Does the Democratic Party want to survive? [View all]

[Fearless]

People have always surrounded themselves by those that they agree with. Echo chambers if you will. The rise of social media and the recognition of the power it has to affect public opinion was on show this election cycle. Yet the reason why it works, the actual problem is racism and misogyny. Men of all racial and ethnic backgrounds by and large still do not trust women with power. White women still do not trust Black women with power. 43% of women who voted voted for Trump. 55% of men. It's no surprise that Trump HEAVILY used racist dog whistles and allusions to historical Nazi language, symbolism, and events.

The fact is the "economy" is good. Yet for the average person, who can't afford a house of their own, can't afford college, can't pay medical bills, can't find a job with good benefits, can't see any hope for the future, the economy is NOT doing well. It isn't good for the majority of people. A majority of people feel better about 2015 than they do about 2025, regardless of party.

Donald Trump tapped into that fear. He tapped into the fear of uneducated white men who can't "get a woman", can't get a good job, can't move out of their parents house, who have fallen down the alt-right pipeline that idolizes men like Joe Rogan or Elon Musk. The fact is that the Democratic Party did NOT provide them an alternative vision for the future. As Bernie Sanders had mentioned, the Democratic Party has cozied up to corporations and organizations, including large unions, that don't directly benefit the average voter in their minds today.

So all Trump had to do was make them FEAR things getting worse, take away their hope for the future, and point out that none of the Democratic Party's plans actually solved any of these existential issues. And he did. So many non-political type voters stayed home. Many men of all backgrounds who are working class, middle class or poor, voted for Trump. White women voted for Trump.

The fact is that the American middle class is dead. The core of the Democratic Party does not exist anymore. The message tailored to a group that doesn't exist falls on deaf ears. If they want to solve problems, actually help voters they need to fix the problems that plague the working class today.

They need a clear plan to break up capital groups that purchase and own single homes AND apartment buildings. No business or person should be allowed in America to own more than a dozen properties. All over that limit must be sold off at a rate of no less than 10% per year, every year until they've met that limit. This must also be true for commercial properties. Office space should not be empty while people sleep on the streets.

They need a clear plan to implement single payer universal health care options that cover health, dental, and vision care for Americans.

They need a clear plan to require free voter ID cards be distributed to EVERY American. Voter registration must be automatic at 18.
Present them at the poll. Vote electronically. The voting station will provide you with a receipt with a randomized code not tied to your identity allowing you to see your vote online at any point after the polls close. Make people feel safe that their vote counts, that their voice is heard.

Mandate the solvency of Social Security. Require everyone to pay into Social Security regardless of wealth. Remove the cap. Make it a progressive tax, whereby the wealthy will pay MORE into it than the poor.

Make stock buybacks illegal (again). Companies should have to invest in their employees and infrastructure not enrich themselves.

Simplify the tax code and close tax loopholes that the wealthy use to get out of paying their fair share.

Base funding for public education on the number of students not the property values of the community.

Unforgivingly break up monopolies and non-compete arrangements between companies, including internet providers.

Raise minimum wage to a living wage and set it to increase with the cost of living.

Create a plan to actually address immigration. Legal and otherwise. 44% of farm workers in the US are undocumented. So long as people feel insecure economically this will be a major losing issue for Democrats. It's what Hitler did... Blame the "others" for your every problem. Create a classification for migrant workers whereby if American citizens are not available to employ, that they can LEGALLY be used for a farm season. Stipulate that they must pay taxes and cannot collect welfare, unemployment or other benefits (they already can't but make it clear). Stipulate that they have to pay a tax to be here and that tax will pay for services that may be needed as a result of them being here. Migrant workers should not cost the taxpayer anything. Make that clear. Then the issue no longer hurts Democrats.

Require background checks, insurance, and a license to own a gun. Tether every gun to their owner. Their owner is legally and criminally liable for any action taken with that gun. Expand the concept of gun-free zones. All federal, state, and local govt. owned property, including schools, parks, public buildings, etc. are all gun free zones. The bringing of guns into these zones leads to an immediate loss of that weapon, your license, and suspension of your right to carry for 5 years regardless of if you harmed someone or not. Private business can also follow these guidelines should they choose to.

Ban payday loans, for profit check cashing, and all similar things. No one should be profited off of for being poor or needing money early. Provide a free option like Bernie Sanders suggested at the Post Office.

Mandate that any organization calling themselves a news organization be required to tell the truth. Make them legally liable if they try to manipulate or mislead viewers.

Fix the student loan crisis permanently. Fully fund public college and trade school education through the fulfillment of their degree or certification program. It should not cost you a cent to educate yourself.

And so on.

In short, tldr, the Democratic Party needs to work for the working class. We need to defend against the fearmongering of the right wing. And we need to have clear policies that clearly fix problems. No Band-Aids. No half measures. Fixes.