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10 tweets,
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1/ The other reason why I think a values-based message (pluralism and multicultural democracy vs Trumpism's politics of prejudice) is a better bet than a policy focus 4 Dems is the need to build a broad coalition to defeat Trump and Trumpism as a political force...
2/ It might b possible 2 defeat Trump narrowly w/a base election. So, in PA, WI & MI, if the Dem turnout rivals Obama's, Trump loses at least 2 of those. But if the election is close in those states and others (so that say, he loses those by the same margin he won them before)...
3/ It will be much easier 4 him to claim the election was stolen. He'll claim it anyway, but the closer things are the more will believe it. And the more dangerous their reaction will be. If Trump(ism) is handily rejected, that narrative becomes harder to sustain...
4/ And the nation will have made a clear statement. That in turn will make it easier to push for a progressive agenda once in power, bc the Trumpian GOP (which is all there is now) will know it had its ass handed to them and be less able, politically to go all in on obstruction..
5/ They would be weakened down ballot and everywhere...and the clones they are trying to create in Turning Point USA, who are banking on Trumpism as a long term investment will be screwed. Because now they'll see the politics of Trumpism itself were rejected, not just him...
6/ But how do you get a crushing defeat of Trumpism? You need more than the base. You need as many of those independent/undecideds as possible and you need the anti-Trump GOPers (or recovering GOPers) to actually get off the couch and vote...
7/ ...as opposed to sitting it out because even though they dislike Trump they can't bring themselves to vote for a D whose message on policy they largely disagree with. How do you get all those folks (base, swing and reasonable GOPers) to do the same thing? A unifying message...
8/ rooted in the idea that we need to stand for something as a people, as a nation...that we have a moral obligation (even a pseudo-patriotic one, as much as I dislike that concept most of the time), to reject the politics of prejudice and division and stand up for pluralism...
9/ & multicultural democracy. Then we can get back 2 the traditional business of left & right and fighting over this or that plan (and make no mistake I'm on the clear left of those debates). But policy-focus in the fight against Trump will not produce the size coalition needed..
10/ To consign Trumpism to the garbage heap of history where it belongs, or even to keep it in abeyance long enough to really regroup from a position of strength. It will MAYBE produce a squeaker victory, but allow Trumpism to regroup with a less personally objectionable leader..
