The Way Forward
Related: About this forumWe are losing Democratic Registrations
Like probably many of you I used to register voters. It was a byproduct of canvassing. We assumed that if we were canvasing a Democratic household or if the unregistered were a minority or a person less than a million years old, they'd be voting Democratic, not so anymore. More people are registering as Republicans and Independents.
I blame kicking people out of the party. Like this link for instance. I read many disparaging comments about the NYT. Imperfect? Yes. The largest circulation center left news source? Yes also.
Read it here. Free link past the paywall.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/us/politics/democratic-party-voter-registration-crisis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fk8.gcQJ.UxMXDjm7lbjI&smid=url-share

JustAnotherGen
(36,799 posts)A broken media ecosystem that gets rewarded for pushing out drivel and nonsense about the 'Dems in Disarray'.
It's tiresome.
Not directed at you - but the very people who SANK the Clinton Campaign and pushed the bullshit about Biden being too old.
Never trust the M$M media. Never. They won't even call out Krasnov's lies. . . why should I believe they would tell us the truth about anything?
Lovie777
(19,962 posts)day in day out it's always same shit, but shithole and GQP usually get a pass.
shithole and GQP are destroying Democracy while bankrupting the USA.
JustAnotherGen
(36,799 posts)About Shelby v Holder or the concerted effort to block Blacks and Latinos from voting. It's about the Registration.
Add in a large group of Black women that are completely disgusted with the behavior of Leftists and the Party Elites in the last months of the Biden Admin and towards VP Harris - and well yeah . . .
Even in NJ we are fighting to keep those voters. But so far I've found 5 Black women in my Borough ALONE who have switched to Indie to thumb their noses at the Leftists and Party Elites.
Someday - maybe in 40 years - we'll read about what happened in the immediate aftermath of the Krasnov Regime taking power.
Scrivener7
(56,953 posts)since Cankles took office. The graph shows the trend continuing, but I'd like to see more about that.
This could just be a reflection of the racism and sexism within the Democratic party. But that, too, is something we ignore at our own peril.
JustAnotherGen
(36,799 posts)As well as Shelby v Holder.
It's not too hard to see.
I've lost 5 Black Women in my Borough. I was up at 4 am mapping out a canvass for this weekend. They are now Indies.
I know ONE of them will never believe or trust the far Leftists. She puts 50% of the blame on what she referred to as 'smears as against Harris' from the Leftists. Now she has to worry about her children's safety and security by the other 50% - the inbred magapubs.
We have to discuss the far left - not necessarily Democratic Party members - who although principled, put non-white Americans at risk. They did. It's the truth.
Scrivener7
(56,953 posts)the discussion gets shut down here via a swarm of a handful of posters who insult the person who broached the subject, and insist against all evidence that there is nothing that needs to be addressed.
That's not party loyalty, any more than MAGA worship is loyalty to the other party.
But it's what happens.
JustAnotherGen
(36,799 posts)Kerfuffle told us an awful lot.
" How dare she!" when the Leftists and Party Elites spit on an OVER qualified Black woman.
Knowing what I know NOW about how deep this dislike and disrespect was from Tlaib and Pelosi?
Eh? I'll die a Democratic Party member but something has to change.
somsai
(145 posts)were more fed up with race and sex issues anyway. They were especially not happy with being discriminated against as policy. Much more interested in the economy, immigration, etc. I was also surprised post election how many had voted for Trump. I assume Cankles is Trump?
Anger and hate combined with denial are ways to lose. Winning is new solutions that include everyone. Obama recognised that people vote on positive things. We can win on Trump dislike, but it's not a good thing to depend on.
NCDem47
(2,965 posts)Dems in red states or districts have changed to Independent, but still vote Democratic.
It's a safety thing and reduce potential harrasment. It's a different world at the moment. Ds are under attack.
JustAnotherGen
(36,799 posts)very on point.
mcar
(45,214 posts)Democrats frequently switch to Republican so they can vote in the primaries - which is often where races are decided here.
biophile
(899 posts)Or desire for any sense of protection. DOGE has voter rolls, most likely. Dont think they wont use that information to single people out for persecution and intimidation.
I also used to be registered as a Republican to vote for moderate Rs in the primary elections. My district is reliably red so it is nice to call my Republican representatives and say Im a registered Republican and I want
(whatever).
I always voted Democratic though. The same could be true of people who switch to Independent- they might still vote for progressive candidates.
Cheezoholic
(3,254 posts)I live in a flyover ruby red state and I've never seen nor heard so many people fed up with government as it is working now and they see ALL politicians as Carpet baggers that beg for money every 2 to 4 years and then disappear. Granted, repukes do that 2/1 as much as Dems do. It's also part of the repuke strategy in tearing government down. Whatever the cause one can argue until the sun comes up. But its there and its real. While its fun to mock FatAss we need to get down to offering everyone relief. As it always is, no matter what, the economy. Repukes would fire Jesus if he started hurting them economically. We need to run on the fact that we will stop anymore cuts to the safety net first. As much as we want to, if we win in '26, we can't spend 2 years doing nothing but investigations and impeachments. We need to do real legislation and let the King repuke veto every bill we toss up. We need to repeal the BBB as many times as we can if we have the vote. Focusing on investigations just turns people off and makes it look like 2 parties fighting for their own reasons and not the peoples. There is no economic benefit to trying to impeach this asshole again. We need to seriously continue to move away from the neo-liberal BS that got us sucked into this mess in the first place. We are sitting so pretty right now, they are panicking. The Independent voter out numbers both party voters now. We need to fish on that side of the pond. Most of those people wont vote repuke but they will sit out a cycle if it just looks like status quo BS. We cant blow it over more and more investigations and impeachments. Its the fucking economy, show people we are serious about fixing it.
Scrivener7
(56,953 posts)somsai
(145 posts)but at the same time he reduced their personal taxes much more than they lose in dividends.
Biden's border policies were instrumental in containing and then reducing, inflation due to wage increases. Reducing the number of low income workers will drive up labor costs and cut into profits. Trump's immigration stuff is heresy to people like the Chamber of Commerce and CATO.
Likewise tariffs. Manufacturing for low cost overseas and selling for high cost here is a huge win/win for quarterly profits, and it has been for a hundred quarters.
At the same time that the Republicans have been stealing working class voters they have been losing high income. With citizens united we've outraised with donations. The only good news is that the poor don't vote as regularly, especially in mid terms. It's a sad thing when we have to depend on the wealthy, and ultimately in a democracy the most votes, not the most money, wins.
PBC_Democrat
(438 posts)I live in a retirement community in WPB, Fl where politics is a frequent topic. We have the fringe of each party well represented but people are casual participants and, at least to some degree, swing voters.
A common theme is they were lied to by Biden/Harris about immigration, inflation, and Trans-gender sports issues.
Many people listen to, and agree with people like, Bill Mahr and Steven A Smith.
I fear that the Democratic party is starting into a death spiral. Registration is down, DNC fundraising is down. While these signs aren't fatal, they aren't encouraging.
Our voters are clustered in the major cities and on the coasts ... we need more widespread appeal.