What can the Democrats do?

[Akka]

There is a 2023 poll here:

How Americans label their own political identities | YouGov

Are Americans liberal or conservative? Moderate or radical? Libertarian or nationalist? A new YouGov survey finds that the answer for some is none of the above — and for others, all of the above.

today.yougov.com

18% say progressive describes them well

1% say anarchist describes them well

It's pretty funny to see that there is about half as many that feel "left-wing" compared to "progressive" (and the same with "right-wing" and "conservative").
I get the feeling that these terms' definitions really vary depending on the person.

 

[Zardnaar]

It's pretty funny to see that there is about half as many that feel "left-wing" compared to "progressive" (and the same with "right-wing" and "conservative").
I get the feeling that these terms' definitions really vary depending on the person.

Basically progressive and center left.

Well I said below 20%.

The numbers vary by country but progressives +centre left are generally 30-40% it seems.

UK apparently its 30%, here closer to 40.

Conservatives usually aren't majority either everyone else somewhere in the middle.

 

[EnglishEdward]

It's pretty funny to see that there is about half as many that feel "left-wing" compared to "progressive" (and the same with "right-wing" and "conservative").
I get the feeling that these terms' definitions really vary depending on the person.

I agree.

 

[Gori the Grey]

If they really asked their first question this way

Americans saying at least one or none of 16 different political labels...

that's a crazy first question to ask (and actually hard to figure why they don't get 100% as their results), since "do any of these sixteen labels, or none of them, describe your politics" is pretty much an exhaustive set of possibilities.

I guess the 5% who didn't answer yes must have thought to themselves, "there is a label that describes me (so not "none") but it's not any of the sixteen provided.."

Or maybe there were the sixteen options, plus the "none of the above" option, and the 5% is just people who didn't answer the question at all.

Anyway, it's either a crazy first question to ask or a crazy way of reporting how people responded to the poll: 95% of people gave as their answer A, B, C, D or E, none of the above. Well, yeah.

 

[Senethro]

Where in the world is centrism winning? Where is the centre a growing influence and gathering momentum? Where is centrism not losing to populists/far right?

And who simultaneously believes the centre is the antidote to fascism but also we should adopt some of the far right's policies as step to electability

 

[Ordnael]

If you call everything/everyone you don't agree with fascism/ fascist then the word loses it's value from a symbol of "bad things" to just a derogatory term and the targets of your calling out will start just shrugging their shoulders and pronounce "and?".
Centrism an aggregation of common ground between folks with different aspirations and views on life. It happens now that right conservatism has more common ground with mainstream centrist ideals then leftist progressive agenda.
It's what's happening in the EU.
Workers rights, welfare, age of retirement, living wage, prices of groceries and energy, etc these are very centrist aspirations as in they aggregate a large number of people. If you mix divisive ideals like identity policies, migrants welfare, Trans rights, critical race theory, etc in your party's pitch for the common people and you make these ideals more louder in your message than centrist aspirations, then you will lose your "audience".
It's the only explanation I find to why our Communist Party endures while left parties that embrace divisive ideals are flailing.

 

[Senethro]

Workers rights, welfare, age of retirement, living wage, prices of groceries and energy, etc these are very centrist aspirations as in they aggregate a large number of people.

You mean those elements of society created by socialists and now being undermined for/sold to corporate interests by the centrists as part of an austerity agenda?

 

[Ordnael]

I am pretty sure there were people working to a "master" of some sort long before there was concept of socialism.

 

[Senethro]

I am pretty sure there were people working to a "master" of some sort long before there was concept of socialism.

I'm not at all sure what you mean by this. Yes its true, but so what?

Modern workers rights came from labour movements and trade unions.

 

[Ordnael]

Modern workers rights came from labour movements and trade unions.

Focus on that then and less on divisive stuff. Less pride parades and more for example "I work in the auto industry parade" or "Have you hugged a farmer today?" campaign.

 

[Senethro]

Focus on that then

I think its more important that your "centrists" do so, if your centrist values include workers rights.

 

[Ordnael]

Ofc our centrist aspirations include workers rights

Workers rights, welfare, age of retirement, living wage, prices of groceries and energy, etc these are very centrist aspirations

Will that flag alone make me vote for our Anti EU, Anti-Nato Communist Party? Heck no!

Our conservative right party is socialist enough in some degrees while in others too much socialist for my taste, like not being totally in "favour" of selling the taxpayer's money pit that is our flag Air transport company TAP. Fortunately TAP is scheduled to merge with an European consortium in the next 2 years.

 

[Lexicus]

And still considerably less than the power that result from a supermajority on your side in both house and senate.

