Read the entire article at TFS +
Some key points:
Back in the day, Democrats used to own the county fair and homecoming parade circuit. They used to be salt of the earth and a stark contrast with stiff, wooden and elitist county club-style Republicans. Boy have times changed.
Most voting precincts aren’t academic lecture halls or college campuses. Democrats MUST remember this.
It is easy to say that Republicans are winning by race-baiting. I believe some of that is true, however it is also completely true that under Trump, the Republicans made remarkable gains among People of Color (POC’s), gains that were not possible when the party was led by the Ryan’s and the Romney’s of the world.
Right now nine of the ten most popular Governor’s in the country are Republicans.
Almost universally Democrats are right on the issues and on how they perceive elements of American society. But it’s the tone. You cannot go around insulting 45% of the population on a regular basis and then expect to win elections. Perception is reality in electoral politics which is the point I and many others are making. You can’t win if the majority perceive you negatively no matter how unjust that perception may be in our own eyes.
The old politics of left v center or left v right are old and overused. We’re in a different paradigm now. I’d argue the biggest battles ahead are between those of us who believe in community and communal goals versus those on both the left and right who put individualism above the greater good. But that’s a topic for another day.
The Florida Squeeze 
Something I am going to be watching closely is how well do Eric Adams and Kathy Hochul do as mayor of NYC and Governor of NYS. Both seem to be more nose to the grindstone local politicians and not people with national media ambitions in the way Elliott Spitzer, Andrew Cuomo, Bill DeBlasio, and Preet Bharara did and do. I don’t think the writers of Showtime’s Billions TV show are going to be writing composite characters based on Adams, Kochul or the new Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.
Which brings me to my second point in that how do political activists in NYC and NYS who want to be at the forefront of national attention react to these changes. The current NY AG Laetitia James has given strong indications of wishing a primary challenge to Hochul continuing the tradition of here predecessors like Cuomo and Spitzer in wanting higher office. On the other hand James’ polling is not great and she doesn’t have the name recognition that Cuomo and Spitzer had when they started moving to run for governor(in Cuomo’s case being the son of a previous governor and Spitzer being well known for his anti-Wall Street prosecution).
A more cynical progressive like Alex Gibney might suggest that Adams’, Hochul’s, and Bragg’s focus on local issues is really a signal to Wall Street that it is party time again for the first time since before Spitzer came in as AG in I think 1998ish and Wall Street doesn’t have to focus on regulation or prosecution at the local NYS level(and I think someone like Gibney might be very much correct in thinking this is the case). Nonetheless it does seem like New York politics is moving into a different era with really Chuck Schumer being the only remaining member of the old boys club.
LikeLike