I mean, it isn't just NYC. Biden took NY by almost 25 points, and won counties all along the eastern side of the state and scattered throughout. I don't live there, so do not know the details, but by all reasonable expectations the Hochul showing was just really weak. By all accounts, the whole party apparatus was horrible in NYS last ye…
I mean, it isn't just NYC. Biden took NY by almost 25 points, and won counties all along the eastern side of the state and scattered throughout. I don't live there, so do not know the details, but by all reasonable expectations the Hochul showing was just really weak. By all accounts, the whole party apparatus was horrible in NYS last year, actually. The turnout in NY & CA (& OR) was what cost the House; with how massively well Dems performed in the swing states there really was no excuse - or precedent - for having the strongholds collapse like that. Bizzarre and infuriating.
Demographics are with Democrats. Gen Y and Z are mostly not MAGA. I believe the youth vote in many areas was better than average in 2020. But it needs to be a LOT better than that in 2024.
One answer, IMO, is for my generation of politicians to step aside and assist the younger ones. Pelosi to Jeffries should serve as a model. I want to hear soaring speeches from the likes of Corey Booker, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Katie Porter, Stacey Abrams, Mallory McMurrow, etc. Our bench is very deep with integrity and talent. We need to pass the baton and get louder.
The other answer is for the DNC to step up its game and deluge the nation with a social media saturation campaign that says two things:
"MAGA Republicans want to run and ruin your life. They want to take your health care and your health rights." Images of women being turned away at clinics.
"Republicans are funded by the billionaires who are running the country. Democrats are for all of us. MAGA Republicans are for the uber rich." Images of parties on very large yachts.
I think you should remove Newsom from your list. There's a lot of stuff coming out now that demonstrates that a one left party state ends up as bad (for different reasons) as a one right party state. The eagle needs two wings to fly and we are very much starting to see that now. Newsom has promoted the legal (which isn't very) weed industry here, and the corruption of a big all-cash industry is showing up just like you would think it would with that much cash swimming around. That's just one thing. I used to think getting rid of the Republicans here was a good thing but I was wrong. MAGAs, yes, certainly. But you need an opponent to keep you on your toes or you get fat, dumb and lazy, which is a good description of the California Democratic Party.
TY Bill. Yes, your idea to "prime the pump worked with me at least! There are so many posts by the time I see the computer here in the east one has to be selective and pick one that resonates. HCR's post time from Maine seems to be usually not before 2 AM (does she ever sleep?) and by morning the western time zones have posted the day's first ideas so, we easterners are usually following the leads.
Will do on sending to your link and glad you also like the idea of using our best storytellers to lay out what's to come if we don't succeed in putting down the fascist rebellion. Peter Coyote's voice is definitely the one to narrate. If this could get momentum through someone with connections one would think these documentarians would be more than interested as they would also have a vested interest. Should these dark things come to pass their work would be one of the first things "outlawed" in a fascist regime since their work is based on truth and honesty so such media would be one of the first to go.
I will forward the idea and list to your link and hope that someone similarly aligned will be doing the vetting to see what gets through.
Politicians took NY for granted that it would remain staunchly Democratic. I believe they somehow forgot about the ideological aspect of politics of late.
They also ignored decades of decline of the quality of life of workers / Middle Class. People work longer hours for far less money now and have little to show for it.
Quality of public education has been declining as well. There’s little to no budget in many areas for the arts or other school programs. If my Gen X education is anything to go by, I feel they removed much of civics from the curriculum. I have to believe it’s because the earlier generation of activists scared Conservatives enough to start tampering to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.
Rents/Mortgages & property taxes have been astronomically high for a long time now. The pandemic tipped things over the edge. Many residents have had to downsize their living space at least once or even move out of state. Also, Private Equity firms are rapidly purchasing houses and multi-family dwellings.
Most people outside of NY, including politicians, think that Red States have cornered the market on racism, intolerance, misogyny, ignorance, selfishness, & faux Christianity. Nope! Ideologically speaking, much of NY State unfortunately has racist, sexist, misogynistic, intolerant tendencies.
People also assume New Yorkers range from being non-religious to anti-religious. That is also not true. Before this wave of faux Christianity & faux-Patriotism, it was not part of NY culture to wear their flags and religious symbols on their shirt sleeves. Patriotism & religion are generally considered personal matters. Public displays of either (when it’s not seasonally appropriate) would seem a bit inappropriate, like an adult couple having a public make-out session.
Gov Kathy Hochul did not do well in the 2022 Election because she is female, no one knew much about her, there was little advertising, and was part of Andrew Cuomo’s Conservative Democrat team.
Lastly, New Yorkers have suffered greatly from the economics of the last 40 years. There is almost no manufacturing left. We have agriculture which suffered under Trump and is still struggling, There is Real Estate, and service-related industries like Healthcare, Bars, Restaurants, Grocery, Delivery, Uber, etc. That’s the bulk of it. It’s not enough to help offset the taxes residents are paying.
NYers are struggling so much that it was upsetting to know that other States were getting our ‘extra’ tax money that most residents could ill afford. The roads & bridges are a mess, but ‘extra’ tax money went to other States.
If Democrats want New York to remain Blue, it needs to pay a lot of attention to the people and start fixing the problems.
