# Why the "emerging Democratic majority" isn't happening **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 4, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842 "2015-02-04T22:11:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/41 "2015-02-05T17:42:20Z")
> [@](#): > > And so, when Republican politicians have soft-pedaled their views on abortion or guns or immigration While you’re wishing for a Republican Party that will allow such a candidate to get through the Presidential primary filter, would you like a pony? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/42 "2015-02-05T17:46:04Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Even the moderators get my screen name wrong. ☹ How long do you think I could post as **iiandyiii** without anyone noticing? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/43 "2015-02-05T17:49:42Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Raise my taxes. As long as you raise the taxes of everybody like me, and put the revenue to good use, I’m all for raising my taxes. We are not as rare as you think. Ditto ditto. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/44 "2015-02-05T17:50:40Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > How long do you think I could post as **iiandyiii** without anyone noticing? Uggh. I’m captain of a recreational adult sports team – a few years ago, someone (a disgruntled team member, I assume) manufactured a very similar email address and sent obscene emails to the team. My team figured it out pretty quick, luckily, but it made me feel sick. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/45 "2015-02-05T17:50:47Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > We all pay for that, so um, yeah. Plus everyone’s premiums went up because our insurance got better. We weren’t asked if we wanted better insurance. You were already paying for it, just not in a way that was obvious to you. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/46 "2015-02-05T18:03:44Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > How long do you think I could post as **iiandyiii** without anyone noticing? You use a lot of big words. We’d catch on pretty quick. Well, I would, anyway… ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/47 "2015-02-05T18:08:15Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You use a lot of big words. We’d catch on pretty quick. Well, I would, anyway… What, my words aren’t big enough? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/48 "2015-02-05T18:29:37Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Everybody’s premiums were going up _regardless_ of whether our insurance got better. > > And if by “got better” you mean "was made available to those with pre-existing conditions were denied coverage _even if they could afford the premiums"_, then yeah, we were asked, and we said, “Yes.” > > Pay attention. That’s not the one that _really_ got me mad. Not all the way to Yosemite Sam-on-meth mode. Its the one where you put in your claim and somebody pores over your application looking for a loop hole to fuck you with. First time I heard about that, I thought it was somebody on my side making shit up, but no. Thanks for playing Wheel of Coverage! Don’t hit Bankrupt, you gotta sell your house, your kids don’t go to college, and you sicken, suffer and die. Hey, you fucked up, you trusted us… Here, have a nice desk calender. We have a five-year model, but you aren’t going to need it… ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/49 "2015-02-05T18:58:13Z")
> [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](#): > > I have never met anyone who liked paying more taxes. It’s like a defining ethos of humanity. Perhaps there are people out there, perhaps even on this board, but in my experience they must be improbably rare. I don’t think wealthy liberals enjoy their taxes going up, but I don’t think increased taxes by themselves are going to shift them over to the Republican side. It just won’t be enough. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/50 "2015-02-05T19:03:39Z")
I think both sides need to realize that there’s no such thing as political invincibility at the national level. After 1988, some Republicans thought the presidency was permanently theirs. Some Democrats seem to have that similar attitude nowadays; that victory is permanently a foregone conclusion from now on. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/51 "2015-02-05T19:10:14Z")
Don’t even want such a dominance, all that would mean is that all the ambitious and cynical creeps would be pretending to be lefties rather than pretend to be righty. Fuck _that_ shit! ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/52 "2015-02-05T19:24:43Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I think both sides need to realize that there’s no such thing as political invincibility at the national level. After 1988, some Republicans thought the presidency was permanently theirs. Some Democrats seem to have that similar attitude nowadays; that victory is permanently a foregone conclusion from now on. I don’t think that at all, but i do think victory at the presidential level is a foregone conclusion until the Republican party undertakes some severe and painful changes that will lead to even more losing in the short term. Parties change and adapt and we have seen them already try to take small baby steps, only to be smacked back down and told to keep crawling. Change will happen, eventually, it will just be slow in coming. A decade from now after Hillary has done her 8 years they might be able to put up a decent fight, if they actually put in some effort to scuttle the retarded wing. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/53 "2015-02-05T19:46:53Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > If you raise taxes on the affluent, then they will be less likely to support Democrats. But you need to raise taxes on the affluent so that you can trickle some benefits down to the working class that keeps on going Republican. See, this is the stuff that ends up getting the Rs in trouble. Romney’s “trickle down government” comment. You took the page from your own book and tried to turn it on the Ds, but it fell flat. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/54 "2015-02-05T20:18:36Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I think both sides need to realize that there’s no such thing as political invincibility at the national level. After 1988, some Republicans thought the presidency was permanently theirs. Some Democrats seem to have that similar attitude nowadays; that victory is permanently a foregone conclusion from now on. Well, what “emerging Democratic majority” means is a party-system like we had from FDR through Carter – not one where a Pub can’t ever win, but where the Dems are the agenda-setting “Sun Party” and the Pubs are the reactive “Moon Party,” where liberalism is the default position and conservatism something for which a case must always be made. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/55 "2015-02-05T20:51:51Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, what “emerging Democratic majority” means is a party-system like we had from FDR through Carter – not one where a Pub can’t ever win, but where the Dems are the agenda-setting “Sun Party” and the Pubs are the reactive “Moon Party,” where liberalism is the default position and conservatism something for which a case must always be made. Historians call that the [Fifth Party System](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Party_System), BTW. Some hold we are still in it, but think we’re in the [Sixth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_Party_System), and that an emerging Democratic majority – if it emerges – would produce a Seventh. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/56 "2015-02-05T21:03:10Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](#): > > I agree with this second post, the Hispanic vote will not remain the block vote it’s sometimes described as. Second, third and fourth generation Hispanics do not necessarily have the same political outlook as first generation Hispanics. These later generation Hispanics may still lean Democrat, but the split is generally far less than in recent Hispanic immigrants. Mrs Iggy, who is Colombian, is simply amazed that anyone in politics _en los EEUU_ would be so stupid as to lump the Mexicans with the Salvadorans, or the Cubans with the Costa Ricans and assume they have anything at all in common politically other than best being spoken to in Spanish. The story of how each family came to immigrate to the United States can be markedly different from one Latin American country to another so even immigration issues are not a solid block issue. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/57 "2015-02-05T22:26:40Z")
For most republicans, Hispanic is a country also known as Mexico. Democrats who think the next presidential election is a foregone conclusion are living in a dream world. This is absolutely up for grabs. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/58 "2015-02-06T00:11:19Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > For most republicans, Hispanic is a country also known as Mexico. [It could be worse, and it is.](http://freakoutnation.com/2015/02/vermonts-new-motto-is-in-latin-conservatives-lose-their-sht-and-bash-latinos/) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/59 "2015-02-06T01:57:47Z")
I still think its a disturbin’ legend. Its too perfect. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842/60 "2015-02-06T20:10:33Z")
The Republicans certainly have to adapt, but for now, the Democrats’ failure to hold their majority coalition together(or motivate them to vote) is keeping the GOP competitive. IT’s hard to build a coalition consisting of the rich and poor. It’s too unstable. The Democrats realize this, which is why they are trying to pivot to the middle class. But they are trying to get the middle class for free. They can’t do it without throwing someone else under the bus. That’s the nature of politics. If you make one group happy, it’s often at the expense of another group. There is no known ideology that makes all social classes happy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-emerging-democratic-majority-isnt-happening/711842.md?page=4)