🧵Unlike 99% of corporate pundits bloviating that "Dems just need their own Joe Rogan," I leave the studio & have reported on-the-ground & have interviewed thousands of working class people across the U.S. for a decade...
Dem lost not bc of what podcasts they do or don't do...
They also didn't lose bc their "messaging" failed—the go-to spin of wealthy, out-of-touch pundits for as long as I've covered politics. Routinely talking to working class people--on the left and right--I can tell you why Dems:
🧵MAJOR takeaway ignored by Dems in losing to Trump twice in 8 years:
Combined Millennial/Gen Z turnout—age 18-44—declined by 7% from 2016 (44% of voters) to 2024 (37% of voters). This was age group @BernieSanders won & galvanized—but Dems & media took him out by the knees.
...
@BernieSanders 2016 (Bernie wave)
18-44
44% of voters
18-29
19% of voters
@BernieSanders 2020
18-44
40% of voters
(4 point turnout drop vs 2016)
18-29
17% of voters
(2 point turnout drop by 2016)
***Lots of young voters felt Dems came together to stop Bernie from winning Dem primary
Of course, the limousine liberals on Morning Joe are concluding Harris lost bc Dems went too "woke" & push "cancel culture." REALITY why she lost:
🚨75% voters said inflation had severe or moderate impact
🚨73% voters said dissatisfied or angry about way things are going
A 🧵
🚨Contrary to decades-long corporate media propaganda of a"strong economy"—citing Wall Street, not Main Street metrics like stock market, unemployment #, GDP— 67% of voters said economy is not so good or poor
🚨45% of voters said family financial situation worse than 4 years ago
🚨Trump got 45% of the Latino vote,➕25 point gain from Trump (best # for a Republican since George W. Bush in 2004)...
@BernieSanders won Latinos in 2020 Dem primary on bold, progressive economic message; Harris/Dems message to Latinos was on Trump sabotaging border bill
🧵BEYOND HORSE RACE: As media does post-debate narrative—Kamala strong (yet substance-less) vs Trump unhinged, here's the ACTUAL CRISES' ignored at debate:
🚨64% live paycheck to paycheck
🚨37% can’t afford $400 emergency
🚨Homelessness⬆️12%
🚨Top 1% own over 1/3 of U.S wealth
🚨Water poisoned across U.S.
🚨Growing list of environmental sacrifice zones (Flint, East Palestine, Kalamazoo, etc)
🚨U.S. life expectancy down while other countries up
🚨Record level of corporate $ purchasing politicians/elections
🚨As U.S. labor sees a resurgence, mass corporate union-busting goes unpunished
🚨Big oil continues ramming dangerous pipelines through poor indigenous/Black/brown communities
🚨 Private and public colleges grossly gouging tuition costs creating generation of youth debt slaves
🧵Hate to be Debbie downer on Labor Day (shout out to all organized labor doing the hard work to revive labor), but I see the left making the same mistakes of 2020 in 2024...
Right now leftists who've decided to hold their nose to stop Trump have ZERO PLAN to push Harris left...
I don't actually believe Harris—nor any corporate Dem—can be pushed left in a SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL WAY w/ out major OUTSIDE economic force (like economic boycotts). But right now, most leftists are essentially saying...
"We'll worry about that later, let's stop Trump..."
Which is the exact same message from 2020 (only then it was let's remove/elect Biden). But the "push Biden left" didn't come (he quickly abandoned $15 min wage, public option, banning drilling on public lands, $2K checks and only moved left in incremental/short-term ways)...
🧵It’s horrific an assassination attempt was made on Trump. Also true of Trump:
2016: Gins up rally crowd against protester: “I’d like to punch him in the face.”
2017: Told police “Please don't be too nice” when tossing suspects into paddy wagon.
…
2018: Praised Montana Gov for body slamming reporter. “He is my type”
2020: Tweets to Virginians protesting stay at home orders that their second amendment is “under siege.” Separately tweets: “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!; LIBERATE MINNESOTA!; LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!"
…
2020: In response to George Floyd protests, Trump says “when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Defense Secretary wrote in book Trump asked “Can't you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?"
2020: Threatened to dispatch military to deal with Black Lives Matter protesters