I can't begin to be as eloquent as you have just been - beautifully said. What comes to mind is that maybe we I/we can focus on what Joe has accomplished in our articles - because what I've been hearing is that the dems aren't talking about what he has done and is doing. I can't imagine where we would be today if Trump were president.
This is a new Substack for me and I need to do some reading to get caught up on your thinking.
However, you are spot on, IMHO, about what the D’s have not been doing and need to do to wake the voters up. All of them.
It’s like the D’s are playing by the Queensbury Rules of boxing, a more “gentlemanly” form of boxing, while the R’s are fighting under a much loosened set of UFC cage fighting rules with one-eyed brain dead referees, aka, MSM.
Further, some factions within the D hierarchy are incorrectly elevating “less important” issues in the current “battle for the life of democracy” and splintering the D’s forces.
This splintering plays into the R’s unhinged cage fight game, particularly when the R’s are currently controlled and directed by TFG, who has nothing to lose, through his acolytes who follow his every whim out of abject fear.
The R position is actually much more threatening after Reagan merged the White Christian Nationalist religious faction with the RNC by using the so called Southern Strategy to gain southern voters. The WCN groups seek nothing less than a Bible based white Christian theocracy where world history is only 6000 years old and humans lived with dinosaurs.
Add in corporate voices as “effective citizens” under Citizens United, FEDSOC, Leonard Leo, the Heritage Foundation and a now heavily biased SCOTUS, and the R’s written long term strategic plan (Project 2025) and the HF’s supporting “Conservative philosophical writings”, the R’s have a strategic battle plan to work with.
The R’s strategic battle plan gives rise to the many “short term” tactical plans (the recent Abbott “border invasion”, the Congressional “border bill” debacle, Roe, “immigration”, etc) that are dauntingly difficult to thwart under the D’s self imposed Queensbury Rules.
The “only” D written “plan” that I’m aware of is the DNC’s national platform that lists its “goals and principles.” However, that platform is not a strategic or a tactical plan and offers no specific guidance to anyone about how to win the Battle for Democracy. Like any capable commander, the R “leadership” has been taking advantage of those two facts for more than 50 years without any effective opposition, and still are.
Continuing to babble ineffectively about MSM, bothsideisms, TFG being a rotten skunk, the Freedom Caucus and R’s cowering in fear of TFG’s stinking and possibly deadly retribution, etc, simply won’t work.
I could go on, but my message, like yours, Ramona Grigg, is that the D’s must focus their strategic efforts like the point of a spear, and back that up with legions of tactical archers, to win this battle, then keep going until the “Conservative voices” are subdued fully.
I think it’s interesting that the republicans that brought us to this point using this strategy are now trying to get the democrats to use it. I say to all the Never Trumper republicans. Go at it. Use your skills to take down the monster you created, but I think my side should still tout our successes and not stoop to the lows the republicans have used for the past half century that have nearly destroyed this country.
I totally agree with you on helping the Democratic Party improve their own PR. There are plenty of advertising executives, lecturers , authors and other experts that could really help craft powerful messages.
The economy is going very well but the majority don’t believe it because those of us who aren’t stock market geeks don’t feel the improvement. Not while gas is still so high, you cannot even afford a steak once in a while, and mortgage interest makes homeownership out of reach for many. Surely, we don’t have to wait for the erroneous “trickle down” effect. The target for campaigning is the fence sitters and under informed.
Biden shouldn’t be hiding. He needs to be out front explaining why the choice this election cycle couldn’t be any more diametrically opposite. He doesn’t have to speak ugly like tRump but he has to be open and honest. The campaign needs to talk about the future as Democrats see it and how they will make it happen.
The. Urrent ads I see daily look like something created decades ago. He maybe old but the campaign doesn’t have to be.
Thank you, Ramona, for putting on your mom face. Thank you for the reminder that we have to play up the successes of those that must, must come out ahead. The alternative is unthinkable.
I agree we need to be fierce advocates and learn how to say the things that need to be known. The problem isn't only Dem's being aw-shucks reluctant to tout their accomplishments. It's also this fractured media environment that makes it damned hard to break through the noise. That said, however, I am going to write up a list and keep it with me, because it's a long one, of the things this administration has accomplished for the Amercian people.
