Could the Democratic Party be on the verge of a historic resurgance?

[Craig234]

Bear with me as I cover 150 years of history.

After the Industrial Revolution, conservatives dominated. (That's when we got 'corporations are people').

They hit a speed bump with Teddy Roosevelt and his throwing an election to Woodrow Wilson, but mostly for decades, it was all Republicans, all the time.

Until the Republican Great Depression. And FDR. That changed everything.

FDR revolutionized the idea of government in the country.

And it's never been entirely rolled back, as much as Republicans have tried.

Republicans, facing super-majorities of Democrats, had to find something to run on. In 1940, they tried, by promising not to enter WWII, which was popular. Roosevelt outplayed them, with a matching promise but a caveat, 'unless we're attacked'.

But the Republicans found their issue with the communist threat - at home and abroad. They created the myth they'd ferret the communists out of the US government and protect the country from the communist threat abroad.

The cold war gave us Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, and Bush 41. Then it ended.

The other thing Republicans created was the myth that they're the 'fiscal conservatives', and they stealthily got America to hate taxes more and more, not realizing the taxes would really be saved by most wealthy and inequality would skyrocket.

In fact, Reagan created the first massive peacetime deficit. Ever Republican since has had it; every Democrat since has slashed it.

The keys were handed over, sort of, to George W. Bush, who promptly drove the country into a ditch at the intersection of Iraq and Wall Street.

Where does this leave us?

There is a healthy resurgence in interest in good government in this time of massive corruption of our entire system.

And Republicans are bankrupt. Not just the country they bankrupted but they have nothing to offer the country.

Their claims of being stronger on security are ashes from the burned pages of Vietnam, Grenada, Iran-Contra, Central American death squads, Iraq, and failing to do anything with terrorism but grow it.

Their claims of being economically responsible are exposed as nothing but lies to sell policies of wealth transfer to the rich, as their leading laboratory Kansas lies in ruins while California thrives after changing to a Democratic government.

The facts are, as more are learning, the economy virtually always does better under Democrats, looking at the last century.

As people turn away from plutocracy and corruption, the Republicans are nothing but the party of those things, and the splinter groups they try to pander to - fundamentalists, bigots. Only the Democrats are plausible as a people's party.

Things look bad. With money allowed to buy elections like never before, with Congress still almost universally re-elected and the candidate with the most money winning, with lobbying and gerrymandering dominating the system, Republicans thrive.

They are at a peak of power in state governments, dominating all branches in around half of the states, far outnumbering Democrats.

But, as Bernie Sanders historic, incredible candidacy showed, there is an interest like never before in real change.

With the Republicans unable to find a decent nominee and nominating the embarrassment who needs not be named, with 2020 coming and the chance for Democrats to retake state governments and remove Gerrymandering, they're posed for a resurgence.

Democrats are more aligned with the public's desires.

In a time we are facing global competition and austerity and financial manipulations and the dominance of the financial industry and automation, the people would like a government who might care a bit about the public,

Only one party can claim to fit the description. And Democrats have a lot to do to make the claim, but it's plausible.

Changes in American demographics are also strongly favoring a Democratic Party shift.

We're at a time that Republicans are out of ammunition. No cold war. No credibility for fiscal policies.

The crashing and burning of the Republican establishment, of Jeb Bush and others, even wit Republicans suggests a readiness for change from the Republican Party.

We might be at a time Democrats can - if they follow the progressive wing - make huge gains in the coming years.

Edit: I'd like to add a comment, that it's not the first time it's seemed the Democrats could do well. But I think for me and many Democrats, we tend to underestimate how many Americans can be attracted to the Republican Party.

When we look at Nixon and Reagan being elected by 49 states, our reaction is likely to appear stunned, and have some drool, while we recover, without explanation.

But I think this time might well be different.

And it hasn't hurt that we've had a Democrat for eight years who, while too centrist for many of us, has been one of the most stable and scandal-free presidents in history, greatly strengthening the Democratic 'brand', despite the Obama Derangement Syndrome.

I suspect the syndrome will fade, while his reputation will get better and better. What is there to fear from a Democrat now?

Hopefully, Hillary doesn't provide any answer to that question as president. She faces some dangerous conflicts in the world and we remember how that derailed Democrats with the Vietnam war. We don't need Republicans to get any new issues to use.

[BlueCaliDem]

1. I also believe that PoC, who have never been acromonious to government, play a significant role in

this resurgence we're experiencing with the Democratic Party.

Now if we can get all PoC to vote each and every year that there's an election, Republicans will become as neutered throughout the country as they are in the State of California. And that would be a good thing for everyone.

[Craig234]

2. Thank you for reminding me

To include the demographic changes. I'll add a sentence to the original post where it fits. I agree that furthers the opportunity.

[BlueCaliDem]

4. You're welcome! And thanks for adding it into your OP.

[StrictlyRockers]

3. Well I hope you're right.

I am VERY curious to see what happens at the conventions and over the next several weeks. Things could shake out for the better here. I am cautiously optimistic. Maybe people are waking up.

[eridani]

5. Passing TPP will turn the Dems into a minority party for the foreseable future n/t

[Craig234]

6. Except Republicans are more in favor of TPP than Democrats

Whatisname supposedly excepted.

[eridani]

7. Yes, and they can't pass it without Dem support

If that happens, forget about labor unions and environmental groups doing any doorbelling for Dems this year or in 2018

[Craig234]

8. An ugly truth about politics

There's an old joke about one person telling the person he's camping with, he doesn't have to able outrun a bear - only the other person.

That's the story of the parties. As long as one party is better than the other, they know they can get away with murder and still get most of the support, to prevent the even worse party winning.

The only way to avoid that is for one faction in the party to beat the other - for progressives to beat centrist and blue dogs, for example.

[840high]

14. My biggie is TPP.

[doc03]

9. This election could push it either way. I wouldn't take much stock in the

polls, the UK did and look what happened. If we lose the Republican party will be on a historic resurgence and it just might happen.
I think Trump has more than an even chance of carrying the rust belt states. Trump is within striking distance of Clinton and the campaign hasn't begun. Don't count your chickens just yet.

[Craig234]

11. Well

There is some risk of trump riding the 'change' and Hillary as a very establishment candidate being against the tide.

I think there are some risks with Hillary not just in the election but in her presidency regarding this issue - but she could do great.

I'm talking about larger movement issues than her or her presidency, but she could have an effect.

It's not based on polls at all.

[Thinkingabout]

13. Hillary will be a great president, we have to GOTV not only for President but down ticket

Candidates. Hillary knows how important it is to elect Democrats and she has been raising money to share with those Democrats. We have to unite and push the Democratic Party forward, we know Republicans are not going to push progressive ideas.

[Craig234]

12. As a strong Bernie supporter

It'd be easy to talk about the benefits of him as president.

But these issues are broader than this election.

[gduval]

15. That left me optomistic

Thanks for putting this together.