Democrats Quote by Mark Lilla
““Once Reagan was elected, the Republican strategy had two components. The first was to build from the bottom up, getting the party rooted so it could win state and local elections, then congressional elections, then the presidency. When it comes to the presidency, liberal Democrats have daddy issues, even when their candidate is a woman. Rather than concentrate on the daily task of winning over people at the local level, they have concentrated on the national media and invested their energies in trying to win the presidency every four years. And once they do, they expect Daddy to solve all the country's problems, oblivious to the fact that without support in Congress and the states a president under our system can accomplish very little. And so they are perpetually dissatisfied with their presidents and snipe at them from the left, which is the last thing a Democratic president in the current environment needs.””
About This Quote
Republican strategy builds grassroots support before aiming for national office, but Democrats often focus on media and presidential ambitions, leading to perpetual dissatisfaction.
In simple terms: Grassroots vs. media focus creates tension.
Key Takeaway
Invest in local engagement for lasting impact.
Themes
politics
strategy
grassroots
Mood
analytical
critical
informative
Type
analysis
commentary
When to use this quote
- career campaigning
- local elections
- national elections
Key Concepts
party building
media influence
policy implementation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can parties balance local and national priorities?
- What mechanisms ensure sustained grassroots support?
A Different Perspective
Relying solely on media can neglect essential local foundations.
![“Four states where [Democrats] have the governorship and both houses of the legislature. That's it. They have lost seats. They are not gonna win the House and Senate back any time soon. They don't have a prayer. Even if the Republicans implode, the numbers just work against them. They got too many…” quote by Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bf9/rush-limbaugh-28_democracy_four-states-where-democrats-have-the-gov_21285.jpg)