Something the Democrats need to think about re. election.

[pdsimdars]

I hear many pundits and politicians talking about the election and one common theme in a lot of the discussions that comes out is that they want to win so badly that they are afraid of doing anything that they think might thwart that. It is usually impeachment talk they are afraid of, but they also use this or that issue or policy to stoke fear of loss.

Isn't one fundamental of winning that you should not be making decisions and acting out of fear? It makes for bad decisions and also people can smell fear. My advice is to adopt a strong progressive agenda and go out there and sell it like you believe it. People in this country are craving many programs and actions that some afraid to push. Medicare for all is one. If you are afraid to stand up strong and proud for it, then you should meet with people who ARE strong on it and get yourself educated up on it.

I saw some polls on various issues that many think of as "far left", but 60+% of the actual voters want them, and 80+% of Democratic voters want them. Why not formulate your policies and platform around what VOTERS actually want? I do not understand why people think of themselves as such weak leaders or weak salesmen that they can't strongly pitch products that MOST PEOPLE WANT? What is wrong with this picture? How can it be that politicians are so afraid of "whatever" that they can't stand up and campaign on what people want? Man up!

[MrsCoffee]

1. Man up?

Moving on....

I’m obviously seeing different Democratic candidates than you. I’m seeing a lot of bold progressive agendas. Just like the Democratic platform. Sure, not everyone will be your cup of tea, but that’s what primaries are for.

[Sherman A1]

2. First Suggestion regarding this.

"I hear many pundits and politicians talking about the election "

Turn off the Cable Noise Infotainment Channels and let them talk to their hearts content. What they are doing is keeping "The Horse Race" alive and filling airtime between ads for drugs we never knew we needed. Their opinions are just that Opinions and nothing more.

[marylandblue]

3. That's what I think, and why I like Inslee.

He is running on an important issue and isn't being distracted by the chatter, arguing that petty stuff doesn't matter if we cook the planet. If he can get enough people to agree, he wins.

[watoos]

4. Great post,

What people call the far left when broken down issue by issue is really the center.

We just won a blue tsunami election in 2018 because we ran to the left, err center. Sure there are pockets in red areas where our candidates have to lean a whisker to the center but all in all I totally agree with your thread.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Yes. Great post! Remember, Clinton beat a sitting president by promising the unthinkable in 1992

health care for all. And when confronted by a sex scandal (Flowers) he said "So what?" and kept running. And he picked a VP candidate demographically like himself, showing that he had faith in himself.

People want positive, they want daring, they want strength. Not every president will be LBJ (who was able to actually deliver on his promises of Medicare and Voting Rights Act) or FDR (Social Security) but they want a president who vows to try.

And congrats for having a thread that is neither kneecapping or divide and conquer. That makes this thread author a member of small but stubborn band of posters today. pdsimdars, I salute you!

[Hortensis]

6. Man up yourself. Our platform IS what a majority of Democrats want.

Forget the political game playing by those whose chosen route to power requires denying that our platform represents what the grand, diverse alliance of Democrats want and need. The "Only I can fix it." types. And of course those trying to sabotage your confidence.

Our platform does represent the wishes of all Democrats but the strongest extremists and also does represent most of those who spit at it and deny without reading because their leader denounces it.

So here you go right from our Democratic Party's webside. It's the top item in the "about" column.

https://democrats.org/democratic-national-platform/

What follows is our 2016 platform — our most progressive platform in our party’s history and a declaration of how we plan to move America forward. Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than walls.

This party platform was voted on and passed by our membership at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016. The platform will be updated and re-approved at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

[MrsCoffee]

7. +1

[Gothmog]

8. I find it telling that trump is most worried about Biden and Beto

Link to tweet