But to absolve 80 million voters (a second time) by saying "theyre just angry you see, they dont know any better where to direct this anger to" is unfair.

Ah, see, the general vibe on Lemmy has been to criticize and shame people who didn't vote, and that's where I thought your debate was coming from. I cast no blame on anyone who either didn't vote or voted third party.

If we're talking the 80 million who voted for Trump a second time? Oh yeah, absolutely, fair game on that front. The only defense I have for them, which I think is important to understand for Democrats to maybe start winning, is that they want change.

And Trump, as shitty as he and his cohorts are, showed them they can change things dramatically during the course of a single presidency. It's shitty change, and many of them don't live in reality, so I've just been discounting them entirely. But it's still observable change that usually aligns with what they want.

Biden/the Democrats have made change, but it's not... Flashy enough? It's not enough, the status quo isn't enough for the voting base they need, and they need to adjust their platform accordingly.

So yeah, if you're criticism is of those who voted for Trump, I agree completely, I'm as angry and disappointed as you are (though not surprised). I just don't think it's fair to blame non-voters and third party for the Democrats failing to convince them they're worth voting for.