(And no, I will not be answeing your impossible standard question)

This is nonsense. After the Supreme Court handed down their decision in Trump vs USA giving the President legal immunity, Biden had the power to have every single Republican in the country extrajudicially assassinated. He didn't do it because he chose not to, not because it wouldn't have been possible.

View attachment 744939
I like you inno, but I don't trust you on medical advice.

He's not entirely wrong, but it's kind of absurd to frame the issue as harms caused by the vaccine.

 

[Zardnaar]

Where in the world is centrism winning? Where is the centre a growing influence and gathering momentum? Where is centrism not losing to populists/far right?

And who simultaneously believes the centre is the antidote to fascism but also we should adopt some of the far right's policies as step to electability

Nowhere but you need them to govern.

In functioning Democracies no one wins 100% so those centrists (20% or so) control who wins.

USA its those swing voters in 7 states.

 

[Lexicus]

Ofc our centrist aspirations include workers rights

Okay, in the US our most prominent centrists are currently characterizing labor unions as rent-seeking luddites who are the main obstacle standing in the way of "abundance", so now what?

 

[Zardnaar]

If you call everything/everyone you don't agree with fascism/ fascist then the word loses it's value from a symbol of "bad things" to just a derogatory term and the targets of your calling out will start just shrugging their shoulders and pronounce "and?".
Centrism an aggregation of common ground between folks with different aspirations and views on life. It happens now that right conservatism has more common ground with mainstream centrist ideals then leftist progressive agenda.
It's what's happening in the EU.
Workers rights, welfare, age of retirement, living wage, prices of groceries and energy, etc these are very centrist aspirations as in they aggregate a large number of people. If you mix divisive ideals like identity policies, migrants welfare, Trans rights, critical race theory, etc in your party's pitch for the common people and you make these ideals more louder in your message than centrist aspirations, then you will lose your "audience".
It's the only explanation I find to why our Communist Party endures while left parties that embrace divisive ideals are flailing.

Identify politics isnt a big thing in some communist circles ive seen. Sone hard core ones basically say its liberal decadence and irrelevant. Worry about it post revolution or dont focus on it.

Marx didnt really comment on it except a bit about women iirc.

Sone internet ones sure but I dont think they've read Marx.

Okay, in the US our most prominent centrists are currently characterizing labor unions as rent-seeking luddites who are the main obstacle standing in the way of "abundance", so now what?

A lot would be indifferent or centre right socially liberal elsewhere. Some voted for Trump but are not MAGA they bought into one of his moronic promises.

The democrat party (vs base) is 3 parties in a normal democracy imho.

People who make politics their identity (left or right) are the kinda annoying ones.

 

[danjuno]

There is a 2023 poll here:

How Americans label their own political identities | YouGov

Are Americans liberal or conservative? Moderate or radical? Libertarian or nationalist? A new YouGov survey finds that the answer for some is none of the above — and for others, all of the above.

today.yougov.com

18% say progressive describes them well

1% say anarchist describes them well

Seems about right.

While he couched it in unflattering terms, ("free stuff") Zard was actually correct in that progressive policy is more popular than the label itself.

I even found a poll showing M4A at around 60% in 2025:

Donald Trump's budget, health care, tariffs, and abortion: July 4 - 7, 2025 Economist/YouGov Poll | YouGov

This week’s Economist/YouGov poll covers Trump's budget, "Medicare for all," Trump's tariffs, and abortion

today.yougov.com

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

It’s broadly true that certain policies like M4A poll well, but also broadly true that single issue polling is a pseudoscience in every meaning of that word, with wildly divulging results based on how questions are phrased or answers ordered, and this holds true for progressive or conservative single issues. I’ve been increasingly convinced over the last few years that single issues polling is essentially worthless; it minimizes what is needed to be politically successful and makes everyone from every side of politics dumber. Especially centrists, who seem to think political opinion is both unmovable and can be perfectly triangulated unless they have a book to sell about 1 billion Americans. But it rots the brain of those on the left and right too.

 

[Zardnaar]

Seems about right.

While he couched it in unflattering terms, ("free stuff") Zard was actually correct in that progressive policy is more popular than the label itself.

I even found a poll showing M4A at around 60% in 2025:

Donald Trump's budget, health care, tariffs, and abortion: July 4 - 7, 2025 Economist/YouGov Poll | YouGov

This week’s Economist/YouGov poll covers Trump's budget, "Medicare for all," Trump's tariffs, and abortion

today.yougov.com

Everybody likes free stuff.

Modern politics essentially boils down to who pays for it. Society or the rich.

Nobody wants to pay for it.

 

[Gori the Grey]

Modern politics essentially boils down to who pays for it. Society or the rich.

You know, instead of just "society."