"These voters chastised Democrats for not impeaching Trump, “not pushing hard enough back and folding under pressure.”" - the dems don't have a majority and so those things are impossible. They can't even get a vote on a bill in the house without some republican support (a discharge petition), much less getting it passed without republican support.
So when people think the dems aren't doing stuff they should are they just being naive? stupid? whiners?
If the dems get a majority and then don't do this stuff then at that point this criticism is valid. I have to wonder if these people would support an indefinite shutdown of the entire government - I suspect not but I'll bet they will whine about not trying anyway.
Someone to whom Schumer listens (Jeffries too): Please tell him that suddenly sprinkling “hell” or “shit” into the otherwise content-free public responses to maga outrages-of-the-day isn’t “not weak,” and it doesn’t comprise fighting back.
It’s inauthentic, transparently, and therefore weak af.
I don't think one can adequately understand public perception without addressing media bias and control i.e. the huge right wing propaganda machine and the sane-washing MSM.
"Many voters who dislike Democrats still plan to vote for them" - I wasn't expected to be violently called out like that Mr. Morris. But if you want an anecdotal/qualitative confirmation on that, this is how I feel, and quite a few folks I talk to feel.
I think this is also an old dynamic in the blue team. Folks closer to Democratic party leadership are always expecting the left activist flank and any responsible or civic-minded independents to get on board with the program, because there isn't really an alternative.
If my choices on the ballot are "centrist corporate slop by weak-kneed geriatrics" versus "mask off fascism/kleptocracy/theocracy," it's an easy choice to make. Not a lovely choice, but at least easy.
Perfect. And we are not a negligible slice of the Dem base. The implication is that we have to do the extra-electoral work to convince Dem pols that they might gain from moving left and being less feeble.
SIN's role/responsibility is to do ##, not to produce certain results that may be appealing/encouraging. Well done, SIN. That said, the results are profoundly depressing. Ignorance and cruelty reign.
The inherent asymmetry is Republicans are willing to do things Democrats should and could not. To win the fall shutdown, Trump and Rs took away food stamps, something Democrats could and shouldn’t abide.
The framing should have been:
“Republicans are starving kids to take away your health care.”
I didn’t hear one Democrat saying this in those terms.
But framing requires some honesty by the media, and when so much of media repeats Republican talking points, this becomes nearly impossible.
Yes. Not only does the 'media' fail to convey full information, and instead only gop messaging, it actively contributes to national problems. Extremely difficult for even highly motivated/engaged adults to overcome.
Sometimes I just want to gouge my eyes out and bang my head against a wall.
As far as Democrats being "weak" and "not fighting hard enough", well that has a LOT to do with the fact that we are a minority in both houses of congress and don't hold the White House.
Next question: how would Democrats demonstrate "strength" and fighting "back" when we're NOT. IN. POWER?
Maybe by causing a government shutdown to highlight the loss of ACA healthcare subsidies? Maybe by legislating voter-approved gerrymander measures to fight back against the clear corruption of Trump-ordered redistricting?!?!
Republicans are "strong" and "get things done" because they have taken over the Supreme Court (who essentially have granted Trump amnesty to do anything he wants without consequences) and vote for everything Trump wants, no matter how illegal or immoral or economically damaging it is. Trump blasts through every law and Constitutional norm and Republican lawmakers lay down and roll over. But I guess that's demonstrating "strength" to some voters?
Maybe it's time for voters (and all citizens) to participate in our democracy by reading about how our government works and which party has better ideas for how to address the issues that matter most to the American people. Then they need to write/call their reps (it would certainly help if they know WHO their reps are), maybe attend a town hall, and finally CAST AN INFORMED VOTE in every election.
They've done better re: fighting hard enough. And because they've done better, I think that's reflected actually in their favorability improving since early 2025. My sense is still that Jefferies and Shumer need to be dragged by their noses into meaningful confrontation. What drove people crazy was the party leadership trying to get folks on message about affordability when there's a five-alarm fire for democracy all around us.
I hate the word “woke” so am glad to see it really doesn’t play a significant role in Democrats’ supposed weakness (by that I mean the idea of being too “woke”). I’m not sure how Democrats, while being out of power, could develop centralized leadership. But they have certainly gotten better at fighting back over the last year and that seems to be supported by their numbers coming up on this issue.
I would argue some of these points of character weigh more than other these days.
For instance, I suspect the 'gets things done' category that Republicans still lead by a few points is the most important to people, especially Independents, right now. They feel stuck, abandoned, unseen, and want to have someone make immediate changes. That's exactly why Trump got in. He looked and seemed vigorous.
And why an even more extreme Republican candidate like Tucker Carlson could run and win in 2028. All that manosphere yelling and posturing and tanning of testicles will come to fruition.
Of course, it is somewhat unfair to yell at the Democrats for not getting things done when the Republicans control all three branches and are merrily romping around doing unconstitutional things nearly every day--but it is totally fair to criticize the Democratic Party leadership for failing to pull together a coherent and pointed set of counters to the dangerous slide towards fascism.
The way to undermine this is to point out you can't just 'get things done' you need to do them well and right. Incompetence and fraud is the Achilles heel of the Republicans. I see Democrats lead by a bit for 'govern in an honest and ethical way'.
"These voters chastised Democrats for not impeaching Trump, “not pushing hard enough back and folding under pressure.”" - the dems don't have a majority and so those things are impossible. They can't even get a vote on a bill in the house without some republican support (a discharge petition), much less getting it passed without republican support.
