Cheer up Dems! We're still winning the long game

[old timey villain]

There are several reasons why I'm not too upset about what happened last night

1) Obama is still president- True, he won't be able to get much done, but he will still act as an important firewall to whatever insane bills the new GOP congress pushes through. I actually welcome them to try to craft legislation that reflects the demands of their Fox News watching constituents. Only then will Dems who sat out last night be convinced not to make the same mistake again.

2) The GOP didn't learn anything new- They didn't bother to rebrand their party or change their messaging to attract a broader coalition. All they did was manage to get out more of the same old, white, angry midterm electorate with the same old foaming at the mouth rhetoric. The average American doesn't think any more highly of the Republican party now than they did in 2012, but the GOP will become complacent and convince themselves that they're on the right track, only to be sideswiped in future cycles.

3) The next 2 cycles will be VERY tough for them- 2016 will be a Presidential year, and all of the GOP senators who rode the 2010 midterm wave will suddenly be faced with a nationalized race and a more diverse electorate. That will spell trouble for folks like Mark Kirk, Kelly Ayotte, Pat Toomey, Ron Johnson and many more. And even if our next Prez is a Republican (which history suggests is likely), that will help Dems retain their 2012 prizes in 2018, when we get to be the alternative to the party in power.

4) The southernization of the GOP is complete, and that's a good thing- Ok, so we've lost all our Southern senators. Fine. The Democrats will no longer have to tip toe around the blue dogs and can finally fully champion progressive causes whole heartedly. Meanwhile, the GOP will keep relying more and more on the white southern male- even as their importance in elections continues to wane. They're basically a regional party now, which makes them slaves to whatever Bubba thinks should happen in Washington.

So yeah, things will be fine.

[Mr. Illini]

I agree that we are winning the long game, but last night made it clear we aren't winning the long game by as much as I thought we were.

[IceSpear]

Everyone said Dems learned their mistake from 2010. They lied.

[President von Cat]

Everyone said Dems learned their mistake from 2010. They lied.

Exactly. That is what frustrates me the most..

[GaussLaw]

4) The southernization of the GOP is complete, and that's a good thing- Ok, so we've lost all our Southern senators. Fine. The Democrats will no longer have to tip toe around the blue dogs and can finally fully champion progressive causes whole heartedly. Meanwhile, the GOP will keep relying more and more on the white southern male- even as their importance in elections continues to wane. They're basically a regional party now, which makes them slaves to whatever Bubba thinks should happen in Washington.

So yeah, things will be fine.

Senators-elect Ernst, Sullivan, Gardner, Daines, and Rounds would like a word with you about this "complete Southernization" of the GOP.

[old timey villain]

4) The southernization of the GOP is complete, and that's a good thing- Ok, so we've lost all our Southern senators. Fine. The Democrats will no longer have to tip toe around the blue dogs and can finally fully champion progressive causes whole heartedly. Meanwhile, the GOP will keep relying more and more on the white southern male- even as their importance in elections continues to wane. They're basically a regional party now, which makes them slaves to whatever Bubba thinks should happen in Washington.

So yeah, things will be fine.

Senators-elect Ernst, Sullivan, Gardner, Daines, and Rounds would like a word with you about this "complete Southernization" of the GOP.

Southernization refers more to a specific culture than a region.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

There are several reasons why I'm not too upset about what happened last night

1) Obama is still president- True, he won't be able to get much done, but he will still act as an important firewall to whatever insane bills the new GOP congress pushes through. I actually welcome them to try to craft legislation that reflects the demands of their Fox News watching constituents. Only then will Dems who sat out last night be convinced not to make the same mistake again.

We'll see whether his veto pen gets much use, or if he continues thinking that we're in a "post-partisan era" and need a "grand compromise".

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The Democratic party clearly showed that it's the overly complacent party. It takes its voters for granted, while failing to taking the lead in arguing why Democratic ideas are better. It has failed to stand up to Republican attacks.

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If there's a Democratic President in 2018 who isn't any better at leading than Obama, it will be another bloodbath for the Democrats.

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Things didn't go that well outside of the south, either.

