By Mike Cocchiola
It’s a couple of months since the election and reality has set in. Democrats lost. No, not merely lost, they got swamped. We were not competitive anywhere. In the general election we lost every local race by a wide margin. Even the closest race was a seven-point loss, and that at the expense of Barbara Revels, a long-time Democratic incumbent. Now we face a county completely dominated by Republicans and the impending political irrelevance of a permanent minority party. That’s the reality.
So what’s next? How do we regain relevancy and become once again the political force in Flagler?
First, some facts. We were once the majority party in terms of registered voters. We’ve steadily lost ground each year since 2010, and today we’re outnumbered by the Republican Party’s roughly 32,000 registered voters to our 25,000. Since 2010, we’ve gained about 1,000 registered voters. Republicans have gained over 8,000. Even independents gained 6,000 new voters over this six-year period. Clearly, as Flagler County has grown, Democrats have not. We have not kept pace with the growing population because we simply have not appealed to our new citizens. And most disturbingly, Republicans voted at about an 82 percent rate in this last election, Democrats were around 72 percent (I’ve even seen a number as low as 69 percent).
We’re outnumbered and we don’t vote. Clearly, we’re in a deep hole and we’ve simply got to stop digging it deeper.
How do we turn this around? I was asked at the All Flagler Democratic Club’s inaugural meeting in November if I knew how to win. No one can guarantee a win, but I know how we can rebuild, gain an edge and have a fighting chance to win. We can get back in the game and we can become, once again, a force in this community. If we do this, the wins will come.
Here’s what I believe is a winning strategy.
“It’s time now to turn our anger and disappointment into resolve, into commitment, into action.”
First, we spend a little time gaining a better understanding of what happened: what we did right, what we did wrong, and as important, what didn’t we do to win. Some would question why we would waste our time: it was all Trump. We don’t know that and we’d better find out for sure or risk convincing ourselves it was all an anomaly, a one-time occurrence, and we should just keep doing what we did before. That would be fatal. A successful organization understands its failures and fixes them, knows its strengths and capitalizes on them, and hits the marketplace with new ideas, new products and new energy to overwhelm the competition. So let’s talk to people–former candidates and officeholders, new arrivals, long-term Democrats–and get smarter.
Second, we develop a strategic plan, a roadmap, outlining our future goals, strategies for achieving them, and the resources–people and money–necessary to get the job done. The plan has to be realistic and achievable, yet resourceful and ambitious. We need new voters: millennials, 30 and 40-somethings, independents and new residents. And we need to get those we already have voting in much larger numbers. We must focus intensely on what’s important to Flagler County, and we must craft compelling messages to bring this all together. Yes, I’m talking about building a “brand,” one that speaks practically and emotionally to current and future Flagler Democratic voters.
Third, we need to organize around the plan. The new All Flagler Democratic Club (AFDC) and the Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) have different but complementary roles. The Executive Committee essentially registers voters and gets votes in, ideally by mail, hopefully during early voting and surely at the polling sites on voting day.
The Democratic Club should prepare the ground, inform, motivate, energize and inspire. We should provide a haven, a rallying point for Democrats. It should be the go-to club for Democrats in Flagler. Come election time, we provide the Executive Committee with ground forces and as much money as we can raise. It’s a partnership that we need to strengthen and that must work together to win. So, the All Flagler Democratic Club should develop the right leadership and teams to execute its plan and do its part to turn Flagler Blue again.
Fourth, we target upcoming local races and help recruit good solid candidates. I’m convinced that successful local candidates benefit greatly from name recognition, perhaps even more so than from party affiliation. Once we have a slate of candidates, we help all we can to get them well-known and respected in this community. We agree on messaging, we stick to the plan and we relentlessly promote our candidates. Consistency, clarity and cohesion win votes–and elections.
Fifth, we commit ourselves to our plan and focus our energies on raising money, getting the plan into action and getting our candidates in the game. Nothing happens without funding. We need to go after serious financial commitments from Democratic supporters anywhere and everywhere that we can reach out and touch them. Without financial support, it’s all just wishful thinking. Without funding, our message dies. We can’t reach voters and we won’t get them to the polls. It’s that simple and that important.
It’s time now to turn our anger and disappointment into resolve, into commitment, into action. We have two short years to make a difference. The strategies I’ve outlined are not mutually exclusive or sequential. They are interactive and complementary and we can get moving now with a broad-based approach. There are no guarantees but successful organizations do these things and so should we. It’s not about comfort, or familiarity, or tradition, or doing what we like to do. It’s about winning.
Mike Cocchiola, a Palm Coast resident and member of the All Flagler Democratic Club, is running for the group’s presidency early next year. Reach him by email here.
Anonymous says
What went Wrong? Your are too liberal. You need to move to the Right about 90 degrees. I’m a democrat and I voted a nearly straight Republican slate of candidates because the Democratic candidates were either extremely liberal, or, I felt too corrupt to hold office. A lot of democrats voted as I did as well.
