Here we go again…
The GOP (and now Trump) have been beating the Democrats into a minority since Reagan/Gingrich with one simple formula that the Dems simply cannot or will not emulate or improve upon. It is genius in it’s simplicity WHEN APPLIED RELENTLESSLY, which the GOP does, over and over again:
- Focus on the key issue of the day/election (we’ll take the economy, since Trump is a loser at all other points important to the majority of people).
- Come up with a simple positioning line that has resonance.
- Use any and all news, political battles, votes, etc. to repeat the phrase.
- Rinse, repeat, win elections
But the Democratic leadership, whether Schumer, Pelosi, Perez, Clinton, or even Obama (to a lesser degree) just don’t seem to understand what every basic corporate marketer (and the GOP) understand about Americans; tell them something often enough, in a short catchy way, and enough will believe it to be successful.
Yes, I understand that requires group thinking, doing away with context, dumbing down our discourse, and any number of other things that the Democrats are so against they have lost hundreds of elections rather than do this simple thing. They just refuse (or are incapable of it). But it is easy. I’ll give you an example: The economy.
From DAY1, Trump and the GOP have been talking up their stewardship of the economy (always among the top 3 issues for voters). They exaggerate, lie, leave out context, and in other ways find ANY way to use any bit of news, vote, etc. to drive home the “historic” and “great” economy Trump and GOP “pro-growth” policies have enacted (something the Dems will undo if they win in 2018). Voters view Trump favorably on the economy…
It is an inexcusable act of political malpractice, that with tons of true, provable, factual data points on their side, they simple cede the economy to Trump and the GOP. And it will cost us all. When there is a simple way to be ever-present with a characterization of the economy that ties into the majority of people’s preconceived notions (therefore is more easily believed), and greatly beneficial to the Democrats. Lets start with the line:
“The Trump/GOP economy is like Trump’s many bankrupt companies; a debt-fueled, hype-driven, lie-filled enterprise designed to help Trump and his rich pals, while leaving nothing for workers.”
The 2016 campaign was filled with nuggets that make this believable to the average person, it ties into all of Trump’s most believed bad traits (things voters do not like about him), and the ongoing narrative about the GOP being wealthy-friendly.
But what about the great economic numbers!!!, you say. Let’s try these:
Jobs: Starting as soon as Trump was sworn in, and continuing to this most recent jobs report, TRUMP HAS CREATED FEWER NEW JOBS THAN OBAMA in the same time frame. Read it again. It is true. EVERY MONTH, the Dems could follow the jobs report with the line above, and the news that in the first 21 (5, 10, 15, 20, etc) number of months of Trump’s Presidency (pick any month, as it has been true every month), Trump has created FEWER NEW JOBS than Obama’s last 21 months. Create a chart to go with it (Average New Jobs/Month: Trump 194,000, Obama 206,000).
Wages: Real Wage Growth – wages after inflation – is actually DECREASING under Trump.
GDP: This got a lot of news this week. Historic, Trump called it, and the media and Dems either agreed, or demurred. The fact is this “amazing” GDP growth would have counted as only the 5th BEST OF THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY.
So, imagine if you will, every single month, three times/month, every time one of these three figures is released, for two days, every single Democrat, in nearly every interview, on all social media, gave their own version of this:
“The Trump/GOP economy is like Trump’s many bankrupt companies; a debt-fueled, hype-driven, lie-filled enterprise designed to help Trump and his rich pals, while leaving nothing for workers. Today’s Jobs/Wages/GDP numbers again show, despite $1.9T in new debt, Trump’s economy is still worse than Obama’s.”
Even if that is done for 2 days straight, each of the three times/month the numbers come out, that still leaves 25 days/month to talk about immigration, racism, and any other issue Dems hold dear. But in just six focused days/month, they could have turned Trump’s positive favorability numbers on the economy, to neutral, or even negative. Imagine what the numbers for the mid-terms would look like right now if a majority of American’s understood the truth about Trump’s economy, vs. the united, coordinated, oft-repeated story the GOP and Trump tell.
This is how elections are won and lost, and not doing it is exactly how the Dems keep losing elections.
(778 words. So sue me. This is important)
Patrick On Politics 