Where is the deficiency in the Democratic message?

[kentuck]

Why can they not appeal to poor working people in states like Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Kentucky? What are they doing wrong?

Why do we have to settle for "Blue Dogs" or conservatives in these poor states?

One would think that the Democratic Party could craft a message more appealing than the one that the Republicans give them? Are they really that concerned about government spending and estate taxes or tax cuts for the wealthy? I doubt it.

I would think that jobs, good education for their children, healthcare for their family, Social Security when they are older, would be good issues to run on? Why do the Democrats surrender their message to Republicans in these districts? Do they think Republicans have a superior message to offer? Or do they think the people are so stupid they will only accept the Republican philosophy, therefore, we have to be like them in order to have a chance of winning? So we keep nominating "Blue Dogs" and we keep losing these states to the Repubs.

Have we simply given up on these people? They will not accept the Democratic message ever. To believe otherwise is to live in a fantasy world?

Our message is inferior to the Repubs? Is that what we are saying? If not, what are we saying when we surrender our message to a more conservative one?

[leftstreet]

1. Apparently the message was fine in 2006 and 2008

What changed?

[RagAss]

2. It's simple....we need one line phrases...like this....

"Kill the Poor ! - Vote Republican !"

[Naturyl]

3. In order to appeal to poor people

You'd need a message and platform that actually mentions them.

Not gonna woo the poor with constant kowtowing to the "middle class."

[Drale]

4. I don't know if theres a deficiency in our message

but the other side has spent all their time demonetizing us and creating their "policies" if you can call them that, to be the complete opposite of ours.

[stray cat]

5. What exactly is the message?

Moderates are idiots and people who vote republican are stupid?

[kentuck]

6. What do you think the message should be?

Obviously, the one we now have, no one has any confidence in it. It is a loser to conservatism and blue dogmatism.

[alsame]

7. IMO, the Democratic party has never been very good at

short, simple messages that connect the dots between liberal policies and the quality of life of the average American.

The bottom 98% should be overwhelmingly Democratic, but they're not.

In contrast, the GOP has been able to distort everything and convince people to vote against their own interests. People making minimum wage are supporting the Bush tax cuts and the repeal of the estate tax - WTF?

We can't convince people of the truth while the GOP is able to convince people of lies.

I think we need our own version of Frank Luntz, someone who meticulously studies messaging. Our policies are better for the vast majority of this country, but they don't know it.

[jwirr]

8. I think that right wing religion has a big hold on the poor in those states. ny

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Republicans love corporations

we are too cowardly to use these kinds of fear inducing, bumper stickers.

Republicans will privatize social security.


Instead we make long winded, nuanced arguments about entitlements... did I mention the world entitlement is now a dirty word?

Until our people bring Lakoff in and listen... we will continue to fail at connecting.

[Klukie]

10. The deficiency lies in the inability to be aggressive in delivery of said message.

[Lyric]

11. I recommend reading "What's The Matter With Kansas?" by Thomas Frank.

He pinpoints many of the reasons why Democrats have lost the working class and poor vote. I wish more of our leaders would read it, because if we don't fight to get those constituencies back, we're never going to be a strong party again. So long as we continue to rely on the mushy middle for our victory margin, we're going to be screwed. We need a base so strong that centrist voters don't make a difference one way or another, and THAT requires us to reach out to (and embrace) the working class again.

But if you want a head start? Go make friends with poor people. Get outside of your comfort zone and involve yourself in their lives. Get familiar with their concerns and issues, and talk to them about it on equal footing that doesn't patronize or lecture. Seriously. I know that sounds really simplistic, but that kind of *personal* bond will do a LOT for the outreach we're trying to accomplish. A lot of working class people think that middle-class types are snobs who consider themselves "too good" to interact with the lower classes. Anything we can do *personally* to eliminate that narrative is a net good for our cause.

[caty]

12. We don't put out our

message loud enough or often enough like the repubs do. We're too damned refined. We need more rallies and more email campaigns like they do. We need to beat them at their own game. Shout it out and keep on shouting.

When we hear of a Democrat having a town hall meeting in our area, we should go. We should have so many people there that they overflow into the parking lots and streets. When someone sends us an email praising the repubs and putting down the Democrats, "reply all" and send a Democratic message. When you find a good article about Democrats, send it to everyone in your email address book with a message at the bottom to "pass it on".

We keep taking it lying down and we need to get up and get going. If we don't, the repubs will own us all and this country.

[LibDemAlways]

13. It's a basic inability to get the message across because

the airwaves are clogged with Repuke propaganda that has people convinced that Dems are the spawn of Satan.

[TheKentuckian]

14. We don't stand strong for anything and as a natural consequence the message has to be ineffective

Come on our effective message this time was "we suck less than them" and/or we are just like the other guys but more measured, reasonable, and broadly sane.

Once we definitively stand for something then we can look into how best to market it.

We also have to hide the truth which is we believe very close to the same as the opposition ideology wise but actually take our jobs seriously and are less racist.

Let's get our product together before we launch a marketing campaign.

[PassingFair]

15. God, Guns and Gays.

There you go.

[kentuck]

16. Perhaps the Blue Dog defenders can better explain this?

I am interested in the comments.

[treestar]

17. It is not simple enough

the coalition is a big tent.

The republicans have an advantage there. They can simply appeal to the greed and racism of simple minded and hate filled people.

We have to keep together a bunch of disparate people - it is hard to come up with something that will please them all. It will offend some group no matter what it is.

Also the media is on the R side. No matter how great the D message it will get drowned out.

[kentuck]

18. But the coalition is not big enough for the poor in the South?

Or we don't have the capacity to speak to them? Or do you think everyone in that part of the country is greedy, racist, simple-minded, and hate-filled?

[treestar]

19. Is there something in the water around here than everyone is trying

their best to be offended?

This was about the message. I did not mention the South at all.

So then why do the Republicans do so much better in the South? Merely because they are better at crafting a message? You're the one condemning those poor martyrs of the South. They can't see our point unless we say our message a certain way.

Your response was uncalled for.

[kentuck]

20. Sorry you were offended.

I thought the OP mentioned "states like Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Kentucky"? Perhaps you were responding to another post?