South Florida says
Guess we have to adapt or move on.
Common Sense says
Well said.
Richard Smith says
Is it possible that the Democrats are not listening to the voting public? Is it possible that the Democrats are not providing a platform that the voting public is wanting and needing so desperately? Is it possible that the Democrats are not providing the jobs and financial growth that the American public need to survive? Is it possible that maybe the Democrats are not doing anything other than being self-serving looking out for THEIR best interest or for the Special Interest Groups that stuff the politicians pockets with tons of cash?
Maybe the Democrat’s should take some lessons from the Republicans who now have the presidency plus a majority in the House and Senate for the next 2 years and probably longer.
Trump being a smart business man that he is will probably get more done in his first year in office than Obama could ever dream about in his 8 years of lies.
woody says
Bring forth a decent canidate then we can talk.Untill then all you can do IS move on.
Sherry says
Happy Holiday Everyone!
TRUMP, a poem…
By John Pavlovitz
In a land where the states are united, they claim,
in a sky-scraping tower adorned with his name,
lived a terrible, horrible, devious chump,
the bright orange miscreant known as the Trump.
This Trump he was mean, such a mean little man,
with the tiniest heart and two tinier hands,
and a thin set of lips etched in permanent curl,
and a sneer and a scowl and contempt for the world.
He looked down from his perch and he grinned ear to ear,
and he thought, “I could steal the election this year!
It’d be rather simple, it’s so easily won,
I’ll just make them believe that their best days are done!
Yes, I’ll make them believe that it’s all gone to Hell,
and I’ll be Jerk Messiah and their souls they will sell.
And I’ll use lots of words disconnected from truth,
but I’ll say them with style so they won’t ask for proof.
I’ll toss out random platitudes, phrases, and such,
They’re so raised on fake news that it won’t matter much!
They won’t question the how to, the what, why, or when,
I will make their America great once again!”
The Trump told them to fear, they should fear he would say,
“They’ve all come for your jobs, they’ll all take them away.
You should fear every Muslim and Mexican too,
every brown, black, and tan one, everyone who votes blue.”
And he fooled all the Christians, he fooled them indeed,
He just trotted out Jesus, that’s all Jesus folk need.
And celebrity preachers they all crowned him as king,
Tripping over themselves just to kiss the Trump’s ring.
And he spoke only lies just as if they were true,
Until they believed all of those lies were true too.
He repeated and Tweeted and he blustered and spit,
And he mislead and fibbed—and he just made up sh*t.
And the media laughed but they printed each line,
thinking “He’ll never will win, in the end we’ll be fine.”
So they chased every headline, bold typed every claim,
‘Till the fake news and real news they looked just the same.
And the scared folk who listened, they devoured each word,
Yes, they ate it all up every word that they heard,
petrified that their freedom was under attack,
trusting Trump he would take their America back.
From the gays and from ISIS, he’d take it all back,
Take it back from the Democrats, fat cats, and blacks.
And so hook, line, and sinker they all took the bait,
all his lies about making America great.
Now the Pant-suited One she was smart and prepared,
she was brilliant and steady but none of them cared,
no they cared not to see all the work that she’d done,
or the fact they the Trump had not yet done thing one.
They could only shout “Emails!”, yes “Emails!” they’d shout,
because Fox News had told them—and Fox News had clout.
And the Pant-suited One she was slandered no end,
and a lie became truth she could never defend.
And the Trump watched it all go according to plan—
a strong woman eclipsed by an insecure man.
And November the 8th arrived, finally it came,
like a slow-moving storm but it came just the same.
And Tuesday became Wednesday as those days will do,
And the night turned to morning and the nightmare came true,
With millions of non-voters still in their beds,
Yes, the Trump he had done it, just like he had said.
And the Trumpers they trumped, how they trumped when he won,
All the racists and bigots; deplorable ones,
they crawled out from the woodwork, came out to raise Hell,
they came out to be hateful and hurtful as well.
With slurs and with road signs, with spray paint and Tweets,
with death threats to neighbors and taunts on the street.
And the grossest of grossness they hurled on their peers,
while the Trump he said zilch—for the first time in years.
But he Tweeted at Hamilton, he Tweeted the Times,
And he trolled Alec Baldwin a few hundred times,
and he pouted a pout like a petulant kid,
thinking this is what Presidents actually did,
thinking he could still be a perpetual jerk,
terrified to learn he had to actually work,
work for every American, not just for a few,
not just for the white ones—there was much more to do.
He now worked for the Muslims and Mexicans too,
for the brown, black, and tan ones, and the ones who vote blue.
They were all now his bosses, now they all had a say,
and those nasty pant-suited ones were here to stay.
And the Trump he soon realized that he didn’t win,
He had gotten the thing—and the thing now had him.
And it turned out the Trump was a little too late,
for America was already more than quite great,
not because of the sameness, the opposite’s true,
It’s greatness far more than just red, white, and blue,
It’s straight, gay, and female—it’s Gentile and Jew,
It’s Transgender and Christian and Atheist too.
