# What's the Democratic strategy for defeating the next Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 15, 2026, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692 "2026-07-15T20:02:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/21 "2026-07-16T02:52:22Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Excellent suggestion. Joe Biden, far from optimal, beat Trump. In my opinion, had there not been a pandemic and a related economic crisis in 2020, both of which handled poorly by Trump, Biden would have lost handily. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/22 "2026-07-16T03:47:23Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In my opinion, had there not been a pandemic and a related economic crisis in 2020, both of which handled poorly by Trump, Biden would have lost handily. There is nothing that trump “handled poorly” this term? 🙀 Face it “handled poorly” should be the motto of this administration. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/23 "2026-07-16T03:50:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > There is nothing that trump “handled poorly” this term? 🙀 I did not say that, of course. But the pandemic, and the recession, of 2020 directly affected most Americans even more deeply than any of his idiotic, evil policies and decisions in this term. (And, as was noted upthread, even with COVID and the recession, Biden _barely_ beat Trump.) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/24 "2026-07-16T04:55:11Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Have better candidates? How is this done with that pesky, time and money wasting primary election nonsense? Allow Joe Sixpack to decide who a major political party’s candidate is = doesn’t work. Not well, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/25 "2026-07-16T06:41:12Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In my opinion, had there not been a pandemic and a related economic crisis in 2020, both of which handled poorly by Trump, Biden would have lost handily. Even with COVID-19, I’m convinced that Trump would have been re-elected if all he had done was utter a few platitudes at the beginning of the pandemic, encouraged people to respect the mask mandates and lockdowns, and then stepped back and let the scientists do their thing (while, of course, taking credit for all of their accomplishments). It wouldn’t have been a blowout by any means - Trump even in the best of times is just too divisive a figure for that. But, he probably would have been able to eke out a victory in the Electoral College, and maybe even the popular vote. What happened is that as soon as a few conservative chuds started bitching about having to wear a mask, and the markets started getting a little skittish, he panicked and started putting his faith in quacks who were promising quick fixes, and providing a platform for antivax nuts, all the while grousing about Fauci and the other health officials who were telling him news he didn’t want to hear. The way he repeatedly bungled the situation should have forever dispelled the notion that the orange emperor is playing 4D chess. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/26 "2026-07-16T07:10:50Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > No. Unequivocally no to that proposal. England is continuously passing worse and worse anti free speech laws. > > You want to beat the Republicans? Stop complaining about Fox News and the like. You’ll never convert a hardcore watcher. Actually do things that people want That won’t help, almost nobody will be permitted to hear about it. The Democrats have been trying that for decades but it never works since the Right controls the narrative and the news. The Right almost entirely controls the media; America doesn’t _need_ “anti free speech laws”, free speech is suppressed quite handily without them. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/27 "2026-07-16T17:31:31Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Allow Joe Sixpack to decide who a major political party’s candidate is = doesn’t work. Not well, anyway. _Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’_ _Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947_ > [@joebuck20](#): > > Even with COVID-19, I’m convinced that Trump would have been re-elected if all he had done was utter a few platitudes at the beginning of the pandemic, Naw, see trump lied, especially to the voters in the rust belt, and those lies caught up with him. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The Democrats have been trying that for decades but it never works since the Right controls the narrative and the news. The Right almost entirely controls the media; Nonsense. [https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart](https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart) > The bias chart is based on over 2,400 **[AllSides Media Bias Ratings](https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/ratings)** that inform our **[balanced newsfeed](https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news)** and are powered by people like you. We rate bias by balancing input from **[thousands of everyday Americans across the political spectrum and a politically balanced panel of experts.](https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-rating-methods)** Leans Left- ABC, AP, CBS, CNN, NBC, NYT, Politico, Wapo, etc etc. 29 are right 32 are left, and 14 are center. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/28 "2026-07-16T17:44:12Z")
The news this morning said that Trump has endorsed Mike Lindell for MN governor. A thumb in the eye from Trump, but this _is_ the state that elected Jesse Ventura. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/29 "2026-07-16T17:53:37Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > _Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’_ > > _Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947_ WTF does that have to do with what I’m talking about? First of all, the U.S. is not a pure democracy. Second, you can have your flawed “democracy” without primary elections, especially open primaries that allow results to be skewed. