As an Independent/Democrat, I offer this post to engage your own thinking more than gaining your agreement, whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent. It is to improve the political process for all of us, not just Dems. Specifically, this essay addresses how Dems can mine what are their ‘blind spots’ and what might be the feedback/ learnings that allow the Dems to again win and win decisively, given we do learn and make a handful of real corrections. It is based on the simple yet extraordinary business tool called a SWOT which analyzes a business, or a party, as to Strengths, Weaknesses (blind spots), Opportunities, and Threats. We focus here on our “blind spots” to our winning. The take-a-ways enable us to win again, starting now. They are designed for actions which, when taken, have us be who we are: the majority party.

1. Our approach: Recognize that we Dems who are supposedly the ‘elite’ and the ‘educated’ are very good with macroeconomics and macro social data which we can marshal to prove our case………we outperformed Trump………. massively on jobs (seven million to one and a half million if you look at only the first 3 years of each Administration), actually incurred less debt, had a higher GDP and stocks did great. Other than real wage growth, which was pre- inflation, we have outperformed Trump. However, near 70% of the United States is not college educated, and it is really not till college that you begin to fully respect research and data and macro pictures or really any intellectual methodology.  So, we who are ‘educated’ in those processes often think that having the information….charts, graphs, statistics…. makes a the difference … and by themselves, charts, graphs……information……. do not touch, move and inspire people. They inform people which lacks emotional punch. What makes a difference is how people experience their lives……… like what is on their table and what’s not (and why not), what do they feel and sense about day-to-day living in our country, gut level. So even though we have outperformed Trump, 2016 to 2020, from 2020 to 2024 in all macro big picture stats ( new jobs by 5:1, gdp, stock performance, infrastructure repair, more manufacturing jobs,  except pre-inflation real wage growth) versus ‘16 to ‘20, we did not relate our successes, our emotional impact, down and dirty to the people we needed to. Not just blue-collar people but all people. WE must get out of the office into the field where people are esp. blue collar people who need to be/must be heard f u l l y. This getting out of the office is not merely marketing some old familiar message; it is being directly open to new messages and new ways to stand, speak and listen in terms and feelings that working people, everyday people of all kinds can relate to.
2. Going forward we need to take a page from Trump’s book about what stirs up, provokes,  the physical and emotional energy of voters, the fuel that  people live from day to day and wins elections and we need to do it without resorting to lying (while we also  draw a sharp contrast to his lies/distortions). So we need to be clear and emphatic and accountable on where we stand specifically on each and every issue that matters to voters and why …  WE MUST PROMOTE OUR STRENGTHS SHAMELESSLY……….LIKE dt DOES/DID BUT WITHOUT LYING……..in business terms, marketing, marketing, marketing….marketing creates awareness and interest………….selling shapes the interest into opportunity and generates commitment and action……….dt knows this and exploits it to the max, with frequent exaggerating/fibbing. Example: letting everyone know, putting it in front of people’s faces,  that Trump’s record with the border is fraught with failures…..3 % of “the Wall” is actually new wall (50 miles of 1300+ miles) , he too had record high attempts/apprehensions on the border and he undermined coercively a bipartisan bill that would have tightened up the border protocols even further than the 60% drop in 2024, due to the June 4, 2024 Presidential order…………we did not make that plain and clear. John Kerry allowed these distortions with the “Swift Boats” horseshit in 2004. No more.
3. Get in action and require of the DNC et al a clear and deep LEADERSHIP PIPELINE WAY EARLY,  STARTING NOW … AND NEVER NOT. No corporation of consequence operates without a clear CEO pipeline for who is being trained, tested and developed to emerge as the next leader. The DNC gets to step up and clean up its lack of decisive clarity as to who is the leadership of the Dem party, and how transparent, accountable and open to feedback they are…….. We need to identify and bring together who are viable candidates for the next elections as locals. state and federal levels. Harris, Shapiro of Penn, Beshear of Kentucky, Whitmer of Michigan, Wes Moore of Maryland, Josh Stein , Gov of N Carolina, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, are all good candidates for starters and one could say a ticket of Schapiro in Penn and Whitmer of Michigan is 1/2 way there given the focus needs to be on those 3 northern states: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania., WE lost these 3 by 1.3 % and had we won them Harris would have the 270 electoral votes she needed.. FOCUS NOW………..NOW………. ON THOSE 3 STATES PLUS GEORGIA,  NEVADA AND ARIZONA (AND KEEP NH IN).
4. Think quite literally…. when ready …… of pulling out a ‘give ’em hell, Harry’ whistle stop tour to make unmistakably clear what we stand for, how we will better peoples, lives, and how we will do it. While committed Trumpers are definitely not our market, our target audience, it would not hurt to get to a NASCAR rally or 2, a country and western concert or 2, hang out and connect with folks working at and shopping at Walmarts, take in a bible thumping Baptist church service, speak what we do offer and provide at military installations or recruiting offices……..to observe, connect, learn from each other including our opponents…………getting ‘out in the field’ is not to ‘convert’ any true believers (that is mostly a waste of everyone’s time) but simply to get where and with everyday people, who build and move our country, who deliver our physical lives in goods and services……..”what’s on your mind, friend ?”……..get out of the office, and live into the physical, emotional, economic and spiritual  and r e a l lives of  people………their culture……..let what I am calling “everyday people” get a sense that we can and do we get who they are and what they are up against …………….. getting out with everyday people………at least 2-4 x month alters everything……. that we listen, take notes, affirm we get who they are, what they care most about. Btw, Trumpers are not our market a n d they have real concerns that we need to know and respond to…..our best target audiences are active Dems, inactive Dems (esp. the 2024 sit it out folks ), Independents, and the 80,000,000 (!) eligible yet unregistered voters, especially what the voterparticipation.org. calls NAM….the New American Majority of single women, people of color and voters under 34 who in 2020 went 70% Democrat when they registered.