It’s Asians, Caucasians of every kind,
The disabled and abled, the deaf and the blind,
It’s immigrants, Muslims, and brave refugees,
It’s Liberals with bleeding hearts fixed to their sleeves.
And we are all staying, we’re staying right here,
and we’ll be the great bane of the Trump for four years.
And we’ll be twice as loud as the loudness of hate,
be the greatness that makes our America great.
And the Trump’s loudest boasts they won’t ever obscure,
almost 3 million more of us—voted for her.
Lin says
So it is all about winning? Planning, fundraising etc.
The Democrat party is so far left of the Democrat party of my youth.
It really is about appealing to those who want a sovereign nation of laws and responsible citizens – not the Dems of these days. Strategy is great if the public is buying what you are selling– and a lot of people aren’t.
Perhaps the Dems should try identifying WITH the rest of us instead of identifying those groups they want to deplore and call names. We are all Americans.
In psychology class I learned that we tend to like those that like us. Obama didn’t like us, Michelle has no hope anymore, and Clinton had so much animus for her enemy Republicans. I won’t elect any more morally superiors especially if I don’t agree with the judgment.
Mike, I don’t think you get it.
YankeeExPat says
Not many voters (R, D or IND) wanted another BUSH or CLINTON
Trump won by default.
I held my nose and voted for Hillary only because she was only marginally less offensive than the Donald
Looking back on it now, I should have listened to my conscience and stayed home.
I have never missed voting (local or national) since I registered at 18yrs old. If the local and 2020 presidential candidates continue to be as Horrible as this year, that’s it for me…..
I don’t give a Flying Duck!
Layla says
You need a platform other than Socialism, Mr. Cocchiola. What do you stand for? Your party is much too far left, which is why the voters took us to the middle. Until you fully realize why you lost and accept that, you stand no chance of winning. Party politics isn’t doing much to help American families. Many Dems in this county are acting like rude babies. Grow up and stop insulting the voters. This isn’t rocket science; it is common courtesy.
This isn’t about you, it’s about America.
RickG says
Wow, based on some these responses I’m hearing Achtung echoing all over Flagler Co. Too liberal??? If anything Democrats need to get back to what got them to where they were 30 years ago. Defend the New Deal, separate yourselves from the Big Banksters and corporate hacks and promote union growth. Now that is what I call liberal… a platform that serves the interests of the middle class working families.
Fredrick says
Amen Mr. Smith. Amen…..
John Crimmins says
What’s this me/we crap. Special kind of snowflake
Knightwatch says
Annonymous… I know Democrats, and you are no Democrat.
Knightwatch says
Richard… the “voting public” voted nearly 2.9 MILLION more times for Hillary Clinton than for your candidate. How do you account for that??
footballen says
Well said Richard but stand by for the scathing insults in 3, 2, 1.
The Ghost of America says
I’d say start giving a shit about elections in red states maybe? case in point: Mississippi’s governorship election.
DRedder says
Where do “we” go? That’s easy…..
Seriously the swamp needs not only to be drained but allowed to run clean. Term limits are needed for both parties. How many part time jobs pay so much and offer not just life time benefits but better healthcare than the overwhelming majority of people can ever access, and all paid for on the backs of the American Workers.
Seems like over the last 60 yrs. A Government By The People & For The People has been flooded by politically corrupet swamp water.
Common Sense says
Trump supporters are willing to believe the illogical statements made by their leader. The obvious lies he told during his campaign, the promises he has already bactracked on, the wall, the draining the swamp, the prosecution of Clinton, accepting gay marriage,the bringing back of coal jobs, all lies and yet his supporters still blindly believe him.
If being a Democrat means that we won’t lie to Americans, the count me in.
Remember he lost the the public vote. The majority of Americans see him for what he is.
Ron says
Show some class. First, respect our new president elect. Stop the whinning! Let’s get our courty back on top.
I/M/O says
“…We need new voters: millennials, 30 and 40-somethings, independents and new residents…”
The Millennials I know voted. They voted republican.
“…We’ve steadily lost ground each year since 2010, and today we’re outnumbered by the Republican Party’s roughly 32,000 registered voters to our 25,000. Since 2010, we’ve gained about 1,000 registered voters. Republicans have gained over 8,000….”
Those would be the well educated Millennials who after college could not find jobs in the northeast progressive States so they moved to other States. How do i know this? I am only here because my children moved here. They all told me there was no way they would stay in New York and pay $13,000 a year in property taxes, $400 a month for electricity and $2,000 a month for oil heat in the winter.
One child moved here the other to Indiana. All thjeir cousins have also moved to Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Indiana.
I/M/O says
Why are property taxes $13,000 a year in New York? It’s called the Teacher’s Union. $500,000 a year Teachers. Impossible you say?
