Democrats Got Wrecked Again in State Legislative Races, and it Matters More Than You Might Think

[livingston]

Democrats Got Wrecked Again in State Legislative Races, and it Matters More Than You Might Think
Nov. 14, 2016

The GOP has Donald Trump, a congressional majority, the majority of governorships, and full control of 33 state legislatures

Just a little over two years after they used their control of the state House, state Senate, and governor's mansion to pass a bevy of progressive policies—one of the nation's highest minimum wages, tighter gun laws, and huge spending on rural broadband internet, to name a few—Democrats will be the minority party in both chambers of the Minnesota legislature next year.

They are the latest victims in a four-cycle-long electoral tidal wave that has flooded state legislatures with Republicans and cost Democrats nearly 1,000 seats, leaving them able to dictate policy in only a handful of states. Helped along by some friendly redistricting and a national backlash against the federal government, Republicans will continue to set the policy agenda in the majority of states, have a crucial backstop to protect their congressional majority, and are potentially one more successful cycle away from being able to exercise the ultimate power in U.S. politics: amending the Constitution.
Democrats Got Wrecked Again in State Legislative Races, and it Matters More Than You Might Think

 

[livingston]

How the Democrats lost the white working class


After Tuesday's election, Todd took a look at the beloved Appalachian voters who he is most connected to and started drawing a map of what just happened in America.

The numbers were devastating to these once-reliable Democratic voters.

"There are 490 counties in Appalachia technically, which is defined by federal law. Hillary Clinton won 21 counties in that region," he said.

And that is it. She did not win a single county in Appalachia that is mostly white, non-college-educated and has a population of under 100,000 people.

Not one county.
What does all of this data tell you about America? Todd says it is simple, "There are absolutely no more blue-collar whites in the Democratic Party. They just don't exist, even the ones who want there to be have recognized there is no room for them," he said.

These voters had stayed with the Democrats forever and now 80 percent of them in Appalachia have voted Republican. "That means they don't know anyone who voted for her," he said.

Why is this astounding? Because nothing gets eighty percent in this world, especially in politics, except for the numbers Democrats get in the inner cities.
How the Democrats lost the white working class