To my fellow Democrats/liberals: Stop saying Republican voters are stupid.

[All Along The Watchtower]

They've clearly embraced the label (along with the now-infamous "deplorable") as a badge of honor and successfully weaponized it against us. And it's paid off for them handsomely, if the number of elected offices in the US held by the GOP is any indication.

Rule #1 in electoral politics (or at the very least, one of the top 5): Never give the opposition a chance to paint you as an arrogant, condescending elitist who is out-of-touch with the uh, "commoners." For any political party, this can be a real albatross; for a left-wing or at least, vaguely center-left party whose policy platform is designed for the benefit of the "common people" (in theory if not always in practice) and whose representatives have traditionally styled themselves as representing the interests of the People against the rich, the powerful, and the privileged, this can be fatal.

And to those who say that "why does it matter what I say about Republican voters, I'm not a politician or running for office": A lot of Republican voters (and more importantly for these purposes, downscale voters (even if only relatively downscale) who may not be naturally inclined to vote Republican but deeply resent any hint of smug condescension toward them from upper-middle class people with university educations - regardless of whether it comes from the Woke crowd or the National Review) editorial board) have this thing called the Internet. And they use it. And many of them read websites or forums like this one. And some of them even post on said forums - including this one.

I know that I've been far from perfect about this myself, and no, no one on the Democratic side has any obligation to start agreeing with Republicans or right-wing politics in general. Far from it. But can those of us who are of a Left-ish bent at least acknowledge the fact that for a critically large number of Americans - particularly Americans who vote - we have utterly failed in the sense that they genuinely don't believe that we have any respect for them as people (forget politics for a minute here)? And can we also agree that this has put the Democratic Party's electoral prospects at ALL levels of government in peril?

I think it's pretty obvious that the Democrats have failed at least as much as the Republicans have succeeded (isn't the Republican Party as a whole less popular than noted loyal Republican politico Donald Trump among the party's voters? lol). And I don't see how any supporter of Democrats could be remotely satisfied with this situation. What am I missing here?

[Hindsight was 2020]

Libtard that is all

[elcorazon]

the fact that the Republicans are clearly being lied to and they don't care. Therefore, they are either deplorable or stupid. Perhaps it is bad strategy to say it out loud, but it remains true.

[DrScholl]

There are number of them practically admitting that they are stupid by saying that they regret voting for Trump after seeing him in action.

[DC Al Fine]

the fact that the Republicans are clearly being lied to and they don't care. Therefore, they are either deplorable or stupid. Perhaps it is bad strategy to say it out loud, but it remains true.

[Goldwater]

There are number of them practically admitting that they are stupid by saying that they regret voting for Trump after seeing him in action.

Er, lacking foresight in one particular election does not equal being stupid in general.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     This topic is right on the mark. A huge factor in the defeat of the Democrats was the sheer condescension that many people experienced from them. When people talk about their real concerns and these are simply handwaved by liberal talking heads as somehow being invalid, of course the Democrats are going to be identified as elitists.

     Defending this conduct by saying that "but Republicans are stupid" is just proving the point that Democrats are extraordinarily tonedeaf and uninterested in actually addressing the issues. I had hoped y'all would take a good lesson away from 2016; some Democrats have learned a lesson, but it seems many are just doubling down on the same flaws that put them in this situation.

[Beet]

Oh yes, this is quite true. The problem is a liberal looks at Pruitt saying global warming isn't real, and thinks "Anyone who believes him must be stupid", when in fact, their support of him is just code for "I don't want environmentalism ruining my economy," or "I don't care if Florida is underwater in 200 years" or something like that. It's not so much a matter of stupidity as a difference in values and priorities. Which can be engaged upon. But if you assume they're stupid right off the bat, you won't engage.

[Virginiá]

Whatever one thinks about the election and the decisions made, the elitist / condescension is a problem and we should all make an effort to try and not look down on other fellow citizens.

That being said, this is not a one-sided issue. I've spent enough time in rural areas / small towns (I live in one right now) to know that there exists an insulting attitude towards urban people, and such has been around for a long time.

We should all try and respect each other and try to understand the problems each side faces.

[Lincoln Republican]

the fact that the Republicans are clearly being lied to and they don't care. Therefore, they are either deplorable or stupid. Perhaps it is bad strategy to say it out loud, but it remains true.

And this, my friends, is the reason as to why the Democrats are more and more becoming a party of the upper to border Atlantic states, and of the west coast, with a smattering of support in the Midwest.

It is an attitude such as this that leads to complacency, arrogance, and decline.