Here is the Long Island Chart of salaries.
http://projects.newsday.com/databases/long-island/teacher-administrator-salaries-2015-2016/
Pete says
It is interesting that not a single policy/position was questioned. Democrats need to understand they have lost middle-America and then some. Keep pushing: big government, big regulation, identity politics, multi-national business, big money, and you will continue to keep losing.
Once upon a time Democrats stood for America, the American worker, and against multi-nationals. Maybe going back to that would be a first step.
Mark says
I thought the Russians’ cause your loss? Or was it Comey? Personally I think you should change your policies and rhetoric, quit lying. Worry more about the people not your donors.
Brian says
Finally someone who is not blaming Russia, Comey, or the electoral college and is able to look in the mirror and see the reason for the steamrolling of the Democrats. How refreshing.
r&r says
You have caused enough havoc over the last eight years. I suggest you all take a twenty year vacation from politics and leave the professionals straighten out the mess you got us into.
Layla says
Folks from both parties: Until we can return to the days of having a dialogue, an exchange of ideas, we are lost and will continue to be divided. This is not how we built this country. It is not about Trump or Clinton, it is about the people. When did we lose so much respect for the ideas and feelings of others? When did we decide that becoming so rude, insulting and judgemental was acceptable? When did respect die? And why is this ok?
We used to win elections by having better ideas, and representing the people. When was the last time you saw that happen? None of this is a recipe for success.
Sheila Zinkerman says
I am a volunteer and a member of the All Flagler Democratic Club. Our membership brochure reads “What we seek for our community, we hope for all people: individual freedom in the framework of a just society; political freedom in the framework of meaningful participation by all citizens.” Our Democratic platform embraces that declaration. Some may label it “too progressive.” I label it tolerant. Our Flagler County Democratic Community will work hard to bring forth good candidates for the 2018 election and Mike Cocchiola’s roadmap is a solid plan to make that happen. It will then be up to our registered Democrats to exercise their political freedom and vote.
Anonymous says
Knight Watch, I am a Democrat! I’m 58 years old and have always been a registered Democrat. All of my family are Democrats. Just listen to any old economic speeches by Kennedy or Johnson and they are more conservative than any of the candidates that ran for President in this election and they were considered very liberal at that time. I’ll say it again, the ultra liberals that have taken over the Democratic party are the cause of this loss. Every thing cannot be free to everybody. Somebody has to pickup the tab and that is us the voting taxpayer. You cannot keep printing federal reserve notes out of thin air and increasing the national debt ceiling every time you want to give some group some money, to fulfill your desire to feel like Santa Claus. Even the “uneducated voters” as Hillary and the democratic liberal press renamed them know better than doing that. Like I said , “the democratic party needs to move 90 degrees to the right”.
Flagler Citizen says
To me, it seems like we need to energize citizen participation in community, state, and local policies regardless of party affiliation. Perhaps the nation is getting to big for its britches, and despite an increasingly more national and globalized economy, people really need to focus on local issues and see that they can influence the change that directly impacts them.
The democratic party is supposed to be the party of the people, and if we listen to what folks are saying, we can go back to that. It doesn’t have to be about fixing poverty through federal efforts. It can be about fixing local issues through citizen participation.
When people say “the party has become too liberal,” or that the party has become “too focused on socialism,” perhaps that’s because those ideologies represent, for many folks, a drift away from working for the people–especially at the local level.
The Affordable Care Act melted. It gave health insurance companies leverage in ways we didn’t expect. It was a national endeavor to cover more people, and in many ways it did, but it had negative effects on people in various regions of the nation. Expanding Medicaid sounds great to some of us, because we see an incredible need to cover lower income adults without children who may be working or struggling to become re-employed in a changing economy later in life, but maybe the Medicaid thing isn’t the answer. It’s federal and it has impacts on the health care industry.
I once believed that as our economies and communications became more macro, we might need more federal intervention, but I’m slinking back to the idea that we need to get back into local and state initiatives. Citizen participation is paramount to this need, because the bigger we get, the more diverse our local and regional needs actually become. We need to see that we need a way for the people themselves to become involved in shaping our economies and local and state policies. We often feel that we have no voice, no influence. I’m not suggesting we have a direct impact on policies through pure democracy, but I’m suggesting our concerns be addressed directly by those who represent us.
Donald Trump is appointing people who are opposed to the very agencies they are appointed to oversee. Democrats, in their blinders, assume this was some sort of ignorant mistake. Those agencies, well intended, served a purpose, but the bureaucracies have become overburdened to the extent that their efficiency and response to democracy has been diluted significantly.
What’s happened to the War on Poverty and the “maximum feasible participation” mantra that once existed? The War on Poverty has become huge and fragmented with minimal input from the very people it aimed to serve. Those agents in the War on Poverty still exist, but rather than focusing on local community issues with input from the locals they serve, they serve as public welfare service institutions, doling out emergency help and piece-mealing bits of help in the name of “self sufficiency.” They want to do more, but they are fragmented agencies tasked with going about business in a highly over-bureaucratic context.