[Wisconsin+17]

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Meh. Flyover country. What do the Democrats care about losing every senate seat East of the Colorado and South of the Potomac.

Edit - Darn Maryland.

[RINO Tom]

4) The southernization of the GOP is complete, and that's a good thing- Ok, so we've lost all our Southern senators. Fine. The Democrats will no longer have to tip toe around the blue dogs and can finally fully champion progressive causes whole heartedly. Meanwhile, the GOP will keep relying more and more on the white southern male- even as their importance in elections continues to wane. They're basically a regional party now, which makes them slaves to whatever Bubba thinks should happen in Washington.

So yeah, things will be fine.

Senators-elect Ernst, Sullivan, Gardner, Daines, and Rounds would like a word with you about this "complete Southernization" of the GOP.

Yeah, doesn't the GOP currently hold 34 of the 50 governors' mansions, too?...  Just because Southern Democrats completely collapsed and Republicans, by default, picked up their seats with relative ease does not mean the party is any more Southern than before the election, LOL.  Especially considering it now controls the governor's mansion in the following "blue states" (God, I hate this term): Nevada, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine.  Not to mention very, very close calls in Colorado, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

This sounds like a poster REALLY trying to find some good out of a terrible night.

[Beet]

There's a lot to disagree with here, but the Democrats can't just write off the South. There are too many House seats, Senate seats, and people living in these areas to just give up on the "bubba". Besides, the South is the region that "needs" us the most. They have the highest poverty rates, the highest obesity rates, the lowest health care coverage rates, and so on. If there's one place in the country Democrats should be able to make their pitch, the South is it. Doubling down on the Northeast/West Coast will just exacerbate this ugly tendency among some Democrats towards arrogance and over-reliance on social wedge issues.

Frankly, we need to bring back Howard Dean's 50 state strategy. That will get us accustomed to engaging with the American people again, instead of circle jerking on places like Atlas.

[KCDem]

It doesn't matter how many people agree with us if these people don't vote.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Governors-elect/governors Kasich, Sandoval, Snyder, Walker, Hogan, Lepage, Baker & Rauner show that the GOP is definitely not a 'southern-like political states' only sort of party. The GOP also came very close in CT, VT, NH, RI, and CO, and outperformed expectations in MN.

Same goes for senators-elect Ernst, Tillis, and Gardner, and the GOP's amazing showing in VA, and better than expected showing in NM and IL. Came close in NH as well.

The GOP got 34% of the Hispanic vote nationally - not enough to win the presidency, but a big step up from 2012. They are truly beginning to learn their lessons from 2012 - here's what they've learned:

1. they can't nominate tea partiers in non-deep republican states
2. they can't go around bashing women who get raped
3. they can't make statements about 47% of the population being victims, and
4. ground game/GOTV is important

[IceSpear]

Governors-elect/governors Kasich, Sandoval, Snyder, Walker, Hogan, Lepage, Baker & Rauner show that the GOP is definitely not a 'southern-like political states' only sort of party. The GOP also came very close in CT, VT, NH, RI, and CO, and outperformed expectations in MN.

Same goes for senators-elect Ernst, Tillis, and Gardner, and the GOP's amazing showing in VA, and better than expected showing in NM and IL. Came close in NH as well.

The GOP got 34% of the Hispanic vote nationally - not enough to win the presidency, but a big step up from 2012. They are truly beginning to learn their lessons from 2012 - here's what they've learned:

1. they can't nominate tea partiers in non-deep republican states
2. they can't go around bashing women who get raped
3. they can't make statements about 47% of the population being victims, and
4. ground game/GOTV is important

[Lincoln Republican]

Yup, Dems, keep telling yourself that.

If you tell yourselves that long enough you may actually start to believe it.

Yup.

[IceSpear]

Yup, Dems, keep telling yourself that.

If you tell yourselves that long enough you may actually start to believe it.

Yup.

Mitt Romney will still never be president of the United States.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Governors-elect/governors Kasich, Sandoval, Snyder, Walker, Hogan, Lepage, Baker & Rauner show that the GOP is definitely not a 'southern-like political states' only sort of party. The GOP also came very close in CT, VT, NH, RI, and CO, and outperformed expectations in MN.

