Avenatti Says Democrats Won't Win by Shaming Trump Voters

[oberliner]

Michael Avenatti told a crowd of Californians at a Democratic fundraiser that they can’t beat the Republicans in the midterm election or defeat Donald Trump in 2020 if they shame the president’s voters.

Avenatti, the lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels who is floating a possible presidential run of his own, said at the event late Monday in downtown Los Angeles that if Democrats punish Trump voters for the president’s assault on liberal ideals, “we will lose them forever."

"We have to reach out to some Trump voters and welcome them home," Avenatti said at the event for Flip The 14, a political action committee that aims to turn California’s 14 red districts blue in November. Many Trump voters simply got "conned" into voting against their interests, he said.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-25/avenatti-says-democrats-won-t-win-by-shaming-trump-voters

[Trust Buster]

1. Yeah, right.

[pnwmom]

11. He IS right. Shaming them won't get them to vote for Democrats. nt

[OnDoutside]

38. I think he needs to break that down more. True Trumpers are not reachable. Ordinary Republicans

who voted for Trump, because of the years of anti-Hillary campaigns, are potentially reachable though, but if they only listen to RW media, then Dems must be willing to mix it on their turf.

[Trust Buster]

40. I think we should shame the Trumpsters to the day they die. Never let them off the hook for the

Damage they have caused this country.

[Hortensis]

49. Sure. Just maybe do it with your mouth shut and hands off

the keyboard? The choice is to be a builder or a troublemaker.

[yurbud]

56. It doesn't work on DEMOCRATS who voted for someone else in the Dem primary either

Treat every voter like you have to earn their vote, and with at least as much respect as a Wall Street donor you are courting.

[FromTheAshes]

2. Well you can't provoke something that the people are incapable of feeling in the first place.

[milestogo]

21. Bingo.

Shame is wasted on the utterly stupid and self-righteous.

[meow2u3]

3. We have to launch a hostage rescue, in other words

Some Trump voters, especially those who voted for Obama in 2012, can be compared to people who've been lured away from home by some Con Man-in-chief who promised them the moon, but instead took them hostage for him to use and abuse at will.

[Laura in LA]

22. That's a good way to put it.

There are previous Obama voters and those who sat out 2016. In addition to people who up to now haven't voted. Hell, in my hometown of El Paso, TX, only 40% of adults are even registered to vote!

[leftstreet]

4. The Trump voters being shamed will NEVER vote for a Democrat

The Trump voters who just didn't want to vote for Hillary will vote for the next Democratic candidate. It's pretty simple

[Hortensis]

51. Left, HALF of all conservatives now refuse to identify Repub.

You're right that we shouldn't waste energy right now on the rigidly unrepentent authoritarian followers who are now almost the entire 24% or so of the electorate who register Republican.

That leaves the rest, right? They're calling themselves independents, but they mostly still vote. The problem with that is that most conservatives have a strong emotional need to belong to something. If the left is assaulting them with insults and hostility, calling them all nazis and racists, what effect do you think that will tend to have on people who are mostly quite nice outside of their political lives and despise that kind of behavior?

As opposed to talking nicely and joining with them in being appalled at what the Republican Party has become?

[Quixote1818]

5. I won't hurt and could help, even if we just pull in 1% of them

That is 1% less for them and 1% more for us or a swing of 2%. That may be just enough to flip the election.

[wasupaloopa]

6. Trump voters are a minority. We have to turn out

to vote in numbers that nullify any effect they have.

We don’t have to spend any time trying to get them to vote with us. We need to spend that time getting all of us to vote with us.

[LanternWaste]

63. I s'pose "conformity doesn't suck sometimes..."

"We need to spend that time getting all of us to vote with us..."

[wasupaloopa]

66. Not this time. Unless we regain control

None of our most important issues will see the light of day.

[Squinch]

7. Tell us, oberliner: are trump voters feeling shamed? If not, what can we do to make them?

[sheshe2]

30. Trump women were CNN the other night.

They were having a Kavanaugh lovefest. Boys will be boys and they know that all boys assault girls, cause well boys. So they give % approval for their own sons to assault girls. Wonder what they tell their daughters?


Shame them as voters the OP says? Lol. I ignore them they are not worth one moment of my time.

[NewJeffCT]

45. Those were not regular GOP women

they were partisan GOP activists

[eleny]

8. Are you on a campaign to damage Avenatti's reputation here at DU?

[Kingofalldems]

9. Sure does look like it.

[H2O Man]

10. Seems to be.

[shanny]

18. It would seem so.

[rzemanfl]

52. +1. n/t

[marylandblue]

12. I agree with Avenatti

They are like prodigal children.

[MFM008]

13. They shame themselves

And this countrys history.

