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Jesse Ferguson, in an extraordinarily timely piece, writes:

Romney-Clinton voters are, generally speaking, college-educated suburban professionals: lawyers, doctors and businesspeople. They voted for Mitt Romney in 2012, but switched to Hillary Clinton in 2016. They abhor xenophobia, the alt-right and racists, but they also mostly socialize within their own race and theyre mostly white. Theyre socially liberal but not obsessed with a political agenda. They value fiscal responsibility but also believe in investing in the future, especially education. They remain deeply worried about Trumps qualifications, scared about his temperament and alienated by his misogyny and ties to extremists. For the first time in a long time, theyre willing to hear about and vote for Democrats.

Oh boy, are they.

Who are these people, and what do they want? Some used to call them Country Club Republicans or Main Street Republicans. After 2001, female voters in this group were the soccer moms. They desire ordered liberty, a dependable and rule-based system that allows them to thrive. The party that theyve called home once upon a time featured smart Republicans (William F. Buckley Jr., Irving Kristol, etc.),responsible legislators (e.g. Sen. Bob Dole, Sen. Howard Baker) and constructive reforms (e.g. welfare reform, charter schools). It was the party that finally helped bury the Soviet Union. Now the party asks them to buy into alternative facts and take Sean Hannity seriously. It advances stunning falsehoods about economics, cities, crime, immigration, science, budgets and most every public policy topic.

The GOP asks them to denounce elites Hey, thats voters like them! and requires them not to believe in climate change. To be a real Republican now means to be economically illiterate on trade and immigration. These voters know immigrants arent stealing their jobs and that crime is substantially down in most American cities. (After all they workin increasingly diverse workplaces and live in diversifying suburbs or have returned to gentrified cities.)

In sum, the GOP offends their intelligence and runs headlong into their hard-earned educational accomplishments and life experiences. These educated voters live in 21st-century America, but the loudest voices in the GOP including the president and elected congressional leaders do not. The latter believe government is evil, the world can be shut out, climate change is debatable and white Christian America is under assault (because we say Happy Holidays?!).

In controversy after controversy, Republican lawmakers have defended President Trump's actions. But with his disclosure of highly classified information to Russian diplomats, they've floundered to explain the decision. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

If the GOP were going to be the party of fiscal sobriety, international leadership and free markets, these Romney-Clinton voters were willing to put up with a lot. Theyve gotten by for years saying, Well its not like Sean Hannityis the partyor by self-identifying as Jack Kemp Republicans. Unfortunately, Sean Hannity is very much the GOP these days, and Jack Kemp, R.I.P., has been dead for eight years.

However, along with reason, science and respect for democratic norms, the GOP jettisoned much of the real-world agenda such voters had come to associate with their party. If they are going to be asked to associate with the flock of know-nothings who now populate the GOP and theyre not going to get a functional government, then why stick with the party?Many are not. They just do not know where to go.

There exists an opportunity, as Ferguson pointed out, for center-left Democrats to poach these voters. (They might vote in 2020 for a Joe Biden, but never for a Sen. Bernie Sanders.) A new party or sub-party of the old GOP may also work for these voters if the Democratic Party veers too far left.

What do Romney-Clinton voters want? Look at successful GOP governors whom these voters supported over the past decade. They chose governors perceived as inclusive and enlightened problem-solvers (John Kasich of Ohio, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Mitch Daniels of Indiana, etc.). These voters want agood education system, college tuition that does not break the bank, investment in R &D, a dynamic economy (which requires trade, immigration and U.S. leadership in the world), fiscal sanity and a spirit of sensible compromise. They want the U.S. to be respected in the world and not to bask in the approval of tyrants. Theydont want the government doing everything, but they know we arent going back to the pre-New Deal era. They support a safety net but want programs to work (meaning, result in fewer impoverished people). These are people who navigate in their daily lives by persuasion and compromise, not bullying and insults. They want, in short, some semblance of civil and effective government and international leadership grounded in American values.

