This series tries to make the case that the Democratic Party desperately needs to rethink how it communicates to America and that to connect with voters Democrats should focus on four primary themes::
- These are the values Democrats stand for.
- Democrats fight for workers and the poor.
- Democrats are the party of reform and clean government.
- Conservatism is dead.
This post will focus on message #3.
Here's a quiz: What do Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump have in common? Answer: They all ran on a platform of change, and they all saw extraordinary, unexpected success.
So what should that teach the Democratic Party? Two things:
- Americans are hungry—even desperate—for change. They are angry and frustrated at politicians and a federal government that doesn’t seem to be listening to their concerns and that responds only to the highest bidder.
- If Democrats don't become the party of fundamental reform and honest, responsive government, we deserve whatever fate befalls us.
Here's what Democrats should do about it …
By all rights, voters who want change should be flocking to Democrats. Our party has a long and truly extraordinary history of social and workplace reforms, and we’re the only party that will fight seriously to take money out of politics. The fact that voters aren’t electing Democrats in droves is a sign of our failed messaging. Voters must know: If they want to improve their lives and reform government, that will only happen by electing Democrats.
While the corruption of the Trump regime will make our jobs easier, we must forcefully make the case that Democrats are serious about scrubbing the stink of money from politics and representing the people over special interests. We can’t just mouth the words, and Sanders and Warren can’t be the only voices for change. Every Democratic spokesperson must be a radical reformist and a passionate advocate for clean, responsive government. It must be the brand of our party. Our political lives depend on it.
To convincingly make that case, Democrats will need a very specific agenda for clean government and social reforms. I’ll leave details to the professionals, but that agenda might include:
- A constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United
- Aggressive enforcement of Dodd-Frank Wall Street reforms
- Real-time disclosure of political contributions and expenditures
- Overhauling the Federal Election Commission and stringently enforcing existing campaign finance laws
- Shortening the primary season by starting it in April or May, to lessen the influence of money
- Fixing the filibuster so senators have to actually filibuster to stop votes on legislation
- Lobbyist reforms
- Small-donor public financing of candidates as advocated by Common Cause
Democrats must convince voters we are on their side. A sincere and robust reform agenda is critical to winning back a cynical public.
Posts in this series so far:
The New Democratic Message: A communications plan to win back America
The New Democratic Message (Part 2): Don’t talk about issues. Talk about VALUES.
The New Democratic Message (Part 3): Democrats fight for workers and the poor
The New Democratic Message (Part 4): Democrats are the party of reform and clean government
The New Democratic Message (Part 5): Don’t attack Republicans. Attack CONSERVATIVES.