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/30 "2026-07-16T18:03:49Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > WTF does that have to do with what I’m talking about? > [@pkbites](#): > > Allow Joe Sixpack to decide who a major political party’s candidate is = doesn’t work. That _is_ democracy. What do you suggest outside a fair and democratic vote? You know the candidates used to be picked in the ubiquitous “smoke filled room” right? Do you think that is better? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/31 "2026-07-16T18:28:12Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > But, looking at the big picture, despite a decade of experience, like a head coach facing the same opponent for 10 seasons in a row, Democrats still show no sign they have found any effective strategy for beating a Trump-like candidate. Trump isn’t a magical man. He’s simply had the good fortune of going into politics at a time when someone like him can thrive. When a good number of legislators, the judiciary, and the American voters support someone like Trump there’s not a whole not the Democrats or anyone else can do. You’ve got to do something about the very conditions that allow someone like Trump to thrive. By the time he’s elected it’s too late. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/32 "2026-07-16T18:34:34Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > When a good number of legislators, the judiciary, and the American voters support someone like Trump there’s not a whole not the Democrats or anyone else can do. The judiciary have both been pro and against trump, with recent decisions running more against- tariff, the “anti-weaponization” fund , etc. And so far Congress isnt giving in on the racist Save act. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/33 "2026-07-16T18:36:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The judiciary have both been pro and against trump, with recent decisions running more against- tariff, the “anti-weaponization” fund , etc. And so far Congress isnt giving in on the racist Save act. Trump doesn’t get everything he wants all the time. But Congress, the Judicial Branch (the Supreme Court at least), and the American voters have enabled Trump a number of times over the years. Hell, I place the majority of the blame for Trump on my fellow citizens. Ultimately it’s our responsibility to stop people like Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/34 "2026-07-16T19:02:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Leans Left- ABC, AP, CBS, CNN, NBC, NYT, Politico, Wapo, etc etc. No, they don’t. They are biased towards or outright owned by the Right. [Poltico for example](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politico#Coverage_of_Donald_Trump) covered for Donald Trump and is very pro fossil fuels. I’m not surprised that [a company founded by a Republican](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#History) skews things that way. ---
**Author:** ![Frilly\_Heck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90ced4/32.png) [@Frilly\_Heck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frilly_Heck)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/35 "2026-07-16T20:06:24Z")
What I’d like to see them do is to not give up and abandon parts of the country that they think aren’t easily winnable. I can appreciate that they may want to focus more on competitive areas, and that’s valid. But there are lots of places where local Republicans run pretty much unopposed, or the D candidate is so without resources that they are just a name on the ballot without real community presence. It’s tricky, because the rewards of having a genuine presence even in a place that seems hostile take longer than a single election cycle to appear, so it requires the kind of long-term thinking that no politicians do these days. But even when they run and lose in those kinds of places, they can succeed in keeping the race from being about People Who Tell Seductive Lies vs. People Who Don’t Give You the Time of Day. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/36 "2026-07-16T21:53:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You know the candidates used to be picked in the ubiquitous “smoke filled room” right? Do you think that is better? The smoke-filled rooms gave us FDR, Truman, and JFK. I’d settle for anyone of those fellas. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/37 "2026-07-16T22:33:16Z")
Yeah, those smoke-filled rooms focused on electability. Actually, I like ranked-choice voting, Alaska style. Without vote-counting machines these would be very hard to count, but a computer can carry out the necessary complication. Primaries, which seem more democratic than smoke-filled rooms, turn out to not to be. They tend to favor the most extreme candidates. Partly because only the most motivated vote in them. Open primaries attract rat-f\*\*king, voting for the weaker candidate in the other party. The RC system combines the primary and general into one vote. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/38 "2026-07-16T22:33:53Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I’m not surprised that [a company founded by a Republican](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#History) skews things that way. _AllSides was founded in 2012 by John Gable, a former [Republican](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_party_(United_States) "Republican party (United States)") political aide turned manager at [Netscape](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape "Netscape") and then [Check Point](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_Point "Check Point") where he met Scott McDonald, a software developer.