The GOP used to give such voters these agenda items and embody their zeitgeist.It doesnt remotely do so now. Now its the Republican Party that looks irresponsible, irrational, clueless and afraid of the modern world. Romney-Clintonvoters are dismayed and conflicted. They will have to decide if they should vote Democratic in 2018 elections because the darned Republicans sit there like lumps on a log while President Trump and his kin run wild. Whos going to appeal to these voters? Well get a hint in Georgias 6th Congressional District, which is filled with Romney-Clinton voters.

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Yes, Democrats have a real shot to win Romney Republicans - Washington Post (blog)

Clinton said Wednesday in an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher that once she became the Democratic nominee, she inherited "nothing." The Democratic National Committee's data, she said, "was mediocre to poor, nonexistent, wrong. I had to inject money into it."

People and things Clinton blames for her loss 02:01

Many Democrats noted that Clinton -- just like her opponent Bernie Sanders -- had access to the DNC's data from the outset of her campaign. Therefore, they said, if there was trouble with the data, her staff would have known long before she won the Democratic presidential nomination.

Tom Bonier, the chief executive officer of TargetSmart, a Democratic voter-targeting firm, said in using the DNC's data, the Clinton campaign was "absolutely standing on the shoulders of the Obama data juggernaut. There's just no question."

"I can tell you, having worked with the DNC from the outside over that time period, the DNC not only maintained what was built as part of the Obama 2008 and 2012 campaigns, but they built upon it," he said. "And that meant more staff and that meant better data. They built an in-house analytics team, which they had not had in the past. And they were constantly adding data to the file."

Bonier added: "You can argue about whether or not they were behind Republicans. ... But it's absurd to suggest that any Democratic candidate who was using the DNC data in 2016 was inheriting nothing, as Secretary Clinton said. What they were inheriting was the best data operation the Democratic Party has ever seen."

Several Democrats pointed to the Clinton campaign's use of the data in making decisions about which voters to target, where to send the candidate and where to devote its advertising dollars.

That element of the campaign -- analytics -- is built on top of the party-provided data.

Speculating about why Clinton might have complained about the DNC's data, Bonier said: "The modeling's built on data, right, so maybe it's a stone's throw from there where you don't want to blame your own staff who build the models, who told you, you don't need to go to Wisconsin ... so you go a little bit further upstream and say it was the data that that was built upon."

Still, there were elements of Clinton's argument that are difficult to dispute.

Much of her criticism of the DNC was an implicit shot at former President Barack Obama, who many Democrats have complained kept his own campaign's data and analytics housed separately and allowed the party's infrastructure to lapse under former chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's leadership.

The Republican National Committee made improving its data and analytics a priority between 2012 and 2016, erasing the advantage Obama had in previous elections.

Clinton also cited the Trump campaign's use of the controversial GOP firm Cambridge Analytica, which boasts of "psychographic" profiles of voters based heavily on Facebook information.

Clinton's campaign did not hire a similar outside data firm, but she said Cambridge Analytica helped Trump.

"You can believe the hype on how great they were or the hype on how they weren't, but the fact is, they added something," she said.

Tom Perez, the new Democratic National Committee chairman, also complained about the party's data operation in his campaign for the job over the winter. However, when asked on CNN's "Erin Burnett Outfront" on Thursday about Clinton's remarks, Perez said, "There are a lot of reasons for not winning that election."

"We're totally focused on the future of the DNC," he told Burnett. "We're totally focused on building an infrastructure for success."

"We have to up our game at the DNC," he added, noting the organization is "getting back to basics" by investing in organizing, training of candidates and technology.

DNC spokesman Michael Tyler said the party is in the process of overhauling its data and technological operations.

"Tom has said before that the DNC was not firing on all cylinders and that's why he did a top to bottom review that included technology. The DNC is now undergoing an organizational restructuring that will include a new chief technology officer, who will do an in-depth analysis and maintain the party's analytics infrastructure needs," Tyler said in a statement.