5. Back up a bit (or a lot) from insistence on there is a “right” way to relate to gender/sexuality issues and political correctness about sex and gender. Cancel culture lacks compassion and context and transgender rights do matter as all basic human rights do. However, being made an endless front-and-center page matter costs us credibility and votes. Straight traditional  men ( and many of their women) can  wonder why they must deal with what is wrong with being straight, all male, and  traditional like their dads and granddads. Let other organizations who can also design standards be seen as leading the way The LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association ) said that if the transition is before puberty, all is workable but after that, it is not as the built-in physical advantages of maleness can skew the competitions unfairly.  Note that there are 10 (!) transgender athletes of 530,000 in collegiate athletics (NCAA, Valley News. 2 7 25). Fairness and respect do matter a n d we need a more nuanced framework than simply political correctness. Let local leaders and organizations debate and decide, at least for now. As to transgender accommodations, build a single person bathroom in schools and buildings where needed … to include and accommodate……… and move on. Let the local communities and organizations deal with this and move on. Insisting on imposing national standards (like Trump is attempting the other way) precipitates drama, push back and resentment. Costs big time.
6. Integrity and character:  astounding as it may seem, the Trump people do not really give a gnat’s ass for real integrity (honoring your word as yourself) …….witness the tolerating and fueling of lies everywhere and the pretenses surrounding the Jan. 6 and the election, the lies around covid, (“be over in a month……Clorox may help”) ) etc… The Trumpers…….both the thoughtful and the less thoughtful……… seem to daily care most about f/u defiance and disruption, 24/7…..what they would call “authenticity….they insist: he tells it like it is, god damn it !”  Meaning: he tells it the way he wants it, sees it, likes it and he demeans and avoids those who disagree. Not super healthy as a leadership style. While  it works to  true up to integrity as at the heart of everything, we must also realize that we Dems ourselves and our leadership allowed 2 very egregious out-of-integrity behaviors in 2023 and 2024: not confronting Joe in 2023 with his his aging and his and our not honoring his intention to be a 1 term President. That takes away from our assertions that dt lacks integrity which he does massively and almost certainly led to 2020 registered Dems staying home in 2024 (not to mention the 89,000,000 million eligible-to-vote citizens are not registered). Get real: integrity and character buy us very little to nothing with Trumpers (both the thoughtful and the addicted)  and maybe not so much with Independents. We must speak to and from their most important concerns, and challenge the lies powerfully and point blank while not getting consumed in the drama that feeds the Trump addictions….and let people get gut level that we will address their concerns more effectively, more immediately and with a far longer pathway into the future….i.e., we have our eye on their kids and their grandkids too. 
7. Recognize that internationally we must be able to take risks and play hard ball where  the world is still led by bullies who bluff and bluster and do inflict damage. Dems must be tough internationally as Nixon could be and Reagan as leaders who did accomplish a lot on their watch, flaws and all.  Any tendencies of Dems to be merely do gooders must be left at the door of international relations…..the authoritarians of the world do not respect do gooders……they dismiss, discount and actively undermine “idealistic” intentions and Dems must play hardball in what we stand for, will back up (and have resolved fully 100% that we will back up our words with force where necessary)……..and thereby evoke in our competitors and adversaries, wherever they might be, a regard for the viable threat that we are. Reagan’s considerable interpersonal skills went much farther given the threat he, as the US, posed.
8. Register voters: THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL AND ABSOLUTELY IN OUR INTEREST. Organizations like the voterparticipation.org who have registered million votes since 2008….the edge in 2020 btw….they report that  the New American Majority  (NAM) of single women, people of color and voters under thirty-four vote……….over 50% of  the voters……… 70% register Democratic when they register. We Americans have an unbelievable 80,000 000 000 !!! eligible and unregistered voters and not only does this spectatorship  suppress our participatory democracy it also costs us being the most numerous party by millions of people when we count the eligible but unregistered non-voters in elections. Action? Support registration yourself and through organizations like the DNC or  voteparticipation.org who registered and got to the polls more than 6,600,000 voters between 2003-2020, particularly NAM.
9. The Border……recognize that we must restore order and even a wall may be necessary. Our not respecting our own laws, our own words, is itself an integrity  issue. If we were truly and unequivocally led here, we can win the elections on this issue alone. Being pushed towards the far left by loud, insistent voices of the left/far left, the so-called woke demands, undermines us as a viable party. The role of the far left and the far right is  to be critics, n o t leaders. Say so, publicly. Offer effective, compromise innovations that work with less damage and disruption such as:  if one is addressing deportation, what could/can work is a 1 year registration period of illegal immigrants who have a solid employment record, no criminal record, and have family ties here, to allow illegals to get on a path to citizenship, learn baseline English ( grade school baseline) and apply for citizenship (perhaps a green card first). If an illegal chose not to take this pathway, this one-year window, then they would get deported. It demands accountability while being realistic and appropriately compassionate. As well, get serious about preventing future illegals.
10. SOCIAL MEDIA: Online messaging is simultaneously a battleground and an echo chamber. People are upset and have curated a personalized audience which agrees with them. Trust in information accuracy has been wounded and conversation is often one-way (despite the benefits of social media allowing for one-to-many conversation). Democrats have an opportunity to learn and educate republican fans but may need to either a) venture into republican sites (X, Truth Social) or b) offer a curious ear in a humble and authentic way. The combination allows for learning and finding the few who may be open to new ideas then engaging them in dialog. At least there’s new information to adjust marketing; at best, some are swayed. Donald Trump’s audience is similar to fans of musicians or actors. They see him as doing right no matter what. They’re into the merch and the lifestyle. Asking fans about the issues while seeking those open to new ideas paves the way for conversation and new possibilities. Similarly, educating dem followers (via social media) on how to have these conversations/investigations with rep friends/family will drop the “us vs them” mindset and move towards understanding with potential for fact-based decisions.
11. Last take ideas from any quarter: ask, explore and test: could this idea be effective? A trump advisor suggested that we tell Zelensky that if he does not come to the peace table he will lose (be cut back severely)  our supply of our weapons and we concurrently tell Putin that if he does not come to the peace table, then we will flood the Ukraine with weapons. If neither side budges, then we make finer distinctions (i.e., give Ukraine weapons that the Russians do not want them to have while at the same time deny Zelensky’s demand for a wide scope and scale of weapons until he agrees to peace talks without pre-conditions, including the possibility of the pre-war borders being re-shaped). Take any idea and evaluate it to see if it can work and if it comes up valuable, then take it on. Let effectiveness prevail over party authorship or orthodoxy/ideology. 
12. What do you see reader are the key takeaways from an election that in very unfavorable and rushed circumstance we almost won ?(One of the closest in the last one hundred years)

