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guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)
Wed Sep 20, 2017, 09:06 PM Sep 2017

Still Getting It Wrong: How Media Pundits Keep Steering Democrats into the Shoals

From the article:

But even if .........Democrats get one or both of the Houses back, it’s not the same as getting a mandate for reform. Getting elected because the other guy or gal is so abhorrent that even the crazies couldn’t bring themselves to vote for them is not the same as getting elected because you managed to sell your agenda.
"Getting elected because the other guy or gal is so abhorrent that even the crazies couldn’t bring themselves to vote for them is not the same as getting elected because you managed to sell your agenda."
And therein lies the problem.  Democrats have no agenda, and they have no agenda because they believe the myth that the Party’s neoliberals, Krugman, Fareed Zakara, and many others of the elite media are spewing: that America is a closely divided nation that is center-right politically.


To read the rest of this very provocative piece:

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/09/19/still-getting-it-wrong-how-media-pundits-keep-steering-democrats-shoals

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Still Getting It Wrong: How Media Pundits Keep Steering Democrats into the Shoals (Original Post) guillaumeb Sep 2017 OP
Dem leadership needs to figure out how to work the refs like the KGOP does uponit7771 Sep 2017 #1
How very true. guillaumeb Sep 2017 #2
I can't take any piece spouting the same neoliberal nonsense seriously. JHan Sep 2017 #3
A Common dreams link is all I need to see to realize it is a bunch of nonsense. n/t FSogol Sep 2017 #6
His argument is undermined by linking to the same Gallup poll twice muriel_volestrangler Sep 2017 #4
Alternatively, guillaumeb Sep 2017 #5

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)
2. How very true.
Wed Sep 20, 2017, 09:09 PM
Sep 2017

Beginning with the persistent fiction that the US media is liberal. A fiction that persists in spite of all of the evidence.

JHan

(10,173 posts)
3. I can't take any piece spouting the same neoliberal nonsense seriously.
Wed Sep 20, 2017, 10:07 PM
Sep 2017

There was a controversial book "Democracy in Chains" which is worth a read, explaining a bit about Neoliberalism. I am TIRED of reading the smear from authors with an axe to grind against Liberals with a different view to theirs.

Dismissing someone as "neo-liberal" without honestly engaging their views is an attempt to shut debate down.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,322 posts)
4. His argument is undermined by linking to the same Gallup poll twice
Thu Sep 21, 2017, 05:08 AM
Sep 2017

The second time, his text calls it a Pew poll, so maybe he meant to link to a Pew one. But the Gallup poll, rather than showing "the majority of independents lean Democrat" as he claims, actually says "an average of 17% of Americans who initially identified as independents subsequently said they "leaned" Republican, 15% were independents who leaned Democratic, with the remaining 11% not expressing a leaning to either party."

This means his idea that there's a large section of potential voters just waiting for a definitely left-wing platform is at best unproven, and at worst wrong.

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)
5. Alternatively,
Thu Sep 21, 2017, 12:19 PM
Sep 2017

the polls are not an absolute indicator of how people vote and stand on issues. Polling also shows higher support for the ACA than for Obamacare.

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