I mean, it isn't just NYC. Biden took NY by almost 25 points, and won counties all along the eastern side of the state and scattered throughout. I don't live there, so do not know the details, but by all reasonable expectations the Hochul showing was just really weak. By all accounts, the whole party apparatus was horrible in NYS last year, actually. The turnout in NY & CA (& OR) was what cost the House; with how massively well Dems performed in the swing states there really was no excuse - or precedent - for having the strongholds collapse like that. Bizzarre and infuriating.
Demographics are with Democrats. Gen Y and Z are mostly not MAGA. I believe the youth vote in many areas was better than average in 2020. But it needs to be a LOT better than that in 2024.
One answer, IMO, is for my generation of politicians to step aside and assist the younger ones. Pelosi to Jeffries should serve as a model. I want to hear soaring speeches from the likes of Corey Booker, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Katie Porter, Stacey Abrams, Mallory McMurrow, etc. Our bench is very deep with integrity and talent. We need to pass the baton and get louder.
The other answer is for the DNC to step up its game and deluge the nation with a social media saturation campaign that says two things:
"MAGA Republicans want to run and ruin your life. They want to take your health care and your health rights." Images of women being turned away at clinics.
"Republicans are funded by the billionaires who are running the country. Democrats are for all of us. MAGA Republicans are for the uber rich." Images of parties on very large yachts.
I think you should remove Newsom from your list. There's a lot of stuff coming out now that demonstrates that a one left party state ends up as bad (for different reasons) as a one right party state. The eagle needs two wings to fly and we are very much starting to see that now. Newsom has promoted the legal (which isn't very) weed industry here, and the corruption of a big all-cash industry is showing up just like you would think it would with that much cash swimming around. That's just one thing. I used to think getting rid of the Republicans here was a good thing but I was wrong. MAGAs, yes, certainly. But you need an opponent to keep you on your toes or you get fat, dumb and lazy, which is a good description of the California Democratic Party.
BK! I was hoping to prime the pump. It worked! This is a great list - please forward it to the DNC.
https://democrats.org/contact-us/
While you are on the website, scroll through our platform and be proud. Compare it to the Republican platform....oops, you can't.
And your idea of using gifted storytellers is brilliant. I can hear the narration of Peter Coyote. His voice in Burns' Civil War still haunts me.
TY Bill. Yes, your idea to "prime the pump worked with me at least! There are so many posts by the time I see the computer here in the east one has to be selective and pick one that resonates. HCR's post time from Maine seems to be usually not before 2 AM (does she ever sleep?) and by morning the western time zones have posted the day's first ideas so, we easterners are usually following the leads.
Will do on sending to your link and glad you also like the idea of using our best storytellers to lay out what's to come if we don't succeed in putting down the fascist rebellion. Peter Coyote's voice is definitely the one to narrate. If this could get momentum through someone with connections one would think these documentarians would be more than interested as they would also have a vested interest. Should these dark things come to pass their work would be one of the first things "outlawed" in a fascist regime since their work is based on truth and honesty so such media would be one of the first to go.
I will forward the idea and list to your link and hope that someone similarly aligned will be doing the vetting to see what gets through.
Politicians took NY for granted that it would remain staunchly Democratic. I believe they somehow forgot about the ideological aspect of politics of late.
They also ignored decades of decline of the quality of life of workers / Middle Class. People work longer hours for far less money now and have little to show for it.
Quality of public education has been declining as well. There’s little to no budget in many areas for the arts or other school programs. If my Gen X education is anything to go by, I feel they removed much of civics from the curriculum. I have to believe it’s because the earlier generation of activists scared Conservatives enough to start tampering to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.
Rents/Mortgages & property taxes have been astronomically high for a long time now. The pandemic tipped things over the edge. Many residents have had to downsize their living space at least once or even move out of state. Also, Private Equity firms are rapidly purchasing houses and multi-family dwellings.
Most people outside of NY, including politicians, think that Red States have cornered the market on racism, intolerance, misogyny, ignorance, selfishness, & faux Christianity. Nope! Ideologically speaking, much of NY State unfortunately has racist, sexist, misogynistic, intolerant tendencies.
People also assume New Yorkers range from being non-religious to anti-religious. That is also not true. Before this wave of faux Christianity & faux-Patriotism, it was not part of NY culture to wear their flags and religious symbols on their shirt sleeves. Patriotism & religion are generally considered personal matters. Public displays of either (when it’s not seasonally appropriate) would seem a bit inappropriate, like an adult couple having a public make-out session.
Gov Kathy Hochul did not do well in the 2022 Election because she is female, no one knew much about her, there was little advertising, and was part of Andrew Cuomo’s Conservative Democrat team.
Lastly, New Yorkers have suffered greatly from the economics of the last 40 years. There is almost no manufacturing left. We have agriculture which suffered under Trump and is still struggling, There is Real Estate, and service-related industries like Healthcare, Bars, Restaurants, Grocery, Delivery, Uber, etc. That’s the bulk of it. It’s not enough to help offset the taxes residents are paying.
NYers are struggling so much that it was upsetting to know that other States were getting our ‘extra’ tax money that most residents could ill afford. The roads & bridges are a mess, but ‘extra’ tax money went to other States.
If Democrats want New York to remain Blue, it needs to pay a lot of attention to the people and start fixing the problems.