With things looking up for the party in 2018, Democrats may not be in the mood to deal with this issue now, but with midterms less than a year away, it needs to be addressed: The Democratic Party still does not have a consistent and inspiring message for voters.
In a Washington Post-ABC poll last July, 52% of voters said the Democratic Party had no message other than being anti-Trump. Only 37%--barely a third—thought the party stood for something. The Democrats' lack of a message was even the subject of a Meet the Press segment a while ago. Democratic Party Democratic Party leaders recognize the problem, but their solution—the hopelessly wonky, overly complex "A Better Deal" campaign—only proved the point: The party has a tin ear for populism.
Anti-Trump furor may help Democrats for an election cycle or two, but we shouldn't let that mask this critical issue: The Democratic message is not connecting with vast swaths of Americans, which is why Republicans now control all three branches of the federal government (for the moment) and three-fifths of statehouses and governorships. Yet maddingly, voters are rejecting Democratic candidates even though polls consistently show that a majority of Americans agree with Democrats on most major issues, from health care to climate change to immigration. That can mean only one thing: Democrats are just not making a strong case to the public.
This lack of a focused, inspiring message is all the more frustrating because it's so unnecessary. Democrats have a beautiful and compelling message for America—but we're not telling the story. Here are four simple talking points that Democrats should be conveying to voters . . . .
Creating a forceful, populist message for the Democratic Party shouldn’t be a difficult assignment. Barack Obama showed the power of values-based messaging. Senators Warren and Sanders are superb populist communicators. But somehow the rest of the party has yet to take up the banner.
Democrats must create a clear, concise narrative of who we are, what we stand for, and specifically how we plan to improve the lives of Americans. Most important, we must craft a message that appeals to voters’ hearts, not just their minds.
I would argue that message should center on four main themes:
1. These are the values Democrats stand for.
Conservatives have managed to usurp values messaging and paint themselves—against all evidence—as the party of God, freedom, the Constitution, and family values. It is the single biggest reason Democrats are being crushed throughout Middle America. It’s time to push back. Every Democrat should have one inviolable rule: Never talk about issues without talking about values. We must relate every policy position to traditional American, moral, or religious beliefs. For example:
- Freedom (including the freedom from want, freedom from discrimination, the freedom to live according to our own natures and consciences, and the freedom of everyone to fully participate in American prosperity)
- Fairness and equality
- The religious and humanitarian value of helping the less fortunate
- The Constitution
- Patriotism
- The spirit of American optimism and progress
- The greatness of America and our special role as the world's only remaining superpower
2. Democrats fight for the underdog: for workers, the poor, and anyone who needs a voice in society.
The theme of "fighting for the underdog" unites so many liberal issues under one sympathetic banner, and it's the answer to every charge of "identity politics" or "class warfare." We must get back to our roots as champions of workers and people in poverty. Our party needs to lay out a simple, specific, populist agenda telling voters exactly how we intend to improve their lives. And we should constantly remind Americans of the proud history of the Democratic Party: Virtually every major improvement in the lives of working Americans since the 1930s has come from Democrats.
3. Democrats are the party of reform and clean government.
Americans are desperate for politicians who will listen to them instead of special interests. The first party to propose genuine, meaningful reforms to take money out of politics will win America's heart for a generation.
4. Conservatism is dead.
For at least 40 years now, conservatives have relentlessly trashed liberalism, portraying Democrats as tax-and-spend, godless, weak-kneed, anti-American libertines. The tactic has been so effective that our politicians can't even call themselves "liberals" anymore; now they're "progressives." Why haven't Democrats ever fought back?
Here’s another rule for Democrats: Don’t just attack Republicans or a particular opponent—attack conservatism. The goal is to not just argue about issues but to delegitimize the very foundation of Republican ideology. At every opportunity, Democrats must portray conservatives as:
- Callous and mean-spirited
- Concerned about the wealthy instead of average Americans
- Fiscally incompetent
- Pessimistic and afraid of new ideas
- Immoral and un-Christian in their policies toward the poor
- Unworthy of leading a great nation
Our message to voters: Stop listening to conservatives tell you what America can't do. Elect leaders who will show you what America can do.
These four points are not “liberal” ideas; they are messages that every Democratic candidate can carry to every district in America if they are delivered in the right context and connected to deeply held values. In an upcoming series of posts titled "The New Democratic Message," I'll expand on each of these messages.
Just as important as the Democratic Party's message is the party's commitment to it. Messaging must be as much of a priority as fundraising, candidate recruitment, and GOTV efforts. Every Democratic politician must buy in; everyone must see themselves as ambassadors for the party's brand.
Democrats have a powerful story to tell as champions of America's underdogs, workers, and the poor, and as protectors of individual rights and personal freedoms. It's time we started telling it.
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.