Update:

I’ve received a rebuttal from a friend and colleague. With his consent, I’ve included it below:

Hi Tony,

I read this today (fully) thought about it and here is my response. Feel free to publish it anywhere you like.

Rebuttal: Treating a Cult Leader Like a Politician is a Losing Strategy
Let’s get real: This piece tries to fix a political problem with political solutions when the real issue is that we’re not dealing with a politician—we’re dealing with a cult leader. Trying to counter Trump and the MAGA movement with better messaging, statistics, or policy nuance is like trying to convince a Scientologist that Tom Cruise isn’t the Messiah. It’s not about facts. It’s about identity, emotion, and the illusion of control over a collapsing world order.
Now, while some of these recommendations—getting into the field, stronger messaging, voter registration—are necessary, they are also woefully insufficient. More importantly, they assume that the problem is just poor communication rather than the deeper structural failure of our so-called democracy. What’s actually needed is a complete overhaul of the system, because the two-party model has clearly failed. So, let’s break this down, point by point.

1. “Dems Need to Improve Their Messaging and Connect with Working-Class Voters”
   Great. But also, no.
   Messaging is important, but people don’t just vote based on who ‘gets’ them. If that were true, the party that actually delivers better wages, infrastructure, and healthcare (Democrats, on paper) would win every time. But that’s not what happens, because the MAGA crowd isn’t operating in reality. They’re in a self-reinforcing propaganda loop where facts don’t matter.
   This is the fundamental flaw in the “just talk to them more” approach. You can’t out-message a cult. It’s not about logic or policy; it’s about belonging. Trumpists don’t support him because of what he does. They support him because of what he represents: revenge, defiance, and the preservation of a fictional past where they felt powerful. No amount of ‘getting out into the field’ will change that.
   If anything, it’s the system that needs fixing—not just the messaging. The two-party system is broken, and trying to out-market a fascist movement without addressing the root causes of its appeal (economic instability, cultural fear, media disinformation) is like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight.
   
