General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: It would be nice if the centrists in this party did some introspection, too. [View all]DanTex
(20,709 posts)We agree that there is a class of potential Dem voters who, for whatever reason or whatever blame, did not turn out this year, or possibly turned out for third party or even Trump.
And, yes, I am willing to concede that part of that blame belongs with the HRC campaign. And, more to the point with HRC herself, who just didn't have the kind of charisma that Obama had to inspire people. Which I think is a shame, she would have been a great president, but there's no way to argue that she commanded the stage and inspired the way that Obama did (for that matter nobody in the world can do it like Obama, he is once in a generation in terms of oratory).
Where I think we disagree is about how much blame what I have been calling the "far left" has for this.
So let me tell you about when I was young. This was around 2000, my first election as an adult. At that point Nader was the "cool" candidate for young lefties. It was entirely too easily to buy into his "both parties are sold out to corporations" rhetoric. I knew a bunch of Nader voters. And then there were people like me, who didn't even vote.
And I see basically the same situation happened in 2016, and continuing to happen. Do I blame the voters? Maybe a little. Sure, I deserve some blame for not voting in 2000 (although, living in TX at the time, it would have made no difference). And, OK, the young Naderites back then should maybe have been able to see through his lies.
But much more than that, I blame the thought leaders of the far left. In 2000 that means Nader. He had to know he was lying when he said there was no difference between Gore and Bush. Fast forward to this year, and the remarkable thing is how little the dishonest rhetoric from the intellectual leaders of the far left has changed. It's still the same talking points. Corporations evil! Both parties are sellouts! Blah blah blah.
The people pushing the "both parties are the same" lie are not innocent or naive. Whether it's the Green Party or the various lefty media outlets supporting that viewpoint, the people manufacturing the anti-Democrat propaganda are intelligent, seasoned people. So, yes, I blame them. I blame them for repeating the same lies for about two decades now.
There is no excuse for what they have done and continue to do. I can excuse individual voters for falling for lies, OK. But I'm not going to excuse people who are intentionally lying and preying on the naivete of others. And that goes as much for the far left as it does for Trump telling poor white people that they will be "winning" as soon as he kicks out the Mexicans.