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Americans voted with their anger. Anger against Biden. Against the elites. Against the other. What is most depressing is that policies don’t matter-when Trump implements his tariffs, tears the country apart with his purge of undocumented immigrants, loosens the guardrails on the Fed, all leading to the exact inflation people voted against, the voters will be surprised as if this wasn’t foretold. We are in a post-fact world, a post logic world and I truly fear for what is coming. Having said all that, I will say it’s time for the Dems to cast aside their extreme left. Their pessimism, their identity politics, their general sourness about the state of the country because it never gets all the way to where they want it to be, has infected the broader party with an identity that is not where most Americans are. We are center-left in our reliance on government programs but we are center right in our cultural perspective. To move ahead the Dems must coalesce around a vision that emphasizes what is good about America, not what is lacking

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Trump will inherit a good economy. Hopefully someone explains to him that his crazy tariff proposal will do him no good and he should stick to the more targeted approach of his first term. We will see. Trump's policies on immigration are popular - I really don't think they will tear the country apart. They will cause a great deal of harm to some - no doubt. Agree with you on the cultural issues - Dems should promote decency to all, but we can do that without shaming those who have different cultural values. Harris tried to do that, but the damage to Dems image on this was deep and could not be undone so quickly.

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It wasn't just a "red wave"; it was a red tsunami. People told me that I was nuts when, a year ago, I predicted that Trump would win (and that was with Biden running). Polls dramatically underestimated Trump's popularity in both 2016 and 2020, and there was no reason in my mind to assume that they would be any more accurate this year.

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David: Thank you for your honest self critique about your prediction. We all share a degree of underestimating Trump’s influence and reach. If you’ve read ‘How Democracy Dies” it begins with a strong man who promises the disenfranchised a better, safer life. Those who voted for Trump reject the Dem liberal vision, a challenge moving forward. Those who have little or feel forgotten cannot be expected to support a progressive (for some, not others) program.

As Dems we have lost touch with what working people need and feel. This isn’t about handwringing guilt, but it takes an honest assessment of why Trump and Republicans have bled red this election . We have to make a deep inquiry and start to listen more deeply , in my opinion

Dr David Bajada

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I have read how Democracies Die. I don't think all these voters totally reject liberalism and want illiberalism. If so, would be hard to explain the last three general elections. There are economic and common sense security reasons, cultural backlash, resentment of elites, governmental under performance, a polluted information environment and some more sinister forces at work. There is something profoundly disturbing about a society that simply looks the other way regarding Jan. 6.

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Can someone with a louder voice than mine say shame on you to Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, George Clooney and … I hear you, you didn’t want the job. Well, sorry, when the country calls I say you needed to step up. And not stepping up this country dearly.

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Sorry, not fully understanding. Are you saying when Biden decided to run?

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I saw Trump winning as soon as he put in his bid for election. I felt no hope, at any time. I guess I wish some powerful dems would’ve also seen this and taken this situation more seriously.

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I don't think anyone didn't take the threat of Trump seriously. Incumbency is a huge advantage in an election and it is hard to turn out a president who is determined to run for reelection. Had Democrats done worse in 2022, I think Biden would be been told to step aside. He and his family should have done so anyway, but their egos go in the way of rationality. The inflation we experienced - the vast majority of which was not the Biden Administration's fault - was so traumatic for so many people that maybe this election was not winnable. Shame on the Republican party for foisting Trump on us again. Nicky Halley probably would have won by double digits.

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