The Way Forward

... 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.