Vincent Oriedo, a biotechnology scientist, had just such a question. What lessons have been learned, he asked, from Harris’s defeat in this vital swing county in a crucial battleground state that voted for Joe Biden four years ago, and how are the Democrats applying them?

“They did not answer the question,” he said.

“It tells me that they haven’t learned the lessons and they have their inner state of denial. I’ve been paying careful attention to the influencers within the Democratic party. Their discussions have centred around, ‘If only we messaged better, if only we had a better candidate, if only we did all these superficial things.’ There is really a lack of understanding that they are losing their base, losing constituencies they are taking for granted.”

“We have set ourselves up for generational loss because we keep promoting from within leaders that that do not criticise the moneyed interests. They refuse to take a hard look at what Americans actually believe and meet those needs.”

  • Majorllama@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I live in a deep blue state. Family is all very blue. They have learned absolutely nothing. They all think what the Democrats did was perfect. Kamala was flawless. She didn’t get elected because America is racist AND sexist.

    They genuinely believe that there was nothing they could have done to improve.

    I think they are gonna have to learn this lesson a few more times before they pull their heads outta their ass finally. I hope.

    • Kalysta@lemm.ee
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      8 hours ago

      And thinking like this is why the democrats are going to continue to lose, and minorities and women will continue to get fucked for it.

      Democrats, it’s the economy, stupid.

    • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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      2 days ago

      It won’t happen. Every election in the last 25 years, including midterms, where the democrats tried to play to “moderate republicans”, they got wiped out.

      • The Quuuuuill@slrpnk.net
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        2 days ago

        and they keep trying to dislodge “sane” republicans because they’d rather maintain centralized power than risk a grass roots movement distributing power to the masses. dyed in the wool democrats prefer fascism to meaningful reform

        • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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          Obama was amazingly effective at the ballot box, but to the established Democratic power structure he was dangerous. Luckily for them he merged himself into their structure rather than maintaining his separate power base and taking on individual in-party resistors like Trump has, but it was a warning about what could happen and they took that lesson to heart. They do not want anything resembling another Obama.

          • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            Yep, that’s why Hillary was basically in control of the party via Debbie Wasserman-Shultz and how much the DNC effectively owed Clinton at that point.

            People want to memory hole that aspect of it but it was 100% a response to the Obama presidency an attempt to grab a stranglehold on the party which she used to shut down Sanders and force her nomination. People often forget this is the same year the Republicans rejected Jeb Bush. America didn’t want Bush v. Clinton again, and Trump and Sanders were the only voices offering anything different. Democrats shut down their nascent progressive wing, and Trump just steamrolled the Republicans because he’s a fucking bully and those guys bend over and take it for bullies.

      • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        You have to conclude that they’d rather chase after “moderate Republicans” and lose than chase after the left and win.

      • BadmanDan@lemmy.world
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        So if Dems are never left enough for you. Wouldn’t that mean they’re moderate. Which means they won in 06, 08, 12, 18, 20 and 22 being “moderate”.

        • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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          They won in 2020 on the wake of protests and low-information voters who thought they’d be freeing the immigrant camps, defunding the police, codifying roe, and getting free healthcare.

          They got wiped out in 22 by being moderate and getting fuckall done by trying to compromise with republicans for 2 years.

          In 06 and 08, they were finally coming about against the Iraq war and promising things, unlike in 2004 where they simply said they would do the war more competently.

    • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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      13 hours ago

      Harris has a lot of flaws, but America is absolutely racist and sexist, and Trump couldn’t have won otherwise. .

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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      She didn’t get elected because America is racist AND sexist.

      This talking point is just so Democrats have an excuse to keep AOC out of the 2028 race in favor of some centrist turd barge.

        • kreskin@lemmy.world
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          What has AOC done that Kamala hasn’t?

          Give a coherent speech. Talk about policy poistions. Pave her own way instead of riding on someone elses coattails. Have some basic principles and humanity. Have a staff that doesnt talk to the press about what a tyrant she is. Fight for whats right instead of what will bring in bribes.

          The two couldnt be more different.

        • Kalysta@lemm.ee
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          8 hours ago

          Actually asked voters what they want rather than tell them bullshit lies.

