General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: It would be nice if the centrists in this party did some introspection, too. [View all]Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)I had the response to that thread that I did because a lot of the time, the term "far left" has been used quite loosely.
A clear distinction should always be drawn between the "no difference" types that you list there, on the one hand-a group we are probably never going to reach and a group that is actually quite small in number-and the larger group of voters I think we could have connected with this fall(and could connect with in the future) who stayed home out of feelings of frustration and alienation.
It is my contention that a lot of THOSE potential voters were put off by the way the party seemed to simply demand their votes, and the voices of many who insisted on labeling the Sanders movement an irrelevant failure and a waste of time. That tone, in my view, probably stiffened the resolve of voters we might have won to NOT vote for us. It sounded parental and dismissive.
We had the chance to make a clear case that, by voting for the ticket, Sanders voters would actually be honoring the work the campaign had done in the primary and, in fact, furthering that work. Making that case would not have required the party to distance itself from any other voters or put anyone else's needs on the back-burner.
That group is a group we need to listen to, need to get feedback from, and need to find some sort of common ground with if we are to win in the future. Making common ground with them doesn't mean throwing anyone who did vote for the ticket under the bus, because, contrary to campaign myth, Sanders voters were and are just as committed to an antiracist, anti-oppression agenda as HRC voters were and our-these voters should not be assumed to have the same shortcomings on that as some saw in their candidate, for they are generally of a younger generation that is more conversant with identity issues and the agenda BLM heroically fights for.
The way to connect with these voters in the future, rather than wasting time screaming at the "no difference" hardliners who are never going to listen to what any of us say, is mainly to listen to them and to make it clear that this is a party that welcomes them to join and to work for what they care about.