What good does emergency financial assistance do if we don’t work on local community issues through free market exchanges, through community (citizen and business) input, and through real community action? We don’t need to take political sides in all of this, and the citizens are having a revolution that partisan politics is becoming ever more clouded by corruption–and that corruption speaks to the lack of democracy people really have, and Democrats were supposed to be proponents of democracy.
Life long Democrats voting for Donald Trump? Life long super liberals are now glued to Fox News. A family member of mine reports, “It’s the only channel that tells the truth these days,” and she was such a Democrat she’d throw things at the television at the mere mention of the word Republican.
Democrats may have to reinvent themselves as the party that is for the people, perhaps abandoning some of their long-held stances on issues regarding immigration, second amendment rights, and government bureaucracy. To be the party that says, “We’ll try new things that speak to what you’ve been saying,” and that involves people at the community level to assess and address the concerns of the people through innovative and careful approaches that don’t hold true to any specific party line.
Common Sense says
R & R, what mess, exactly? What havoc?
And for those accusing Democrats of being pro big business, what exactly do you call Trump? His cabinet appointments, so far, are all big business.
Lastly, rudeness? Common courtesy? Which candidate insulted women, Latinos, gays, the Pope, the military, the handicapped, blacks, members of Congress, other candidates, other countries….Without a doubt the rudest, most obnoxious individual to ever run for office.
Gkimp says
I say, keep doing what you doing Dems!
truth says
By fighting tooth and nail against the bastards. Thats how we win.
danny mac says
I didn’t know how many Russian robots lived in Palm Coast. Its appaling how people mindlessly accept the same dribble party lines. What do republicans do for people? take away rights and funnel our tax dollars to war efforts instead of helping the people. Your all brainwashed by evil evil men. SHAME
liberal with facts says
to the guy who said Kennedy and Johnson were not liberal They changed our society forever with civil rights laws, enacted Johnsons “Great Society” which sought to end poverty mainly in the south with federal grants, and invested unprecedented amounts in science and technology. they were ultra liberals, like most of our great presidents were. the problem is that the machine has brainwashed everyone to not contribute, to look out for yourself and to hate anyone who attempts to help or educate.
DaveT says
“”How do we regain relevancy and become once again the political force in Flagler”
stop being so narrow minded, think outside the box, don’t have crooks for candidates and stop using Hollywood celebrities as your mouthpiece. They are about as trustworthy as their next me me me moment. And above all Talk about the issues and for once listen to the voters and not the paid do gooders working on the campaign. .
FL Voter says
Democrats didn’t win because of policy, platform, or message. This is absolutely clear when we look at the school board election results. One candidate responded in a reasonable manner to FlaglerLive’s questions, one candidate plagiarized roughly have of the questions that she bothered to answer (Middleton-Valentine vs Barbosa). The obviously wrong candidate won.
The Democrats lost because they ran too nice of a campaign.
Trump kept questioning the Clinton Foundation’s ties to international leaders, but Trump owns properties in several of those same countries. Clinton didn’t capitalize on that fact. The Democrats would be well served to highlight that Trump is already in the pocket of countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Mexico, China, etc.
Trump tried, successfully, to paint Clinton as dishonest and involved in illegal activities. The Democrats barely mentioned all of the past and current law suits against Trump. I only once heard about how Trump donated a significant amount of $$ to Pam Bondi as she was considering a case against “Trump University.” She decided against such a suit, although some of the individuals who were conned have a private suit against “Trump University.” So Trump bought out the FL Attorney General, but there was no mention about that.
Trump insulted Mexicans, Muslims, Europeans, Gays, Women, Blacks, Asians, and every other group of people. He even had a twitter spat AGAINST THE POPE. Seriously, the Pope, but Democrats let that pass.
Trump’s “Drain The Swamp” phrase was obviously NOT going to happen (look at who he had on his campaign), but again, the Democrats missed highlighting that.
The Democrats were disconnected with the electorate. They thought people would vote based on policy and platform.
People vote based on emotion. They always have (look at Bush vs Gore). Trump preyed on fear and hate, whereas Clinton appealed to intellect. Fear and Hate will win every time.
W.Ryan says
Subliminal seduction! Both candidates Suck? I had to hold my nose? One candidate was clearly not qualified according to precedent. All rules were lifted for him. The other was campaigned against for twenty year. Negative, negative, negative. This is s a product of great mind control. This two party system along with posturing by corporate entities that run media! Lets not forget sexism and racism. There’s nothing wrong with the Dems. They won the popular vote. As long as middle America has the upper hand with the electoral system, Dems are screwed.
Pogo says
You can’t cheat an honest person. True. Period.
You can almost always cheat the ignorant; the greedy, the selfish, the frightened, the desperate. Foolish people easily manipulated by flattery and/or demagoguery, i.e., typical suckers for Trump.
People who don’t understand even something as simple as the word percent:
noun: per cent; noun: percent 1. one part in every hundred.
adverb: per cent; adverb: percent 1. by a specified amount in or for every hundred.
