The Democratic Debacle — Market Mad House
By: Daniel G. Jennings
Tags: Democratic Party, Democrats, Congress, Bernie Sanders, Democracy

The Democrats have done it again. America’s majority party turned what should have been a landslide into a dismal almost-loss.

With 245,152 coronavirus deaths and a horrendous economy, the Democrats should have won a 1932 FDR-style landslide. Instead, Americans were waiting for the results of a close election on Friday 6 November 2020.

The Associated Press finally called the election for Joe Biden (D-Delaware) because of razor-thin margins in Arizona and Pennsylvania on 7 November 2020. Incredibly, President Donald J. Trump (R-Florida) had a slim chance at victory in the worst economy since the Great Depression, three days after the election.

Democrats Lose Again

Beyond Trump, Democrats picked up just two seats in the United States Senate in the 3 November elections.

Well-financed Democratic challengers could not beat such incompetent clowns as US Senators Wesley Graham (R-South Carolina) and Suzanne Collins (R-Maine). Graham’s challenger Jaime Harrison raised $57 million, yet Graham won by a 54.5% to 44.2% or 11.1% margin.

Disgustingly, US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) will keep his Senate seat and possibly his leader’s chair. McConnell won reelection by a margin of 58.2% to 37.8%, even though 51% of Kentuckians disapproved of him in an October 7–15, 2020, Spectrum News+IPSOS Poll.

Finally, Democrats lost five Seats in the US House of Representatives while Republicans gained six seats in the 3 November 2020. The election results show Americans dislike and distrust Democrats. Why?

Democrats will not fight for Ordinary Americans

I attribute the losses to one obvious reality. Ordinary Americans know Democrats will not fight for them.

Frighteningly Democrats prove those suspicions. In particular, Democratic presidential candidate Joe refused to demand more stimulus money. Moreover, Biden’s ads and messaging did not mention what he plans to do for ordinary Americans.

Instead, Biden put out lots of wishy-washy messages about healing America. Biden said nothing about increasing the minimum wage, paying a large stimulus, or increasing Social Security payments.

Ordinary people got the memo. The memo was Biden and Democrats plan to do nothing for you. Biden and Democrats have no plans to help or your families. So go to hell.

How Democrats Lose

Moreover, I think they designed some Biden commercials to drive ordinary people away.

For example, one commercial stated Biden will not raise taxes on people who make less than $400,000 a year. There is some sense to that claim because only 1.8% of Americans make over $400,000 a year, CNBC estimates. Additionally, those making over $400,000 now earn around 25% of America’s income.

On the other hand, I think such an ad will offend most Americans because ordinary people earn far less. The Federal Reserve Bank of State Louis estimates the Real Median Personal (Individual) Income in the United States was $35,977 in 2019. Thus, Biden sent the message that the Democrats only care about rich people in a nationwide TV ad.

Similarly, Biden’s advertisements featured prominent Republicans such as Cindy McCain and former Ohio Governor John Kasich. However, Biden refused to acknowledge support from US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).

Yet YouGov estimates Sanders is the third most popular Democrat with a 51% approval rating nationwide. YouGov estimates the only Democrats more popular than Sanders are former presidents Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and Jimmy Carter (D-Georgia).

Sanders campaigned for Biden and would have gladly appeared in ads. Yet nobody thought of it, probably out of fear of criticism from CNBC and MSNBC commentators.’

Worse by broadcasting his bipartisanship Biden sends ordinary Americans the message: “I intend to surrender. I will give up and I will not fight for you.”

How Nancy Pelosi sabotages the Democratic Party

Strangely, the Democrats’ worst enemy could be their heartless and brain-dead US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California).

Pelosi refused to consider President Donald J. Trump’s (R-Florida) $1.8 stimulus package in October 2020. Instead Pelosi refused to budge on stimulus, although hunger in the United States in 2020 was 14 times higher than in 2019, The Intercept claims.

Pelosi held out because she did not want to give Trump the ability to send out $1,200 stimulus checks. Thus, Pelosi handed Trump a victory for no reason. To explain, I do not think the checks could have gone out until after the election. Hence, Pelosi held up Stimulus for no reason.