"Tom is already deeply engaged with the outpouring of support from Democrats across the country, from Silicon Valley to suburban Georgia, who want to help improve the data and tech, get it in the hands of more organizers everywhere, and build the grass-roots funding stream required to support those efforts."

Clinton's allies say her joint fundraising efforts helped improve the DNC's positioning.

"She was intent on leaving the party in the black," a Clinton associate said Thursday.

Despite her loss, the associate said, she was pleased to leave the party without a debt "and she turned over her email list and her data, something that Bernie Sanders did not do and has not done. Because we've got to have this in one place so people can utilize it."

CNN's Saba Hamedy contributed to this report.

Read more here:
Democrats to Clinton: The DNC's data was fine -- you just used it wrong - CNN International

Brad Petrishen Telegram & Gazette Staff @BPetrishenTG

WORCESTER On the eve of their annual convention, Democrats Friday will have an array of places in the city to grab cocktails and mingle.

Women politicians and supporters will gather on Millbury Street; young Democrats at Kelley Square. AtMezcal Cantina, party powerhouses such as U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern will meet with the mayor and several gubernatorial hopefuls.

And across the street, at the Hilton Garden Inn, there will be a group that has never been to the convention before but hopes to make its presence felt. At a low-budget party, in between sets of nu-jazz and techno, Our Revolution Massachusetts volunteers will make their case for a more progressive party.

Born from the Bernie Sanders movement, conceived in Worcester and armed with a spate of amendments and charter changes, the group boasts 700 delegates and hopes to reform the party from within. It figures to be a bit of a wild card Saturday afternoon, and a tangible reminder of the challenge that state Democrats face: a progressive wing that was restless even before Republican Donald Trumps election and whose policy leanings may or may not align with many independent voters who, polls show, largely support their Republican governor.

The group, which includes Sanders supporter and uber-progressive State Sen. James B. Eldridge, D-Acton, will look to push an already progressive platform to the left. Beyond that, it has proposed charter changes it says will make the Democratic party more democratic.

The Sanders-backed group will ask that Massachusetts super-delegates be abolished. It will also call for 80 additional elected state committee members arguing that just 40 percent are currently elected and request that the party align its funding with candidates who support what they believe will be the partys most progressive platform ever.

Produce a press release in advance, for immediate release at the close of the convention that gives (ourselves) credit for 'the most progressive state platform ever,'" the organization wrote in planning notes posted to its website. At the convention, it plans to ensure it "is seen as the group that is pushing for party reform/democratization of the DSC" as well as the group "fighting corporate control of our government."

Democrat Chairman Gus Bickford noted the group is one of several advocacy groups that have made their voices heard since the election.

This group is branded, and they should be proud of that, he said, but there are many other grass-roots groups whose voices are "just as strong."

Mr. Bickford said the storyline for this years convention is not any one group. Its that there are more than 5,000 delegates and alternates the most ever in a nonelection year, and roughly double the normal figure 1,000 of which are newcomers.

The goal on Saturday is to create a party platform for the next four years, and, Mr. Bickford said, and the wealth of enthusiasm is welcomed.

Mr. Bickford declined to get into Our Revolutions specific amendments, but acknowledged there will be a fair amount of differences aired.

Im proud of that, he said.When you look at them, theyre not big differences. But we want to debate them and debate them in public.

Mr. Eldridge is a member of Our Revolution but said he did not assist in shaping their amendments. He caused a bit of a firestorm last summer when The Boston Globe reported that he sent an email to Sanders supporters urging the unseating of conservative Democrats.

I personally think the time is ripe for Sanders supporters/progressives to take over the Massachusetts Democratic Party, and have a serious influence on its platform, candidates and policies, the Globe quoted him as writing.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Our Revolution Massachusetts wrote it is "(Three) days until #OurRevMA takes over Massachusetts Democratic Party convention! Andrea Burns, a spokeswoman for the group - which held its first meeting in January in Worcester - said the post was innocuous.

Were there to make friends, she said. But the truth is that money in politics does have a corrupting influence.

Ms. Burns said the leadership of her group is looking to work within the party, noting Mr. Trumphas been a uniting force for Democrats of all stripes.