Even a Trump voter should be able to get this. A hundred people agree to share a pizza and divide it into a hundred slices. One of them is named Trump. He takes ninety-nine slices for himself and leaves one slice for ninety-nine people.
That’s it. Republican party economics. Republican party justice. The Republican party. Period.
Jesus Christ! Wake up!
Knightwatch says
Layla and Lin, you both call for rational discussion and unity. I don’t know how I or any Democrat can have a rational discussion with either of you. “Obama didn’t like us”, Lin? Voters took us to the “middle”, Layla? How can we deal with false narratives, and senseless delusions, like that? I have Republican acquaintances, and they walk around like normal sentient human beings. Yet they voted for a serial sexual predator. They voted for a man who promised to spy on good lawful Americans and to isolate and humiliate them. They voted for a documented and recorded pathological liar. They voted for a man that promised to cancel the health insurance of 26 million Americans. They voted for a businessman involved in over 3,000 lawsuits, one who has been proven in court to have scammed our citizens and paid damages. They voted for a man that has insulted world leaders of strongly democratic countries and praised a murderous Communist dictator. I could go on.
So, where does the discussion begin? Where do you see points of common interest, of common ground?
Heather says
I am a life-long Democrat. I am a super voter. As a former candidate for office, I have worked with six local Democratic clubs, the state party and the national party. What you are describing is simply doing more of the same.
Our loss (sans POTUS) is a testimony to five things and five things only.
1) investment of time: the GOP decided in the 1980’s to spend the next 30 years getting here.
2) investment of money: GOP donors give money. They don’t ask “what’s the voter registration in your district?” They ask “are you a Republican?” and if the answer is “yes” they write checks.
3) investment of infrastructure: the Republican party puts muscle behind their candidates.
4) investment of individuals: the Republican party hand picks candidates and ushers them across the finishing line while the Democratic party define candidate credibility almost exclusively on how much money the candidate can raise from their “friends and family” list.
5) investment of loyalty: GOP voters almost never split their vote. They can be counted on to do their part on election day.
Mark says
@zinkerman
You mean liberty as provided for in obamacare? Or freedom as in more gun control? Freedom as in more taxes and fewer regulations? Or do you mean freedom to worship as we see fit? Do you mean mean political freedom as in being able to support a republican without listening to your intolerance? Or being able to speak without getting fired or blacklisted and called names? You should add that the candidates should follow the laws and rules and not lie about breaking the law especially when it comes to national security information.
JasonB says
I intend to give Herr Trump just as much of a chance and just as much respect as you gave President Obama ….
Anonymous says
I think Hillary can be President of a new Country. It would consist of New York, Illinois and California. That would give Liberals their popular vote base and remove the highest dept States from our mix. The Country could be named Calillyork.
DoubleGator says
My advice. Do some soul searching about the message you believe and want to convey. Once done, be like the 12 apostles. Go forth and preach the gospel. There is a right and good message. Liberal saved us once from the grear depression and it will once again save us from the trump bile.
Anonymous says
danny mac – last time I looked Democrats haven’t done much to help anyone. They seem to have a vision “if people weren’t wealthy then the world would be better”. In reality those filthy rich Clinton’s/Gore’s/Soros’s etc keep flying those private jets everywhere asking for money to help fund their lavish lifestyles. I did not see any real attempt by the Obama administration to address poverty. Seems like they tried real hard to claim the middle class. If that worked it would have been the final nail in the RNC’s coffin, the truth is Obama not only failed he lost miserably (White House-Senate-House of Rep and soon the Supreme Court)
Yes, Democrats….stay out of touch.
Knightwatch says
I’m with you, Truth.
I/M/O says
Why the democrats lose.
Currently there are 114 million Americans working a job and getting no where.
Currently there are 106 million Americans not working but receiving some type of government funded benefit(s).
The workers had enough.
Who wants to be working in Publix and the customer pays for the cart full of groceries with Food Stamps and then you are asked to take the cart full of groceries to their Lexus parked outside?
I/M/O says
RickG says: Unionize what? Uber drivers?
Layla says
Knight watch, first you must acknowledge that Clinton was a terrible candidate. What sitting Secretary Secretary of State rakes in millions from world leaders? In what world does this make sense? She had no message other than “I am owed this”. And then she began attacking the people. Definitely not a winning formula. If her opponent had been an orangutan, the orangutan would have won this election. I don’t mean to be rude, but that is the truth. You are unwilling to see WHY people were unwilling to support Clinton. This is where you must begin.
Millions are without jobs and she didn’t even mention this. Becoming responsible for millions of immigrants is not how you fix this. How come the welfare fund never runs out of funding? This is not a solution of any kind.
Clinton had no message, no solutions. And neither do you. As long as you divide people in anger, you have nothing.
Layla says
Republican v Democrat. That’s what I am reading here. Do you know how tired people are of hearing that?
Layla says
Truth, Republican v Democrat. That’s what I am reading here. Do you know how tired people are of hearing that? Bastards? This is what the people are sick of, the politics. Families need JOBS.
