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cer7711

(604 posts) Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:13 AM Dec 10

Wrong voters, wrong message: progressives' autopsy lays bare Kamala Harris failures

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Emile (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: The Guardian - British newspaper

Kamala Harris lost last year’s US presidential election because she chased the wrong voters with the wrong message, ultimately demobilising the very base that she needed to win, according to an autopsy by a progressive grassroots advocacy group.

The vice-president focused on courting moderate Republicans over motivating core Democratic working-class, young and progressive voters, a misstep compounded by her failure to break from Joe Biden on Gaza, says the report by RootsAction.

“To win back the White House and Congress, we urge the Democratic party to change course and embrace economic populist policies that inspire and help working-class Americans,” argues the autopsy. “The Democratic party must show voters that it has a spine and can stand up to corporate and big-money interests.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/kamala-harris-election-autopsy

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14 replies

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Wrong voters, wrong message: progressives' autopsy lays bare Kamala Harris failures (Original Post) cer7711 Dec 10 OP

Stupid bullshit message. Ferrets are Cool Dec 10 #1

Could you explain which part of this analysis is stupid and bullshit? LearnedHand Dec 10 #2

Be careful FredGarvin Dec 10 #5

To blame VP Harris or her message for Ferrets are Cool Dec 10 #13

Explain FredGarvin Dec 10 #4

Being Critical of Dems FredGarvin Dec 10 #3

Wrong MichMan Dec 10 #10

Dems lost the 2024 presidential election Random Boomer Dec 10 #11

This is dumb Jilly_in_VA Dec 10 #6

Throwing down the Bullshit flag. Thousands and thousands of people think she was right on target. flying_wahini Dec 10 #7

She was an "Uppity" Black woman from California displacedvermoter Dec 10 #8

I couldn't find the autopsy report on RootsAction's web site SpankMe Dec 10 #9

You'd think holding up a big book called Project 2025 Akakoji Dec 10 #12

After an alert and discussion with the hosts, locking. Emile Dec 10 #14

Ferrets are Cool

(22,504 posts)

1. Stupid bullshit message.

Reply to cer7711 (Original post)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:19 AM

Dec 10

It couldn't get much more stupid than this.

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LearnedHand

(5,229 posts)

2. Could you explain which part of this analysis is stupid and bullshit?

Reply to Ferrets are Cool (Reply #1)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:32 AM

Dec 10

I get that we can take exception to the conclusions, but the basic facts are incontrovertible. Democrats stayed away in droves. The Democratic Party is hemorrhaging registrations. The Democratic Party polls nearly as low as the Republican Party.

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FredGarvin

(794 posts)

5. Be careful

Reply to LearnedHand (Reply #2)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:36 AM

Dec 10

Don't criticize Dems.

You WILL be warned by the mods and possibly banned if there is another offense.

Am I allowed to post this within DU guidelines?

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Ferrets are Cool

(22,504 posts)

13. To blame VP Harris or her message for

Reply to LearnedHand (Reply #2)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 11:31 AM

Dec 10

Her loss is STIPID. Her messaging was spot on.

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FredGarvin

(794 posts)

4. Explain

Reply to Ferrets are Cool (Reply #1)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:33 AM

Dec 10

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FredGarvin

(794 posts)

3. Being Critical of Dems

Reply to cer7711 (Original post)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:32 AM

Dec 10

Ban-able offense on DU.

Be careful dude.

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MichMan

(16,550 posts)

10. Wrong

Reply to FredGarvin (Reply #3)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:46 AM

Dec 10

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Random Boomer

(4,377 posts)

11. Dems lost the 2024 presidential election

Reply to FredGarvin (Reply #3)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:47 AM

Dec 10

Figuring out why is kinda important. Not sure I'm persuaded by this specific article, but the topic is worth exploring.

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Jilly_in_VA

(13,785 posts)

6. This is dumb

Reply to cer7711 (Original post)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:39 AM

Dec 10

Not all Dems are "progressives" by anybody's definition. We are a big tent and pride outseves on that. The study is fundamentally flawed. The basic problem is misogyny and possibly even to a larger degree, racism. We couldn't win with a white woman, and we couldn't win with a Black woman either. So let's not do it again in 2028 or until some people either go away or get some sense knocked into them.

BTW, the same people that "wouldn't vote for a woman" still vote for the likes of Marsha Blackburn, Katie Britt, Virginia Foxx, Nasty Mace, et al. Riddle me that one if you can.

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flying_wahini

(8,244 posts)

7. Throwing down the Bullshit flag. Thousands and thousands of people think she was right on target.

Reply to cer7711 (Original post)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:40 AM

Dec 10

Me included.

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displacedvermoter

(4,089 posts)

8. She was an "Uppity" Black woman from California

Reply to cer7711 (Original post)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:41 AM

Dec 10

and Joe Biden was old...

More than enough reason for a lotta intentionally ignorant folks to vote against their own self interests.

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SpankMe

(3,653 posts)

9. I couldn't find the autopsy report on RootsAction's web site

Reply to cer7711 (Original post)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 10:43 AM

Dec 10

There are many, many "autopsies", reports and opinions on why the election went the way it did. There's just no way to know which one is right. Everyone thinks they have the answer, and they eviscerate anyone who disagrees with them.

What methodology can be used to get to the right answer? Seems multifaceted to me. We can't distill it down to one or two or three factors. The reason we lost is very complex and is a combination of a whole lot of factors - voter turnout, right-wing misinformation, Republican voter suppression, timing, Joe saying he would run only one term but ran for a second anyway, the economy, Israel/Palestine, Kamala's race/gender, shifting loyalties in the minority communities that normally vote Dem - the list goes on and on.

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Akakoji

(472 posts)

12. You'd think holding up a big book called Project 2025

Reply to cer7711 (Original post)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 11:24 AM

Dec 10

to a mainly illiterate or at least definitely too lazy or uninterested in reading anything would have easily won the Presidency. But here we are. I. just can't believe page 149 didn't drive people to the polls. Go figure. You know what's on page 149, right?

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Emile

(40,348 posts)

14. After an alert and discussion with the hosts, locking.

Reply to cer7711 (Original post)

Wed Dec 10, 2025, 11:33 AM

Dec 10

This is analysis, and not considered latest breaking news. Feel free reposting this in General Discussion.

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