At Politico Charles Sykes has some handy tips for how the Democrats can blow it. Here they are in summary:
- Hold firmly to the idea that Twitter is the beating heart of the real Democratic Party.
- Embrace the weird.
- Keep promising lots of free stuff and don’t sweat paying for it.
- Go ahead and abolish private health insurance.
- Spend time talking about reparations.
- Trump thinks that immigration and the crisis at the border are winning issues for him. They aren’t. But you can turn that around.
- Lots more focus on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
- Socialism.
- Turn the abortion issue from a winner into a loser.
- You can also turn a winner into a loser on the issue of guns.
- As you try to get Americans more alarmed about Trump’s attacks on democratic norms, make sure you talk as much as possible about your support for court-packing.
I think I would add three:
- Assume that everyone hates Trump as much as you do.
- Make a bunch of extravagant promises during the primary season and then backpedal as quickly as possible during the general election campaign.
- Embrace open borders.
Why not add have bar servers spit openly into the face of Trump’s son in Chicago? This woman must have believed she had the support of the crowd around her.
Democrats underestimate Trump’s support because they have driven it underground with threats of violence.
I think I can say with great certainty there is a market for all 14 points. Just look at the overwhelming content at OTB, essayists and commenters.
But its small. I hope the lemmings keep going off the cliff.
The last time the Democrats tried to win by demonizing their opponent was 1972. The target was The Devil Incarnate, Tricky Dick Nixon. IIRC Nixon won 49 states with 60% of the popular vote.
Name the D. candidate who is NOT part of the same swamp that wafted Obama to power in 2008.
I think Dave’s additions of thinking everyone hates Trump as much as you do, and calling for open borders deserve extra credit points. I might add Elizabeth Warren’s latest announcement for decriminalization at the borders as being an accentuation of delusional rhetoric.
I would add one more. Continue to shout over one another during the debates do no one knows what your policy and ideas are.