A Democratic Checklist

I keep seeing and hearing self-described liberals/progressives saying things such as, “We’re done with the Democratic Party!” “The Democratic Party is just as bad as the Republican Party!” and “I’m either not voting or voting 3^rd party from here on!”

First off, the two parties are not remotely the same. Let’s compare January 6^th from 2021 to 2025. Notice any differences? If not, I seriously recommend you schedule an appointment with your optometrist, stat!

Given the fact so many registered Democrats stayed home this past November, however, it seems rather obvious to me some changes need to be made moving forward. Yes, I’m going to run through said changes.

1)    1)  Chutes for Leaders: With all due respect to the likes of Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi, amongst others, it’s high past time for party leaders to get a makeover. No, I don’t mean Senator Schumer should go Twisted Sister; I mean it’s time for some new faces atop the Democratic Party. In my opinion, Joe Biden was a very underrated President, and Hillary Clinton should damn well have won in 2016, but outside of Biden’s short-lived honeymoon period, neither were ever remarkably popular with the public during, nor following their campaigns. The last truly popular presidential candidate for the Democratic Party was none other than Barack Obama. He was young, articulate, inspirational, and possessed both an intriguing story and a catchy slogan. We always talk about being the party of the future. Well, while our policies may suggest as much, the public may be hard-pressed to believe it when our leaders have been eligible for Medicare for well over a decade.

2)   2)  Diversify: This may sound funny, considering we’re talking about the Democratic Party here, but we need to do a better job of reaching out to a wider range of people. I’m largely talking about older voters and rural voters. Didn’t think I was going there, did you? Democratic candidates tend to dominate urban areas, but get their donkeys handed to them in rural communities. They also tend to lose the 65+ vote, even though their policies tend to be kinder to said age bracket than those of the Republican Party. No, we may not win a majority of rural voters, but if we had cut the deficit by even just 5% this past election, Kamala Harris would currently be our President. With older folks, it should be easy. It’s not, and I don’t know why we make it so hard on ourselves, but let’s look at the facts. Democratic candidates largely support marijuana legalization, particularly for medicinal purposes. The Democratic Party largely supports maintaining Social Security, Medicare, and not raising the retirement age. This is antithetical to the Republican Party’s positions, generally speaking. Don’t permanently give up on these communities. We’re not going to make any inroads by ignoring these demographics, and just because we may not win a majority of said voters, doesn’t mean we can’t win over enough to win a majority of electoral votes in future elections.

3)    3)  Greater Range of Emotion Than Numbers: I’m as big of a numbers geek as it gets, but emotion is far and away a bigger seller. Numbers are fine to an extent, but to maximize their effectiveness, it’s wise to integrate a story which resonates with people. This past election season Democrats were right in declaring the United States as the country with the most successful post-COVID economic rebound across the globe. Statistically speaking, that was an accurate sentiment. Having said that, many people were not feeling said success on a personal level. Their wallets were still hurting, so while Democratic politicians and spokespersons may have been technically accurate with their aforementioned assertions, voters largely weren’t feeling it, and given that, all the positive numbers being relayed unto them felt false and/or disingenuous. Carrying a positive tone about the future is always a good thing, but carrying a positive tone about the present, when a significant number of people view the time in a negative light, well, that can understandably rub them the wrong way. It’s okay to rattle off a list of accomplishments during your term, but don’t do so in a way which showcases a lack of empathy for people who may be hurting. Acknowledge the job isn’t finished yet. Acknowledge there are people struggling to put food on the table. Acknowledge that there’s still work do be done and you’re the one to do it.

4)    4)  Nice Politicians Finish Second: “When they go low, we go high!” For as much as I love and respect former First Lady Michelle Obama, while the naïve side of me agrees, the political side of me goes the other way. Voters want fighters. If they wanted slugs, Paul Ryan would still be in office. Don’t be a complete arsehole, like Trump, mocking the disabled; deriding POWs; etc., but if the guy swings, you swing back even harder. When a man-baby tries to bully America, then’s not the time practice quiet-time; it’s time to put him in his rightful place – in the corner for a bigly timeout.

5)     5) Offense Wins Political Championships: While defense may win championships in football, that’s anything but the case in politics. When you’re having to consistently explain yourself to the public, I don’t think I have to explain to you that you’re losing. When you place your opponent on the defensive, odds are they’ll be bombarded by media, left, right, and center; be tired; be frustrated; and be more prone to committing a horrendous gaffe as a result. The longer you control the narrative, the more likely it is you’ll win the election.

6)   6)  Rebranding Time: Voters are growing increasingly distrustful of our institutions – particularly government. Telling the people to trust government probably won’t be a winning strategy at this juncture. The GOP’s strategy, on the other hand, is to tear down government. No, that’s not a winning move either, but it’s unfortunately better than “trust the government.” So, let’s go a different route. The GOP has fully proven the government can and does suck sometimes. Why not go with that trend, but place an optimistic twist on matters? “Yeah, government sucks, so let’s make it better!” “Government Sucks! To Make It Better, It’s Up to Us! Vote Blue!” This empathizes with the voters’ feelings on the state of government and gives them a sense of empowerment, as well as a sense of hope. What was that, Barack, the last popular Democratic presidential candidate? What do you have to say? Can we do it? “Yes We Can!"