          Stood against the palestinian genocide

          Wants universal health care. Pushed the green new deal.

    • Maiq@lemy.lol
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      The blue bubble is as heard to burst as the red bubble. My mom lives on msnbc. There is not a moment that its not on just like my dad lives on fox. They are completely in their own different worlds made of fiction. Dad thought there was no way Trump could loose to Biden just as my mom thought there was no way Hillary/Harris could loose to Trump. Both had no moment of realisation, no moment of reflection just disbelief that they live in a bubble. Its always someone else’s fault. Dad blamed the Democrats and mom blames the left.

      To me it’s obvious that Chomsky was right about manufacturing consent.

      • Eugene V. Debs' Ghost@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        MSNBC is liberal Fox News. They both are the circuses while the public is clamoring for breadcrumbs.

        To me it’s obvious that Chomsky was right about manufacturing consent.

        Always has been.

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      2 days ago

      Her fascist border plan, embrace of genocide, and her running mate Liz Cheney were all great in their opinion? Wow. I need to talk to some Dems sometime.

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          Biden got 80 million and won on a much more progressive platform (that he ignored when in office). Harris ran a conservative campaign that depressed her base in favor of appealing to republicans. It was some sorkin brained shit that obviously stupid and many of us were yelling about it at the time. We were right but Dems will never listen because they love corporate money more than winning or having a livable planet.

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            21 hours ago

            To be fair afaik Biden didn’t ignore his progressive platform. He definitely said things he then didn’t accomplish, but if I understand it right they were within the range of “all politicians lie” rather than having completely ignored his platform Obama-style.

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            14 hours ago

            Most pro-labour administration since FDR, but that still counted for nothing, apparently.

            • kreskin@lemmy.world
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              Because thats pretty debatable. Where was the Biden administration when the cops were breaking up the amazon strike? And Biden forced the rail union not to strike, right? And in the end years later gave them a fraction of what the strikers were going to demand, and called it victory. Typical centrist outcome.

            • Kalysta@lemm.ee
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              It counted for nothing because inflation was hurting the working class and Democrats are shit at messaging.

            • YtA4QCam2A9j7EfTgHrH@infosec.pub
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              14 hours ago

              Ran on being compassionate to migrants, deported more than Trump and had Title 42 longer. Said he’d get rid of private prisons, those migrants end up in private prisons.

              Ran on cleaning up Trumps mess with Covid, just declared it over with while Americans died in droves. Didn’t even try to mitigate it. His press secretary had the gall to laugh when a reporter suggested sending free tests which they ended up doing because of public pressure.

              Ran on cleaning up Washington after Trump. Appointed the most useless man in the word Merrick Garland who sat on his fucking hands until Trump rehabilitated his image. Speed was key and Biden might just be responsible for the end of American democracy because of his lack of spine.

              Ran on the energy from the George Floyd protests. Solved the problem of policing of black people by funding the living shit out of cops. I assume he is trying to drown them in money.

              Then he funded the shit out of genocide that his base fucking hated. Just from a pragmatic point of view he should have stopped for the elections sake, but he did it anyways because he doesn’t think Palestinians are people.

              I was Biden’s biggest fan after the IRA passed. Finally we are doing something for the environment. But that is all going to be undone because the fuck refused to step down so we could have a primary.

              • Gsus4@mander.xyz
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                14 hours ago

                And yet he was still the most humane president since Carter. Really tells you something about the US, more than the president himself (e.g. Congress standing ovation for genocide bibi).

    • BadmanDan@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Your family is correct. America is racist and sexist. Asl yourself, after that debate and the several Trump fumbles on the campaign trail. Would you vote for him or Harris? Regardless if you thought she was perfect or not.

      If you voted for Trump, you obviously didnt care about policy when every indication points to his being objectively worse. And I’m ready to argue that all day.

      • FooBarrington@lemmy.world
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        No. You’re showing the same fundamental misunderstanding the Democrats do.

        If people are hurting, and one candidate says “I see you’re hurting, and I will do XYZ to help you” while another says “We’re all doing fine, nothing will change with me” - it’s no wonder people go with the former! Even if they are lying.