Should the Democratic Party go far left, or centrist?

[Famous Mortimer]

I don't know, but I would be worried that the Democrats will ape Labour and react to this defeat by swinging so far to the left they go off the reservation.

Oh boy, is this true.

Besides Sanders, there are no other sane social democrats in American politics.

If we try to move left, we're probably going to get DNC Chairman Keith "We need to give more free money to Somalis or it's our fault when they join ISIS" Ellison.

[publicunofficial]

Policy no longer matters. Character, tone, message, pathos, ect. matters so much more.

More than anything else, the parties need to excite their voters. And right now there's maybe 5 notable Democrats that excite Democrats, none of them to Obama levels.

[beaver2.0]

Centrist.

[Blue3]

Policy no longer matters. Character, tone, message, pathos, ect. matters so much more.

More than anything else, the parties need to excite their voters. And right now there's maybe 5 notable Democrats that excite Democrats, none of them to Obama levels.

I would disagree completely with the first line.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

They need someone who reeks of Blue Collar, calloused-hands charm. Someone whose way of speaking sounds Republican but whose actual policy positions are populist and left-wing. This way, the stupid working-class rubes will *feel* like they're being catered to (it's all they really need), and the left-wing base will know their candidate has their back because the content he's running on is appropriately left-wing. Bernie Sanders wasn't even the best fit for what they need. An exceptionally liberal Joe Manchin is what they need, but the bench is so hollow that I don't know if they'll be able to find that person.

A scandal-free and slightly younger John Kitzhaber...

[DrewAu]

Ditch the populism and go for smart leftism. Carbon taxes(large amounts of revenue for social programs, the vast majority of economists support it, etc.), sustainable agriculture(eg use genetic engineering to reduce need for pesticides), completely restructuring our education system(not sure how, but it has problems way worse then a lack of funding), fight overuse of antibiotics, smart foreign policy instead of pacifism or lolNeocon, etc. Free and Fair trade instead of protectionism. Be smarter, not more true leftist^tm or super centrist.

Agree

[TDantuono]

Abandon the SJWs. Focus on economic progressivism. Class consciousness, which includes the white working class. Not identity politics.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Ditch the populism and go for smart leftism. Carbon taxes(large amounts of revenue for social programs, the vast majority of economists support it, etc.), sustainable agriculture(eg use genetic engineering to reduce need for pesticides), completely restructuring our education system(not sure how, but it has problems way worse then a lack of funding), fight overuse of antibiotics, smart foreign policy instead of pacifism or lolNeocon, etc. Free and Fair trade instead of protectionism. Be smarter, not more true leftist^tm or super centrist.

Look up the Australian election in 2013. You could possibly win with a carbon tax, but as a topline item it's dead weight. Also the idea that you can fund continuing social programs with a carbon tax is bad, considering that would make the government dependent on carbon. If you're going to have a carbon tax at least have payroll tax cuts or whatever.

Most people don't read Vox  or want to have sx with Ezra Klein, so most of your policies are pretty weird for a national election

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Abandon the SJWs. Focus on economic progressivism. Class consciousness, which includes the white working class. Not identity politics.

I mean I get where you're coming from, but ah class is an identity.

To some degree identity politics is unavoidable, and not always unhelpful. The Trump campaign used it a lot. It just has to, err, add up to a majority of the electorate.

[RINO Tom]

They need someone who reeks of Blue Collar, calloused-hands charm. Someone whose way of speaking sounds Republican but whose actual policy positions are populist and left-wing. This way, the stupid working-class rubes will *feel* like they're being catered to (it's all they really need), and the left-wing base will know their candidate has their back because the content he's running on is appropriately left-wing. Bernie Sanders wasn't even the best fit for what they need. An exceptionally liberal Joe Manchin is what they need, but the bench is so hollow that I don't know if they'll be able to find that person.

A scandal-free and slightly younger John Kitzhaber...

These rubes don't strike me as particularly dumber than the entitled, lazy college kids who want everything in their lives paid for and are riding Bernie's jock, but whatever!

[Lincoln Republican]

Centrist if they're smart.

Surely they're bright enough to realize that the views of some leftist wing nut from Vermont would bankrupt the nation in a year.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

stupid working-class rubes

Oh for God's sake will you shut the hell up you insufferable brat.

[The_Doctor]

The Democrats will not go "Labour left." They haven't, because the United States is not Europe. American political culture brutally punishes anyone remotely like Corbyn. Which Sanders is not, and most Democratic politicians are not.

America's hegemonic position in the world also means that there is no tolerance of radicals like Corbyn. The radicalism will come in economics, and the safety net, and punishing coal and gas.

[IceAgeComing]

Quick question to anyone saying "centrist": how can you look at this election and think that the problem was that the Democrats were too left wing?  Like how can your reaction to the Democrats losing significant numbers of their core support to a right-populist like Trump be "yes, more of the same please"?

[Person Man]

Abandon the SJWs. Focus on economic progressivism. Class consciousness, which includes the white working class. Not identity politics.

I mean I get where you're coming from, but ah class is an identity.

To some degree identity politics is unavoidable, and not always unhelpful. The Trump campaign used it a lot. It just has to, err, add up to a majority of the electorate.

That is just more identity politics. We need to simply focus on how things are unbalanced in this country and how that unbalanced power of business (maybe organized religion) is taking away our rights.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Left-wing but pro-Second Amendment.

[Person Man]

Left-wing but pro-Second Amendment.

Maybe continue on universal background checks but allow for a pathway to restore gun rights after 10 years for those convicted of misdemeanors, non-violent felonies, and those that had substance/health problems.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I also think there should be a stronger focus on economic issues.

But don't abandon social issues. We don't need any more of these Trump-inspired hate crimes.

[Laeta]

Far left, sadly

[Erich Maria Remarque]

I also think there should be a stronger focus on economic issues.

But don't abandon social issues. We don't need any more of these Trump-inspired hate crimes.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/13/protesters-rape-melania-sign-draws-strong-rebuke-sparking-twitter-trend/

[The_Doctor]

Centrist if they're smart.

Surely they're bright enough to realize that the views of some leftist wing nut from Vermont would bankrupt the nation in a year.

That self-same Vermont Senator will be the impetus for the next reigning Democratic Party majority. There is no centrism in store. There will be radicalism, pragmatic radicalism, but radicalism all the way. Single payer, universal college tuition, protection against free trade (while for free traderism) and a grand plan to combat climate change will be the hallmarks of the new Democratic majority.

And the thing is, sad for you, the public will be 100% behind them.

Neither party has cared about deficits. They will continue to not care about deficits. The Democrats will have the majority and the policy chops to ram through a radical agenda within 10 years. Trump was the opening act. The Democrats will be the closing one.

Oh, and immigration reform. Definitely going to be the bookend to Trump's deportations.