I’m curious. What are your thoughts on Dr. Cornel West and his progressive platform? Is running as an independent candidate going to divide the Dems?
https://apnews.com/article/cornel-west-president-independent-green-party-2024-57dd7dbc0bccc10ea866005663398823
I can't begin to be as eloquent as you have just been - beautifully said. What comes to mind is that maybe we I/we can focus on what Joe has accomplished in our articles - because what I've been hearing is that the dems aren't talking about what he has done and is doing. I can't imagine where we would be today if Trump were president.
This is a new Substack for me and I need to do some reading to get caught up on your thinking.
However, you are spot on, IMHO, about what the D’s have not been doing and need to do to wake the voters up. All of them.
It’s like the D’s are playing by the Queensbury Rules of boxing, a more “gentlemanly” form of boxing, while the R’s are fighting under a much loosened set of UFC cage fighting rules with one-eyed brain dead referees, aka, MSM.
Further, some factions within the D hierarchy are incorrectly elevating “less important” issues in the current “battle for the life of democracy” and splintering the D’s forces.
This splintering plays into the R’s unhinged cage fight game, particularly when the R’s are currently controlled and directed by TFG, who has nothing to lose, through his acolytes who follow his every whim out of abject fear.
The R position is actually much more threatening after Reagan merged the White Christian Nationalist religious faction with the RNC by using the so called Southern Strategy to gain southern voters. The WCN groups seek nothing less than a Bible based white Christian theocracy where world history is only 6000 years old and humans lived with dinosaurs.
Add in corporate voices as “effective citizens” under Citizens United, FEDSOC, Leonard Leo, the Heritage Foundation and a now heavily biased SCOTUS, and the R’s written long term strategic plan (Project 2025) and the HF’s supporting “Conservative philosophical writings”, the R’s have a strategic battle plan to work with.
The R’s strategic battle plan gives rise to the many “short term” tactical plans (the recent Abbott “border invasion”, the Congressional “border bill” debacle, Roe, “immigration”, etc) that are dauntingly difficult to thwart under the D’s self imposed Queensbury Rules.
The “only” D written “plan” that I’m aware of is the DNC’s national platform that lists its “goals and principles.” However, that platform is not a strategic or a tactical plan and offers no specific guidance to anyone about how to win the Battle for Democracy. Like any capable commander, the R “leadership” has been taking advantage of those two facts for more than 50 years without any effective opposition, and still are.
Continuing to babble ineffectively about MSM, bothsideisms, TFG being a rotten skunk, the Freedom Caucus and R’s cowering in fear of TFG’s stinking and possibly deadly retribution, etc, simply won’t work.
I could go on, but my message, like yours, Ramona Grigg, is that the D’s must focus their strategic efforts like the point of a spear, and back that up with legions of tactical archers, to win this battle, then keep going until the “Conservative voices” are subdued fully.
I think it’s interesting that the republicans that brought us to this point using this strategy are now trying to get the democrats to use it. I say to all the Never Trumper republicans. Go at it. Use your skills to take down the monster you created, but I think my side should still tout our successes and not stoop to the lows the republicans have used for the past half century that have nearly destroyed this country.
This is an excellent post. And thank you for being so polite to the utterly clueless commenter on the subject of West. 🤮🤮🤮
I totally agree with you on helping the Democratic Party improve their own PR. There are plenty of advertising executives, lecturers , authors and other experts that could really help craft powerful messages.
The economy is going very well but the majority don’t believe it because those of us who aren’t stock market geeks don’t feel the improvement. Not while gas is still so high, you cannot even afford a steak once in a while, and mortgage interest makes homeownership out of reach for many. Surely, we don’t have to wait for the erroneous “trickle down” effect. The target for campaigning is the fence sitters and under informed.
Biden shouldn’t be hiding. He needs to be out front explaining why the choice this election cycle couldn’t be any more diametrically opposite. He doesn’t have to speak ugly like tRump but he has to be open and honest. The campaign needs to talk about the future as Democrats see it and how they will make it happen.
The. Urrent ads I see daily look like something created decades ago. He maybe old but the campaign doesn’t have to be.
Thank you, Ramona, for putting on your mom face. Thank you for the reminder that we have to play up the successes of those that must, must come out ahead. The alternative is unthinkable.
I agree we need to be fierce advocates and learn how to say the things that need to be known. The problem isn't only Dem's being aw-shucks reluctant to tout their accomplishments. It's also this fractured media environment that makes it damned hard to break through the noise. That said, however, I am going to write up a list and keep it with me, because it's a long one, of the things this administration has accomplished for the Amercian people.