"What the Democratic Party needs is blah blah blah"

[BaronChocula]

Just listened to an MSNBC host (Steve Kornacki) posit the idiocy that the Democratic party needs a new face, for the umpteenth time. I think that advice may actually have been concocted in a Kremlin office.

When has anyone EVER talked about the party out of power needing a new face? NEVER! This is a strategy created to bait Democrats into self-destruction. On one edge of the sword, a new face for the Democratic party would give the GOP (Moscow) a straw person to tear down, which is much easier than having to defend child molesters and cataclysmic tax cuts for the rich. On the other edge, it scares timid Democrats into going after Nancy Pelosi who, regardless of her poor messaging ability is AMAZING AT HER JOB OF KEEPING HER CAUCUS TOGETHER.

I hope the Party ignores the bait and does the following things:
- Keeps running candidates everywhere, at every level.
- Remembers the message which includes affordable education, jobs with fair American wages, protection for the American consumer, and a government that is funded and run professionally. Basically, the same things FDR talked about.
- STOPS HELPING MOSCOW BY REPEATING THE ANTI-DEM TALKING POINTS THAT WERE DRAFTED IN MOSCOW.

The Democratic party will do what every party out of power does which is rebuild with the help of a little discipline. A "new face" of the Democratic party will emerge in 2020 which may be too early to talk about. In the meantime, if they can just avoid the invitations to implode, The 2018 wave will be real.

[Wounded Bear]

1. I'll second that...

"New faces" need to develop organically, from the ranks moving up. Picking a party leader arbitrarily would lead to a Democratic version of Trump.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Consider the source: Steve Kornacki is a tool.

[diva77]

3. What it needs is transparent elections. The message isn't the problem.

We need to get rid of computerized voting equipment, gerrymandering, Crosscheck, and other forms of voter suppression.

Democratic leaders say that they fear people won't vote if they think the voting equipment is rigged. The response to that should be for them to condemn the voting equipment and advocate for paper ballots, hand counted at the precinct level with public oversight; and to ban nontransparent forms of voting -- i.e. all computerized equipment -- DREs, optiscans, central tabulators, etc.

For some reason, speaking up about this problem seems to be the third rail for Dem leaders. This has to change.

[guillaumeb]

4. Really well said.

This could easily be a separate post.

[msongs]

5. the past 8 yrs have been lacking in progress on this account nt

[Iggo]

6. ...is for ppl who give a shit to act like it and vote.

If we all voted, we'd never lose.

There really are more of us than there are of them.

[Cary]

7. It is that simple

[Cryptoad]

12. ,, and it wouldn't even be close!

[OneBlueDotBama]

8. Kornaki Needs an Adderall intervension...

He's an idiot... period!

[not fooled]

15. Agree 100%

Some consultant must have got hold of him and told him that to make the numbers interesting (enough for more 'Muricans) he should act like he just swallowed a bottle of amphetamines.

[Wellstone ruled]

9. We are going to see and hear more and more

of these test Narratives floated between now and April. Corporate Media wants to decide the National Political Narrative and protect their easily won tax breaks from the Democratic Wave. Kornacki has interjected the 2010 thing about voters staying home.

What people forget about how the Rethugs took over was one simple reason,we Dems left hundreds of State and local Races unchallenged. What is even worse,we left House Races uncovered. No going to happen this time around.

[RandomAccess]

10. Add me to your list

Besides, the LAST thing the Democratic Party need to do is "manufacture" one or more Leaders.

[Cryptoad]

11. I smell some Primary DU Rules coming down the line!

[Culti Vader]

13. Mm hmm

Realizing that last cycles strategies did not work would be a great start. When we start ACTING inclusive, instead of just spewing our virtues, we will win. We can't expect middle America to just change cuz we are so mad. Gotta fix our shit or we will not be in the WH until 2024.

[herding cats]

20. Actually, whenever were so mad we show up at the polls.

When we show up at the polls, Dems win. That’s the main thing we “gotta fix” here. Getting Dems to admit people aren’t going to do the right thing because we belive they will just because it’s the right thing. We can’t not get off our butts and vote because they RW will and does. Example A) Trump.

Curious, inclusive of what/who do you see as a specific issue with Democrats.

[Cary]

21. Sounds like you have an agenda

Sounds like you want us Democrats to chase our tail.

My agenda is to tune out the noise and turn out at the polls. At the moment that looks most promising, so why push some vague, complicated, divisive mush?

What's your agenda?

[Kingofalldems]

22. Specifics please.

[Honeycombe8]

14. The Dem Party becomes invigorated and gets a new face whenever we elect a new Dem. President.

Doesn't it? Obama certainly gave the Dem Party a new face and invigorated the Party. The Dem. President, if there is one, becomes the leader of the Party.

I can see the argument for and against. The Senate & House leaders may not be in touch with certain subgroups of the Dem Party. They've been in a bubble, more or less, for many years. It's easy to lose the feel of the rank and file.

Companies regularly bring in new people - "fresh blood" they call it. Because a company benefits from the fresh perspective, the new people, the new enthusiasm that naturally wanes with the long-timers at the company.

I would think that political parties would be the same. OTOH, Pelosi is great at getting the Dems to vote together. She's very experienced at that....none better. I'm less familiar with Schumer on that score.

But it's not my decision. So...whatever. I do think the Dem Party needs to appeal to all Democrats, and not just the hardcore base, although they are critical to the party. But we have ignored some working class and middle class people, generally, IMO. We shouldn't leave the concerns of anyone out. We are all important. Even wealthy Dems. It is not a sin to be wealthy. That's what America was built on: the dream to raise your station in life (which is fast disappearing).

[not fooled]

16. Leaders will mature and appear

in the natural course of things.

[Plucketeer]

17. Yup!

Stay the course. We've hardly given up ANY federal and state seats. We're showin' 'em!

[rickford66]

18. Just stand up for the same principles we have since the 1930's

It's like telling the truth. You don't have trouble stating your positions.

[George II]

19. Kornacki is a clown. Made his "rep" by stealing NJ investigative reporting from northjersey.com

All those idiotic gyrations, he probably can't speak if he had his hands in his pockets.

[ananda]

23. They just need to be Democrats.. proud and liberal!

The country already is !!!!!!