[Garrett78]

14. Republicans vote based on their primary interests, which are social/cultural.

They're voting *for* racism (including xenophobia) and sexism.

[TomSlick]

15. Yeah, he's right.

There are Trump voters with buyer's remorse. Even if there aren't many of them, they must be welcomed back into the fact-based world.

[ProudLib72]

16. Listen to Saint Avenatti, people! Do as he says!

Avenatti does NOT speak for me.

[customerserviceguy]

33. Me, either

And almost everybody here who think's he's wonderful may find themselves cringing should he use his scorched-earth tactics to try to win the Democratic nomination, if he decides to make a run for it.

[Trust Buster]

41. Well said......LOL

[LanternWaste]

57. Not at all surprising who's on the wee bandwagon

full of unsupported allegations about the guy... without any objective evidence to back it up. Ever. Just a loud, one-sentence claim in comic-sans.

We used to call those allegations 'bumper stickers', until people began pretending they had merit.

LOL

[ProudLib72]

65. I think Avenatti serves a purpose and serves it well

But I don't like him telling me how to behave with regard to Rump voters. All of a sudden he views himself as a Dem leader? Nah, not going to listen to that crap.

[shanny]

17. He's right about that.

If they are get-able at all (like the Obama-to-Rump contingent) shaming them will not bring them back.

[ObamaKerryDem]

19. Yep. n/t

[hatrack]

20. Dude, you do some good work, but try and STFU for a change . . .

How about the stragglers of the 7th Ass Cavalry who voted for President Ambulatory S. Dungheap reach out to us?

As political priorities go, this strategy has a solid lock on "dead last".

[ProfessorPlum]

43. still laughing over this post

you have a way with words

[Puzzledtraveller]

23. I can't peg Avenatti

has anything he's done actually harmed Trump, moved the needle in our direction at all? His comments here make me wonder. What if he's actually running interference for Trump.

[blue cat]

26. Cohen is in jail 6-7 months after Avenatti

went after him.

[Puzzledtraveller]

27. True

I just hope he doesn't over play his hand.

[jberryhill]

44. Cohen is not in jail

And the criminal investigation of Cohen began before Daniels engaged Avenatti.

[Crunchy Frog]

24. I agree with him. It's basic common sense.

Every member of the electorate represents a potential voter. You don't antagonize and alienate potential voters, even if they're not very likely voters.

Someone who is seeking an elected office can't afford to follow the same strategy as someone who's letting off steam on a discussion board.

[Hortensis]

61. +1000. We want their votes! Or at least

that as many as possible stay home.

The Republican Party is badly broken. Conservative voters are now separated into the hard-cores remaining in the party and those who have left. The Republican Party on has about 24% of all registered voters, but conservatives are half of our electorate and the rest are calling themselves "independent," caught between their old party and us.

Greeting all conservatives with the trumpster-level hostility expressed by many here would have the same effect that overt racism had on black voters: drive them together!

Pushing voters who share our concerns away is the very last thing anyone who wants to restore our nation's wellbeing should do.

[Lithos]

25. *some* are salvageable...

Yes, I know of a few who have turned. I can not disparage their previous choice - just welcome them into the fold...

Basic sense.

[elleng]

28. He's right.

[brooklynite]

29. Trump voters do not equal "Trump BASE voters"

There's a share (5-10%) that we can win back if we don't lazily stereotype them.

[JoeOtterbein]

31. Of course Avenatti is correct on this. Or, should we...

...curse them out on the internets to get votes instead? Any guess on which is a better response?

[doc03]

32. He is right, the more you shame them the more they are

energized.

[Caliman73]

34. We shouldn't worry about Trump voters at all.

Our candidates need to send a message about what policies they plan to pursue that will help improve voters' lives. Simultaneously, there should be a message about how extreme Trump and the GOP have become with regards to the scandals and corruption, and who they truly represent. Trump voters should not be mentioned at all. They either hear the message and vote for the candidate that will help them, or they don't.


We do not need to waste energy trying to deliver an "It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong" message. They did. They were fooled into thinking that a rich man who has spent his life stealing from and defrauding others, was actually going to do something beneficial for them. It does happen, and many of us are vulnerable to scams, but guess what? Shake it off, do your homework, and vote better in this election.

[ecstatic]

35. Of course not, but I think the shaming is mostly reserved for the diehards

who will never leave trump. The irredeemable deplorables.

That being said, I have seen people who express regret for voting for trump get shamed on Twitter, which isn't good, but at the same time, the regret doesn't come until trump affects their lives somehow. They were just fine with everything else trump did prior. It's difficult not to pile on in such cases, but usually there are several people welcoming them to the resistance so it equals out... I think.

[renate]

36. I think he's absolutely right

I’ve read a bit about motivational interviewing.

