Mind the Gap
In England there are signs everywhere to “mind the gap.” If we translate that into English we would discover they are talking about the gap between the platform and the train. Since public transportation really isn’t a thing here in Texas, we can certainly borrow that term and apply it to our politics.
We see two gaps that threaten long-term stability in our country. The first gap is the gap between how many people consider themselves to be moderate, liberal, progressive, or leftist and how many of those politicians actually end up representing us in Congress. Yet, the percentage of total voters registering as Democrats is growing. So, there is a gap between the number of representatives that are Democrats and the number that should be Democrats.
That’s a problem that’s not easily fixed. As we have seen in Texas, the GOP has a stranglehold on the state. Very few particularly like any of the Republicans that occupy state offices and yet they continue to vote for them. This has been a two decade tradition. They have rigged the game to make it easier for them to win. It will take a doubling of efforts to get that turned around and we see the same thing nationwide.
The second gap is one Democrats can address and address immediately. This is the gap between what gets done in Washington, Austin, and any other government center and what people actually think on the issues. Take any issue and you can see clear fault lines of where the public actually is on the issue. You could talk abortion, gun control, health care, public safety, education, or any other issue.
What Americans think on these issues is pretty clear. Overwhelming majorities agree on numerous planks on all of those issues. Yet, we are told America is a center-right country with center-right values. The problem is that this statement has no basis in fact when you actually look at public opinion polling on each of those issues individually. The GOP is on the wrong side of each issue and it isn’t even particularly close.
Democrats collectively make the mistake of getting off message. Either they overshoot these widespread popular opinions by suggesting things beyond what the general public want or they bungle up the messaging with slogans that don’t reflect the will of the people. These things are simple. Let’s keep them simple.
For instance, Americans want background checks on gun sales, don’t want guns in the hands of dangerous criminals, and generally don’t want automatic weapons in anyone’s hands. These are easy things to keep hitting over and over again. Yet, Beto O’Rourke introduced the idea of gun confiscation. That pushed the envelope too far and made him seem extreme. So, stick to background checks, keeping guns away from criminals, and an assault weapons ban. That’s easy messaging that will resonate with the majority.
It’s about simple messaging. When people understand what you are for and they are for the same things they vote for you. When they think you are an extremist or if they don’t understand what you are for they don’t vote for you. It’s really as simple as that. You find out what they like and then keep repeating that you are for that and the other side is against that. You keep repeating that until they understand. You keep repeating it. That is how you close the gap.
AND…..you correct their lies whenever you can. Frustrating, especially when they lie at the last minute and there’s no time to respond publicly, on the same platform they’ve used to spread their garbage.
11. Make a plan.
2. Execute the plan.
3. Expect the plan to go off the rails.
4. Throw away the plan.
So we must find Community Organizers, Churches, School Boards, PTAs, local councils, and lawyers who are all keys to rebuilding.
The Democrats have no point person in many communities.
2Oregon passed one, if not the strictest, gun control legislation in the country. It’s already making the repugnantican’s hair catch on fire, and law enforcement in red counties say they won’t enforce it. 2024 will scream anti gun control in repugnantican campaign ads.
3Thanks Nick, good ideas and observations and please keep it simple!
Two things …
1. Control the message!!! Lord knows I screamed about this forever. Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine etc. etc. etc. or something like that, but come up with solutions that will keep our media balanced. All three local TV news channels in my super Liberal town in a super Liberal state, are spewing Conservative political propaganda. Very subtle propaganda but it’s glaring if you understand how propaganda works. Rarely does a Democrat get the credit or time they deserve.
2. Dems all need to be on the same page and learn how to ‘frame the issue’.
Ex. ‘Gun confiscation’ … WRONG! (thanks Nick!) Maybe better to use ‘Gun safety’ (background checks etc.) or better yet, ‘American Freedumb Gun Safety’.
Ex. ‘Defund the police’ … WRONG! Maybe better to use ‘Better fund the police’.
Oldie but goodie. Again ….
4‘Framing the issues: UC Berkeley professor George Lakoff tells how conservatives use language to dominate politics’
https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/10/27_lakoff.shtml
Some ads showing law enforcement standing by from fear of an AR-15- carrying shooter might help.
5You don’t need guns to go shopping. Keep ’em at home.
Simple message.
6@2 Marshall Maclin says: “The Democrats have no point person in many communities. [in TX]”
Marshall, the Democrats –have no Democrats in most places–!
In most of Texas’ 254 counties Democrats are either an endangered or extinct species. [don’t know where you’re from but probably not TX]
Just look at the maps shown on this TX 2022 election results tabulation, a sea of red [hovering over each county pops up tallies].
The “regions” section shows “Solid red counties Montgomery, Lubbock and 214 others” [216/254], with an overwhelming 2.2million Republic voters compared to the other graphs shown; a pretty much insurmountable wall of red much greater than any other bloc/graph shown :
https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2022/texas-2022-election-results/
All that red locks up the legislature [and the US House and Senate seats], which controls everything that the LtGuv and Guv don’t.
We Democrats are going to have to do everything flawlessly [—-], and somehow drum up a couple of million new Democrats in order to have a chance at changing the political climate here.
7As others have stated, pretty much impossible, Texas is quite different from most other places [even the worst of which stand a better chance of turning blue if the Democratic Party could get it’s shit together].
“Yet, we are told America is a center-right country with center-right values.”
Yes we ARE told. And by WHO?
8Why Conservative MSM propaganda, that’s who. It’s plain to see they control the message because we are always told ‘lies and blame the Democrats’ from the overwhelmingly Conservative MSM.
Red Wave! Benghazi! Freedumb! Wahhhh!