The Democratic Party can't win with those tactics anyways. If it imitates the Republicans more and more, everyone will just slide further right. It should've taken a different stance and hard-lined on it. Trying to appeal to voters within the existing, rigged game is a nice show of bravado but not going to get results.
Yet the success of Republicans is that it’s easier to convince stupid people than it is to convince smart people. I’m open to other theories of tactics, if you want to elaborate.
