Jon Tester on why Dems keep losing rural states

[FAH1223]

 

[acri1]

The Dems certainly have issues in rural areas, but I think Tester's comment about Facebook is more telling than anything else he said.

There's a real problem with right-wing nationalist propaganda spreading on social media. Once people en masse buy into that you don't have a chance of swaying them.

 

[FAH1223]

The Dems certainly have issues in rural areas, but I think Tester's comment about Facebook is more telling than anything else he said.

There's a real problem with right-wing nationalist propaganda spreading on social media. Once people en masse buy into that you don't have a chance of swaying them.

He's also saying that Dems didn't campaign in person as much cause of course the pandemic and it hurt.

Some Democrats believe they are never going to establish a durable Senate majority because of the nature of every state having two senators and the party’s difficulties with rural voters. When you hear that, does that tick you off?
Yeah, it does. Yeah, it does.

Why?
Because the problem isn’t that the country’s skewed against the Democrats; the problem is that the Democrats have not done a very good job talking about what we believe in.

If there’s one mistake that is made way, way, way too often by folks in public service, it’s that you walk into a room and who does most of the talking? The senator.

Now, some forums that’s what the people want. But for the most part if you’re in a town hall, and you let people tell you what they’re thinking, let them tell you what’s going on — and then search into your mental database to find out if there’s anything that we’ve done to help solve that problem — then maybe you can have a conversation. But to walk in and say, “You need to think this, and this is what I believe is the right thing to think,” that switch goes off.

In 2008 Barack Obama cracked 40 percent of the vote in a lot of rural America. Flash forward 12 years and Joe Biden is in the 20s in some of these counties. At this time 10 years ago, South Dakota had one Democratic senator, North Dakota had two, Montana had two. What has happened in about 10 years’ time?

You know where Barack Obama spent Fourth of July in 2008?

Butte.

Butte, Mont. He showed up. Now, he didn’t win much in it, but he did a hell of a lot better than people thought he was going to do because he showed up.

What has happened in Montana as far as losing Max Baucus’s seat, and in North Dakota and in South Dakota, I think speaks to the fact that we’re not speaking to rural America. And look, Steve Bullock lost [this year’s Senate race in Montana] for a number of reasons. One was they nationalized it. They totally nationalized his race. They tried to do it to me, too. What I had that Steve didn’t have was there wasn’t a damn pandemic, and I could go out. And we did, man. We showed people that I was not A.O.C., for Christ’s sake.

 

[Dat Migo]

He's gone in 2024

 

[mastermind]

The Dems certainly have issues in rural areas, but I think Tester's comment about Facebook is more telling than anything else he said.

There's a real problem with right-wing nationalist propaganda spreading on social media. Once people en masse buy into that you don't have a chance of swaying them.

Facebook and media conglomerates like Sinclair destroyed local news in this country,

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

in 2008 obama only lost montana by 12,000 votes

 

[FAH1223]

He's gone in 2024

People said that in 2018.

 

[acri1]

He's also saying that Dems didn't campaign in person as much cause of course the pandemic and it hurt.

I'm honestly not too convinced this would've made a difference. Like he said, the race was nationalized.

 

[FAH1223]

in 2008 obama only lost montana by 12,000 votes

Max Baucus won with 73% of the vote in the state

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

He's gone in 2024

People said that in 2018.

midterm elections are probably more favorable for him because he doesnt have to run against a GOP presidential candidate

but he won his seat in 2012 by 18,000 when romney won montana by 67,000. if he keeps schumer far away from his campaign he could win again

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

Max Baucus won with 73% of the vote in the state

baucus shouldn’t have retired in 2014. imagine if dems had held onto that seat

 

[GnauzBookOfRhymes]

I'm honestly not too convinced this would've made a difference. Like he said, the race was nationalized.

Of course it does.

A big part of the problem is that Dems don't understand what truly motivates people to vote.

They think everyone approaches politics in the same way that a technocratic or politically "savvy" individual does. The problem is that their viewpoint is colored by the fact that for most of them, their lives really don't change THAT much depending on who is in office. These ppl think "ok our platform matches 75% with what our polling suggests people in this district want...so we're good." But in reality many of those people who may agree with you on the policy, are actually looking for something a little more complicated - they are looking for validation. They want to feel like they're being "heard." And showing up plays a big role in that. ESPECIALLY if you're trying to win a seat as a "moderate" or "middle of the road" candidate. Because at that point you're winning/losing elections by fractions of a percent. Chuck Schumer can never make that connection with these people. Yes it seems childish etc - especially in the "grand scheme of things" but unfortunately that's politics.

 

[Pressure]

He's also saying that Dems didn't campaign in person as much cause of course the pandemic and it hurt.

Biggest factor and part of why I'm not completely myopic with the doom and gloom.

 

[Pressure]

Of course it does.

A big part of the problem is that Dems don't understand what truly motivates people to vote.

They think everyone approaches politics in the same way that a technocratic or politically "savvy" individual does. The problem is that their viewpoint is colored by the fact that for most of them, their lives really don't change THAT much depending on who is in office. These ppl think "ok our platform matches 75% with what our polling suggests people in this district want...so we're good." But in reality many of those people who may agree with you on the policy, are actually looking for something a little more complicated - they are looking for validation. They want to feel like they're being "heard." And showing up plays a big role in that. ESPECIALLY if you're trying to win a seat as a "moderate" or "middle of the road" candidate. Because at that point you're winning/losing elections by fractions of a percent. Chuck Schumer can never make that connection with these people. Yes it seems childish etc - especially in the "grand scheme of things" but unfortunately that's politics.

I think you're giving these folks too much credit. They don't care to be heard so much as they want affirmation that all of their fantasies are true.

This is why Trumpism resonates with them.

 

[Mook]

Dems lose cause theyre liars and swindlers. If Dems were for real they'd actually help people and let their policies talk. Instead its republicans deregulating everything and democrats putting a piece of lint over the wound and saying its all better