Republicans have taken over Washington and are now implementing Project 2025 to demolish 0American democracy and the Democrats have very little to say about it. President 47 and his wrecking crew of complacent Republicans, deferential press, bought-and-paid-for judges, and MAGA extremists face little to no opposition — at least as far as the Democrats and their messaging are concerned.
The guardrails, checks and balances that limited President 45 have been dissembled, defanged, or demolished, Meanwhile, millions of Americans are looking for the Loyal Opposition. We seek the Democrats who will stand up to this government takeover. We want the Knights Who Say Nay to resist. And what are we getting?
Crickets.
What We Don’t Know
Now, it may not be fair to say none of the Democrats are doing anything. I believe that pockets of resistance exist both inside and outside the Beltway. I hope that all kinds of activities are happening behind the scenes in what used to be smoke-filled rooms. Small armies of Democrats could be hard at work planning both strategy and tactics for obstructing the MAGA forces.
If so, I can breathe a little easier. The problem is that most Americans don’t know about any of it. And that, in a nutshell is the problem Democrats just can’t seem to either understand or accept. Much less can they overcome their persistent messaging problem. I want to help.
This ongoing problem has four components, ALL of which need to be addressed. Forget either/or decisions and grasp that all four messaging components reinforce one another to strengthen the complete package. You can’t trade off one for another.
Messaging Component #1: The Message
Barack Obama was the poster child for this attitude. He believed that all you had to do was the right thing and people would understand. Americans would form their own conclusions and those inferences would be the right ones. As long as his administration delivered, folks would understand and applaud his accomplishments. President Obama only missed one critical thing: you have to TELL people what you have done. He thought that somehow, we would just know.
In the last election, we heard a lot about low-information voters but the truth is that most Americans are low-information potential voters. People are busy, going about their lives. Outside of pundits, reporters, columnists, bloggers, podcasters, and other members of the chattering class, they have very little idea what’s going on.
SOLUTION:
In a business presentation, the rule is, “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.” It’s good advice for any politician. But the most important thing is to TELL THEM! Unless you do that, nothing else matters.
Messaging Component #2: The Language
The Democrats, and their college-educated voters, just love big words. They sling them around and expect everyone to get what they mean. Only people don’t understand them. Words like “quid pro quo,” “autocracy,” “oligarchs,” and even “Fascists” go right over their heads.
Not only do ordinary working folks with high-school diplomas or less not understand the words, they resent being talked down to by elites. The crime is that the English language offers other, easily understandable words for these things. (Notice I did not say “synonyms.) Words like: tyranny, aristocrats, and enemies of Democracy. Think simple.
SOLUTION:
Don’t use language you understand, use words they understand. Use words that have power for your readers or listeners. Words that get under their skin and stick in their brains. Use those words over and over until everybody knows what you mean.
Messaging Component #3: The Audience
It may make Democrats feel good to talk to one another in cozy communities, bubbles where everyone agrees and folks reinforce one another’s opinions. But it’s poison.
In my previous life, I worked in advertising where you balance two necessities: reach and frequency.
Reach means getting your message out to potential customers. You put your ads in places where your target audience is likely to see them. If you sell furniture, you advertise in publications read by people who are interested in furniture. If you sell computers, you put your ads in technology publications. Above all, you don’t waste your money by putting ads for specialty products in a general-interest location where they are seen by multitudes of people who will never buy your products.
Frequency has an even simpler explanation. You run those ads over and over and over and over. People forget what they have heard or read within ten minutes. You have to constantly repeat your message for them to remember it. Reaching them once and then going away accomplishes nothing.
SOLUTION:
We need Democrats who will break out of the bubble and go where the voters are. I want leaders who aren’t too pure to appear on Fox News and confront that network’s “alternate facts.” (Yes, it’s a hate-for-profit racket but it’s also where the voters are.) Do we have a man who isn’t afraid to talk to Joe Rogan? Are there bros who will talk to the bro culture and women who will stand up for women’s rights? Can we find a Democrat who isn’t afraid to confront the opposition directly?
Messaging Component #4: Lighten Up
Even better, use humor and entertainment to get the message across. Right now, Americans see Democrats/Progressives/Liberals as scolding schoolmarms, and disciplining Dads. Nobody likes that. Certainly, nobody votes for that.
People don’t like being lectured on what they should do. Even less do they like being told they are bad or evil for believing the things they do. It may make Democrats feel good to say so but, again, it’s poison. You have to engage with people before you can begin to change their minds. That means talking TO them, not talking AT them.
Why do you think people listen to right-wing media? They love the snide comments and schoolyard nicknames. Commentators making fun of the Democrats entertain them. They like hearing commentators reinforcing their beliefs when the other side tells them they’re racists, sexists, Fascists, and homophobes.
SOLUTION:
Humor can defuse all that. Get them laughing and that will open cracks in closed minds. It’s great when the late-night comics make fun of President 47 and his administration but not everybody pays attention to them. The politicians and candidates have to show they have a sense of humor, that they can laugh at themselves as well as at situations.
Breaking the Messaging Mold
I offer this roadmap to fixing the Democrats’ messaging problems because they seem to think that doing what they’ve always done is good enough. Or, worse, they can’t think of any other way to do it. Their messaging has not worked for some time, however, and it doing even worse now.
The time for change has arrived. I’m available for consulting. Just let me know and I’ll jump in to help.
