I fear Democrats are laying the groundwork for future losses by refusing to learn from defeat

[Kentonio]

195. A few steps to get us started..

1) Accept that working people across the western world are suffering economically since the big crash. Accept also that the bailing out of the banks created a huge groundswell of anger towards both parties, and contributed to people disassociating themselves mentally from their traditional political allegiences.

2) Create a strong economic platform that offers clear benefits that can be simply explained to voters. Not every voter has a degree in economics and they sure as hell aren't going to trust a Dem politician who just tells them 'this is good for you'. Find a couple of very clear policies we can explain in a single sentence, and really penetrate peoples consciousness with.

3) Stop with the purity test crap. We stand on a platform of equality and rights for everyone. If we get into government we're going to be a party who fights tooth and nail to protect women's reproductive rights, minority rights and the rest, but that doesn't mean you're unwelcome if you don't share exactly the same beliefs. We want your vote, not to marry you. There's people out there who are pro-life or pro-gun or pro-whatever else we don't like, and yet its not the main consideration that determines their vote. We don't have to sell out our principles, we just need to stop demanding everyone else share them before they get the privilege of voting for us.

4) Start building organization and running candidates everywhere. I don't care if a county has been red for 50 year, if there's an election there needs to be a Dem on the ticket and our message going out. The Republicans have taken control of so many grassroots level elected positions its ridiculous. We fight for equality and rights for everyone, and we don't do that if we concede before the race has even started.

5) Start thinking locally not just nationally. That old saying 'All politics is local' is as true today as it was back then. Decentralize power in the party and start listening to the actual needs of real Americans, not just deciding ourselves how things should be and lecturing them on it.

That should be enough to get started.