re: #65 Jay C

Well, when both these factors go against you, what can you do?

In theory, perhaps: in (political) reality, probably a pretty bad strategy.
The upcoming elections are a midterm: 435 local elections and 34 statewide ones: while approval/disapproval of the Administration is an unavoidable background to all of them, the last thing the Democrats need, as the default Opposition, is to turn off ANY potential voters. And - whatever one might think of the principle of the thing - demanding any sort of “contrition” from the electorate (outside of what votes they cast in the secrecy of the ballot-box) is probably a sure loser. I have a feeling enough Trump/Republican voters from the last election are suffering from “buyer’s remorse” to shift to a creditable Democrat in the next one. Doing anything - ANYTHING - to turn them off is likely to prove political suicide. And if means swallowing one’s snark and (however grudgingly) embracing the old “let’s look forward, not back” pitch (at least as far as a national strategy), so be it: we can mock the Trumpista fools later (post-impeachment?)….

I don’t believe that there are actually a significant number of Trumpers feeling this buyer’s remorse. I don’t really see a ton of evidence of that. And I also don’t believe that not embracing them will be political suicide. Again, that goes to the fallacy of believing that theirs are the only opinions that matter, that they are the real swing voters.

No. A thousand times no. Elections in America are determined by getting more people out, and there are many times more people who do not vote than a tiny minority of white people who might switch their vote if they are coddled enough. While there is even a single nonvoter who hasn’t been gotten to the polls, any unrepentant Trumper is unworthy of even a moment of consideration.

They will not change their votes. They are a cult. Any strategy that tries to do so is doomed to failure.