this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2025
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"The short-term strategy is, win the House of Representatives," stated the former president, garnering applause. "Because that's going to be the circuit breaker that will give us control of one major component of the federal government. With that as a bulwark, we're now able to block some of the worst impulses that are coming out of this White House."

The former president laid out a two-pronged strategy for Democrats: to reclaim a House majority next year, and to work on honing the party's messaging in the coming years.

"Long term, let's tell a story, a better story about who we are as Americans and what we share," Obama said, according to excerpts shared with CBS News. "We have to tell the story that makes people who feel outside that process, we've got to bring them back in."

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[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 hours ago

So from now on, I'll remember to say "Well, the candidate and I have a tactical difference because they support genocide and I don't, but that won't change my vote."

It all makes sense if you remember that centrists have no principles, only tactics.

[–] Jaysyn@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

Obama & Biden should shut the fuck up. Their dedication to kicking real problems down the road is half the reason we are in this position to start with.

[–] cheesybuddha@lemmy.world 4 points 13 hours ago

What about irreconcilable fundamental differences in how we think government should serve the public?

[–] SulaymanF@lemmy.world 10 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

The Centrist Democrat is saying we should support centrist Democrats?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 12 hours ago

I... uh... think we should... uh... focus on... winning elections. Just like I... uh... did in 2008.

Please don't ask how I did in any subsequent year. Thank you all for coming. Vote Blue No Matter Who. I'm going to fuck back off to Martha's Vineyard to... uh... hook up with Jennifer Aniston.

Good luck out there, losers. Obama out.

[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 0 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

And this is why it’ll never happen.

There’s far too much divide amongst the left and It seems rampant fascism isn’t even enough for these people to get with the program and shut it down.

[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world -1 points 13 hours ago

And the comments here illustrate exactly why it’ll never work.

The far left seems to be totally fine with status quo while they arrogantly wait for their perfect candidate to white-knight themselves into our political system.

It must be nice to be entitled to such an extent so as to risk other people’s lives and freedoms while they hold out for Mr/Mrs. Perfect.

News flash: Politics isn’t defined as issuing the most perfect policy. It never was! It’s about making the best compromises you can. It’s about making difficult decisions, but the best ones you can given the options you have.

You people make up this perfect world where everything should be so easy with ZERO understanding of how it works. And when those things don’t happen- you throw a shit-fit online to complete strangers and fold your arms, refusing to stand on the line drawn against fascism- all while complaining about how much fascism sucks.

Hate to break it to you- but you don’t fight against those that work forces with funny memes.

[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 day ago

Appeasement is a tactic I'll never stop opposing.

Drive the invertebrates out.

[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 day ago

Amazing stuff, never question what the people you are voting for actually support, always compromise with fascists, eventually you'll be able to enact the fascist policy yourself!

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I totally agree with this strategy. However if the democrats are unwilling to do anything about it does it even matter? Checks and balances require the checks part.

Get the majority and then START using it. Be aggressive to fix this shit and start actually doing something.

[–] frustrated@lemmy.world 9 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

There is no amount of democratic supermajorities that will be able to fix anything in this country. They have neither the vision, willpower, nor permission from their donors. The only thing that will improve material conditions for the working class in this country is not discussable on platforms like this.

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 3 points 14 hours ago

Donors being the key word. Or if you really wanna get technical, owners. Yep… totally agree.

[–] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Why do the people have to compromise with the democrats? How about the democrats REPRESENT THE PEOPLE.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 points 12 hours ago

Why would they do that? There's no money in it

[–] architect@thelemmy.club 1 points 14 hours ago

They needed a catastrophic loss and they needed it in 2016.

Because the same 5 votes keep getting tossed around no one cares to do anything in either party.

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 31 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Seems like a faster resolution would be to hold people accountable for their crimes and treason. That'd eliminate most of the big problems.

[–] tmyakal@infosec.pub 18 points 1 day ago

I mean, the guy who perfected drone strikes on American citizens was never going to suggest that.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago (3 children)

They’ve been “working on messaging” since Hilary lost in 2016.

Maybe, I don’t know, have a platform and message that helps everyday people instead of telling people everything’s fine, stop complaining.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 1 points 10 hours ago

Actual positions piss off donors, messaging* is free.

*Read: "lies"

And Dems should stop with "voting for lesser evil". Are they saying they're still evil? I mean, sure, on presidential elections, do that if there are no better alternatives to neoliberal Democrats running. But in the meanwhile, there should be grassroots attempt to primary progressives in local elections and then work their way up to federal level. The left used to be good at organising. And now modern day Americans will have their ancestors, who ended the gilded age and elected the two Roosevelts, rolling in their graves for passivity and being brainwashed by corporate media to accept breadcrumbs because "perfect is the enemy of good" thought terminating cliché that most Americans accept.