Get the person to concede, on their own, the flaws in their own position. Do NOT make them defend their nonhelpful attitude or belief... that will just get them more entrenched.

[tazkcmo]

37. He's a good lawyer

So he should stick to that. I won't go out of my way to shame them because they need souls to feel shame. I also won't reach out to them anymore than I would reach out to a large mass of Ebola because they are both toxic and brainless.

There are millions more non-voters than brain dead Trumplydites and this is where we should be focusing our energy.

[alphafemale]

39. Screw trying to appeal to moderate Republicans

You want that orange menace until 2024?

Appeal to the disenfranchised women and minorities.

Meekly simpering on your knees and trying to kiss the hand that bashed your teeth in is not a winning strategy.

[ProfessorPlum]

42. We can welcome them and shame them at the same time

Carrots and sticks, and it is way past time for Trump voters to be shamed and ashamed of what they have done to this country because of their misogyny, believing the smear campaign against Clinton, and following around an ape who only has the trappings of dominance to recommend him.

[Autumn]

46. That's true. nt

[WeekiWater]

47. This is red meat for a small contingent and insignificant in the real world.

It's a campaign line.

The party is moving left. The party is becoming more diverse with respect to elected officials. Lets not let our base watch party leaders start going gushy for a group of people who one hundred percent knew they were voting for a racist. Get Out The Minority Vote. Get More Minorities On The Ballot. Get More Women On The Ballot.

Our message resonates with the white working middle class. Many of whom, in a handful of states, threw the election to Trump. Keep hitting our message to those people. That's what matters. There is no big national things going on where our elected officials are mocking Trump supporters. It is not happening.

[bigtree]

48. we need to energize Democratic voters

...and leave republican voters to their shame.

He's not much of a politician. Here he's mainly talking to his belly button.

[bearsfootball516]

53. Nah. Don't have to shame them, but don't have to reach out either.

If some want to come over, great. But focus on your base.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

54. "I could stand in the street and shoot someone and not lose a vote." "Grab 'em by the pussy."

Trump voters cannot be shamed.

[vlyons]

55. I agree

The real Trump supporters can't be shamed, because they revel in being ugly nasty haters. The best way to win back the Dems and Indies, who voted for Trump is to blame Trump for not keeping his promises. Ask these questions:

Has your pay gone up?
Do you have affordable healthcare?
Can your kids afford college?
How much more or less is your weekly grocery bill?
How many new jobs have been created in your district, your county?
How much have your taxes been cut?

[DetlefK]

58. Democrats won't "lose them forever". They were alraedy lost 10 years ago to the Tea Party.

They were lost 10 years ago when the Republicans created the Tea Party to increase political fanaticism among their base.

And over the years, the GOP became no more than an exercise in owning the liberals and fighting the Democrats. That's their whole purpose in life. They have nothing else.

When was the last time a Republican said that Republicans should try to understand Obama-voters or Hillary-voters? And yet we have a neverending string of demands that the Democrats should try to understand the Trump-voters.

[LanternWaste]

59. Your narrative is damned consistent.

So you have that, as well as the pretense of sincerity, going for you.

Try not to step in any puddles. Your shoes may get wet.

[catbyte]

60. Well, that's easier said than done. The incalculable damage that's been done is

hard to ignore, and even harder to forgive. Most of the Cult would never have voted Democratic in the first place. Does anybody really believe that any one of them switched to Trump after Clinton called some of his supporters "deplorables?" They are proud of their vileness.

I have an especially difficult time forgiving fellow women who voted for that creep. There is no excuse in the world that I'll buy for that betrayal of our gender.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Freethinker65]

62. Well I certainly did. I shamed an 88 year old Republican neighbor

If she lives to vote in the next presidential election, if Trump runs she will not be voting for him.

She was very concerned with the direction Trump's political and managerial incompetence is taking this country. I told her she, and other otherwise smart Republicans, were to blame for voting for an unqualified vindictive idiot out only for himself that never gave a damn about the country when there was a completely rational and well qualified candidate of the opposing party. I told her I blamed her for not voting for Hillary because her last name was Clinton and she had been duped. Let's just say she did not 100% come out and apologize, but I could tell she knew I was correct. I explained how voting for horrendous candidates just because they had an (R) or (D) after there name was not in her nor the country's best interest, I think she might even vote for Whitmer for governor now.

[Whiskeytide]

64. I don't understand this obsession...

... with trump voters being wholly one thing or the other. Why does any approach to them have to fit into some kind of model? There were 60+ m of them.

Some are assholes.
Some are stupid.
Some were poisoned.
Some were conned.

Listen to them for a minute and decide which category they seem to fall into (it could be more than one), and then conduct yourself accordingly.

[Raine]

67. I agree with him

he's on point.