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gab13by13

(32,650 posts)
Thu May 7, 2026, 10:13 AM Yesterday

Democrats Can Be Our Own Worst Enemy

Let's face facts, Republicans, now Magats, speak with one voice with one message.

Democrats have battles between moderates and progressives.

Back in March of 2025 Congressional Democrats were prepared to take a stand and vote against the CR. At the last minute Chuck Schumer kneecapped House Dems and gave permission for Senate Democrats to vote for the CR which ultimately resulted in the passage of the Big Ugly Death Bill.

What happened in the past is over with, Democrats need a strategy to unite everyone. I can make the case that Indivisible has done a better job of uniting Democrats than Democratic leadership.

I have an idea for Democrats, create our own Project 2029. Go back to the basics - brainstorm- with a white board with moderates and progressives working together to come up with our own concrete plans to undo the damage done by Project 2025, design it to help working class Americans. The DNC and other Democratic leadership organizations will have representatives to help brainstorm, but Congressional Democrats will have an equal say formulating our agenda.

Democrats will have a united talking point, a concrete plan for working Americans' future spelled out in writing.

When Democratic candidates are asked about their plans for the future their responses can be cohesive and united; Project 2029.

The strategy of Krasnov burning it all down and then people will vote Democratic doesn't cut it with me. I shudder when I see numerous articles that proclaim that Congressional Magats know that they are going to get trounced in the midterms. Here we go again, people will vote for the lesser of 2 evils is a wrong strategy.

There is time to get going on Project 2029 - Do It Dems.

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Fiendish Thingy

(23,864 posts)
1. Beware of Trojan Horses forcibly inserted into any "Project 2029" agenda.
Thu May 7, 2026, 10:35 AM
23 hrs ago

Especially the notorious Abundance Agenda espoused by Ezra Klein and the Third Wayers.

https://kayuma.substack.com/p/the-abundance-delusion-how-silicon

Frankly, I’d rather Democratic candidates continue to present a diversity of ideas and proposals to the electorate, and let them elect the candidates who reflect their values, rather than have the DNC tell voters what their values are supposed to be. I imagine most Dem candidates will share 80% of the same goals (with an expected portion co-opted by big $ donations from AIPAC, tech/cryptobros, and other special interests)

A single, monolithic, unmodifiable, consultant-driven, written by lobbyists, centrally controlled message, is an all-or-nothing gamble we simply can’t afford.

CTyankee

(68,402 posts)
2. As I see it, there is nothing we can do about the "religiously insane" so forget them and concentrate on the
Thu May 7, 2026, 10:35 AM
23 hrs ago

persuadable folks who are suffering from costs of gas and of groceries. And health care for themselves and their kids. And where do grandma and grandpa go when they can no longer care for themselves at home. Offer better alternatives to those items.

I think we are watching Trump lose more of what is left of his mind every day so let him talk. He's doing our job for us when he goes off on one of his tangents. Ask "What is your plan, Mr. President?" Or ask one of his spokespersons, "What is the President's plan,, Sec. Rubio?"

Trump's uncaring, cruel policies (and increasing dementia) should shake up all but those religious nuts, who are as crazy as he is and therefore a waste of time.

Bettie

(19,829 posts)
8. "Handing them wedge issues"?
Thu May 7, 2026, 01:27 PM
20 hrs ago

You mean like general support for the GLBTQIA+ community? Support for women's rights? Support for people who aren't white?

Factually, they will grab on to anything they can find...the only way to avoid something (anything) being turned into a wedge issue is to become them or to stand for nothing.

Scrivener7

(60,023 posts)
13. But that's the genius of republiQan messaging. We don't hand them anything. They
Thu May 7, 2026, 07:23 PM
15 hrs ago

use social media and republiQan owned media to take a minor issue (for example: her emails, trans people in bathrooms) and magnify it into a monster. Then they claim we are the ones making it a major issue. We NEVER DO THE SAME TO THEM. Compare coverage of Benghazi to that of the senseless murder of 160 Iranian schoolgirls - in your name and mine - and you'll see what I mean.

We have a million more opportunities to do it to them. Start with the billion dollar ballroom while cutting Medicare and Medicaid. We don't have the traditional media, but the traditional media is becoming less and less influential. We COULD compete in social media if we chose to. Use bots like they do. Use influencers like they do, only we tell the truth and not lies. They recently revealed their extensive use of text chains to spread a talking point like wildfire and then everyone sticks to it. We can do text chains.

We have to get with the program and avail ourselves of these tools. Otherwise, they'll keep dominating the news cycles and hanging stupid shit around our necks that no republiQan cared about until they were told they had to by republiQan talking heads.

SocialDemocrat61

(7,960 posts)
4. Yes they can be
Thu May 7, 2026, 11:02 AM
23 hrs ago

Especially by using a divisive word like 'kneecapped' when describing the actions of a prominent democrat.

TheProle

(4,052 posts)
7. I want every flavor of Democrat running an aggressive primary campaign
Thu May 7, 2026, 01:12 PM
21 hrs ago

I want voters to vote explicitly for their flavor of choice and let the vote counts determine who moves forward.

Then I want the party to coalesce around that candidate and their ideas and distill a platform that reflects the people's will.

betsuni

(29,242 posts)
9. Republicans are a small tent, one national message helps them ignore local issues of working/middle class Americans.
Thu May 7, 2026, 01:37 PM
20 hrs ago

Democratic big tent needs variety of candidates. All Democrats have the same goals, there are only different strategies. The "battles" are artificial. Republicans always try to turn Democratic strengths into weaknesses.

lees1975

(7,165 posts)
10. Well said.
Thu May 7, 2026, 01:43 PM
20 hrs ago

Independents are driving the resistance to Trump. Democrats still seem distracted by their endless fundraising and turf protecting. I was convinced after Trump was in the White House the first time that he was an existential threat to American democracy. I'm not convinced at the moment that the Democratic party is actually united behind that belief. And there doesn't seem to be an effort to hold members accountable for their actions. Independents will make up the margins by which we win in 2026, and it's because the GOP is going to lose that election, not that Democrats are actually going to win it. Once we do get the majority we can't pretend we've taken care of Trump and it will all just go away, like we did after we got control of all of it in 2021.

themaguffin

(5,347 posts)
11. It's not just about being anti-trump. i think we are pretty united in the serious work needed to clean his mess up &...
Thu May 7, 2026, 04:52 PM
17 hrs ago

related economic issues made even worse by him.

Scrivener7

(60,023 posts)
14. And the irony is that most Independents and republiQans agree with our stances on the individual issues too.
Thu May 7, 2026, 07:38 PM
14 hrs ago
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