Worse, Pelosi even went on nationwide TV to defend her horrendous position. Yet only a few minor Democrats such as US Representative Ro Khanna (D-California) criticized the Speaker.

Instead, Democrats were silent. No major Democrats spoke out against Pelosi’s senseless and heartless behavior, not Biden, not the fighting leftists of the Squad, and not Bernie. I think Biden could have gained hundreds of thousands of votes and enormous amounts of street credit among ordinary Americans by criticizing Pelosi.

Pelosi gave Republicans a powerful talking point and few Democrats opposed her. Democrats who wonder why they lost the house need to look at Pelosi. If Democrats want to pick up House seats in 2022, they need to dump Nancy.

Sadly, Democrats will probably keep Pelosi and wonder why they will suffer a 20 or 30 seat loss in the House in 2022. By retaining Pelosi and failing to oppose her Democrats, send ordinary people the message “fuck off.”

How Democrats Help Trump

The end result of all this weak-kneed defeatism, and glorification of compromise is to make Donald J. Trump look good to many Americans.

Trump is an obvious fraud who will not fight for ordinary Americans. However, Trump unlike Democrats talks a good fight. Trump isn’t a fighter, but he does a good job of playing one on TV.

Moreover, Trump champions a few economic policies that could help ordinary Americans. In particular, reopening the economy at all costs and opposing masks and lockdowns.

Those policies are stupid, short-sighted, and dangerous, but they could at least provide some jobs and help some Americans keep cash coming in. To a person with no job and no money who needs to put food on the table and pay the rent, that sounds good.

Biden could have easily countered Trump’s claims with proposals for eviction and foreclosure moratoriums, a $1,000 or $2,000 a month stimulus check for everybody, Social Security increases, Medicare for all, and payroll guarantees for businesses and state and local governments. Yet there were no such proposals.

Joe could have put Trump in the uncomfortable position of opposing stimulus, defending landlords who put families on the street, trashing Medicare, opposing Social Security, and taking the food out of children’s mouths. Instead, Biden gave Trump the talking points the Donald wanted.

Worst of all, Biden refused to take such moves because he was probably afraid to offend campaign donors, such as corporate landlords and banks. Biden sends the message we only care about the rich and lets Trump off the hook.

We need Fighting Democrats Again

Back when America had Democratic leaders fought for ordinary people. Democrats won elections and kept power.

Legendary Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil (D-Massachusetts) could compromise with Ronald Reagan (R-California) to save Social Security in 1983. O’Neill’s action probably ensured Reagan’s landslide reelection in 1984, however the Speaker preserved an important source of income for tens of millions of Americans.

By putting the needs of ordinary Americans ahead of short-term victory, O’Neill preserved his party’s majority. Under leaders such as O’Neill, Democrats controlled the US of Representatives for 40 years straight from 1955 to 1995. Americans kept reelecting House Democrats even when they sent Republicans to the White House because they knew the party of Tip O’Neill was fighting for them.

Why Democrats will Lose the House Again

Under Nancy Pelosi, Democrats have lost the House once (in 2010) and will do so again. Democrats will lose the house because Pelosi refuses to fight for ordinary people.

Remember, Pelosi is the woman who threatened impeachment and a government shutdown to keep Trump from replacing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Speaker backed down but the message she sent is clear; the Supreme Court is more important than the lives of ordinary Americans.

When Democrats had leaders fought for ordinary people, they won vast majorities. For example, President Lyndon B. Johnson (D-Texas), the architect of Medicare and Civil Rights, won a 486-seat Electoral College victory in 1964.

If Democrats want long-term power and LBJ-level victories they need to fight for ordinary people again. Democrats’ greatest problem is that ordinary people know Democrats will not fight for them.

I think the only reason Biden won in 2020 and Democrats will retake the House and possibly take the Senate is President Trump’s horrendous handling of coronavirus. If future Republican leaders are not as incompetent as Trump, it will doom Democrats.

America needs fighting Democrats, not wishy-washy wimps such as Joe Biden and self-serving sociopaths like Nancy Pelosi. Unless Democrats can learn to fight for ordinary people they will lose.