So when people think the dems aren't doing stuff they should are they just being naive? stupid? whiners?
If the dems get a majority and then don't do this stuff then at that point this criticism is valid. I have to wonder if these people would support an indefinite shutdown of the entire government - I suspect not but I'll bet they will whine about not trying anyway.
Someone to whom Schumer listens (Jeffries too): Please tell him that suddenly sprinkling “hell” or “shit” into the otherwise content-free public responses to maga outrages-of-the-day isn’t “not weak,” and it doesn’t comprise fighting back.
It’s inauthentic, transparently, and therefore weak af.
The moment "reach across the aisle" is uttered I'm out.
I don't think one can adequately understand public perception without addressing media bias and control i.e. the huge right wing propaganda machine and the sane-washing MSM.
"Many voters who dislike Democrats still plan to vote for them" - I wasn't expected to be violently called out like that Mr. Morris. But if you want an anecdotal/qualitative confirmation on that, this is how I feel, and quite a few folks I talk to feel.
I think this is also an old dynamic in the blue team. Folks closer to Democratic party leadership are always expecting the left activist flank and any responsible or civic-minded independents to get on board with the program, because there isn't really an alternative.
If my choices on the ballot are "centrist corporate slop by weak-kneed geriatrics" versus "mask off fascism/kleptocracy/theocracy," it's an easy choice to make. Not a lovely choice, but at least easy.
Perfect. And we are not a negligible slice of the Dem base. The implication is that we have to do the extra-electoral work to convince Dem pols that they might gain from moving left and being less feeble.
SIN's role/responsibility is to do ##, not to produce certain results that may be appealing/encouraging. Well done, SIN. That said, the results are profoundly depressing. Ignorance and cruelty reign.
The inherent asymmetry is Republicans are willing to do things Democrats should and could not. To win the fall shutdown, Trump and Rs took away food stamps, something Democrats could and shouldn’t abide.
The framing should have been:
“Republicans are starving kids to take away your health care.”
I didn’t hear one Democrat saying this in those terms.
But framing requires some honesty by the media, and when so much of media repeats Republican talking points, this becomes nearly impossible.
Yes. Not only does the 'media' fail to convey full information, and instead only gop messaging, it actively contributes to national problems. Extremely difficult for even highly motivated/engaged adults to overcome.
Sometimes I just want to gouge my eyes out and bang my head against a wall.
As far as Democrats being "weak" and "not fighting hard enough", well that has a LOT to do with the fact that we are a minority in both houses of congress and don't hold the White House.
Next question: how would Democrats demonstrate "strength" and fighting "back" when we're NOT. IN. POWER?
Maybe by causing a government shutdown to highlight the loss of ACA healthcare subsidies? Maybe by legislating voter-approved gerrymander measures to fight back against the clear corruption of Trump-ordered redistricting?!?!
Republicans are "strong" and "get things done" because they have taken over the Supreme Court (who essentially have granted Trump amnesty to do anything he wants without consequences) and vote for everything Trump wants, no matter how illegal or immoral or economically damaging it is. Trump blasts through every law and Constitutional norm and Republican lawmakers lay down and roll over. But I guess that's demonstrating "strength" to some voters?
Maybe it's time for voters (and all citizens) to participate in our democracy by reading about how our government works and which party has better ideas for how to address the issues that matter most to the American people. Then they need to write/call their reps (it would certainly help if they know WHO their reps are), maybe attend a town hall, and finally CAST AN INFORMED VOTE in every election.
Or maybe I'm just expecting too much.
They've done better re: fighting hard enough. And because they've done better, I think that's reflected actually in their favorability improving since early 2025. My sense is still that Jefferies and Shumer need to be dragged by their noses into meaningful confrontation. What drove people crazy was the party leadership trying to get folks on message about affordability when there's a five-alarm fire for democracy all around us.
I hate the word “woke” so am glad to see it really doesn’t play a significant role in Democrats’ supposed weakness (by that I mean the idea of being too “woke”). I’m not sure how Democrats, while being out of power, could develop centralized leadership. But they have certainly gotten better at fighting back over the last year and that seems to be supported by their numbers coming up on this issue.
I would argue some of these points of character weigh more than other these days.
For instance, I suspect the 'gets things done' category that Republicans still lead by a few points is the most important to people, especially Independents, right now. They feel stuck, abandoned, unseen, and want to have someone make immediate changes. That's exactly why Trump got in. He looked and seemed vigorous.
And why an even more extreme Republican candidate like Tucker Carlson could run and win in 2028. All that manosphere yelling and posturing and tanning of testicles will come to fruition.
Of course, it is somewhat unfair to yell at the Democrats for not getting things done when the Republicans control all three branches and are merrily romping around doing unconstitutional things nearly every day--but it is totally fair to criticize the Democratic Party leadership for failing to pull together a coherent and pointed set of counters to the dangerous slide towards fascism.
The way to undermine this is to point out you can't just 'get things done' you need to do them well and right. Incompetence and fraud is the Achilles heel of the Republicans. I see Democrats lead by a bit for 'govern in an honest and ethical way'.
This does raise the question of what exactly Republicans have gotten done.
YES!!!
They have taken very good care of their billionaire donors and Middle Eastern oligarchs and rulers and Netanyahu and Putin.
Jon Ossoff is doing a terrific job of pounding on that.