Gosh, are Democrats sensing there is something wrong with their messaging?

[Moonbeam]

Are they maybe just maybe considering being a teensy weensy bit more aggressive responding to conservative fear mongering?

GOP culture war attacks 'alarmingly potent,' DCCC warns

The campaign committee has been showing House Democrats polling about how to counter GOP attacks on various issues.

www.politico.com

I’m doubtful. Conservatives are the result of nasty 🤮 childhood conditioning and liberals want to be loved 🥰.

Maybe when we have our new shiny fascist state the protests will come but naturally too late.

You would think that if a political party were out to destroy your nation you would do something about it forcefully.

The present day Republican Party is the party of evil and they need to be spoken to and about accordingly. Democrats play politics with a spreading cancer. All conversation should be a call for surgery, in my opinion.

 

[dank69]

I'm sure if they change their messaging everyone will snap out of their sleep.

 

[fskimospy]

This article is absurd on its face and is emblematic of journalist stenographer brain. The idea that altering messaging is going to lead to a TEN POINT swing is stupidity. I mean can anyone point to some message shift credibly determined to have caused such a huge swing ever in the history of polling?

 

[K1052]

DCCC is trying to energize the caucus and gear them up for the election. You don't do that by telling them everything is fine (and realistically it probably isn't).

Politico reporting on that in this manner is not exactly illuminating. Most of their good people bolted a while ago.

 

[HomerJS]

Democrats don't engage in punching back on all the right wing bullshit. Since Jen Psaki has daily pressers she should pick one day in the week to know all the false issues, lies and conspiracies.

Example: she should from the podium proclaim CRT isn't taught in any school district in the country. Tell the public if anyone says otherwise they are lying to you. Challenge them to produce the curriculum proving CRT is taught. These kind of lies are potent and need a response. Obama tried keeping quiet then rumors like birtherism spread throughout the country until half of Republicans believed it to be true.

 

[Commodus]

Messaging certainly isn't the only thing, but it is important. The Democrats may be the ones who base their policies on reason, science and compassion, but they often have a hard time conveying a clear vision that clicks with the public; they let the complexity and nuance of their policies overshadow their goals. Republicans, like it or not, present simple messages, even though they're toxic ones like "science is evil" and "be scared of anyone who isn't a white straight Christian."

Remember Yeats' poem The Second Coming, and how "the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity?" Yeah, that's American politics circa 2022.

Don't get me wrong, the Dems need to be less afraid of bucking the status quo than they have been. But Obama didn't succeed just because he opposed Bush Jr.-era Republicanism; he also had a clarity and emphatic style that made it easier to sell Americans on Democrat policies.

 

[Moonbeam]

This article is absurd on its face and is emblematic of journalist stenographer brain. The idea that altering messaging is going to lead to a TEN POINT swing is stupidity. I mean can anyone point to some message shift credibly determined to have caused such a huge swing ever in the history of polling?

I don’t know. I do see a conservative message out there that secedes in winning a lot of elections in which the voters voting them in are also voting against their own self interest. That makes 10% look pretty easy.

I also find comments like absurd on its face to be problematical because the notion that Democrats are terrible at messaging seems to ring a lot of bells and appears to be a frequent topic in the news.

As fare as any historical evidence of huge swings, I don’t now, but as far as Democrats actually going after Republicans where they live, I don’t see any possibility of that happening because I don’t think Democrats are capable of change. They would probably see an effective message as absurd on its face.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Democrats don't engage in punching back on all the right wing bullshit. Since Jen Psaki has daily pressers she should pick one day in the week to know all the false issues, lies and conspiracies.

Example: she should from the podium proclaim CRT isn't taught in any school district in the country. Tell the public if anyone says otherwise they are lying to you. Challenge them to produce the curriculum proving CRT is taught. These kind of lies are potent and need a response. Obama tried keeping quiet then rumors like birtherism spread throughout the country until half of Republicans believed it to be true.

The problem is not so much the messaging as the machine amplifying the message.

Democrats lack any meaningful way of getting their message into the minds of people. Republicans on the other hand have a vast infrastructure to deliver their message - they dominate AM radio, they have tons of conservative youtubers and podcasters getting tons of views, they have multiple tv stations (Fox, OAN, Newsmax), multitude of pseudo news sites (blaze, washington examiner, free beacon, blaze, breitbart, heck, even babylonbee, as pathetic as it is at being funny) all regurgitating the same shite in unison with almost tactical precision. I mean the second when the "news" story broke (and I put news in quotes for a reason) that Hillary hacked Trump servers the entire right wing machine lit up like a Christmas tree regurgitating same message over and over again.

