For Democrats, the Road Back

National Review ^ | November 25, 2016

[Steelfish]

For Democrats, the Road Back

by CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER November 25, 2016

The GOP shows that it’s possible to win elections by appealing to all Americans. One of the more salutary outcomes of the recent election is that Democrats are finally beginning to question the wisdom of basing their fortunes on identity politics. Having counted on the allegiance of African Americans, Hispanics, gays, unmarried women, and the young — and winning the popular vote all but once since 1992 — they were seduced into believing that they could ride this “coalition of the ascendant” into permanent command of the presidency. They’re reconsidering now not because identity politics balkanizes society, creates state-chosen favored groups, and fosters communal strife; they’re reconsidering because it’s not working.

Democrats read the 2008 and 2012 election results as a harbinger of the future. Then came 2016. They now realize that the huge turnout of their constituencies was attributable to Barack Obama, a uniquely gifted campaigner whose aura is not transferable. And why assume that identity politics creates permanent allegiances? Take the Hispanic vote. Both Mitt Romney and Donald Trump won less than 30 percent, but in 2004 George W. Bush won 44 percent. Why assume that the GOP cannot be competitive again? As these groups evolve socioeconomically, their political allegiances can easily change. This is particularly true for the phenomenally successful Asian-American community.

There is no reason the more entrepreneurial party, the GOP, should continue to lose this vote by more than two to one. Moreover, the legitimation of identity politics by the Democrats has finally come back to bite them. Trump managed to read, then mobilize, the white working class and to endow it with political self-consciousness. What he voiced on their behalf was the unspoken complaint of decades: Why not us?

[Steelfish]

Obama’s hypocrisy exposed. The MSM won’t talk about it. Krauthammer puts it well:

For all the embrace of identity politics at home, abroad Obama has preached the opposite. Here is a man telling a black audience in September that he would “consider it a personal insult, an insult to my legacy” if they didn’t turn out for the Democratic candidate in November. Yet on his valedictory tour abroad just nine weeks later, he lectured anyone who would listen on the sins of parochialism. His urgent message for the nations of the world, including his own, is to eschew “tribalism” in the name of a common universalism.

[Texas Eagle]

One of the more salutary outcomes of the recent election is that Democrats are finally beginning to question the wisdom of basing their fortunes on identity politics.

They'll get over it. They're like shoplifters. They only have so many techniques in their playbooks.

[Gaffer]

Barack Obama, a uniquely gifted campaigner whose aura is not transferable. Say what?

How about aura that is half-black and a buttload of mealy-brained guilty whites that voted for him and the ALL the rest of black America that got they boy in President.

Is Kraut this stupid? Obama's win was a one-time white guilt/affirmative action performance. After this, it's been-there-done-that.

Hillary? Yeah...first woman blah, blah, blah. They shouldn't have run a criminal who is a woman WAYYYYYYY past her female prime. A wasted sex card. To be continued.

[FrankR]

They’ll just put on new masks, lie their way back to the center, then, once they’re back in power, screw us all over again.

Democrats have morphed into full socialism/communism, it’s their goal.

[The Great RJ]

The only way the Democrat party can come back is to move to the center and become once again the party of JFK and Hubert Humphrey. The road to perdition for the Democrats started with McGovern and an ever leftward march to radicalism leading to Obama. Despite a sycophant media and support from the leftists in Hollywood and New York the American people woke up and said enough. If the Democrats cannot shake the elitist, radical and blame America first ideology that dominates their party they are doomed

[Texas Eagle]

A) Why is Krauthammer giving 'RATS advice on how to win elections?

B) To what end? They win the election and then what?

C) How about advising 'RATS on how to govern instead of just campaigning?

[M Kehoe]

Sorry Krauthammer, I can’t read your stuff anymore. I find it boring.

5.56mm

[canuck_conservative]

When the Trump border wall cuts off the inflow of new illegal aliens, and the Trump Administration starts deporting the ones already inside the US, the Democrats’ steady supply of voters will be significantly reduced.

Plus, all the signs point to the Dems will continue to push idiotic leftist policies (under Ellison or Obama or whoever) plus pander to minorities, a strategy that only alienates the vast majority of the country that is white working people.

In other words, in a closely-divided country, that means the Democrats are dead. There is no road back.

[relictele]

In his heart, Krauthammer is still a Democrat.

He still thinks decisions regarding how 340 million unique individuals brush their teeth, what they eat, what films and TV they view, what they read, what they drive, where and how they live and how they are employed should all be subject to review and approval by someone, somewhere in a locked-down office somewhere in DC.

He may claim to be a Republican and want Republicans to be in charge of such matters but rarely if ever does Krauthammer talk about devolution of government/power, the 10th Amendment or anything else resembling the federalist structure that was specifically and repeatedly stated as the intent of the Founders.

This column isn’t advice...it’s a love letter to an old girlfriend.

[AZLiberty]

National Review: “We are all Democrats now.”

Krauthammer: “Je suis Hillary.”

[Liz]

GOOD CATCH--- He embraces identity politics at home, but abroad Obama preaches the opposite. He told a black audience he would “consider it a personal insult, an insult to my legacy” if they didn’t turn out for the Democratic candidate. Then, abroad, just nine weeks later, he lectured on the sins of parochialism. His urgent message for the nations of the world, including his own, is to eschew “tribalism” in the name of a common universalism.

This deranged arrogant megalomaniac unaccountably got into American politics under false pretenses.

His disgusting European apology tour certainly proved his rank hatred of America. His capabilities in office demonstrated a remarkable proclivity for looting the US Treasury.

In it only for the money, you say? You betcha. The Washington Times says he leaves office as a billionaire.....and plans to shake the money tree bigtime (coached by those practiced grifting experts....the Clintons).

===============================================

The clock is ticking, his time in the White House is fading....but Obama is not going quietly. Boobamba left Americans a divided nation, trillions in debt, and a cartload of parasitic freeloaders sucking up our tax dollars, many of whom plan to kill us.

If that wasnt enough Boobamba says he intends to stay active....to take years and years to transform America even more. He's proud he fundamentally transformed the nation we loved into a violent, hate-filled place.

All of this is fodder for his foundations. The reality is the Boob and the missus got rich in office and intend to get even richer via an endless presidency......ala the crooked Clintons.

[Nifster]

Ah yes Faux News pretend pundit. To bad he’s so DC and democrat he can’t think straight