Thread by @l78lancer

The democrats have a problem. It's not a Joe Biden problem or a Kamala Harris problem. It's an identity problem. Cornell Belcher (@cornellbelcher) provided one of the most insightful analyses of the Democratic party that I've heard in a long time on @NicolleDWallace today.👇🏿

I know that many of my friends have sworn off mainstream media and have specific and intense ire and invective towards MSNBC (so do I.) That's fine, but that's not the point or concern here. If you have the chance to watch that segment, it may be valuable.👇🏿

Cornell talked about how both Howard Dean and Obama advocated for and promoted growth of the democratic party by inviting in people who were never before in the party as a result of demographic change. While Dean lost in 2004, by 2008, Obama could never have won otherwise.👇🏿

While they were welcome and not turned away, the focus wasn't on attempting to reattract centrist republicans and conservative democratics most of whom, like the majority of republicans, are middle age or older white voters. The reality is that population segment isn't growing.👇🏿

Whereas the face of America is changing. Whereas, the majority of the people who reach the age of majority on a yearly basis are women and men of color, and young white women who have different concerns that are relevant to them and their lives and futures. 👇🏿

However, in 2024, the conventional apparently shifted. The pendulum swung and the focus veered away from the issues that were of primary concern to the growing coalition back to attemting conservative voters back to the party.👇🏿

Issues seen as pressing to younger diverse coalitions were seen as too liberal, progressive and off-putting to conservative democratic voters, some independents, and republicans who were displaced due to MAGA.👇🏿

As an example, that was noted in the earlier cries that Kamala Harris' positions and views were too progressive, then the subsequent criticisms that she change her positions once she was called out for it regardless of wher or not she actually changed was true.👇🏿

Not only did that cause rifts, confusion, and anger in the party, it dissuaded some voters from voting because it wasn't clear what the party was or what it stood for.👇🏿

And while there will always be suspicions, questions, and concerns about the disparity between the perception of what voter turn out was expected versus the numbers that were actually reported, the fact is that democratic voting numbers were down significantly in 2024.👇🏿

The question becomes what is the purpose of shifting the developmental trajectory of the party from one of growth and reaching out to segments of the population that are younger, diverse, and increasing to segments that are shrinking or stagnant best,...👇🏿

... and don't necessarily share are current evolving democratic ideals? That presents another set of questions and concerns. Because of the disastrous result of the 2024 election, democrats across the nation are calling out for leadership to speak up and do something.👇🏿

The problem is the demcrats have painted themselves in a corner by creating a self-imposed dilemma. Kamala Harris was the candidate, but she is not the party leader and would not have become leader until she was elected.👇🏿

Joe biden IS the party standard bearer, but Democratic elites essentially stripped him of his role. So, who is the leader of the party? Who should be speaking out and providing direction? What is the direction since the direction was changed mid-stream with cataclysmic results?👇🏿

And although the voting public is crying out for someone to "do something," what legitimacy do Joe or Kamala have to lead the way of of the morass that the so-called elites and donors helped to create?👇🏿

So the reality is that by looking over it's shoulder, having a split personlaity, not being fully committed to its values, and listening to the elites and donors rather than to the democratic majority's will and desires, the party is stuck, and there IS no leadership.👇🏿

That may well explain the profound silence to the cries to respond to any suspicious activities surrouding the election. The people who would lead really can't, and the people who primarily caused the damage and the problems are silent.👇🏿

Until the democratic party figures out who and what it real is, gets unstuck, and finds its direction and commitment, it will remain unmoored and adrift. But the bottom line is that the party will never move forward if it's constantly looking backwards.

Something to think about.

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