[[6]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#cite_note-:2-6)[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#cite_note-Entrepreneur-2016-7)[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#cite_note-SF-Gate-2012-8)[[9]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#cite_note-SE-Post-2018-9)[[10]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#cite_note-USA-Today-2020-10)[[11]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#cite_note-11) In 2016, AllSides partnered with activist [Joan Blades](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Blades "Joan Blades") to launch a classroom program, AllSides for Schools, and partnered with other organizations to provide programs such as Mismatch, a platform to connect users who differ politically and geographically.[[12]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#cite_note-Upfront-12)[[13]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllSides#cite_note-SF-Chron-2018-13)_ You forgot the word “Former” and didnt mention Joan Blades. [https://www.allsides.com/about/ownership](https://www.allsides.com/about/ownership) > AllSides Technologies, Inc. was co-founded by John Gable (**[Lean Right bias](https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/right-center)**), Scott McDonald (**[Center bias](https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/center)**) and Joan Blades (**[Left bias](https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/left)**). As of November 2023, AllSides was owned by 28 different people, with the three co-founders maintaining majority ownership and control as the sole members of the Board of Directors. In 2024, AllSides launched an **[equity crowdfunding campaign via WeFunder](https://wefunder.com/allsides)**, meaning it is now owned by even more people across the political spectrum. AllSides is a **[Public Benefit Corporation](https://www.allsides.com/blog/allsides-public-benefit-corporation-here-s-what-means)**, a type of for-profit corporate entity that aims to generate a positive impact on society. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > [Poltico for example](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politico#Coverage_of_Donald_Trump) covered for Donald Trump and is very pro fossil fuels. > On January 14, 2021, conservative commentator [Ben Shapiro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Shapiro "Ben Shapiro") was featured as a guest writer for _Politico_’s Playbook newsletter, where he defended [Republicans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States) "Republican Party (United States)") in the [U.S. House of Representatives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._House_of_Representatives "U.S. House of Representatives") who opposed the [second impeachment of Donald Trump](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_impeachment_of_Donald_Trump "Second impeachment of Donald Trump"). Gee, they had a conservative commentator as a _guest writer_. 🙀 So do most other media companies, they allow an Op/Ed as a rebuttal. [https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/politico/](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/politico/) - **\> Overall, we rate Politico Left-Center biased based on story selection and editorial positions that slightly favor the left. We also rate them High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact check record.** > * * * > > ### Detailed Report > > Bias Rating: **LEFT-CENTER (-2.8)** > Factual Reporting: **HIGH (1.3)** > Country: **USA** > MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: **MOSTLY FREE** > Media Type: **Website** > Traffic/Popularity: **High Traffic** > MBFC Credibility Rating: **HIGH CREDIBILITY** CNN- - **\> Overall, we rate CNN moderately left-center biased based on editorial positions by TV hosts that consistently favor the left, while straight news reporting falls just left of center through bias by omission. We rate CNN as Mostly Factual because, while its reporting is generally reliable and free of recent failed fact checks, some on-air personalities occasionally omit important context or relevant information in their coverage.** > * * * > > ### Detailed Report > > Bias Rating: **LEFT-CENTER (-3.6)** > Factual Reporting: **MOSTLY FACTUAL (2.7)** > Country: **USA** > MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: **MOSTLY FREE** > Media Type: **TV Station/Website** > Traffic/Popularity: **High Traffic** > MBFC Credibility Rating: **HIGH CREDIBILITY** ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/39 "2026-07-16T22:40:45Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > The smoke-filled rooms gave us FDR, Truman, and JFK. I’d settle for anyone of those fellas. They also gave us Humphrey, Adlai E. Stevenson- both losers, Carter and Wilson. Primaries gave us Bill Clinton and Obama- and Obama would never have won in the smoke-filled rooms. > [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Primaries, which seem more democratic than smoke-filled rooms, turn out to not to be. They tend to favor the most extreme candidates. Extreme like Carter, Clinton, & Biden? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692/40 "2026-07-17T00:19:03Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You know the candidates used to be picked in the ubiquitous “smoke filled room” right? Do you think that is better Yes, I do. And I’ve said as much several times on these boards. The party leaders should pick the candidate who best represents the party position and platforms and then the general public gets to choose. The ridiculous primary system allows for voters who won’t be voting for the party candidate in the general election to decide who that candidate is. Absurd. If you were a major stock holder in Walmart you wouldn’t want any old scumbag to have a say in who the CEO is just because they shop there occasionally, would you? The primary system is ridiculous. It results in weak or unqualified candidates, and is a waste of time and money. Nowhere in our constitution or other laws is it required. You can have your precious democracy without it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-democratic-strategy-for-defeating-the-next-trump/1031692.md?page=3)