Memo To Democrats. Get. Over. 2016!

Let me start this with a little personal story. I was a young, idealistic, die hard Cubs fan in September when the frigging New York Mets broke my heart and shook the foundation of my sports world. But I got over it. By the time I was 30, I almost never even thought about the September Swoon. Although for my entire adult life I never landed at JFK to make an international connection. I flew through Boston or Washington-Dulles instead.

It was Will Rodgers who once said I don’t belong to any organized political party. I’m a Democrat. Even freakin’ Charlie Brown was able to overcome his heartbreak, and take one more shot at kicking that stupid football.

And it’s not like we Democrats as a party writ large haven’t buried our demons. Remember Democrats fall in love, and Republicans fall in line? Not anymore. That bromide is as dead as Paddy’s pig. From 2019 to 2023 the Democrats managed to pull off an almost flawless upgrade and turnover of power to a newer and younger generation, while the GOP is still following a fat, old, delusional Hitler loving sexual predator down the sink hole. The Democrats are now ascendent, while the GOP is a poster child for reverse Darwinism.

And yet, even today, while discussing the 2024 race, columnist Michelle Goldberg said on MSNBC, I want to temper expectations in deference to the disappointment of 2016. News Flash for Ms. Goldberg. We freakin’ won in 2020, despite the universal Democratic distrust of the polls. Even I put the last nail in my 1969 coffin when my Cubs WON the World Series!

Look, let’s finally put this to rest. 2016 was a freak of nature. Public disgust with the already toxic political atmosphere was at a boil. The race ended eight years of a young, charismatic, popular President, and we were stuck with the two oldest, most unpopular presidential candidates in electoral history. A divisive Democratic primary campaign left the party split, and while the national popularity polls were largely accurate, Trump’s ghost army of lying or poll non responsive voters, along with Russian interference, swung the electoral college to Trump. I was writing for Daily Kos back then, and I wasn’t so much crushed as I was f*cking furious!

But instead of standing around wringing your hands and backing up to a fainting couch over the freak show of 2016, I’d like to ask all of these weak kneed Democrats to look instead at everything that has happened since that disastrous election.;

• In 2018 the Democrats, buoyed by a wave of national revulsion slammed a 40 MAGA sand castle
• In 2020 a now defrocked Traitor Tot got his ass kicked in an election that was undoubtedly a battle for democracy by some 7 million votes. And he got his ass kicked in the electoral college by the exact result that he called a landslide in 2016
• In 2022 it was the FUX Ministry of Propaganda Network proudly proclaimed an impending Big Red wave while everybody else who could count to ten and read a poll was laughing their asses off. I know I was. It turned out to be nothing more than a Cherry Kool Ade puddle from a childs Tommee Tippee cup

But here’s the straight fact for all of you whiny Nervous Nellies. This. Isn’t. F*cking. 2016! This is 2024, and trying to posthumously compare 2016 to 2020 is like trying to compare chocolate mousse with rice pudding;

• Since election day of 2016, more than 5.2 million Baby Boomers, Trump’s most loyal core support base have taken The Big Nap. And MAGA world is finding it impossible to replace them
• The 18-29 voting bloc, which was almost non existent in 2016 exploded in 2018 due to the teen outrage over the Parkland high school shooting. The Democrats aggressively courted them with their policies and they were critical in Biden’s 2020 win as well as defusing the 2022 Big Red Wave
• The electorate isn’t just younger, it’s browner and more diverse than it was in 2016. And while MAGA is devolving all the way back to the Olduvai Gorge in their quest to retain their old, white, low education, scared Evangelical base, the Democrats are crafting a Big Tent agenda to keep everyone motivated
• In 2016 Trump won women by 12 points. In 2020 that number had shrunk to 8 points. And the latest polling this year has Harris basically at a dead heat with Trump with women voters
• And the cherry on top. The Dobbs decision of 2022 was critical in defusing any GOP attempt to consolidate legislative control. Two years later, it is still a top 4 issue for voters, with eight states, including battleground states having pro abortion initiatives on the ballot

And here’s something I’m sick to death of. All of these doomsaying pundits and nattering ninnies talking about how Black and Hispanic Men are fleeing the Democratic party! Bullsh*t! The statistics just don’t show that. While there has been a small amount of erosion over the last 12 years, the GOP still isn’t garnering a lousy 20% in either category.

Late last week Harris did a call in interview with the Southwest’s most popular Hispanic radio call in show host. And the issue of the Democrats problems with Hispanic men came up. And the host said something I found incredibly insightful, Hispanic men, especially young Hispanic men, like I believe young black men are all macho and badass when they leave the house, and they’re with their friends and coworkers and pollsters. Then at about 5:30 they walk in the door to the house, to be confronted with wives, mothers, and even grandmothers. And all that macho badass stuff goes right back into the closet. Don’t count words, count votes. And that sings like a bird to me.

Am I making my point? Good, then I’ll make one more. Back in 2016 Hillary foolishly took the vaunted Democratic Blue Wall for granted. Which was stupid considering GOP majorities in those state legislatures. Life lesson learned. Kamala Harris is spending so much time in PA, MI, and Wi that she’s getting frequent guest perks at the local Radisson’s. Nothing is being taken for granted this time.

Please. Democrats, I beg you. Grow a pair! 2016 was a devastating, cataclysmic event, I get it. But you know what? We all cried in the bathtub at the age of 6 or 7 when we finally realized that Santa Klaus was a sick bullsh*t joke. Instead of looking under the bed for Freddie Krueger, try looking at facts instead. It’ll be a lot easier on your stomachs and blood pressure. Here endeth the lesson.

I thank you for the privilege of your time.

Support the site with a subscription today and see no more ads!

Go Ad-free Now!