Biden picking Vilsack to run USDA isn’t just bad because Vilsack is bad. His appointment proves that Democrats, and Joe Biden, still profoundly do not get what it takes to win elections in the US, what they’re up against with Republicans in years to come. https://prospect.org/cabinet-watch/a-democratic-party-with-tom-vilsack-at-ag-is-not-serious-about-winning-elections/

Three facts: 1) The American political system is prejudiced towards rural voters who are inordinately powerful (duh). 2) Rural voters are the key to GOP minority rule. 3) Since Obama 08 Dems have done horrible, worse every year, with rural voters. https://prospect.org/cabinet-watch/a-democratic-party-with-tom-vilsack-at-ag-is-not-serious-about-winning-elections/

How much do rural voters hate Vilsack in particular? Obama won Iowa and Indiana! Then he appointed Vilsack, and Democrats will never sniff even a competitive race there again. Vilsack ran Biden’s rural outreach in 2020—they lost 75% of rural votes in Texas. https://prospect.org/cabinet-watch/a-democratic-party-with-tom-vilsack-at-ag-is-not-serious-about-winning-elections/

Imagine knowing that the Senate/the House (via districting)/the electoral college are all biased towards rural voters, and then picking the one guy those people hate most. It’s not even about policy! It’s a party that is unserious about the game it plays. https://prospect.org/cabinet-watch/a-democratic-party-with-tom-vilsack-at-ag-is-not-serious-about-winning-elections/

High school civics says politicians are self-preservationists first; everything comes after their desire to get reelected. Joe Biden is showing Democrats can't even manage to do that.

So, again, Democrats will get fucking crushed in rural states in 2022 and 2024. They'll point to popular vote totals and cry over their senate minority. They'll blame iHeartRadio. But they know the rules of the game. They're choosing this outcome themselves. Vilsack proves it.

The saddest thing is that rural people have done terribly under Trump, they're absolutely up for grabs politically, and Democrats aren't even trying. Soon we'll be hearing again that those people are too racist to be reached.

If Democrats ever, ever, ever want to pass a single law or appoint a single judge again they're going to have to win a Senate majority. You can't do that without winning elections in rural states. https://prospect.org/cabinet-watch/a-democratic-party-with-tom-vilsack-at-ag-is-not-serious-about-winning-elections/

if you've ever thought, wow, it is unfair that Democrats have to win massive popular majorities to get micro-majorities in the House, that Joe Biden had to win by 6 million votes to squeak out a victory, that the Senate is unwinnable, you get why alienating rural voters is bad.