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everyonematters

(3,872 posts)
Sat Jul 5, 2025, 10:56 AM Jul 5

Democrats need to win the trust of voters on economic policy.

This is from a recent Yougov poll:
with reg voters.
approval of Democratic party
approve 33%
disapprove 63%

approval of Republican Party
approve 42%
disapprove 55%
https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/econTabReport_1dUdB34.pdf

This is after the nationwide No Kings protests.

Over the past decades we have seen the weakening of the middle class. Many people in our society are struggling: They can't afford their groceries or pay the rent. they have no savings. They are going from paycheck to paycheck. They don't really trust either party to make a difference in their lives, but the Democrats are doing worse.

I listened to much of Jeffries speech condemning Trump's budget bill. He did a good job on that. He mentioned some issues outside of the budget such as fixing immigration and securing the border, but he made no economic proposals, even raising the minimum wage. The Democrats and their leaders need to do more than criticize Trump's abuses; they need to put forward an economic agenda.

In the next midterms, we will probably win back the House and maybe the Senate, but will voters be voting.in their minds, for us as the lesser of two evils after they are disgusted with Trump. If we are going to be successful into the future, not just trading elections with the GOP, we need to win the trust of voters on economic issues.

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blm

(114,229 posts)
11. The point is to flip the BS narrative that Republicans are 'makers' and
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 09:37 AM
Jul 7

Dems are ‘takers’, as so many have been convinced by the RightWing lie machine that has been growing and operating nonstop in this country since 1980.

Why is it so hard to tell the truth about the tyranny of lower-producer regions demanding the highly-productive regions to bend to their will?

3. It does seem that many Democrats in Washington appear to have great passion for various social issues and the issue of
Sat Jul 5, 2025, 03:27 PM
Jul 5

Democracy but appear to be utterly disinterested when it comes to kitchen table economic issues. I think individual Democratic candidates in 2026 and 2028 are going to have to chart their own course and put forward their own economic agendas - I don't see much evidence that the national party is really going to change much in the next two years - too many people in power who seem incapable of changing.

Skittles

(166,089 posts)
4. omfg this shit again
Sat Jul 5, 2025, 11:58 PM
Jul 5

DEMS CONSTANTLY TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMY

one thing that REALLY holds them back is they have to CLEAN UP REPUKE MESS before they can get started on ANYTHING ELSE

everyonematters

(3,872 posts)
5. There are a few progressives that are coming out, but people like Schumer and Jeffries and most Democrats are not.
Sun Jul 6, 2025, 07:26 AM
Jul 6

The party is obsessed with Trump's abuses. People want to be able to afford their groceries and pay their rent.

GiqueCee

(2,572 posts)
6. The success of Republican campaigns...
Sun Jul 6, 2025, 08:09 AM
Jul 6

... eschews facts for emotionally charged fabrications that appeal to those without the ability for – or the desire to learn – critical thinking skills; it's too much work. Like petulant children, they want to be spoon-fed their opinions without having to be bothered straining their limited intellectual capabilities. Those parts of their brains have atrophied from lack of use.
Trump understood this when he said that he loves the poorly educated. He didn't finish the sentence, though, which, given the context of the statement, would have been something like, because they're so easy to manipulate into believing whatever horseshit I spew at them.
Too often, our guys express complex economic issues with facts and convoluted charts that are an accurate portrayal of the situation, but are too dense to be easily grasped by average voters. It may delight policy wonks, but they're not a significant demographic for winning elections.
Messaging is our weak link. Who can forget, DEFUND THE POLICE? There's nothing like handing an opponent the hammer to beat you with. It stemmed from the perfectly reasonable suggestion that some of the funding could be redirected to units with training in defusing volatile situations with mentally disturbed individuals. Yeah, well, its original intent didn't translate well with that slogan.
The point is, ALWAYS tell the truth, but keep it simple, clever, and with a punchline that makes it relatable to the everyday life of the average voter. Think John Oliver's Last Week Tonight. Hands down and going away the best show in the business when it comes to distilling complex issues into digestible information that the average voter can understand, and enjoy hearing. The Democratic Party needs writers like Oliver's to create effective messaging.
Pox News, and the other denizens of disinformation, trigger the inchoate resentments of their audiences, and stoke the furnace of their rage against them wut gots wut they cain't have: Intelligence. Their hard-core base is beyond redemption; we'll never reach them, so it's a pointless waste of effort to even try. They are proud of their ignorance, and wallow in it. Leave 'em to it.
But there are millions that can be enlightened, if the vacuum left by the absence of Pox News' lies could be filled with truth and knowledge that enables them to make an informed decision, instead of a knee-jerk, reptilian reaction to adverse stimuli. The trick part will finding someone with the financial resources to create such a network. The vast majority of those with such wealth view an informed electorate much the same way that the Wicked Witch of the West viewed water.
But regardless, we have to work on that. The alternative is staring us in the face, and it ain't pretty.
I need more coffee.

everyonematters

(3,872 posts)
10. The biggest media venue for Democrats is MSNBC. They are 24/7 on Trump's abuses and almost nothing on people who
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 08:58 AM
Jul 7

are struggling economically and what can be done to help them. CNN is the same way but to a lesser extent on Trump. You have all these media videos that do the same thing. That's a substantial reason why the party is obsessed with Trump and his abuses, but not on economic issues.

GiqueCee

(2,572 posts)
12. Segments on how...
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 01:17 PM
Jul 7

... ruptures in the economy, caused by Republican treachery adversely affect them directly, rather that generalized chatter about the national economy, can make those stories more personal and relevant to the average voter's real life problems. It would go a long way toward increasing their understanding of what an utter piece of shit Trump truly is, and how he's betrayed them, and the country, for his own gain, and ruthless thirst for vengeance because the nation didn't vote for him in 2020. He doesn't care who he hurts, as long as he get to hurt somebody. That's the only thing that makes him happy.

cadoman

(1,489 posts)
8. need to change the impression of Democratic bastions (NYC, San Fran, Seattle, Portland, etc.)
Sun Jul 6, 2025, 10:15 PM
Jul 6

Even though these are economic powerhouses in many respects, the public thinks of the winners in these cities as upper class techies, bankers, NGO owners, etc.

We need to show how much the middle and lower economic classes are prospering in these areas because of Democratic policy.

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