Why Are So Many Democratic Politicians So Far Out of Touch? - New York Times

[schmidlap]

California had a Proposition ballot initiative some years ago about legalizing gay marriage. They voted it down. Some low-level judge negated it. The voters! You see. We citizens do not rise up against low level judges, and they get away with this.

Progress happens. Marriage contracts that do not discriminate by gender are now routinely accepted in the U.S. as in most advanced democracies. (Islamic theocracies conspicuously differ.)

 

[schmidlap]

That is disturbing data, however there’s a lon way to the election, and if you think that continuing to do nothing but obstruct, side with Americas enemies, and spew complete bullshit lies, you should lose bigot.

But, Americans are awfully stupid, so there’s that.

I do not share your contempt for Americans, but celebrate their capacity to advance predicated upon actual experience rather than wallow in ideological dogma. Pragmatism eventually wins.

 

[Stann]

California had a Proposition ballot initiative some years ago about legalizing gay marriage. They voted it down. Some low-level judge negated it. The voters! You see. We citizens do not rise up against low level judges, and they get away with this.

Yes a strong campaign lead by mostly religious right wing groups used fear-mongering tactics that this would destroy marriage for heterosexuals. Did you see that happen ? The only one who could destroy marriage for heterosexuals are the heterosexuals themselves. If anything gay marriage brought about an uptick in heterosexual marriages. I guess they figured if two guys or two women could make a go of it they could too !

 

[Stann]

That is disturbing data, however there’s a lon way to the election, and if you think that continuing to do nothing but obstruct, side with Americas enemies, and spew complete bullshit lies, you should lose bigot.

But, Americans are awfully stupid, so there’s that.

Yes there are a lot of stupid Americans ; too many of them voted last election and that's why we're.in the mess we're in now.

 

[BS Filter]

People used to read newspapers to get their news. Journalism is dead.

 

[Luckyone]

From the New York Times, not Fox News. Even they realize that the democrat party is not in touch with ordinary Americans. From the article:


In January 2025, when the U.S. House took up legislation to bar trans women’s participation on women’s sports teams, all but two Democratic representatives — Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez — voted against the bill.
When the Senate took up a similar proposal three days ago, every Democrat present voted against it.
Why don’t more Democrats explicitly moderate their stands on transgender rights, immigration and other issues? Those who maintain far-out positions are well to the left of the electorate and its emblematic median voter. The trans issue clearly weakened Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, leaving her open to devastating pro-Trump ads.
In the case of one of the most disputed rights claimed by some parts of the transgender activist community — transgender women’s participation on women’s sports teams — Democrats have clear liberal grounds to challenge that claim, by asserting that they are protecting a woman’s right from unfair competition.
But this phenomenon — drifting far from the median voter — is hardly limited to the left. There are many factors behind the reluctance of both Democrats and Republicans to shift to the center.

For one thing, donors, especially the growing legions of small donors, prefer more extreme candidates. Adding additional pressure, what have come to be known as “the groups” — advocacy organizations on the left and the right — demand fealty to policies that are sometimes politically costly; they threaten to support primary challengers to run against those who defy their authority. On a psychological level, Democrats and liberals are morally committed to protecting marginalized groups from harm and defending racial and sexual minorities.
Before exploring these pressures, let’s go to the dominant political fact of life working against moderation, which is that there are decisive majorities in both the House and the Senate that have no interest in abandoning more extreme stands. Many Democrats and Republicans won their seats with the promise to fight the partisan opposition until hell freezes over.
The combination of partisan gerrymandering, the deepening of affective polarization — smoldering hatred of partisan adversaries — and the steadily growing number of safe seats has created a calculus encouraging, nurturing and fostering political positioning far to the left or right of the median voter.

The key piece of evidence: Of the 435 House districts, The Cook Political Report identifies 36 as competitive, broken down as 17 tossups, 15 leaning Democratic and four leaning Republican. Adding the eight likely Democratic and 17 likely Republican districts, which are much less likely to be competitive, brings the total to 61, or a measly 14 percent of all 435 members.
In this one-seventh of House districts that are at least somewhat competitive, there is a real payoff on Election Day for a candidate to moderate more extreme stands.

That is decidedly not the case in the remaining 86 percent of House districts — 374 of them, 189 solid Democratic and 185 solid Republican — that are not competitive, with the winner chosen in the primary and the general election a formality.
Candidates in these safe districts are under no pressure to moderate in order to win a general election, and primary voters are free to vote ideologically instead of strategically.
Senate races are less preordained, but still a majority are foregone conclusions, partywise: Nine to 11 states are considered battlegrounds, or “purple,” while 39 to 41, depending on who is doing the analysis, fall into the solid red or blue camp.
For a decisive majority of House members and a slightly less commanding majority of senators, then, the cost of adopting more extreme and intensely partisan stands drops close to zero, with a payoff in added voters in ideologically driven primaries.
What this comes down to is that in the calculations of incumbents in safe districts, adopting the hard-nosed position leaves no ideological space for challengers in the primaries.

In fact, among polarized primary electorates in these districts, the successful nominee is very likely to be naturally comfortable positioning himself or herself at the further end of the political spectrum, deeply hostile to the opposition party, opposed in principle to compromise.

https://archive.is/a9ef0#selection-519.0-519.59

One of the reasons why the Dems are generally quiet about transgender athletes is this:

AI Overview

Approximately 1%–2% of the U.S. population identifies as transgender, but transgender women competing in women's sports represent a statistically tiny fraction, estimated at less than 0.002% of NCAA athletes and roughly 0.001% of recent Olympians. Data indicates transgender athletes are highly underrepresented in sports compared to their population size.

The problem that exists with this topic, is the following:

AI Overview

A large majority of Republicans, approximately 88% to 90%, oppose transgender women and girls competing in women’s sports, making it a highly significant issue for the party. About 60% of Republicans strongly oppose such participation, aligning with broad party efforts to pass restrictions.

The reality is that transgender sports is a miniscule problem, but the Republicans have made it a major Issue!!!!

 

[Lockback]

Your personal opinion is noted.

Please post your alternate data that refutes the preference of the electorate in the past 30 special elections, and the corroborative November generic-ballot preference surveys.

There are tons of polls out there that prove whatever point you want to make. I long ago learned to laugh at polls.
The only ones that count are in November.
We'll see what happens.

 

[Lockback]

One of the reasons why the Dems are generally quiet about transgender athletes is this:

AI Overview

Approximately 1%–2% of the U.S. population identifies as transgender, but transgender women competing in women's sports represent a statistically tiny fraction, estimated at less than 0.002% of NCAA athletes and roughly 0.001% of recent Olympians. Data indicates transgender athletes are highly underrepresented in sports compared to their population size.

The problem that exists with this topic, is the following:

AI Overview

A large majority of Republicans, approximately 88% to 90%, oppose transgender women and girls competing in women’s sports, making it a highly significant issue for the party. About 60% of Republicans strongly oppose such participation, aligning with broad party efforts to pass restrictions.

The reality is that transgender sports is a miniscule problem, but the Republicans have made it a major Issue!!!!

No.
The Democrats have made it a major issue by allowing such nonsense.

 

[Stann]

People used to read newspapers to get their news. Journalism is dead.

Journalism and civilization go.handin.hand. If you really believe that it makes the be another reason you're so uncivilized.

 

[Lockback]

I can only conclude that you have no concept of what fascism is. No doubt trump is thrilled about that. He loves manipulating fools.

I know what fascism is. And Trump ain't it.
Your party is MUCH closer to fascism than Trump could even hope to be. It's a party of lawless thugs who ignore what Americans want and need.

 

[22lcidw]

Progress happens. Marriage contracts that do not discriminate by gender are now routinely accepted in the U.S. as in most advanced democracies. (Islamic theocracies conspicuously differ.)

The California Proposition was voted on by the people. And it was turned down by an activist judge and that was that. California is voting on Representative redistricting come fall. If approved, we will see your answer to it. Social ways have improved dramatically for different groups over the years. Until stupidity took over with the school issues, and a hundred different genders and the rest. I do not look at things as permanent like you may. In fact, you get rid of anyone in your party who does not think 100% the same. Anyway if people get poorer or we have limited scorched earth warfare, laws and ways of living will be regimented harshly y a dictatorial government.

 

[Lockback]

Journalism and civilization go.handin.hand. If you really believe that it makes the be another reason you're so uncivilized.

There is no "journalism" anymore. It's mainly leftist propaganda.
Period.

 

[Stann]

I know what fascism is. And Trump ain't it.
Your party is MUCH closer to fascism than Trump could even hope to be. It's a party of lawless thugs who ignore what Americans want and need.

Says the guy displaying more propaganda to support your claim. Laughable.

 

[Stann]

There is no "journalism" anymore. It's mainly leftist propaganda.
Period.

That would more properly fit the right. When was the last time FOX reported good news about any one on the left. That's propaganda at it's worse completely ignoring any value in the opposing team.

 

[Lockback]

Says the guy displaying more propaganda to support your claim. Laughable.

It's not propaganda what Biden's thugs did during his failed regime: jailed and harassed political opponents, allowed an unprecedented influx of illegal aliens, ignored rioting, etc.
It's a party of thugs.

 

[Lockback]

That would more properly fit the right. When was the last time FOX reported good news about any one on the left. That's propaganda at it's worse completely ignoring any value in the opposing team.

You probably have never watched Fox in your life.
I've watched all the cable news networks and still do and it's by far the most "fair and balanced", to use their phrase. Not even close.

 

[Stann]

It's not propaganda what Biden's thugs did during his failed regime: jailed and harassed political opponents, allowed an unprecedented influx of illegal aliens, ignored rioting, etc.
It's a party of thugs.

As opposed to corrupting the courts , electoral process and ICE ( now a thug force , nothing professional or lawful about it anymore ) like trump has done. You are more of a bad joke than trump is. You enabled this criminal to achieve all this vice.

 

[schmidlap]

There are tons of polls out there that prove whatever point you want to make. I long ago learned to laugh at polls.
The only ones that count are in November.
We'll see what happens.

That is a fake claim by those who can't handle the public's sentiment, but are unable to support their personal opinion with actual data,

I look forward to Americans voting that sentiment, in November, assuming that Trump is prevented from cancelling democratic elections.

(Incidentally, I support a convicted felon being allowed to vote by mail in Florida, regardless of the election's result.)

 

[Independent thinker]

The economy did well after the GOP took the house and senate and ran the country. Clinton did nothing

I'll give Clinton a smidgeon of credit for at least not obstructing Congress at that time. In these days if Republicans owned the House and Senate with a dem president, that president would do everything they could to obstruct what Congress did.

 

[Stann]

That is a fake claim by those who can't handle the public's sentiment, but are unable to support their personal opinion with actual data,

I look forward to Americans voting that sentiment, in November, assuming that Trump is prevented from cancelling democratic elections.

(Incidentally, I support a convicted felon being allowed to vote by mail in Florida, regardless of the election's result.)

Enjoy your posts.Big day , got to go. Read you later ! Have a great day !