General Discussion

The "defund the police" slogan is terrible, but police reform is necessary. As is so often the case with the Democratic Party, the messaging of policy positions is inconsistent at best and frequently terrible. The issues with Manchin is he goes on Fox News and uses REPUBLICAN messaging like "packing the courts" given validity to their ridiculous framing of a key issue. What the Democrats absolutely must do is "UNPACK" the courts that have been packed by McConnell over the last 8 years. Manchin also voted to confirm Kavanaugh which is unforgivable and allows Republicans to claim "bipartisan" support for Kavanaugh and several other other controversial moves over the past few years.

The reality of the Senate is that we "need" Manchin as long as we continue to be afraid to stand up for what we believe in because it might not poll well. We're convinced we "can't win" if we support Medicare for all or a Green New Deal or in some cases even raising taxes on the very wealthy. The Senate leadership decided not to fight the Coney Barrett nomination hard because they were afraid it might not break our way. Guess what? We didn't win the Senate anyway and now there might not be a path to do anything about a 6-3 court filled with Republican hacks. Look at what the Republicans do. How does the Pro Life position poll? Hint: not well. What about their support of the NRA and virtually no gun control? the same. How about their views on the environment or government programs like social security? I could go on. Republicans don't run away from opinions that are unpopular with the majority, but popular with their base. They embrace them. Democrats run against themselves "I don't believe in those left wing policies" and lose votes from potential supporters because of it. Worse? Those Democrats that run away from the left STILL get branded in every Republican ad as being as left wing as Bernie Sanders or AOC. Here in Iowa, Theresa Greenfield ran as a very unexciting moderate candidate. She didn't excite the left of center crowd at all, but every ad declared her to be "a puppet for Pelosi and Sanders" and a member of "the radical left". When we have Democrats suggesting others in the party are "radical" then it carries weight and allows for these attacks. Ever see a Republican call our another Republican for being too far right? Didn't think so. The idea that the base of the Democratic Party will come out year after year and put up with bending over for Manchin and having John Kasich get more airtime at the DNC than any liberal member of the Party is a fantasy. At some point, people are going to get fed up and refuse to vote for the moderate that is doing more to (unsuccessfully) appeal to moderate Republicans than to secure their votes. I'd argue that clearly already happened in 2016 (and I thought Hillary was immensely qualified and was happy to vote for her) and lead to Trump.

Improve the messaging. Start being proud of what you/we believe in and argue passionately for it. If you are going to lose, lose because your real ideas are rejected and not because your poll influenced, mealy mouth, uninspiring overly nuanced approach is rejected for something that is easier to understand by the average to low information voter who voted for Obama in '12 and then voted for Trump the last two cycles.