You might want to read this article at The Nation on a report that presents a post-mortem of the 2016 presidential election that is discordant with the prevailing narrative:
The Democratic Party lost just about everything in 2016, but so far it has offered only evasive regrets and mild apologies. Instead of acknowledging gross failure and astounding errors, the party’s leaders and campaign professionals wallowed in self-pity and righteous indignation. The true villains, they insisted, were the wily Russians and the odious Donald Trump, who together intruded on the sanctity of American democracy and tampered with the election results. Official investigations are now under way.
While the country awaits the verdict, a new and quite provocative critique has emerged from a group of left-leaning activists: They blame the Democratic Party itself for its epic defeat. Their 34-page “Autopsy: The Democratic Party in Crisis†reads more like a cold-eyed indictment than a postmortem report. It’s an unemotional dissection of why the Democrats failed so miserably, and it warns that the party must change profoundly or else remain a loser.Reading the particulars of this critique, I had the impression that maybe the party got what it deserved in 2016. I do not mean that Trump deserved to win. Indeed, “Autopsy†mentions Trump’s campaign largely in passing, and the Russians only once. But this analysis does suggest that Trump became president mainly because the Democratic campaign was inept, misguided, smug, and out of touch with the country.
While the report does address the cul de sac into which identity politics is leading the Democrats, it doesn’t seem to come to terms with an even more basic problem, as great for Republicans as it is for Democrats. Professionalization is the doom of political parties. When you professionalize every aspect of politics, it is inevitable that you will not believe you need the voters and you will show it.
“But this analysis does suggest that Trump became president mainly because the Democratic campaign was inept, misguided, smug, and out of touch with the country.”
Of course. Trump has to be given credit for recognizing and capitalizing on the wave. But Trump, really? This wasn’t a Republican party win. Just look at some of the clowns in Republicanville – McConnell, Bill Kristol, etc. No. This was a Democrat loss, its roots in Obama/Pelosi-ism. Look at the losses over the previous half dozen years. The reaction of so many Democrats, chief among them, Hillary Clinton on her current tour, indicates they haven’t learned a thing.
While it was a Democratic loss, it wasn’t just a Democratic loss. It was a loss for the Republican apparat as well which is why they’re behaving as they have.
In a representative democracy in general the voters just trust the judgment of the elected officials. But after some period of failure it’s time for the elected officials to knuckle under and just vote the way the voters want them to.
That’s how I interpret the announcements by Jeff Flake et al. They won’t vote as their voters wish and they know the jig is up.
For Trump voters I believe that the straw that broke the camel’s back was immigration. Elected officials of both parties pretty obviously want de facto open borders. Republican voters don’t for whatever reason.
Here’s how I would sum up the problems with Democrats:
In short the Democratic party platform has become increasingly insular over time. No longer a “big tent” party, its interests have narrowed and become less tolerant of views and candidates that don’t stick with the program – and that program is increasingly ideological as opposed to pragmatic.
The Democrats, over the last couple of decades, lost two key constituencies:
The Blue Dog coalition
Working class whites (who often overlap with the Blue Dogs).
The Democrats also committed errors in strategy – especially the decision to not focus enough on state and local politics which created a number of pernicious effects.
Finally, the Democrats have an incoherent platform that lacks core, unifying principles. It’s a hodge-podge of policy positions that are often contradictory and seem designed to satisfy the donor class more than anything else.
Overall, our politics has become more ideological with both parties becoming less tolerant of heretics in their ranks. For now, this has damaged the Democrats more, but that could change in a single election cycle.
I guess I wasn’t clear. In the broad characterization of the election the Republicans lost as well. Just look at the behavior during and after the election of what is now generally referred to as The Establishment. Their excellent gig is in danger from a disruptor……….and disillusioned and pissed off voters.
But in terms of just campaign mechanics arrogance, laziness and lack of understanding their customer etc is what gave the Democrats an unlikeable, untrustworthy and made by DuPont plastic candidate. So much so that even a D Trump could fill the void. Russians? No.