Jen Psaki pre-emptively hitting back on false issues, lies, and conspiracies? Who cares? Nobody's watching White House briefings. Do you know anyone who does? Because I don't. But hey, the Fox News is always on TV. Or a new Benghazi rumour circulating during Sunday church services.

In an ideal world people would verify the news sources for accuracy and make an informed decision. But they don't. They're lazy and they just trust the first thing they see so long as it feels somewhat credible. A lot of Democratic policies are actually hugely popular such as universal gun backround checks, or universal healthcare, or legalizing weed for example, but it's all meaningless if they can't continuously pound that message into the minds of voters. Democratic party will always be at a huge disadvantage if they cannot deliver their message to the people.

 

[cytg111]

This article is absurd on its face and is emblematic of journalist stenographer brain. The idea that altering messaging is going to lead to a TEN POINT swing is stupidity. I mean can anyone point to some message shift credibly determined to have caused such a huge swing ever in the history of polling?

Well, if you pulled the plug on Fox….In that absence, a dedicated AntiFox.com that mirrors all their stories in realtime and lays out the bullshit.

 

[dullard]

I do see a conservative message out there that secedes in winning a lot of elections

Freudian slip?

 

[dank69]

Democrats don't engage in punching back on all the right wing bullshit. Since Jen Psaki has daily pressers she should pick one day in the week to know all the false issues, lies and conspiracies.

Example: she should from the podium proclaim CRT isn't taught in any school district in the country. Tell the public if anyone says otherwise they are lying to you. Challenge them to produce the curriculum proving CRT is taught. These kind of lies are potent and need a response. Obama tried keeping quiet then rumors like birtherism spread throughout the country until half of Republicans believed it to be true.

How's that working out?

 

[fskimospy]

I don’t know. I do see a conservative message out there that secedes in winning a lot of elections in which the voters voting them in are also voting against their own self interest. That makes 10% look pretty easy.

I also find comments like absurd on its face to be problematical because the notion that Democrats are terrible at messaging seems to ring a lot of bells and appears to be a frequent topic in the news.

As fare as any historical evidence of huge swings, I don’t now, but as far as Democrats actually going after Republicans where they live, I don’t see any possibility of that happening because I don’t think Democrats are capable of change. They would probably see an effective message as absurd on its face.

Yes, I think it is a frequent topic in the news and is mostly a waste of time - this coming from a person who thinks a lot of Democratic messaging is bad.

The problem usually isn't that people haven't been exposed to the Democratic message, it's that they don't value the same things. There are plenty of people in America who would happily live a worse and less prosperous life so long as those they deem unworthy are similarly afflicted.

 

[woolfe9998]

Dem candidates changing their messaging isn't going to be a big swing. But that is not the most important source of liberal messaging. The media and activists are because 10's of millions read and watch news media every day.

Note what happened with the defund the police messaging during summer '20, how it came from activists and the media, and how it hurt the dem candidates in November that year, including Biden who said 8 times in public that he didn't support defund the police.

Everyone on the left down to rank and file who post to social media needs to think about what they're saying, particularly in the area of identity politics. It's alienating swing voters right now, and this is something we cannot afford given that the rival party is anti-democracy.

 

[fskimospy]

Dem candidates changing their messaging isn't going to be a big swing. But that is not the most important source of liberal messaging. The media and activists are because 10's of millions read and watch news media every day.

Note what happened with the defund the police messaging during summer '20, how it came from activists and the media, and how it hurt the dem candidates in November that year, including Biden who said 8 times in public that he didn't support defund the police.

Everyone on the left down to rank and file who post to social media needs to think about what they're saying, particularly in the area of identity politics. It's alienating swing voters right now, and this is something we cannot afford given that the rival party is anti-democracy.

I agree that it hurt them in 2020 but I think we should all be pretty skeptical of how much improved messaging can help. A few points here or there, sure, but we are not seeing 10 point swings because Democrats had the right focus group that told them how to message better.

 

[hal2kilo]

I agree that it hurt them in 2020 but I think we should all be pretty skeptical of how much improved messaging can help. A few points here or there, sure, but we are not seeing 10 point swings because Democrats had the right focus group that told them how to message better.

Dems are also not a monolith like the Republican party. Black caucus isn't going down quietly.

 

[fskimospy]

Dems are also not a monolith like the Republican party. Black caucus isn't going down quietly.

While that's true, amusingly enough black people weren't the ones championing 'defund the police' - it was white people thinking they were helping out, which they were not.

 

[cytg111]

How's that working out?

Fox has to go.

 

[HomerJS]

How's that working out?

Its as if she heard me this morning. She needs to do shit like this weekly. Even if the likes of Fox cut away they can't can't keep doing that. You can throw them off by starting your presser sometimes with debunking. Call out these fuckers DIRECTLY who spread false stories.

