Now that Harry Reid's restored a little of my faith in our Congressional leadership, I'm thinking about the Democratic Party's marketing problem. For 5 years now, at least, we have not been able to connect with the electorate, yet the Republicans have. They're a band of elitist sociopaths, so what can they possibly have that we principled progressives don't? They've had fantastic marketing, & they've developed a strong brand identity. So, I think there's actually something we could learn from them. How could we use their tactics to advance our progressive principles, instead of perpetuating their evil?
1) Strong Brand Identity.
- The GOP have succeeded in creating an image for themselves that bears no relation to reality. They've presented themselves as principled, resolute, tough, united, & socially & fiscally conservative. Meanwhile, as we all know, the budget's run amok, their only shared principle is their own sense of entitlement, & Scooter's writing perverse porn. How have they managed this? Repetition, and refusal to engage with any criticism. They tell us they are principled, resolute, tough, etc., over & over & over again. Any suggestions that they might not be are ignored. Brushed aside with a reference to Clinton, or a counter accusation.
- Refusal to engage with dissent. They've taken this one to real extremes, which we wouldn't really need to do. But maybe we could stop worrying so much about offending their base? Those pro-life values voters represent a tiny segment of the electorate, who will never vote Democratic no matter how its framed for them. The swing voters worth going for are the pro-choice conservatives, the social liberals/fiscal conservatives who persist in thinking of themselves as Republicans. There are a lot more of them, and they can be moved. The way to appeal to them, and to energize & reconnect with the progressive base, is not to make ourselves more like Republicans, but to be prouder, louder Progressives. In trying to appeal to voters we're never going to get, we've failed to offer a compelling alternative to the GOP to its less satisfied constituents. We've also neglected our own fringes, neither speaking nor listening to them.
- Don't ignore your extremists - Exploit them! The fringes feel more strongly about their issues. They'll provide more volunteer hours, more fundraising, & voter turnout. Their energy expands to the more moderate party mainstream, balances any extremist ideas on the other side, and contributes to the direction of the party platform. A platform inspired by principles & passion within the party will always be more compelling than a message crafted from without for maximum crossover appeal. The GOP makes sweet, sweet love to their extremists every campaign season. We hide ours in the attic. They have the presidency & both houses of Congress. Maybe they're onto something?
These specifics all lead to one easily applicable general principle: No more apologizing for & second guessing our progressive principles. It's time to be prouder, louder progressives!