The 2014 midterms provided a great deal of information to learn from, and before they slip too far into the past, I’d like to capture some of that knowledge. To begin with, we can learn from our successes in 2014. In 2015, we need to develop better ways to solicit money, and we need to begin making the case that the Republican leadership is bad for America. In 2016, we need better strategies for getting out the vote. Finally, in 2018 and in all future midterm elections, we need a national platform with which to mount national campaigns.
Most of this essay came from comparing Facebook posts with what was actually going on leading up to the 2014 midterm elections. So, for inspiration, Read Facebook!
2014, what did we do right?
Charlie Crist did well in his solicitation for money. He exhibited accountability and transparency by showing us the ads he planned to run with the money we sent him. The solicitations from votevets.org were outstanding for the same reason.
Gary Peters had the right response to Republican efforts to tie Democrats to the President. Congratulations on his successful campaign.
Another bright spot was the state referendums on raising the minimum wage.
There were many more well-run campaigns, but these are the ones that stood out for me.
2015, how to ask for money
First and foremost, don’t beg, and don’t whine! In 2014, virtually every solicitation was along the same lines: “Just give us money to fight those evil Republicans. (And trust us – we know better than you how to spend it.) The Democratic Governors Association took the whining to a higher level, complaining in virtually every solicitation that they were in the process of loosing to the Republicans. They were so down in the mouth, I had to unsubscribe from them.
In order to get really good contributions from the Democratic base, it is necessary to conclusively demonstrate that the leadership is putting the money to good use - by telling us how it’s being spent and asking us to support specific strategies.
Finally, campaign in every state! Howard Dean was not far off the mark with his 50-state strategy. But notice the purpose of the campaign is different in red and blue states. In red states, campaigns are designed to inspire Democrats and educate others. In blue states, the ads are mainly to inspire Democrats to contribute to the national cause.
2015, how to invest
Beginning right now, there’s a need to mount a national campaign holding the Republicans responsible for their dirty deeds. Nothing should be left to chance. So, for example, when the Republicans posted a censored copy of President Obama’s State of the Union address, we should call them on that in a very public way.
More generally, it is none to early to persuade the public that we’re the party that has their interests at heart. We need to capitalize on the fact that the American public is with us on all the major social issues, as documented in a Facebook post and more recently in an excellent poll put out by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Beginning now, the Democratic Party can make great progress by mounting a national campaign encouraging people to support us because they agree with the Democrats on all the major social issues.
2016, how to get out the vote
Both the Democrats and the Republicans did a poor job getting out the vote in 2014. Part of the problem is that the standard ploy of cold calling voters no longer works because voters are so fed up with Congress they just hang up when they realize the call is political in nature – and who could blame them?
We need to inspire Americans to vote by advertising issues they care about and are willing to work for, as documented in the above mentioned polls. One way to do this is by supporting more state referendums on issues Americans care about.
Finally, we need to confront head on the idea that because America is now an oligarchy it really doesn't matter how ordinary people vote. Again, this needs to be done through national campaigns. Basically we need to decide that this state of affairs is wrong and has to be changed. Expect Elizabeth Warren to play a leading role here.
2018, how to succeed in midterm elections
Run a national campaign. In 2010, the most important national issue was Obamacare. The Democratic leadership let the Republicans paint a very false picture of Obamacare without effectively challenging it. Romneycare, by contrast, included funds to advertise its virtues. The Democratic leadership could have filled the gap by getting the truth out about Obamacare, thereby saving many Congressional seats.
In 2014, the Democratic leadership made a similar mistake. They sat by while the Republicans painted a negative picture of Obama, without mounting a national campaign to advertise the wonderful things our president has accomplished.
The Republicans also did wonders with voter suppression. What we needed were national ads to the effect that cheaters shouldn't win! This alone could have made the difference in several close races. Expect this to be a major issue in future elections as well.
The most important differences between national elections and midterm elections center around the fact that we not only put up a party platform for the national elections but also mount a national campaign based on that platform. In a country where the people agree with the liberals on most social issues, this makes all the difference. Starting in 2018, put out a party platform every two years and run on it. This will provide a good scaffold on which to counter the outrageous deeds of the Republican leadership.