Put your anger away and listen to the people. If you are unwilling to do that, you cannot win at anything. This election was all about the people. Calling them names, for whatever reason will get you more of the same results.
Layla says
IMO, amen.
Richard Smith says
@Knightwatch….. the “voting public” voted nearly 2.9 MILLION more times for Hillary Clinton than for your candidate. How do you account for that??
Are you for real? Obviously you are now on the “get rid of the Electoral College” train like most of the Democrats are since they lost the presidency. I bet the deed to my house that if they had won there wouldn’t be any talk about banning the Electoral College. Maybe you should read up on WHY there is an Electoral College.
I really like what a previous poster, “anonymous”, had to say about the current states of California. Illinois and New York where they should form their own country called Calillyork. That is SO true because if we didn’t have the Electoral College those three states would be deciding who gets to be the Democratic president every four years. I Don’t Think SO!
If those three states want to leave the union I say GO.
tulip says
The only reason Hillary won the popular vote by was because of California, NY and Mass. Those are big states and predominantly Democrat. Heck Los Angeles alone has millions of Dems. California will vote for a Dem most all the time, they don’t care what the credentials are, and the Reps know it and don’t waste too much time campaigning there.
This is why we need the Electoral college. Without it, Calif , NY and Mass would decide every election if things were changed to whoever gets the most votes wins. I myself thought whoever won the most votes nationally should win, but the one thing I learned from this election was why we need an electoral college.
Nancy N. says
I/M/O – there are several erroneous assumptions in your 106 million number.
First, that number from the Census Bureau only counts people getting benefits. It doesn’t say whether or not they are working or not. Many, many of the people on those programs fall into the category of the “working poor” – people who in many cases work not only full time but more than one job, and still fall below the poverty line and qualify for benefits. In fact, most states now require able-bodied adults to be working, in school, or to prove they are actively seeking work to qualify for benefits in the first place.
Second, that number does not just include able-bodied adults eligible for the work force. It also includes a high percentage of children, disabled adults, and senior citizens. In fact, they make up as much as 3/4 of that 106 million. So which of them would you like to throw off of benefits first? Grandma? The kindergarteners? Let those 5 year olds earn their own grocery money! And what do they need health insurance for anyway?
You want to be outraged? You know who the biggest “leeches” off of your tax dollars are? Corporations who take huge tax breaks and handouts from the federal government so they can make record profits while paying virtually no taxes because they are hiding their income offshore, and meanwhile paying their employees so little that they have to rely on the government to survive. YOU are paying for all of that while the CEOs and shareholders rake in dollars hand over fist.
Lin says
In answer to your questions about where to begin and common ground Knightwatch, I’ll start by telling you a bit of what I’ve learned in 25 years of business and personal experience with negotiating contracts, building teams, and personal interactions.
Don’t make assumptions — talk to people face to face if possible. As an example, don’t be ready to assume that your counterpart has bad motives for asking for a concession. In political terms, I personally don’t want illegal immigration to continue because we are a sovereign nation, because it is against our laws, because there is more competition for jobs and wages are lowered and we are less safe and there is a huge drain on our social services, schools, etc. But it brings out all sorts of name-calling and polarization if I give my opinion on the subject.
Look for common ground. Start by looking at what we have in common. Re Obamacare for example, lots of promises were made like premiums going down, keeping your own doctor — no Repubs voted for this — it made no financial sense and was wrong to make people buy a service they didn’t want. It shifted the burden mostly to young people who cannot afford coverage. There are other ways to reform healthcare.Open up competition between and among states. Leave in the option of health savings accounts with tax benefits.
To say there are 26 million people with new health coverage is not quite true. There was always healthcare available through medicare, medicaid, emergency rooms, clinics, etc. The common ground is that I also believe that healthcare should have been reformed but NOT by creating Obamacare, another way to expand government control and personnel and getting nothing in return but higher premiums and less choice.
I also learned to carefully listen to the needs and wants of other people before stating or while stating my own. Sometimes we actually wanted the same thing.
Unfortunately, sometimes there is no way to make things work out in a relationship,
President Obama campaigned on fundamentally changing our country. Well, I did have a bit of that hope at the time because there are challenges here to make USA better, But I think he got the fundamental change he wanted and some of us are not at all happy with it. He ignores the constitution in letting in the illegal immigrants, doesn’t seal our borders, doesn’t enforce laws in sanctuary cities, allows extreme NSA spying on citizens, attends a ballgame in Cuba with Castro (murderous Communist dictator?) in the aftermath of Brussels terror attack, lies abut the extent of ISIS now in 30-something countries, delivers planeload of cash to sponsor of terror Iran but Trump, President-elect, not President yet is at fault for a purported friendship with Putin or who? Defies logic, Insulted Democratic leaders? Does Netanyahu not qualify – subject to Obama’s insults. Does sending back that British bust not qualify?
