I have written a few things like this in the past, but I saw this in the daily roundup today and I had to comment.
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When are Democrats going to get past their fear of being labeled by the GOP? Worrying about getting labeled is playing into the narrative. Instead, I suggest Democrats need to CREATE a NEW narrative of our own.
Look at the poll above.
36% want the government to “leave them alone” (which was Fox’s attempt to skew the poll, it appears it didn’t work out as they expected). That 36% is the hard core base of the GOP, they are always going to want the government to leave them alone no matter what. I would argue that number might even be a little lower if the question were framed differently.
But everyone else in that chart is a variable. Well, to be clear there is probably a floor of 35% or so on the left that will usually respond with “please lend me a hand.”
The difference in between, that is a variable.
These people can be reached but it’s about messaging. The GOP says the left are full of tax and spend liberals. For the last 40 years the Democratic party, in their infinite wisdom of the “defensive crouch strategy” have done everything they could to shield themselves from these attacks, including at times embracing policies that directly and negatively impact their own core supporters (looking at you Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act).
This poll shows that needs to stop.
The variable people on this poll are so in part because they want the government’s help when they can envision how that help equates to their specific needs. All elections are local and you can’t get more local than someone’s kitchen table. Instead of running from it, we Democrats should EMBRACE this.
Elizabeth Warren does this as well as or possibly better than anyone right now. Her message is clear and simple, “yes, I want to tax the wealthy and spend more, and here is what I am going to spend it on and how that is going to help YOU.”
So here’s to more Democrats learning to stop worrying about the labels the GOP throws at them and love the insult.