State Sen. Michael O. Moore, D-Millbury, a self-described fiscal moderate, stressed that Democrats need unity. He said while he doesnt agree with everything in the proposed party platform including free public college tuition his differences are largely practical, not ideological.

(I hope) we can focus on what we all have in common, he said. I dont want to see us attacking each other when we all have some core beliefs that I do think resonate with the general public.

Mr. McGovern, D-Worcester, who plans to speak Saturday about the importance of the party better explaining its progressive values, said he sees enhanced interest among Democrats as exciting.

Politics is about addition, he said. We constantly have to be growing.

The longtime Congressman has long believed the party should embrace its progressive roots more openly.

We ought to stand for things," he said, as opposed to just denouncing Mr. Trump.

Mr. Eldridge said he sees the platform due to be proposed Saturday as the most progressive in the states history.

The draft, which delegates will vote on Saturday, supports a $15 minimum wage, a $4 boost, along with free public college education. It also supports Massachusetts becoming a sanctuary state, providing a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants and drivers licenses issued regardless of immigration status.

Id be the first to say theres a divide amongst some Democrats in the Legislature, and in general, but I would say the platform process, in general, brought people together, Mr. Eldridge said. By the same token, I would say there are a lot of Democrats that are frustrated the Legislature isnt passing more progressive legislation, so it will be interesting to see how things go (Saturday).

Mr. Bickford expressed confidence that the wave of anti-Trump sentiment driving Democrats will lead to gains in the state chambers.

Are we going to have some primaries? Yeah, we are, he said. But are we going to have more Democrats in the House and Senate? I believe so.

Mr. Bickford also took aim at the corner office, accusing Gov. Charlie Baker and other GOP politicians of hiding from the public.

They are out there hiding because they cannot defend this president, he said. We have someone (Mr. Baker) who doesnt have a backbone, he has no vision, he has no direction.

In an email, a state GOP spokesman responded, "It's not surprising that the party whose leaders voted to give themselves a massive pay raise at taxpayers' expense is grasping at straws given that Governor Baker has become the most popular governor in the country.

As the party of higher taxes and pay raises for politicians gathers in Worcester this weekend, maybe they can focus on rescuing Senator Warren's tanking poll numbers."

Excerpt from:
Democrats expect large turnout for Worcester convention - Worcester Telegram

MSNBC

Democrats face an unprecedented silent treatment from Trump ... MSNBC When it comes to congressional oversight, Donald Trump has adopted an approach to transparency one wouldn't expect to see in a modern democracy. Federal Agencies Turn Deaf Ears on Information Requests From Democrats in CongressNew York Magazine FEDERAL AGENCIES OK to ignore Democrats' info requests Justice Dept.E&E News The White House Ordered Federal Agencies to Ignore Information ...Jezebel UPROXX -Politico all 18 news articles »

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Democrats face an unprecedented silent treatment from Trump ... - MSNBC

Who are the Indivisble and why have they flooded town halls across the country to protest President Donald Trump's agenda? ISADORA RANGEL/TCPALM.COM Wochit

Congressman Brian Mast, a new member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, invited committee Chariman Bill Shuster for an aerial tour of central and south Florida waterways and a press conference Jan. 17, 2017 in Stuart. The duo took questions from local media and attendees before heading back to the helicopter to continue their tour.(Photo: LEAH VOSS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)Buy Photo

Democrats are betting low approvalratingsfor the GOP health care overhaul will help them win back a coveted Treasure Coast congressional seat.

U.S. Rep. Brian Mast is startingstrong going into the 2018 election, coming off an impressive 10-point win last year.

But Democrats already are targeting the freshman Republican from Palm Cityfor voting in favor ofthe controversial American Health Care Actthat 55percent of Americans view unfavorably, according to a May poll by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Under the bill approved by the House, the number of uninsured people would rise by 23 million in the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Democrats hopegrass-roots momentum, President Donald Trump's slumping approval ratings and voter anger over the billwill ignite a Democratic takeover of Congress. They envision something similarto the GOP wave after passage of the Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare,"in 2010.