2. “We Need a Leadership Pipeline Like a Corporation”
   Again, a great idea—if politics were a normal industry and not a gladiator match between a desperate oligarchy and an increasingly disillusioned populace.
   The reason Democrats don’t have a clear leadership pipeline isn’t just mismanagement; it’s because they’re not built like a movement. The GOP, especially in its MAGA incarnation, has a unified purpose—to break the system and rule through chaos. Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to run a government like a non-profit board meeting, which is why they get steamrolled every time.
   The solution isn’t just better leadership development; it’s building an entirely new political infrastructure that doesn’t rely on an aging party elite and corporate donors. Otherwise, we’re just training up the next generation of “meh” candidates to lose to the next Republican demagogue.
   
3. “Be More Aggressive About Trump’s Failures”
   Yes. But also, no one cares.
   Pointing out that Trump failed on jobs, the economy, the border, and infrastructure doesn’t move the needle. Why? Because his supporters aren’t supporting a president—they’re following a myth. You could show them a video of Trump personally lighting Social Security checks on fire, and they’d still back him if he made a joke about “owning the libs.”
   The idea that Democrats need to “shamelessly promote their wins” assumes that people want to hear that information. But many don’t. If they did, we wouldn’t be here.
   Instead, the focus should be on something much bigger: how to break the cult’s hold on American politics altogether. That means tearing down the right-wing media machine, reshaping social media regulation, and creating alternative narratives that disrupt their propaganda feedback loop. Otherwise, you can shout “Trump only built 3% of the wall!” all day, and the response will be, “Yeah, but he wanted to build it, and that’s what counts.”
   
4. “Be More Strategic About Social Issues”
   Translation: “Let’s soft-pedal LGBTQ+ rights because some people find them annoying.”
   Not a great look.
   Yes, some culture war issues are electoral liabilities. But that’s because Republicans made them that way through relentless propaganda, not because they’re inherently unpopular. The solution isn’t to sidestep human rights—it’s to reframe the debate so that it doesn’t become a wedge issue in the first place.
   Also, when people say “cancel culture is a problem,” what they often mean is, “I don’t like being held accountable.” It’s a phony crisis ginned up by the right-wing media machine. Democrats shouldn’t be playing defense on this—they should be flipping the script and calling out Republican censorship (book bans, drag bans, speech suppression) instead of acting like they need to walk on eggshells.
   
5. “Toughen Up on Foreign Policy”
   Sure, Democrats should project strength. But let’s not pretend that the “tough guy” posture of Reagan or Nixon is the only way to do it. The real problem isn’t that Democrats are seen as weak—it’s that they don’t have a clear, compelling alternative to Republican war-mongering.
   For example, instead of just “playing hardball,” what if the focus was on de-escalating global conflicts in a way that actually benefits Americans? How about calling out the military-industrial complex for what it is—a grift that enriches weapons manufacturers while keeping us in endless conflicts? The problem isn’t that Democrats are seen as soft; it’s that they’re not offering anything better.
   
6. “Register More Voters”
   Yes, voter registration matters. But let’s be real: even if Democrats registered every single eligible voter, Republicans would just escalate voter suppression tactics to offset the advantage. The GOP’s entire strategy is based on making sure that certain people can’t vote.
   So, while boosting voter turnout is crucial, it’s not enough. There needs to be a full-scale war on gerrymandering, voter purges, and election manipulation—or else every registration drive is just patching holes in a sinking ship.
   
7. “Compromise on Immigration”
   Again, nice in theory. But Republicans don’t actually want an immigration solution. They need the border crisis to continue so they can use it as an endless political weapon.
   Any proposal that involves compromise—like a pathway to citizenship with stricter enforcement—won’t gain traction because the GOP’s entire brand is built on not fixing the issue. Democrats keep trying to solve problems that Republicans deliberately keep broken.
   The real move here isn’t to “compromise”—it’s to expose that game for what it is and make voters understand that Republicans are the reason the immigration crisis never ends.
   
   Conclusion: The Whole System is the Problem
   Ultimately, this piece is trying to solve a collapsing system with better tactics. But tweaking strategy within a broken structure is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The two-party system is fundamentally incapable of addressing the real crisis: that democracy is dead, and we’re living in an oligarchic media spectacle masquerading as governance.
   The real conversation isn’t about how Democrats can win better—it’s about what comes after this system collapses. Because it will collapse. The only question is: What replaces it? And will we be the ones shaping that vision, or will we be too busy trying to “out-message” a cult leader who doesn’t even play by the rules?

Warm wishes,
Joe