[Ronnie]

I do agree with the premise of your topic, and think Democrats (both politicians and the rank-and-file) need to attempt to re-connect with the segment of Trump voters who didn't really like Trump, but wanted to stick it to the elites they didn't perceive were on their side.  But how do you propose Dems deal with the Stephen Millers, the Ann Coulters?  The Republicans whose ideological underpinning is not level-headed conservatism, but rather, hatred of Obama, the left, and anyone they perceive is different from themselves?  Should we just ignore them?

[Devout Centrist]

I'm neither, so I'll just ignore the OP.

I think Stein voters are utter morons too, fwiw.

[Hindsight was 2020]

the fact that the Republicans are clearly being lied to and they don't care. Therefore, they are either deplorable or stupid. Perhaps it is bad strategy to say it out loud, but it remains true.

And this, my friends, is the reason as to why the Democrats are more and more becoming a party of the upper to border Atlantic states, and of the west coast, with a smattering of support in the Midwest.

It is an attitude such as this that leads to complacency, arrogance, and decline.

You know, if you tune into right wing media...their always insulting urbanites in big cities. Michael Savage loves to slam San Francisco making it sound like people are having groupsex in the streets, and Fox news loves to go around NYC and insult people and make them look stupid...especially any protesters that look like how rural Conservatives imagine NYCers to look.

Get off your high horse.

Yeah, just like how the GOP is in no way condescending towards urbanites, college grads or Millennials in general. Smh

An condescending is far worse than physical laws targeting you an love ones like Muslims and Mexicans are facing under Trump

[Technocracy Timmy]

the fact that the Republicans are clearly being lied to and they don't care. Therefore, they are either deplorable or stupid. Perhaps it is bad strategy to say it out loud, but it remains true.

And this, my friends, is the reason as to why the Democrats are more and more becoming a party of the upper to border Atlantic states, and of the west coast, with a smattering of support in the Midwest.

It is an attitude such as this that leads to complacency, arrogance, and decline.

You know, if you tune into right wing media...their always insulting urbanites in big cities. Michael Savage loves to slam San Francisco making it sound like people are having groupsex in the streets, and Fox news loves to go around NYC and insult people and make them look stupid...especially any protesters that look like how rural Conservatives imagine NYCers to look.

Get off your high horse.

Yeah, just like how the GOP is in no way condescending towards urbanites, college grads or Millennials in general. Smh

This is what right wing media portrays everyone living in big cities as:

How did you find that picture of me??

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

They've clearly embraced the label (along with the now-infamous "deplorable") as a badge of honor and successfully weaponized it against us. And it's paid off for them handsomely, if the number of elected offices in the US held by the GOP is any indication.

Rule #1 in electoral politics (or at the very least, one of the top 5): Never give the opposition a chance to paint you as an arrogant, condescending elitist who is out-of-touch with the uh, "commoners." For any political party, this can be a real albatross; for a left-wing or at least, vaguely center-left party whose policy platform is designed for the benefit of the "common people" (in theory if not always in practice) and whose representatives have traditionally styled themselves as representing the interests of the People against the rich, the powerful, and the privileged, this can be fatal.

And to those who say that "why does it matter what I say about Republican voters, I'm not a politician or running for office": A lot of Republican voters (and more importantly for these purposes, downscale voters (even if only relatively downscale) who may not be naturally inclined to vote Republican but deeply resent any hint of smug condescension toward them from upper-middle class people with university educations - regardless of whether it comes from the Woke crowd or the National Review) editorial board) have this thing called the Internet. And they use it. And many of them read websites or forums like this one. And some of them even post on said forums - including this one.

I know that I've been far from perfect about this myself, and no, no one on the Democratic side has any obligation to start agreeing with Republicans or right-wing politics in general. Far from it. But can those of us who are of a Left-ish bent at least acknowledge the fact that for a critically large number of Americans - particularly Americans who vote - we have utterly failed in the sense that they genuinely don't believe that we have any respect for them as people (forget politics for a minute here)? And can we also agree that this has put the Democratic Party's electoral prospects at ALL levels of government in peril?

I think it's pretty obvious that the Democrats have failed at least as much as the Republicans have succeeded (isn't the Republican Party as a whole less popular than noted loyal Republican politico Donald Trump among the party's voters? lol). And I don't see how any supporter of Democrats could be remotely satisfied with this situation. What am I missing here?

The problem with what you're saying, which does have some good arguments to be made in your favor, is that really,  I don't have any respect for Republicans/Trumpers as people. They are willfully ignorant, lack empathy, and possess all the reasoning skills and self-awareness of a glob of mud. They have failed at being human beings.

I do not think any response or strategy that does not acknowledge up front that modern Republicans/Trumpers are terrible human beings has any chance at success. They have made it clear that empathy, reason, shame,  enlightened self-interest and all the other ways human beings use to peacefully resolve disputes are not anything they are interested in. They acknowledge (barely) laws and government only because they're the ones in control. They are, and will, continue to abuse the societal contract until it breaks. And then they'll use that as "justification" for more tyranny.

