How can Obama win Independents back? I know there are some who say Obama has neglected the left, but

[jezebel]

to me the most troubling thing in tonights results is the huge swing in Independent voters from +8 Obama in 2008 to +15 for the Republicans tonight. Is this all about the economy? Health care? That is a terrible shift and he needs to win them back or 2012 will not go well.

[orleans]

1. he should probably be a little more bipartisan and do a bit more across the aisle reaching

:sarcasm:

[still_one]

2. In my view he lost independents because the Democratic message was not clear

Who are the Democrats? Are they Progressive or conservative. You can ask the question of the repukes, and the answer will be right, or far right, it is very clear

People just don't know where Democrats stand

Look at the HCR or financial package. Most people have no idea what they do, and that is because the content is mixed

People need a clear decisive direction

[uponit7771]

7. +1, Obama admitted on TDS that people didn't know their accomplishments...that's messaging

[truedelphi]

9. But I am betting he will, of course, "pretend" this election means that

He has to just has to be more bipartisan. And to lean a bit more to the right.

I do agree with all your statements though. His policies have not been clear victories for people, only for the Corporations.

[still_one]

11. If he doesn't include the progressives, there will be major issues for Democrats /nt

[Ozymanithrax]

3. Make them feel the economy is better, and Democrats are the reason. n/t

[Kaleva]

4. The economy. Dems lost in Michigan because of the bad economy

[craigmatic]

5. It's the economy. Obama can win them back once the jobs outlook improves.

[uponit7771]

6. Messaging

[vaberella]

8. You should ask an independent. I am one. Majority of independents are not the left.

I happen to be an independent on the left. I don't normally vote Repub, if ever. But I will say this. If I go by some of the ads on Dems side, some of the poor explanations of each of the bills that I've heard from Dems, or lack of continuous rallies I have yet to hear of on the Dem side I can understand.

1. You see those ads people loved by Grayson on this board, or the one by Rand Paul's competetor---that were loved by this board. I reeled. I was disgusted and didn't like it. I didn't like the Angle commercials, but the Dem adverts were just as bad. There is attacking someone on the issues and it's also attacking them on what they did in their far past. Why? Although I'm not really one to even judge on things 10 years old, since I believe people can change. If someone on the Repub side said what they did was a mistake or so far in the past or don't really address the issue because they see it as petty---then it falls away. Aquabuddah and calling people a terrorist doesn't help you keep your votes. You look damn petty. I can respect people found Grayson's adverts as great, but I know it would never have won me over.

2. The damn shit poor explanation by Dems. Actually people complain the White House was bad at taking the lead on things. I find that false. If anything the White House spent a lot of time cleaning up the mess of Dem speakers on the issue. I think the best speaker we ever had selling Health Care for us was Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. No one else was as adept or was able to condense a lot of complecated information into something clear and understandable. You can't dismiss the stupid, you have to try to guide them. And I find a lot of Dems didn't do a good job of that and even worse---so many of them weakly shied away from it on the MSM, it didn't help.

3. Independents like rallies. They like people calling in people to vote to hear what the person has to say. If a Dem were to pull a rally in the middle of the street of random Q & A's the place would probably be filled with Independents. I won't say most will vote Democrat---but I know I like to understand things and I can be slightly swayed. One one one rallies are good.

4. Some of the problems with the Dems. So many of them pushed away from Obama. I'm sorry to say but really...Feingold really started getting his act together about a month before elections. It was like the rally made him realize that some of the stuff he complained about, maybe wasn't everything, but people loved it. Shying away from the President directly relates to no.2. Independents tend to leave, they don't go back.

5. By and large most of Independents were hurt by the economy with little to no assurances by Dems in power. Once again this goes back to no.2.

6. Some on the left didn't help progress. There was continuous attacks that definitely got the attention of the Republican enemy and was used to their benefit. You could say we just want to hold the feet of Obama to the fire. People see it as the left turning against the President and/or rejecting Dems and they will vote against the Dems. I think there should be more of a balance on how things are targeted. I think the only real newscaster who got that clue was Rachel Maddow---who went from being extremely critical of the White House, to be extremely supportive AND started targeting the real people we should have had on the list---Congress.

7. If we want the President's progressive agenda pushed, he needs to have a progressive back up in Congress. When people conflate the blame to the White House without showing the important role of Congress and how they have limited progress---we're going to have people thinking maybe the Repubs are a better bet---when they were the ones stifling progress in Congress with help from ConservaDems or Blue Dogs.

8. Going to 1-3 if Dems had done some of those things---and focused ENTIRELY ON defending their positions clearly and concisely even before elections and also with targeted adverts ONLY on the ISSUES as presented by Dems. They would have one this race. Dirty dealing just doesn't do good for indies EVEN if Dems think those commercials are true and right.

Overall you'll notice there's a big communication gap and this is why some Dems made it and some didn't.

I wouldn't be too quick to blame the White House on rejecting the left, I think it's the other way round on how things worked out.

[JCMach1]

10. I think it was about a desire for bold action- outside of ideology

I think ideology comes second with most indys (no shock there). It was always going to be struggle, but I think if Obama had gone for stronger actions and measures they would have had less to wring their hands about.

But the die is cast... no strong action from Repugs and Obama wins 2012 walking away.