I have a few words for the Democrats: Six to be specific. I send them now to every Democrat who will be up for election in the midterms, is gearing up to run for President, or who would like a Cabinet position in 2028. The six words are:

Fear attracts the object of fear

There, that’s it. If you’re confused, this means that when you act out of fear, you will draw to yourself the very thing that frightens you.

An Example of Political Fear

Here’s an example every Democrat should understand. In the last Presidential election, the team around Joe Biden was terrified that Donald Trump would win. They believed that only President Biden could defeat him, so they set about doing the very things that would guarantee he could not.

• They pretended President Biden was not too old to run, despite evidence to the contrary. We all know that a man in his eighties is old by any measure. The American people have common sense enough to realize this and what it means for the future.
• They protected him and kept him out of the public eye as much as possible to avoid any likelihood of his demonstrating the deficiencies of age.
• To ensure that President Biden became the candidate, the party declined to hold an open primary. That would have given Democrats many, many advantages. Instead, they created unnecessary risk.
• When his performance in the debate made it obvious that he was not functioning at full capacity, the party closed ranks around the Vice President and gave her the nomination. They seemed immune to the possibility that many Americans would refuse to vote for a Black person and a woman.

And that did it. In acting out of fear they made decisions that gave Donald Trump and the Republicans a series of advantages that helped put him in office.

A Party Hiding in the Shadows

Now, when the Democrats should be standing up, speaking out, shaking their fists and offering an alternative, they are silent. When the candidates should be everywhere, in every medium, all the time and in person, they are hiding in the shadows.

I hear from them only when they want me to give them money. But why should I when they don’t want to use it to fight? Only Gavin Newsom is the happy warrior they all should be, taking the fight to the Republicans and enjoying it.

Confront Your Fear

Why are the Democrats so scared? Sure, the candidates will get criticized. Yes, they will get death threats from the violent MAGA base. Certainly Fox News will sling mud and Donald Trump will call them names. If a Democrat can’t stand up to that, he or she probably shouldn’t be in politics.

If a candidate has a skeleton in the closet, that person should stand in front of a microphone and own up to it. Get it right out there where everyone can see it and no enemy can use it for blackmail. Hiding won’t protect you and silence won’t keep you safe. After all, the Republicans certainly have whole walk-in closets full of misdeeds, screw-ups, and outright criminal acts.

Once that’s done, move on to policies.

Offer Policies

Yes, policies. Remember them? If all the Democrats can offer is that they are not Republicans, they haven’t got firepower. Our democracy is disappearing right in front of our eyes while the Democrats run through the same old-same old messages, in the same old-same old ways. This is not nearly good enough.

The candidates seem gripped by fear of the new and different, not to mention fear of people who might challenge them and demand new ideas. Kamala Harris afraid to talk to Joe Rogan comes to mind.

As actor Will Smith says,

“Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.”

Now ask yourself: would you vote for a timid person to fill a job that requires courage?

The Antidote to Fear

Got it? Now I’m going to give you the antidote, the sure way to overcome fear. This one has only five words. Ready?

Laugh at what frightens you

That’s right. You may never feel less like laughing when you’re scared but it works. Find a way to laugh at what frightens you and it pushes the fear away. If you can’t do that, find someone who can: a stand-up comic or comedy writer. Learn to enjoy taking the fight to the opposition.

I know this can be hard to do. But I have done it myself and I know that it works.

So, Democrats, gird yourself for battle, laugh at your fear, then get out there and fight. You’ll be glad you did.