"Why Democrats Still Have to Appeal to the Center, but Republicans Don't"

[bloom]

Democrats are ... restrained by diversity and democracy. Republicans are not....

Appealing to Democrats requires appealing to a lot of different kinds of people with different interests. Republicans are overwhelmingly dependent on white voters. Democrats are a coalition of liberal whites, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and mixed-race voters. Republicans are overwhelmingly dependent on Christian voters. Democrats are a coalition of liberal and nonwhite Christians, Jews, Muslims, New Agers, agnostics, Buddhists and so on. Three-quarters of Republicans identify as conservative, while only half of Democrats call themselves liberals — and for Democrats, that’s a historically high level.

As a result, winning the Democratic primary means winning liberal whites in New Hampshire and traditionalist blacks in South Carolina. It means talking to Irish Catholics in Boston and atheists in San Francisco. It means inspiring liberals without arousing the fears of moderates. It’s important preparation for the difficult, pluralistic work of governing, in which the needs and concerns of many different groups must be balanced against one another....

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/24/opinion/sunday/democrats-republicans-polarization.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

Being the party that is inclusive means being able to be open to more viewpoints.

For example - saying that "Women = Adult human female" is not transphobic - regardless of how many people demand that to be true (and demand that there be no discussion). People can recognize biology and recognize that trans people deserve respect. I agree with J.K.Rowlings. A lot of people do. Democrats would do well to not insist that Rowlings be cancelled or some other such. You would be alienating people who are on your side.

[brooklynite]

1. An additional point: Republicans can appeal to single issue voters. Democrats can't

[Wellstone ruled]

3. You are so right.

Poly Sci teaches this,the Nation is a 40/40 split with the Mushy 20% middle that one has to capture in order to win elections. Since Nixon our Nation has become one of single Issue Voters and the Mushy 20% is where your message needs to hit home.

[DownriverDem]

2. Center/Left Country

Too many folks ignore the voters who we need to vote Democratic in November. Being politically naive will not beat trump. I've seen where folks say "well where will they go?". They won't vote for the president like the last time. Like I said, we are a Center/Left country.