10 Idea Challenge For DNC for 2018/2020.
As we start (sigh) the era of Republican-controlled Washington and Republican-controlled states across the country, the Democrats must start organizing where it matters. As we continue to process the 2016 loss, let’s put one thing to rest: Democrats did not have an enthusiasm problem. Democrats had a focus problem. We took our eyes off the ball, and the ball was Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. So as we go forward, let’s find ways to make sure we do not lose focus but also have a plan for what will be inevitable mistakes.
We Democrats need a focused plan if we are to start winning elections with large numbers again. Moreover, make no mistake, we will win elections and win them big again IF we have a plan. This time, however, the plan must come from the people and the voters.
So, I have come up with an idea for organizers, voters, and activists to get involved in a direct level. My idea is to start a challenge where we each come up with 10 ideas for the Democratic Party to incorporate at both the federal and local level. If you cannot come up with 10 ideas, 5 will do! We need new ideas to lead us forward in these dark but not insurmountable times.
Here are my 10 ideas for the Democratic Party:
1. When we do GOTV, we must include Voter ID help and outreach for voters that are directly affected by these laws (poor, minorities, college students). We spend millions on television ads that have proven to be less effective than direct voter outreach. As we talk to voters, we need to start asking, “Do you have a valid ID as your state requires one to vote. If you do not have one, we will help you get one.” So money that was once dedicated purely to television ads can and must be divided up to help voters get the identification necessary to vote in the states that it is required.
2. We must return to a true 50-State strategy that fights for every seat that is available to run in. You cannot have a wave election if you do not have candidates to ride the wave. From dog catcher on up, voters need to have a choice. Even if the candidate does not win, just having the name on the ballot will boost turnout for other races that could mean the difference between winning and losing. With this strategy, we must also localize the races to issues that are important at the local level. What might play in Pittsburgh might not play in Eastern Washington.
3. We must put 2016 behind us, both the primary and general election. There is nothing we can do about it now. We must analyze where we went wrong but blaming Clinton for Sanders and vice versa; we are nowhere. Clinton beat Sanders; Trump beat Clinton. It is over. Let’s move on. Rehashing expired battles is not only a drain on the mind for those listening but also for those fighting them. It is over. It is done. Let’s move on.
4. We must have a 24/7 voter outreach and engagement. This includes radio spots, flyers, commercials and most definitely social media. While I believe that Twitter will be the downfall of Trump; he wields it like a precision knife when he wants his message out there. It is time we caught up to this. One of the biggest failures of the Obama Presidency was not using his incredible abilities to speak directly to voters more often. One moment where President Obama reached out was during the ACA rollout when he appeared with Zach Galifianakis on his show and spoke directly to millennials about enrolling in health care. The result? Healthcare.gov crashed from a spike in visits and enrollment went up. Speaking directly to voters helps. Making voters feel like they are foot soldiers for a bigger cause makes them feel important, and one way to achieve this is to do it constantly. There can be no let up when something is as important as the future of our country and the citizens.
5. We do not need to abandon people of color to push a working class message. While we must clean up our message and make it more concise, we can do both. We can speak to issues of race and prejudice without ignoring the plight of workers. How is this possible? Because minorities make up the majority of working class people in America. One of the lessons from this election is that people want things. They do not care if it is necessarily possible, they just want the idea of a dream coming true. Should we lie? No. However, should we push the boundaries of dreams? Yes. The idea of America is about reaching for the impossible, not settling for the meh. It is also called politics. Trump did it brilliantly, unfortunately. He made promises that he has no intentions of keeping but people wanted to believe in the possible, not be told it is impossible.
Democrats need to get back to talking about jobs constantly, healthcare constantly, education constantly, fair trade constantly, business relations constantly, race relations constantly. We can weave a beautiful vision for America that connects to voters, without abandoning one subset of voters for another.
6. Our leaders in Washington must show backbone, and we must let them know that we stand with them when they do. We cannot demand from those in Washington unless we call, write and attend meetings. They need to know that we have their back when they call out Republicans for destroying America at the behest of the 1%. Our elected officials must know that they will be rewarded when they stand with us. When they don’t stand with us? Well, they need to know that we will be hounding and hold them accountable with our vote when the time comes. It is a two-way street, and we must do our part.
7. We must engage in constant Trump pushback. Don’t listen to those on Twitter talking about “front row kids” and how when we say “well actually.” we are losing. That is bullshit. We need to start calling a spade a spade and make it known far and wide. When Trump, a cabinet member, administration member or surrogate are on television, social media or in print, and they lie, we must call them liars. Call a liar a liar. It is time to take off the gloves and realize that we are in the political fight of our lives. We need to act like it.
8. Democrats need to play the media game. When we show up for interviews, we MUST make our point loud and clear. When Democrats appear on television, they need to have talking points, drill them home and then drill them home again. This method works. Playing the media game is a necessary evil in this day and age, so denying its power is a foolish idea. When asked a question, answer it firmly, no more hemming and hawing about wonky policy matter. A straight answer is what’s necessary.
9. Make sure to follow up on the “Republican Accomplishments” whether they are the crap Carrier deal, Republican plans to cut taxes, Republican plans to take away health care from 25 million people. Let the American people know that these ideas are not only foolish but that they are also deadly for the voter. The Carrier deal will be one that we can hang around Trump in a year or two and subsequently around the Republicans in Congress and nationwide. When Carrier ships those jobs to Mexico and lays off the rest of the workers, which is inevitable, be ready with ads in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. Explain the consequences of irresponsible, dangerous and CORRUPT deals. When Republicans “accomplish” their agenda priorities, people are hurt and left behind. Remind voters of this.
10. “What the hell do you have to lose? Turns out a lot.” This is an ad in waiting for Democrats in 2018. “Trump asked, and now we have the answers.” Then list all that we have lost. “25 million people lost healthcare; Our budget will now never be balanced;” etc., We need to remind voters of the consequences of elections and what exactly they had to lose the last time around. People tend to have short memories, and until Trump can prove to be nothing but a disaster (yes, he won), then Democrats should not let voters forget. Trump still has underwater favorable/unfavorable numbers, and even in polls that are positive for him, he still can’t be viewed positively. 56% of Trump voters will believe anything he says. Guess what? 44% do not. That is a huge chunk of voters for someone who only won 46% of the vote and won by 80k votes in 3 formerly safe blue states. He has ZERO margin for error. Let’s create the error and remind voters exactly what they have lost during these years.
These are my ideas, feel free to critique them of course, but I want to hear your ideas! We all need to make an effort to change our party for the better and to make sure that we not only do well in off-year elections but all elections going forward. We can have an amazing resurgence as a party and a movement IF we all pitch in and do our part. This will be a long battle but one that I am truly confident that we will win. History and destiny are on our side, and while we may lose battles, we will win the war, IF we keep our eyes on the prize. Let’s do this!
