Biden Won, But ……

I wrote the below post on November 4th when it still looked like Trump was on his way to another 4 years. That didn’t happen, and hopefully the result is for the better, but Biden triumphed not so much on his merits as on the deep dissatisfaction with Trump by the majority of voters. A less volatile Republican candidate likely would have defeated Biden. For that reason, I present the post below as originally written.

-----------------------

This is an opinion post that you may or may not agree with, but it’s something I’ve been feeling for several years – before the 2016 election – and had to get out. It is NOT pro or anti any candidate, party, or voter group. It IS my take on how the parties have worked during the last few elections.

Left and Right are not derogatory terms, and I haven’t met anyone yet who is on one side for all issues.

Full disclosure, I am an Independent voter, not tied to any party (there are more than 2).

It did not surprise me that Trump won a second term in spite of all that has transpired in the last 4 years, just like it did not surprise me that he won in 2016. Both wins are a function of the Republican party mastering the art of energizing their base while the Democratic party can’t even agree on a solid platform.

Keys to Republican success are many and pretty basic. First, the party members stick together no matter what. That can allow bad policy, but it is the best way to solidify the party’s base. They are also masterful at playing on emotional hot buttons to energize and expand their base without having to focus on the real issues. Getting people to act on their emotions is far more effective than relying on logic and reason. If you need an example, look at choice vs bigger government when is comes to the abortion issue. Logic and reason say leave this alone, as it was decided almost 50 years ago, and the consistent Republican smaller government platform response would not want government telling women what they can and can’t do. No one is forced to get an abortion. But by pumping this issue year after year, people get emotionally involved making it an easy win for the party.

Republican strategists focus their attention on working-class Americans (no need to cater to the wealthy as it's pretty much a given they will vote Republican), pitting them against the “liberal elite” (high school grads & blue collar workers vs college educated) whom the party denigrates with great success. Creating a class war further energizes the base, which other than the top 10% economically, are convinced to vote against their own interests. Using simple language and slogans that resonate and are easily repeated creates momentum and legitimizes the message.

Finally, being adept at twisting events and words into easy to digest sound bites that support the message that only the Republican party can save the country creates fear and paints the party as the only hope for the survival of America as we know it (or wish it would return to). Fear is a strong driver to get people to act on emotions rather than logic and reasoning – and to fall in line with the leader who promises to save them from all the evils around them, no matter who created those evils.

On to the Democrats who have learned nothing since Kerry lost his bid for president by alienating the working class completely. For some reason the party continues to focus on the “intellectual elite” with big words, complex and disjointed messaging, and relying on logic and reason. All this pushes more and more working-class Americans away. WAKE UP Democratic party!!

With a house divided, the Democratic party put forth Joe Biden after giving us Hillary Clinton four years ago. Really, that’s the best you’ve got? Did it not occur to anyone that a 77 year old man has very little appeal to the average voter? Between poor candidates and a platform that is all over the map from centrist to radical socialism, and with its own party members jousting over priorities, is it any wonder that people were turned off.

The Democratic party’s position on Black Lives Matter further alienated Trump’s base and expanded it by not supporting the intention of the movement which is that ALL lives matter. Instead the party pushed a more radical message that, while well intended, backfired miserably. And the media helped by capitalizing “Black” but not capitalizing “White” – with flawed logic used to make that decision. Same for reporting crimes, race is only mentioned when it is a Black person harmed by a White person. Did you really think having different rules based on race would help? Isn’t that why Black Lives Matter started in the first place?

And finally to the detriment of the Democratic party, their stance on immigrants hurt them. Not immigration, but the change in how legal immigrants become part of American society. It used to be that immigrants came to this country and assimilated into the culture while keeping their culture alive at home and in their neighborhoods (still the case for the majority). In recent years, immigrants have been less inclined to assimilate and more inclined to want this country to accept and normalize the culture they come from. This is particularly true of some religious groups. The party has embraced this, and even tried to make Americans feel guilty for not taking the same stance. Yet another possibly well-intentioned message that serves to further alienate voters.

For all of you who are shocked and dismayed that Trump got 4 more years, and my message for the Democratic party: it’s time to look in the mirror and see how the left handed the election to the right, again.

In the above I am not making judgements about any of the issues, either party, their supporters, immigrants, or Americans. I am writing my observations of how the parties operate in their quest to win elections and maintain power, which is the end game in American politics now. My hope and plea is that we all come together as Americans, without hyphens, and work to unite our country again.