[–] Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The message never really evolved past, at least we aren't trump. The working class and hard leftists are fucking pissed with milquetoast centrist democrats. They spend all their time trying to win over republicans than holding on to their core fucking base. I voted for Hillary and Kamala because, at least they weren't trump, but I wasn't fucking happy that those were my choices.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (3 children)

They’re also absolute liars. They’ll say primaries are the time to disagree then vote blue no matter who in the general, but you see how they tried to sabotage Mamdani.

They expect progressives’ votes but won’t throw us the smallest fucking bone while in office — instead they pass legislation written by The Heritage Institute and tell us to eat our vegetables.

Socialism for the rich, rugged capitalism for the poor.

And they’re doubling down on THE SAME BROKEN GAMEPLAN AGAIN.

Liberals gave us Donald.

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[–] RalphFurley@lemmy.world 27 points 2 days ago (9 children)

The man in the high castle that coordinated all the candidates to drop out behind Biden in order to crush Bernie says this huh

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[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 82 points 2 days ago (19 children)

Again with the messaging. The problem isn't "messaging" it's that you and your ilk insist on leaving the working class out to dry you capitalist ghoul.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (4 children)

It doesn’t matter what they say because I know they’re not gonna do it and make excuses.

But it’s not like I have anyone else I can vote for.

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[–] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago (4 children)

work on honing the party's messaging in the coming years.

I think focusing on the message isn't going to help all that much. I think most voters have become desensitized to political messaging. Obama's own "hope and change," message helped with that desensitizing, after people felt that in the end they had neither.

I think most Americans are now looking more for a real, material plan for improving things. And I don't think the problem is that no one has a plan, plenty of politicians do, but I think Americans just aren't sure which plan will work. It's the perfect environment for political grifters who are able to convince people they have a plan to help them, even though they have no such thing. One thing I think most Americans were pretty confident about was that the plan that establishment Democrats put forward of "nothing will fundamentally change," was not appealing. When the people are absolutely desperate for positive change, that's the last thing they want to hear.

[–] hraegsvelmir@ani.social 2 points 13 hours ago

but I think Americans just aren’t sure which plan will work.

I don't even think it's that complicated. Look at the overlap between Trump voters and AOC or Mamdani voters, or Obama->Bernie->Trump guys. From my perspective, it seems like there are a lot of people who want massive change in how things operate in the US, and a good number of them are willing to vote for whoever says they'll really shake things up in office, regardless of the details of said shaking or the candidate's political affiliation.

The Democrats' problem isn't messaging, it's their message. They destroy their credibility with voters when they claim they'll be able to fix things and make life better on the campaign trail, yet once in office, they work tirelessly to maintain the status quo voters are already so unhappy with. And when they do have a candidate come along who promises the sort of change people are looking for, who people actually believe are being sincere when they say they'll change things and deliver for the working class, the Democrats and DNC have shown they'll do everything they can to prevent that person from actually winning and sideline them as much as possible in the event they do win. The politically engaged are tired of busting their asses to get people elected or promote their policies, only to see the Democrats shoot themselves in the foot, rolling over and watering down their goals in the name of bipartisanship, often before the Republicans even ask for it. If a Democratic Senator told me they were campaigning on free ice cream for everyone, I'd expect to be brought down to "One cup of skim milk for everyone at or below the federal poverty line, provided they can complete 20 pages of paperwork to prove they really deserve it, and submit this documentation on a website that's only operating between 1-3pm on February 29th, but closed every other day during leap years and completely inoperable in regular calendar years," by the time a draft materializes, much less after Republican obstruction and pushback.

It's no wonder people have soured on them.

[–] brotato@slrpnk.net 25 points 2 days ago

100%. I think Biden’s “status quo” messaging only worked because of the chaos that was Trump’s first term and COVID. That is not a platform to run on when Trump pushed the country into full-blown fascism. The pendulum needs to swing in the other direction. The only thing I fear is that those in charge of the DNC have proven they are not interested in supporting social democrats or democratic socialists for the presidency. We sorely need a third party that is taken seriously.

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[–] N0body@lemmy.dbzer0.com 57 points 2 days ago (18 children)

It’s good that Obama is stepping back into the spotlight. He still resonates with people as the last president we had before the world went insane.

He also reminds anyone wanting to run Trump in ‘28 that he would have another two-termer to contend with.

Barring that, he is still a unifying figurehead in the short term, while everyone watches Trump’s rapid decline.

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[–] Ryanmiller70@lemmy.zip 26 points 2 days ago (2 children)

"Blue no matter who" doesn't work and it's time they realize this shit and either start putting forward actual good candidates instead of piles of human excrement like Newsome and Harris or dismantle the party and allow an actual leftist party to take its place.

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