Just because a corporate blue dog didn't win doesn't mean a left wing candidate would've. If anything I think the winning message regardless of party in these states is a populist one independent of "left" vs "right" culture politics at large, but that their populist cultural line is certainly not that of the contempory dem party.
It's just that you need the social side populist message to be deeply centered around the culture of the state. Hood to the hollar was a fantastic slogan. You needed someone who'd physically go to the apalachian parts of the state and throw a fuck ton of moonshine parties in every small town for the candidate. Culture war doesn't have to be at the expense of marginalized people, but you do need to appeal to it.
Just because a corporate blue dog didn't win doesn't mean a left wing candidate would've. If anything I think the winning message regardless of party in these states is a populist one independent of "left" vs "right" culture politics at large, but that their populist cultural line is certainly not that of the contempory dem party.
It's just that you need the social side populist message to be deeply centered around the culture of the state. Hood to the hollar was a fantastic slogan. You needed someone who'd physically go to the apalachian parts of the state and throw a fuck ton of moonshine parties in every small town for the candidate. Culture war doesn't have to be at the expense of marginalized people, but you do need to appeal to it.