Can we agree we need safety in our world for us and our children and grandchildren? OK good,
Obama’s way of leading from behind and an apology tour didn’t work — we need to try another way.
Being friendly with our counterparts, exchanging calls, emails, even tweets isn’t the road to ruin. Drones, releasing terrorists and criminals to violence against us is.
And anyone can sue anyone for any reason, I think we can find common ground on that one. It doesn’t mean that a business person with that many enterprises is guilty even if they settle.
And this one is wild – throw an accusation at Trump for sex crimes with a Bill Clinton running around free — he who has been impeached, fined and law license suspended/resigned/disbarred depending on who you trust as source. Nothing to be proud of for sure.
What I suggested is just putting this history in the background and look to the future. Look at what happens after it does and don’t attribute motives or put everyone in baskets. We are individuals not clones. I don’t agree with everything Trump or every other Republican says and I don’t disagree with every Democrat or Democrat policy.
Face to face, would you call me bigot, racist, xenophobe, sexist – maybe, maybe not. Maybe you would listen to what I had to say first. Give Trump and his cabinet when they are in office a chance to lead — you might be surprised at the results. We can disagree on policy but the name calling doesn’t help the country at all.
Richard Smith says
Well stated Lin. Now it is up to the Democrats to read and heed! As the say’n goes: you can lead a donkey to water but you can’t make him drink.
Chris says
Nah, just keep on doing what you are doing. For diversity’s sake we also need delusionals!
Anonymous says
@ Lin As for Knightwatch and his question on having/finding “common interest, of common ground?” I seriously doubt one can find a way to get to common ground let alone have a reasonable discussion with one who is so full of hate for thoise who have differing political opinions.
W.Ryan says
@ All the nonsense. If everyone of you “Give trump a chance” chanters gave President Obama a chance you’d have a leg to stand on!!! Everything about this election was based on race and reclamation. This upcoming Presidency is illegitimate. From voter suppression, corporate media, unequal representation of electorates at the Electoral College, etc. You fools that think you did good will be in for it the moment when you get screwed by these rich guy Republicans taking advantage of your ignorance and arrogance. Ex..A Puzder. The cards are stacked but not like its about to be!
gmath55 says
Like Obama was better. LOL, LOL
Layla says
Threats and name calling because of the way people voted are not how you gain followers for any political movement. Keep it up and that room will become less and less. Threats don’t work well, either.
Anonymous says
“W.Ryan says:
December 28, 2016 at 3:59 pm
@ All the nonsense. If everyone of you “Give trump a chance” chanters gave President Obama a chance you’d have a leg to stand on!!! Everything about this election was based on race and reclamation. This upcoming Presidency is illegitimate. From voter suppression, corporate media, unequal representation of electorates at the Electoral College, etc. You fools that think you did good will be in for it the moment when you get screwed by these rich guy Republicans taking advantage of your ignorance and arrogance. Ex..A Puzder. The cards are stacked but not like its about to be!”
Do you really relive every person who did not vote for 0bama in his first term where totally against him and did not give him a chance?? If thats so it shows just how bigoted you are against those with differing political opinions. Well that and that you see this past race ALL about race with two people of the same race running???
Chief Wanttum Nookie says
Deport all but native Americans. What a mess you people have made. Who is going to clean up all of the Donkey and Elephant shit thrown around in this election, got to be at least a million tons of it.
Pogo says
So there you have it. Republicans have elected a creature who said every Republican elected before it was a liar, loser, ugly, weakling, etc. The video record of the Republican primaries is what it is.
Now these clowns have the nerve to tell other people to keep a civil tongue. The choice of the KKK, Stormfront, clinic bombers, book banners, war mongers, price gougers, polluters, monopolists – profligates and debauched gluttons in the boardroom, penthouse and country club – complain about the way Democrats talk about them. You’re welcome. You’ve earned it.
Democrats. Please, speak plainly and simply. Speak truth. Don’t try to be a better Republican – there’s no such thing. A good example of great messaging: the quotes of Jesus Christ in the King James Version. Trump won’t have a clue about who said it first or what it means.
Walk around the Republicans. Step over them. Here’s just one example:
https://www.fastcoexist.com/3066498/this-blockchain-thing-is-really-happening-time-to-learn-what-it-is-2016-in-review
Anonymous says
BTW – America elected Trump.
Anonymous says
Democrats need to go bury their heads in the sand. They have done this to themselves and it goes to show how foolish they are when they know they had a presidential candidate who lied and misled the American people and they still supported her. We don’t need anymore of this mentality in the white house. There is no way Clinton should have not been prosecuted and did not intentionally delete emails and release sensitive information. She can play dumb, but there are some that can see through dumb. If she were elected President, we would have gotten the same kind of representation. Bill taught her how to lie, and I am glad they are history! Yes, I am a Democrat, and ashamed of it.
Pogo says
The support of turkeys and dodos for The-Liar-Named-Trump remains strong. The American eagle wasn’t fooled:
http://imgur.com/gallery/Ewvi6Lc