They can either go through the slow and painful process of educating themselves. (Not that I think it's very likely.) Or they can wait and end up the same way the last generation of fascists did at the end of WWII, when the rest of the world joined forces to punch fascism in the face.

[Lincoln Republican]

the fact that the Republicans are clearly being lied to and they don't care. Therefore, they are either deplorable or stupid. Perhaps it is bad strategy to say it out loud, but it remains true.

And this, my friends, is the reason as to why the Democrats are more and more becoming a party of the upper to border Atlantic states, and of the west coast, with a smattering of support in the Midwest.

It is an attitude such as this that leads to complacency, arrogance, and decline.

You know, if you tune into right wing media...their always insulting urbanites in big cities. Michael Savage loves to slam San Francisco making it sound like people are having groupsex in the streets, and Fox news loves to go around NYC and insult people and make them look stupid...especially any protesters that look like how rural Conservatives imagine NYCers to look.

Get off your high horse.

And it is precisely this Democrat attitude as to why Trump won and Clinton lost.

Get off your merry-go- round.

[Santander]

the fact that the Republicans are clearly being lied to and they don't care. Therefore, they are either deplorable or stupid. Perhaps it is bad strategy to say it out loud, but it remains true.

And we're proud of it!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

The fact that you view this as merely a tactical error rather than a moral failure to me shows that you're full of hooey. This won't fool anybody in 2020.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Oh yes, this is quite true. The problem is a liberal looks at Pruitt saying global warming isn't real, and thinks "Anyone who believes him must be stupid", when in fact, their support of him is just code for "I don't want environmentalism ruining my economy," or "I don't care if Florida is underwater in 200 years" or something like that. It's not so much a matter of stupidity as a difference in values and priorities. Which can be engaged upon. But if you assume they're stupid right off the bat, you won't engage.

Global warming is already destroying the economy:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/sep/26/climate-change-damaging-global-economy

You must be logged in to read this quote.

And Florida is sinking *now*.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/science/flooding-of-coast-caused-by-global-warming-has-already-begun.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Pretending pi is 3 is not a  difference "in values and priorities" it's the difference in whether or not your buildings fall down.

[Hindsight was 2020]

The fact that you view this as merely a tactical error rather than a moral failure to me shows that you're full of hooey. This won't fool anybody in 2020.

An again the fact you think being talked down to by some east coast caricature is worse then the Muslim ban shows how full of hooey you are.

[Cashew]

the fact that the Republicans are clearly being lied to and they don't care. Therefore, they are either deplorable or stupid. Perhaps it is bad strategy to say it out loud, but it remains true.

And this, my friends, is the reason as to why the Democrats are more and more becoming a party of the upper to border Atlantic states, and of the west coast, with a smattering of support in the Midwest.

It is an attitude such as this that leads to complacency, arrogance, and decline.

You know, if you tune into right wing media...their always insulting urbanites in big cities. Michael Savage loves to slam San Francisco making it sound like people are having groupsex in the streets, and Fox news loves to go around NYC and insult people and make them look stupid...especially any protesters that look like how rural Conservatives imagine NYCers to look.

Get off your high horse.

And it is precisely this Democrat attitude as to why Trump won and Clinton lost.

Get off your merry-go- round.

That's not a rebuttal though. Telling.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Oh yes, this is quite true. The problem is a liberal looks at Pruitt saying global warming isn't real, and thinks "Anyone who believes him must be stupid", when in fact, their support of him is just code for "I don't want environmentalism ruining my economy," or "I don't care if Florida is underwater in 200 years" or something like that. It's not so much a matter of stupidity as a difference in values and priorities. Which can be engaged upon. But if you assume they're stupid right off the bat, you won't engage.

Global warming is already destroying the economy:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/sep/26/climate-change-damaging-global-economy

You must be logged in to read this quote.

And Florida is sinking *now*.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/science/flooding-of-coast-caused-by-global-warming-has-already-begun.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Pretending pi is 3 is not a  difference "in values and priorities" it's the difference in whether or not your buildings fall down.

All the better a reason to vote for Trump-if global warming turns my parent's house into an oceanfront rather than intracoastal front home, my grandchildren will be rich.

[Trapsy]

This is why people voted for Trump.

[ApatheticAustrian]

Runeghost or elcorazon for DNC chairman, guys! They'd do all the work for us!

to be fair, most republicans are proposing, the democrats should take one of those guys as chairman, who the republican base would never vote for in the first place, cause if low energy.

[Xing]

It's certainly true that Democrats come across as condescending and holier-than-thou to a lot of people, and should find a way to push back against this perception. That's not to say that Republicans don't have contempt for Democratic voters, though.