The deeper they dig into federal and state election results, some Democrats are coming to a harsh, humbling conclusion: America rejected soft liberalism.

  • dugmeup@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    Americans rejected the middle. They want someone who says they will take a stand against the status quo. The argument isn’t any more complex than that.

    The Obama vote (change you can believe in) and Trump vote are similar in their popular message at the root of it.

    When people lose hope in a system the person who promises to break it down wins. Does not matter that it’s a charlatan or a champion.

    • makyo@lemmy.world
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      10 days ago

      I think it’s even simpler. Biden and the RNC decided ‘actions speak louder than words’ in 2020 so the GQP promptly filled the information space with bullshit and lies. It was already over by the time Biden announced his reelection bid.

    • technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      10 days ago

      Genocide is not a middle position. Neither is liberalism. Dems are right-wing. Nowhere close to the middle.

      The main difference between dems and republicans is the overt racism, sexism, etc… That’s the difference between obama and trump. That’s what separates actual populism from right-wing fascism.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        10 days ago

        Unfortunately we’ve learned (and will learn over the next year) that there is a sick difference between status quo genocide and turbo active genocide.

        This comment is not approving of EITHER but we are about to get our fill of WORSE

    • MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.works
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      10 days ago

      Totally agree though I do think there’s some nuance in exactly what the status quo meant to each Trump voter.

      For Christian fundamentalists, it meant a secular society and abortion rights

      For the working class it was high inflation

      For young straight men (and their parents) it was a felt sense that they were being cancelled

      For the suburban voters it was the felt sense that we have porous borders and that our tax dollars were being used to support non-citizen

      Not all of these are accurate, but simply being told you’re wrong before feeling like the other person is taking you seriously is only going to drive you to folks who will tell you what you want to hear. And that’s where the disinformation comes in

      We have to do better at listening to the other side’s concerns and offering meaningful answers. I don’t just mean offering policy as a response, I mean they have to feel heard before they are going to be willing to listen

  • kirkoman@sh.itjust.works
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    10 days ago

    Expected “soft liberalism” to mean neoliberalism or watered-down liberalism, but apparently it refers to wokism. “Top democrats“ blaming defund the police, DEI, and soft border policies.

    I guess the message is that Trump won on racism, so we should have been more racist.

    • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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      10 days ago

      I mean thats what makes sense. In any competition you lose to another you look at what the other is doing and try to be more like them or go beyond. Its common sense.

      • technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        10 days ago

        This isn’t track and field. When fascists win elections, it’s actually not “common sense” to imitate them. It’s just more fascism.

        • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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          10 days ago

          when facism is elected it means the majority wanted it. There is a difference between jack booted thugs telling people to not vote and folks just not voting.

      • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        The media is in overdrive performing a neoliberal whitewash — trying to frame “the left” as the reason for center-right neoliberalisms failure — so they can to serve the fascist status quo and push the Overton window to the right.

        • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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          10 days ago

          Unfortunately, it isn’t just the media, look through this article and you can see a bunch of Democratic lawmakers and campaign consultants pushing this narrative. These are all people we need to get out of elected offices and off campaign staffs or they’re going to continue to sabotage the Democratic party’s ability to win offices and govern effectively.