Mast has come under attackby suchgroupsas Indivisible, a grass-roots movement created to resist Trump's agenda,as have GOP lawmakers across the country.

More: Mast and Indivisible foes trade barbs

Mast was one of two Florida lawmakers targeted in an onlinead campaignagainst 30 Republicans who voted for the health care overhaul. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to the House, launched the campaign.

Ousting Mast, however, will be a steep climb.

He's raised almost $400,000 since January, and his seat is rated "solid Republican" by Inside Elections, a nonpartisan election analysis website.

District 18 leans slightly Republican; Trump won the districtby nine points. And Mast has established himself as an independent voice,nota D.C. insider, said Inside Elections publisher Nathan Gonzales.

Beingan Army veteran and double amputee also plays to Mast'sfavor, Gonzales said.

"I think Mast is going to be difficult to defeat," Gonzales said. "At the same time, I dont think the race is over; in some cases, the race hasnt even started yet."

Gonzales also cautionedabout comparing the role health care will play in 2018 to what it did in the GOP's takeover of 63House seats in 2010. Disapproval of Obamacare that year was a catalyst, but other issues induced voters to reject Democrats: the economy,the Wall Street and auto industry bailouts and the economic stimulus bill.

Still, Gonzalesexpects Democrats to pick up several seats next year.

And it's not clear whether health care still will be such a hotissue when congressionalelections take place inNovember 2018. The Senate is crafting its own version of the legislation, and thechangescould change some voters' minds.

"I think its much too early to tell on the 2018 election," said Martin County Republican Executive Committee chairman Toby Overdorf."I believe the opposition is trying to figure out where they want to stand."

More: Mast calls health care overhaul a "good bill"

Even if health care proves to be toxic for the GOP, Democrats will have to find a formidable candidate to go up against Mast. Not only is he considereda war hero, but he's alsoin tune with the district's top local issue, Lake Okeechobee discharges,filinga bill to expedite a reservoir to curb the releases.

Former U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Pam Keith(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM PAM KEITH)

There are no official Democratic candidates yet, butseveral people are showing interest, saidDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Cole Leiter.

Pam Keith, whose grass-roots campaign for the U.S. Senate garnered 15 percent of Democratic primary votes last year, has set up a political committee to explore a candidacy. Retired Army Maj.Corinna Robinson, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in South Dakota in 2014 and now lives in Tampa, is considering jumping in.

Keith, a lawyer and veteran, said she's energized by her meetings with groupssuch as Indivisible. She also said many constituents are unhappy with Mast's alignment with Trump.

She doesn't know when she'll decide whetherto run.

"The time is now," Keith said. "We have a representative who's not shown up for his constituents."

Mast is in a tough predicament. Voting against repealing Obamacare could jeopardize his standing with Republican voters. Trump won District 18 even carrying Democratic-leaning St. Lucie County promisingto repeal the 2010 law. But the details of the overhaul could anger moderate and independent constituents.

Republicans seem to be bettingthe bill the House passed in Maywill help incumbents keep their seats. A super PAC created by former Trump staffers began airingads urgingvoters to call Mast and thank him for standing with the presidentto repeal Obamacare.

Yet a poll conducted in Mast's district and14 others showsthe majority of voters who know how their representatives voted on the bill said they would prefer to electa Democrat next year. The poll was commissioned by two Democratic groups, Patriot Majority USA and Priorities USA.

Masthas defended his vote, saying the House billprohibits insurers from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions and will lower insurance costs.

The plan, however, allows insurers to charge those with preexisting conditions more in states that get a waiver, and people whogo without insurance for more than 63 days would see their premiums go up.Older Americans also could pay more while younger people would get a break.

"This (bill) is very, very strong on preexisting conditions," Mast said. "It'sgoing to lowercostsfor peopleimmediately."

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Analysis: Democrats bet health care bill will help them oust U.S. Rep. Brian Mast - TCPalm