could vote for any given republican?This is my reaction more or less whenever Dems try to pivot to the right
Why would a republican vote for a pro-life Dem when they could vote for any given republican?Exactly . The Republican base isn't going to go for Diet Republican when they can have the real thing. All this would accomplish is depressing turnout among the Democratic base.
win Senate seats in Kansas and Ohio and MissouriThree states where abortion access won when put to a statewide vote? And any subsequent roadblocks to that access came about from pro-life state congressmen?
Three states where abortion access won when put to a statewide vote? And any subsequent roadblocks to that access came about from pro-life state congressmen?I just heard this from a different source and was about to post it after verifying, though you beat me to the punch lol
A pro-life Democrat would do nothing to solve that problem, assuming they would win at all, which is unlikely.
I agree that Dems should run more socially conservative Dems in those States. Or at least Dems who speak about abortion in a more conservative way.It isn't a good example, which is why I was honestly shocked when he used it. Most people have been going to trans in sports for their rightward pivot, but going after abortion when, as LS put it, it's their best issue is insane.
But I don't really think abortion is a good example since I think Dems already win on this issue. At the end of the day all this stuff is about trans policies and they need to just outright state it.
as of late Dems have been doing a solid job winning on pro-choice platforms even in red states
what the fuck would even be the point
I can believe that there are people for whom banning abortion is an important enough issue for them to to switch their vote over. Or persuade them to vote rather than just stay at home.
But enough to make a difference?
Democrats need to actually TRY in red states. They'll never get enough of a majority to actually get things done if they keep only winning in blue and purple states.
Erza Klein: in this new era of politics let me suggest we once again do the only trick we know and that's move to the right. Sure it keeps failing to work but that's why it's so genius, nobody will expect it this time and we'll sweep up!Like other rich liberals, he knows hes insulated from the consequences of what hes suggesting and therefore sees no problem with going in that direction.
Democrats need to actually TRY in red states. They'll never get enough of a majority to actually get things done if they keep only winning in blue and purple states.Refusing to concede on important issues like this is how you try.
Flatly, this would probably be to Manchin's right. Manchin was pro Roe v. WadeSo worse than Manchin. Dang
I don't think people realize how much we're gonna miss him in the years ahead.
So trying to set up a bunch of Manchin's?
You are not a real democratic strategist if you are brainstorming how to alienate your strongest demographics.
Ezra Klein is not a Democratic strategistMy mistake, I see him come up all the time lately. I may also be misusing the term, I used it pretty loosely and didn't necessarily mean to imply he is paid by the party for exmaple
This whole business of capitulating to the right on policy issues to try to win elections is stupid for so many reasons:
1) It won't win over any Republicans -- they will always vote for the real bigot (R) over any both-sides appeaser.
2) It's unprincipled -- abortion bans kill women, so the strategy is to expect women to accept this carnage as a sacrifice for the greater good? Fuck that noise.
3) Elections are often decided by fuckwits in the middle, and fuckwits in the middle vote based on vibes rather than policy. So these fuckwits aren't even going to know or care if Democrats agree with Republicans that women are appliances with two functions.
Abortion is a winning issue. The real issue that's done horrible damage to the Dems they should disavow as hard as possible is "Defund The Police"
Abortion is a winning issue. The real issue that's done horrible damage to the Dems they should disavow as hard as possible is "Defund The Police"And yet Roe vs Wade being struck down didn't cause the reaction people were hoping for. Trump still won.