 

[hal2kilo]

While that's true, amusingly enough black people weren't the ones championing 'defund the police' - it was white people thinking they were helping out, which they were not.

You might want to talk to Rep. Cori Bush about that.

 

[woolfe9998]

I agree that it hurt them in 2020 but I think we should all be pretty skeptical of how much improved messaging can help. A few points here or there, sure, but we are not seeing 10 point swings because Democrats had the right focus group that told them how to message better.

Again, not talking about what the candidates are saying. The issue is that too many swing voters have a negative impression of the democrats right now and it's because of pervasive messaging which is mainly far left activists being given a megaphone by mainstream news media. Especially CNN, NYT, and WaPo.

Those news outlets are making "woke" appear mainstream on the left even though it decidedly is not. I know a ton of libs IRL, family and friends, and none of them agree with everything we're hearing from these activists. Some are quite annoyed by it.

Unfortunately it won't stop unless the media decides to quit sabotaging the democratic party for $$. Oh look, a celebrity said what? Cancel! Oh look, we found another case where a black guy was shot by cops. Cha-ching!

Ordinary people on the left can at least do their tiny part by toning things down on social media, even expressing some disagreement with this far left media zeitgeist.

 

[fskimospy]

Again, not talking about what the candidates are saying. The issue is that too many swing voters have a negative impression of the democrats right now and it's because of pervasive messaging which is mainly far left activists being given a megaphone by mainstream news media. Especially CNN, NYT, and WaPo.

Those news outlets are making "woke" appear mainstream on the left even though it decidedly is not. I know a ton of libs IRL, family and friends, and none of them agree with everything we're hearing from these activists. Some are quite annoyed by it.

Unfortunately it won't stop unless the media decides to quit sabotaging the democratic party for $$. Oh look, a celebrity said what? Cancel! Oh look, we found another case where a black guy was shot by cops. Cha-ching!

Ordinary people on the left can at least do their tiny part by toning things down on social media, even expressing some disagreement with this far left media zeitgeist.

Meh, the media can't be expected to do that - their goal is to make money and inflammatory shit makes money. This is of course why the accusations by the right of media bias are so ludicrous - the media doesn't care. After all it's not like the media doesn't do the exact same thing for far right activists, why do we even know who Marjorie Taylor Greene is? Because she says crazy, inflammatory shit.

The media wants a food fight. If there isn't one available they look to start one. Why? Because food fights get eyeballs and clicks.

 

[woolfe9998]

Meh, the media can't be expected to do that - their goal is to make money and inflammatory shit makes money. This is of course why the accusations by the right of media bias are so ludicrous - the media doesn't care. After all it's not like the media doesn't do the exact same thing for far right activists, why do we even know who Marjorie Taylor Greene is? Because she says crazy, inflammatory shit.

The media wants a food fight. If there isn't one available they look to start one. Why? Because food fights get eyeballs and clicks.

Yes, I know that. Which is why I think we're screwed. The least people on the left can do is not behave on social media as if they're so influenced by it. Because there is a backlash against it, and it's not all on the far right.

 

[fskimospy]

Yes, I know that. Which is why I think we're screwed. The least people on the left can do is not behave on social media as if they're so influenced by it. Because there is a backlash against it, and it's not all on the far right.

I agree - our diversity, equity, and inclusion people used to work in the space right outside my office so I could overhear their conversations sometimes. I'm a very liberal guy but I wanted to strangle them as they attempted to unpack their privileges to examine their Starbucks ordering process through the lens of equity.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I've long held that Dem messaging is best when its class based, not identity politics based. If Dems hammer on a message of security for the working poor and middle class, they will naturally capture much of the black and latino (and white and asian and etc etc) audience that exists in those spheres. If they exclusively talk about blackness and latinoness, some members of those groups automatically feel otherized while plenty of white folk feel neglected or bristly (and like it or not, these people vote).

The game is to win so you can actually enact the policies you espouse, not to brigade and troll and virtue signal, and that means you have to take middle america's feels into account.

 

[dank69]

I've long held that Dem messaging is best when its class based, not identity politics based. If Dems hammer on a message of security for the working poor and middle class, they will naturally capture much of the black and latino (and white and asian and etc etc) audience that exists in those spheres. If they exclusively talk about blackness and latinoness, some members of those groups automatically feel otherized while plenty of white folk feel neglected or bristly (and like it or not, these people vote).

The game is to win so you can actually enact the policies you espouse, not to brigade and troll and virtue signal, and that means you have to take middle america's feels into account.

Problem is Democrats already do what you suggest but the public still believes they are doing what you think they should not do.