Centrists can win a primary but not a general without progressives. You’d think their high paid strategists would have figured that out. But clearly not.
Democrats are trying to win elections in America, so it doesn’t matter how their platform compares to the left in France.
They are trying to appeal to the American center, which means people like my supervisor and my mail carrier. Those people are not leftists but they are more likely to vote for Democrats than many leftists are.
And then they cry when their base doesn’t show up, so pick one. Do you want your biggest supporters to vote for you or to you want someone that might support you. Pick one
I see plenty of mainline dems saying shit like “I’d vote for a literal ham sandwich over Trump”. Why not try to appeal to “the left” (or even just genocide-disapprovers) since your base/moderates are going to vote for you no matter what?
So Hillary wasn’t successful nor was Sanders… If Hillary at least put Sanders as her vp over milk toast, union busting, pro corporate Tim Kaine Democrats could have had a chance.
How’d trying to go after progressives work for Sanders? The progressive base is not large enough to win a primary, much less the general.
Centrists can win a primary but not a general without progressives. You’d think their high paid strategists would have figured that out. But clearly not.
That’s true, centrists need progressives to win and progressives need centrists to win.
The question is whether Democrats can more easily win over more centrists or more progressives.
“centrists” in America are far right everywhere else. And if you expect them to go with a more moderate candidate over a more right option is crazy.
Democrats are trying to win elections in America, so it doesn’t matter how their platform compares to the left in France.
They are trying to appeal to the American center, which means people like my supervisor and my mail carrier. Those people are not leftists but they are more likely to vote for Democrats than many leftists are.
And then they cry when their base doesn’t show up, so pick one. Do you want your biggest supporters to vote for you or to you want someone that might support you. Pick one
That want their biggest supporters to vote for them.
But leftists are not their biggest supporters. Moderates are.
I see plenty of mainline dems saying shit like “I’d vote for a literal ham sandwich over Trump”. Why not try to appeal to “the left” (or even just genocide-disapprovers) since your base/moderates are going to vote for you no matter what?
Not all moderates are Dems. Many are independents.
I see plenty of leftists saying things like “I refuse to vote for Democrats”.
I see plenty of moderates saying things like “I usually don’t vote the Democrats but this time I will”.
It makes more sense for Democrats to appeal to the latter then the former.
Primaries and general elections are two very different things.
A successful candidate needs to win both.
So Hillary wasn’t successful nor was Sanders… If Hillary at least put Sanders as her vp over milk toast, union busting, pro corporate Tim Kaine Democrats could have had a chance.
Milquetoast but your point stands.