The disaster that is the Democrats in the South

[dsc]

There are 11 states in the old South (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia). There are 11 governors in those states, one is a Democrat and he barely won and can't succeed himself. We couldn't even dislodge a horrible governor who is also a horrible politician in Florida. There are 22 Senators, after this election we will be down to three (2 in VA one who barely won, and 1 in FL). In the House we have the following splits AL 6R 1D, AR 4R OD, FL 15R 12D, GA 10R 4D, LA 5R 1D, MS 3R 1D, NC 10 R 3D, SC 6R 1D, TN 7R 2D, TX 24R 12D, VA 8R 3D for a total of 98 R and 40 D. We also can't blame this all on the fact Obama is black and whites down here are all racist. The fact is our white state wide candidates either did about the same as or at most slightly better among white voters as Obama did. Hagan who came closest to holding her seat still managed to get only 31 percent of the white vote in NC. No on the same sex marriage amendment did better than that. Hagan also was running against a politician who had raised taxes on the middle and lower classes, cut education, and gave a tax break to yacht owners. We need to fix this and fix it soon. We need to return to economic populism here which has had popular success. No cutting SS, no cutting Medicare, yes increasing the minimum wage, yes to putting bankers in jail. The young are willing to listen now like never before to a pro choice, pro gay candidate. but we need them to have a message to cut through the social issues here. We also need to inspire them to vote. We can't cede one large section of the country for perpetuity. Not if we claim to be a national party.

[on point]

1. Long term result of long term failure to push back against delusional repuke nonsense.

Need a 50 state strategy that calls out their bullshit at every turn, every time so their nonsense is seen for what it is - utter complete rubbish from people who know nothing about economics, science, history or how to run a country.

Go along to get along blue dog strategy is a loser. See results above.

Need to fight back against the ignorance that is the prevailing social norm, yes fight intolerance and religious foolishness. A short term loser, but a long term winner, vs present plan which is already a long term loser and ain't coming back

[yeoman6987]

8. I am worried about long term Northeast

Every time we have a census we lose seats and eventually clout. Northeast is our Democratic bread and butter and we need to stop the "bleeding".

[earthside]

2. "We need to return to economic populism here which has had popular success."

Democrats will win in the south among people of all ethnicities, genders, etc., if the candidates run full-square as economic populists.

It might take an election cycle or two for the voters to recognize that these Democratic economic populists are serious -- but in the end they would win.

But a U.S. Senate that feels no urgency to find themselves a new leader; a Democratic National Committee that still has the same chair as it had on November 3, 2014 ... is not going to even consider an expanded political role in the south.

It is up to grassroots Democrats to demand that the party change.

[HereSince1628]

4. I'd modify that slightly...candidates must run AND SERVE as economic populists

the sense that democratic politicians can't be trusted to back people more than corporations isn't going to be extinguished with promises.

I also think it's going to take a couple of election cycles. IMO running a mixed message social liberal-pro-financials type for president would be a poison pill for convincing people that democrats really have returned to caring about labor and consumers at least as much as capital.

[earthside]

5. Of course. That is a good point.

Elected Democrats need to govern as economic populists, too.

We've seen it happen too often that candidates campaign as "for the people" then get to Washington or the state capital and succumb to the corporate big money machine.

No doubt ... an establishment, traditional, Wall Street-connected, uninspiring Democratic Party nominee for President in 2016 will negate any progress that might be made in transforming the 'party of the people' into a genuine 'party of the people'.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. In general - special interests create their own "truth" - flood TV (ads) and social network

with it (corporate owned media) - people watch it, believe it, act accordingly - don't vote or vote against their own interests.

This is a very, very bad time for truth, and we are seeing what happens - not just in the south, but all across the country.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. It seems to me

That the bottom is probably going to have to fall out of southern states a la Kansas before we see any notable changes in support for Republican policies. Then and only then might be receptive to Dem policies.

[Fawke Em]

7. The bottom has fallen out in Kansas and they still voted for the reason.