Can progressives learn anything from Republicans?

[The Industrial Atheist]

I guess my question is, why do republicans keep winning with such bad ideas?  And whatever the method to the madness is, can democrats harness that for their good ideas?

The question speaks volumes about itself.

You should be talking to moderates who vote republican and asking, What are your concerns in life and how can we address them?

Instead, you go to the echo chamber and say, We know what's good for them better than they do - why won't they do as we say?

It's not just you. Lately I've seen lefties here and in social media saying that the problem is that people vote against their own interests.

Let me put it this way, my mom's boyfriend has voted both Democrat and Republican. He thinks Trump's tax plan is great. He was surprised when I told him almost all the cuts go to the wealthy (a verifiable fact) and that all the middle class tax cuts expire, while the ones for the rich don't. Obama's tax plan had more tax cuts for the middle class than Romney's. He made the Bush middle class tax cut's permanent.

Democrats are usually better than Republicans at giving tax cuts where there's the most need and the most benefit. They fail to capitalize on this. When the Republicans say "We'll let everyone keep their money." The Dems should say "We'll let YOU the average Joe's keep YOUR money and we'll do it better!"

Dem's need to be better at showing average people that they are better at having their best interests at heart. In a tangential sense you're almost right.