General Discussion

And it's a severe problem.

How many times did we hear a Democratic politician answering for an issue they didn't even campaign on? Because very loud (terminally online) people have become the face of the party even when our actual politicians don't necessarily go as far on various issues as Twitter does.

We have, unfortunately, a very visible portion of the party in the activist squadron that are extremely out of touch with the average American voter. And they are proud of it. They don't want their vote. They're all Nazis, racists, sexists, insert-an-ist anyway. They can stay away from us!

People say that thing here all the time.

That doesn't win votes. Politics often requires a choice. You can have your ideology or you can win an election - but you often cannot have both. And if you are constantly in a position of picking an ideological stance that a vast majority of Americans do not share, then you are choosing to sacrifice elections. The best politicians will make a delicate arrangement between both that works.

But our activists who are increasingly the face of our party in the public's eyes do not compromise in a way a politician must to succeed.

Think about someone like Lincoln, who is much celebrated for his role in ending slavery. At the time, he had to balance the slavery issue with the electorate. He had to rein in the Radical Republicans who basically threatened to topple his presidency and tank the war at every turn. The man spent half his time looking at them with, "Jesus fucking Christ, get it together. I want to handle this issue, too, but you are killing us with your bullshit." (I may be paraphrasing).

Online slacktivists can say whatever they want. They have no responsibility. They don't have to run for office. They can be as radical as they please.

But voters see it. And they don't like it. And after 10 years and two Trump terms, how long before people wake up to that fact?