Same goes for senators-elect Ernst, Tillis, and Gardner, and the GOP's amazing showing in VA, and better than expected showing in NM and IL. Came close in NH as well.

The GOP got 34% of the Hispanic vote nationally - not enough to win the presidency, but a big step up from 2012. They are truly beginning to learn their lessons from 2012 - here's what they've learned:

1. they can't nominate tea partiers in non-deep republican states
2. they can't go around bashing women who get raped
3. they can't make statements about 47% of the population being victims, and
4. ground game/GOTV is important

Well, getting more specific:

1. They can't nominate tea partiers in non-deep republican states unless the democratic candidate makes gaffes for a good time.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In the sense in which you mean it, there is no long game. Over the longer term there is, in fact, no game at all.

[Lincoln Republican]

Yup, Dems, keep telling yourself that.

If you tell yourselves that long enough you may actually start to believe it.

Yup.

Mitt Romney will still never be president of the United States.

I agree.

A new generation of dynamic and competent leaders are taking control of the GOP, and that is why the party is on the cusp of becoming the new majority.

Obama is more than anyone else responsible for the steep, downhill slide of the Dems.

[Free Bird]

Love reading these security blankets

[Lief 🗽]

Is this a parody thread?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Is this a parody thread?

Maybe, but it's too soon to tell.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This sounds like a poster REALLY trying to find some good out of a terrible night.

Exactly. This was a horrible year for us no matter how we slick it.

[Person Man]

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Meh. Flyover country. What do the Democrats care about losing every senate seat East of the Colorado and South of the Potomac.

Edit - Darn Maryland.

We probably can't win in the "South" anymore, but that makes states like Colorado, Nevada,Virginia, North Carolina and Florida all the more important.

[NHI]

4) The southernization of the GOP is complete, and that's a good thing- Ok, so we've lost all our Southern senators. Fine. The Democrats will no longer have to tip toe around the blue dogs and can finally fully champion progressive causes whole heartedly. Meanwhile, the GOP will keep relying more and more on the white southern male- even as their importance in elections continues to wane. They're basically a regional party now, which makes them slaves to whatever Bubba thinks should happen in Washington.

So yeah, things will be fine.

Senators-elect Ernst, Sullivan, Gardner, Daines, and Rounds would like a word with you about this "complete Southernization" of the GOP.

Yeah, doesn't the GOP currently hold 34 of the 50 governors' mansions, too?...  Just because Southern Democrats completely collapsed and Republicans, by default, picked up their seats with relative ease does not mean the party is any more Southern than before the election, LOL.  Especially considering it now controls the governor's mansion in the following "blue states" (God, I hate this term): Nevada, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine.  Not to mention very, very close calls in Colorado, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

This sounds like a poster REALLY trying to find some good out of a terrible night.

[Person Man]

4) The southernization of the GOP is complete, and that's a good thing- Ok, so we've lost all our Southern senators. Fine. The Democrats will no longer have to tip toe around the blue dogs and can finally fully champion progressive causes whole heartedly. Meanwhile, the GOP will keep relying more and more on the white southern male- even as their importance in elections continues to wane. They're basically a regional party now, which makes them slaves to whatever Bubba thinks should happen in Washington.

So yeah, things will be fine.

Senators-elect Ernst, Sullivan, Gardner, Daines, and Rounds would like a word with you about this "complete Southernization" of the GOP.

Yeah, doesn't the GOP currently hold 34 of the 50 governors' mansions, too?...  Just because Southern Democrats completely collapsed and Republicans, by default, picked up their seats with relative ease does not mean the party is any more Southern than before the election, LOL.  Especially considering it now controls the governor's mansion in the following "blue states" (God, I hate this term): Nevada, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine.  Not to mention very, very close calls in Colorado, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

This sounds like a poster REALLY trying to find some good out of a terrible night.

It's true, though. And until we can come up with a new alternative, or totally start over as a movement, this will be the main narrative.