Mediaboss Marketing

The sclerosis in the Democratic party is so overwhelming and crippling that they do not have a bench. They do not have leaders.

Todays Morning Joe had some good advice for Democrats if they want to start winning again, particularly at the House level. They need to stop imposing ideological purity tests on their candidates and nominate candidates who resonate culturally in swing districts.

The good news for Republicans is that there is no sign that Dems will heed that wise counsel. To the contrary, Morning Joe was replete with indications that Dems have forgotten how to win, preferring to go down with their liberal guns a-blazing. Excerpts:

Note: Cokie and SteveRoberts have weighed in along similar lines. In this column, theywrite that the Dems insistence on ideological purity in their candidates is beyond stupid. Its suicidal.

FRANK BRUNI: Democrats are bad at being relentlessly practical in the way you need to be. And you see this if you look at certain swing districts. This is going to be a big story, I guarantee you, in 2018. And if you look at certain swing districts, they do not nominate the person whos most likely to win in the general. They nominate someone whos a purist from the primary and then they end up losing the district. Theres one in upstate New York thats a great example. They just dont know how to be as relentlessly practical, and they need to be if theyre going to regain power.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: And Ive been asking all Democratic leaders that come on here, will you be okay with a pro-life person if theyre from Alabama, or from Kentucky? And if theyre from Alabama, and they agree with you on economics, is it okay if theyre pro-life?

BRUNI: Take the win, yeah.

JOE: And I keep hearing, no. No its not. No its not. Harold [Ford, Jr.], you know very well. I mean, Donna Brazile, I remember very well after 2004, wrote an op-ed in the New York Times, she said, when I go home [to Louisiana], they dont ask about our economics. They keep asking why were for abortion. And again, Im not just talking about that one issue. But it is a cultural issue. It is the cultural issues that have disconnected Democrats from a lot of Middle America.

HAROLD FORD, JR.: In big parts of the country there has to be some allowances and accommodations going forward if we expect to win in big parts of the country where weve lost.

. . .

JEREMY PETERS: Its funny. So yesterday I was talking to a young Democrat who was trying to pick my brain about who he should work for. He was looking at the Iowa caucuses in 2020. And I said, honestly, I have no idea. There is no leadership right now. There is such a vacuum. The scleroris in the Democratic party is so overwhelming and crippling that they do not have a bench. They do not have leaders.

Read more:
Morning Joe: Democrats Have Forgotten How To Win - legal Insurrection (blog)