Morally: Yes, you are absolutely right. Non-voters share part of the blame of electing Donald Trump, they share a part of the moral responsibility and should absolutely be held accountable. Everyone who says “Wasn’t me”, needs to be told that they are part of the problem.
Strategically though it’s important that I did not say that they should not be alienated at all, but that I said they should not be completely alienated. Just ask yourself two simple questions:
Can we (a broader left and left-leaning coalition) win future elections without them?
If we completely alienate them, if we treat them as enemies, will they vote how we need them to, or will they dig in and maybe even turn into the enemies we would prefer them not to be?
This has layers to it.
Morally: Yes, you are absolutely right. Non-voters share part of the blame of electing Donald Trump, they share a part of the moral responsibility and should absolutely be held accountable. Everyone who says “Wasn’t me”, needs to be told that they are part of the problem.
Hell, telling people that non-voters are culpable was one of my first reactions.
Strategically though it’s important that I did not say that they should not be alienated at all, but that I said they should not be completely alienated. Just ask yourself two simple questions: