I mean, I don't think we need to be the tea party (the worst elements of both the business class and the fringe right), but I just mean some kind of organized public resistance movement from the left. I want progressives confronting GOP Congressmen, governors, senators etc at town halls and other public events, and blowing up their phone lines. Same for the Democrats - ensuring that every single one of them stays in line and doesn't give Trump an inch on his big ticket items.
Put guys like Flake and Heller on the defensive for the next election - and if they fold, keep hammering away at them anyway. The GOP wets itself at the prospect of beating Manchin, Heitkamp etc, we need to take this much more seriously.
Like I want a tied Senate, House majority and like 13 governorships after the 2018 elections. And state legislatures everywhere. This is what we need to fight for.
Looking at governorships, there's:
New Jersey (2017) - Open
Illinois - Rauner
Maine - Open
Maryland - Hogan
Massachusetts - Baker
Nevada - Open
New Hampshire - Sununu
New Mexico - Open
Vermont - Phil Scott
Notice anything about those states? They're all states that Clinton won. Some handily. That's nine, which would already give us a majority of governor's mansions if we swept them all.
By comparison, we're only defending one governor's seat in Trump territory, Wolf in Pennsylvania. Beyond that there's opportunities in Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida (ranked by order of closeness), as well as Arizona which ended up being a 3-point race or so this year (much like the 2012 Senate race). Also states that were much redder - Iowa and Ohio could swing back after two years of Trump's bullshit, and Texas and Georgia are still on the move even if they didn't flip just yet. Texas is supposed to gain like three Congressional seats in the next Census. Big reward if we can draw a compromise map!
State legislatures are a bit too in the weeds for my 6am ramblings but we can obviously make up a lot of ground there too. Point being: the left needs to get its ass in gear, starting with the very first special election anywhere. Like what, there's that seat in Georgia? The at-large seat in Montana? Let's swing those fuckers. Run as a check and balance on Trump so all those suburbanites go "Well gee, that sounds like a good idea, don't want the president to have TOO much power" while motivating the left. Bit us in the ass during Obama but the shoe is on the other foot now! (Maybe)
Ok. Just had to get that out of my system.
Agreed. I also some things I would add:
1) I don't think Pennsylvania is Trumpland just yet, unless they manage to suppress the vote. 2016 was a year in which urban turnout in swing states was down while rural turnout was up.
2) I think it's time that every democrat who runs needs to each pick 2 or 3 policy issues to spend 90% of the campaign focused on. That way instead of simply being "antiTrump" the voters will know what their plans are in important areas.
3) Dean needs to do what he can to play SOME role in the DNC so that he can advise Keith Ellison.
4) Democrats need to start tackling the "freedom of speech" bullshit (aka the idea that harassment and bigotry is okay) and counter it with the catchphrase "freedom of conversation". The idea is that speech can be 1-way, but conversation is 2-way. Speech can sometimes be counterproductive, but conversation is usually productive.
5) It's shown to be a lost cause to try to openly court moderate conservatives (and it could be argued that it hurts our own base's enthusiasm), but maybe it might still be worth talking with them behind the scenes. People like Ana Navarro, Glenn Beck, Lindsey Graham, John McCain (remember that he DID eventually stop supporting Trump), Colin Powell, and others could become useful assets in unifying opposition to Trump, especially now that Hillary is out of the picture.
6) Someone needs to Primary Tulsi Gabbard so that she doesn't have a chance of warping the Democratic Party into a racist type of leftism.
7) Eventually we will NEED to start figuring out how to oppose Netanyahu without pissing off the wrong people. I think there potentially may be an avenue to do this if instead of it being a 100% antiIsrael stance it was instead framed as Pro-Israel, but anti-Netanyahu. Have people start bringing up the fact that Israel only became so ruthless and pro-war when Netanyahu and the far right got in control. Bring up the efforts Israel put towards peace back in the 90s.
And finally, an essential part of unifying people against the GOP will be to start hitting the whole isolationist FP rhetoric of Trump and his fanbase. It needs to begin back hard in ways that will appeal to people:
1) Have a proTrade message that consistently says "We Will Not Hide from the World" and "America will win in Trade by having a skilled workforce that every country wants"
2) Having a pro-interventionist attitude that brings up all the benefits of interventionism. Bring up that our Military isn't purely a killing machine, but also a force that helps other nations rebuild.
3) Start focusing on the history of immigration in America. Focus on how every era in America has benefitted from immigrants.
