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5 Quotes From a Democratic Pollster That Show How Screwed the Dems Are in Future Elections

Spurred by recent electoral results in Virginia and elsewhere, a Democratic pollster is urging the party to fix its “national branding problem,” or risk losing more elections.

SO WHAT

A small but growing group of Democratic analysts have been trying to get the party to focus on issues that appeal to a broader swathe of Americans.

WHAT HAPPENED

After Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s triumph over Terry McAuliffe last month, Third Way, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, tasked pollster Brian Stryker with figuring out why Virginia had gone red in a state President Joe Biden had won by 10 points.

  • Stryker’s findings, culled from focus groups made up of Virginian Biden supporters who had gone over to Youngkin in November, were concerning.
  • In a memo that has since circulated widely among Democrats, Stryker identified a series of national challenges, including a “weak national brand” and a sense that the party is too focused on social issues.
  • He also warned that a failure to right the ship could lead to disaster in the upcoming mid-term elections.

“We’re realistic about our ability to message our way out of this problem. People aren’t feeling good, and they’re always going to blame the party in power for that,” Stryker and his co-author, Oren Savir, wrote. “But if people don’t think we’re tackling economic issues, are putting government + closures before parents on schools, and only want to make the election about Trump, we’re only amplifying the natural dynamics of a midterm election.”

THE QUOTES

On Thursday, The New York Times published an interview with Stryker, in which explained “what he learned from the voters and the course correction he believes Democrats must take.”

Education: Stryker said the Virginia governor’s race became a place “for all of these frustrations for these suburban voters, where they could take out their Covid frustrations in one place.”

 

The Democrats have a “national branding problem.”

It’s hard being the party in power.

The economy trumps social issues, even for Latino, women and Black voters.

Making elections referendums on Donald Trump doesn’t seem to work.

(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

ELDER ABUSE: Biden Gets the Most Uncomfortable Introduction Ever Before Walking On Stage

President Joe Biden took an inordinately long time to get on stage after being introduced by rapper LL Cool J Thursday the lighting of the National Christmas Tree near the White House.

AWKWARD

The crowd waited for nearly two minutes before Biden and first lady Jill Biden appeared.

In fact, the presidential couple took so long, LL Cool J announced to the crowd that he’d be redoing the introduction announcement.

  • “Is everybody having a good time so far? Well let’s kick off the evening by lighting up the star of the show, the National Christmas Tree,” Biden said, after finally making his way to the stage.
(Alex Wong/Getty)

See If You Can Make Sense of What Biden Was Trying to Say This Week

“Hey, look, who’s president? Fauci.”

(Image Source via Getty Images)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Noose … or Rope Ladder on Stanford’s Campus

Stanford University released a statement in response to “nooses” possibly being found near the California school’s campus Monday.

THE QUOTE

A student discovered cords tied to a tree, and an investigation by the campus police service and university arborist determined they had been there between 18 and 24 months.

  • “We cannot be certain whether the ropes were deliberately fashioned in the shape of nooses, or were part of an abandoned swing or rope ladder,” the university said in an email to students. “To be clear, a noose is a potent symbol of anti-Black racism and violence that is completely unacceptable under any circumstances.”
  • The university offered counseling for students distressed by the incident, saying, “We know this is a very difficult communication to receive, and could compound anger and disappointment you may be feeling knowing a noose was reported on campus in summer 2019 and given the discrimination experienced by many Black campus community members.”
  • Stanford administrators faced criticism from the student body for their purportedly apathetic response when an alleged noose was reported on campus in 2019.

SAME ENERGY

In recent years, similar incidents have cropped up, and in many cases, turn out not to be instances of racist vandalism.

  • In 2020, NASCAR revealed that a “noose” found in black driver Darren “Bubba” Wallace Jr.’s stall was actually a garage door opener that had been there since at least the previous year.
  • The mayor of Oakland held a press conference in June of 2020 responding to alleged nooses in a park that were later determined to be part of a black resident’s exercise setup.
(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

CRINGE: Dem Rep Blasts ‘Incomprehensible’ Spending Bill She Just Voted For

…

WHAT’S CRINGE

SAME ENERGY

(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Who’s Having the Worst Day on Twitter

Stacey Abrams, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Alec Baldwin are all having bad days.

  • But who’s having the worst day on Twitter?

HAVING A BAD ONE

Stacey Abrams: The voting rights activist, who recently declared she’s running for governor of the Peach State again, claimed this week she never disputed the outcome of her 2016 loss to current Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Unfortunately for her, Twitter has the receipts.

The DCCC: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted a chart seemingly inspired by commentator Matt Yglesias’ tweet about how President Joe Biden’s signing of infrastructure legislation has lowered gas prices. Apparently, the group failed to realize Yglesias was being sarcastic.

Alec Baldwin: In his first interview since the on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Alec Baldwin told CNN Thursday he denied all responsibility and claimed the gun he held malfunctioned — but CNN’s own expert fact check threw this statement into serious doubt.

YOU DECIDE


(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

What We’re Reading

“The case against abortion”… Inside Bezos and Obama’s surprise $100 million union… Biden privately fears no deal with Iran, and possible war… Meet Biden’s Kissinger, Jake Sullivan… As Kamala Harris fades, her old rival Gavin Newsom mounts a political comeback…

WHAT WE’RE READING

  • Ross Douthat meditates in The New York Times on the possible end to nationwide abortion, that is, if Roe v. Wade is overturned: “At the core of our legal system, you will find a promise that human beings should be protected from lethal violence. That promise is made in different ways by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence; it’s there in English common law, the Ten Commandments and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We dispute how the promise should be enforced, what penalties should be involved if it is broken and what crimes might deprive someone of the right to life. But the existence of the basic right, and a fundamental duty not to kill, is pretty close to bedrock.” READ HERE.
  • Theodore Schleifer exposes in Puck News the new nine-figure gift from Jeff Bezos to former President Barack Obama’s foundation. “The gift, the largest single donation ever made to the Foundation, has no restrictions on its use.” READ HERE.
  • Jonathan Swan dishes on President Joe Biden and his administration’s private resignations about the prospects for a new Iran deal, as Israel weighs military action: “Senior officials in the U.S. intelligence community have assessed the new Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, thinks of his predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, as a weak accommodationist who negotiated a bad deal with the U.S. and other world powers in 2015.” READ HERE.
  • Mark Leibovich dives in on Jake Sullivan in The New York Times– Sullivan has long been viewed as a wunderkind in Democratic circles, but his reputation’s been battered by the execution of the Afghanistan withdrawal. “Washington has long been captivated by fallen star narratives. This has made Mr. Sullivan a figure of fascination in recent months, something between sympathy and schadenfreude.” READ HERE.
  • Bil Whalen delivers more bad news for Kamala Harris in the Washington Post, profiling the political comeback of her old frenemy, Governor Gavin Newsom. “In a California known for its rivalries — Dodgers vs. Giants, Elon Musk vs. local bureaucracy — which homegrown Democratic political talent is the better long-term bet: Vice President Harris or Gov. Gavin Newsom?” READ HERE.
(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

THE 4PM POLL: What’s Your Least Favorite ‘Liberal Hero’ Documentary?

Over the past year or so, a wave of documentaries have chronicled the lives of liberal icons.

  • Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg have all gotten the showbiz treatment.


The 4PM: A highlight reel of today’s news.
For conservatives.
Every afternoon at 4PM.