I belong to the Democratic Party that believes in protecting the ordinary working man, is staunchly pro-union and is willing to help those who have been dealt lousy hands in life. I believe most Democrats still share these core beliefs. But as I have long warned, there's more than a bit of elitism creeping into my party. It's driving some Democrats, some of whom are close friends, into the arms of Republicans. Democrat strategist James Carville, in a recent Vox interview, calls it our wokeness problem. Below are a few excerpts.
"[I]f we’re just talking about Biden, it’s very difficult to find something to complain about. And to me his biggest attribute is that he’s not into “faculty lounge” politics."
"You ever get the sense that people in faculty lounges in fancy colleges use a different language than ordinary people? They come up with a word like “Latinx” that no one else uses. Or they use a phrase like “communities of color.” I don’t know anyone who speaks like that. I don’t know anyone who lives in a “community of color.” I know lots of white and Black and brown people and they all live in ... neighborhoods."
"Wokeness is a problem and everyone knows it. It’s hard to talk to anybody today — and I talk to lots of people in the Democratic Party — who doesn’t say this. But they don’t want to say it out loud.
"I always tell people that we’ve got to stop speaking Hebrew and start speaking Yiddish. We have to speak the way regular people speak, the way voters speak. It ain’t complicated. That’s how you connect and persuade. And we have to stop allowing ourselves to be defined from the outside."
"We won the White House against a world-historical buffoon. And we came within 42,000 votes of losing. We lost congressional seats. We didn’t pick up state legislatures. So let’s not have an argument about whether or not we’re off-key in our messaging. We are. And we’re off because there’s too much jargon and there’s too much esoterica and it turns people off."
"Let me give you my favorite example of metropolitan, overeducated arrogance. Take the climate problem. Do you realize that climate is the only major social or political movement that I can think of that refuses to use emotion? Where’s the identifiable song? Where’s the bumper sticker? Where’s the slogan? Where’s the flag? Where’s the logo?
"We don’t have it because with faculty politics what you do is appeal to reason. You don’t need the sloganeering and sound bites. That’s for simple people. All you need are those timetables and temperature charts, and from that, everyone will just get it.
"That’s not how the world works; that’s not how people work. And Republicans are way more disciplined about taking a thing and branding it. Elites will roll their eyes at that, but I’d ask, “How’s that working out for you?” Most people agree with us on health care and minimum wage and Roe v. Wade and even on the climate.
"So why can’t we leverage that?"
100% agree with Carville - Democratic messaging has been awful over the last 20 years.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans do dumb down their messaging and then repeat it ad nauseum, like "Biden is embracing FAR LEFT policies and hates all Republicans!" or "Bengazi" or "Her emails" or "Hunter's laptop" or "Stop the steal". The lines gets repeated on a loop for 3 hours every night on FOX News and the dimwitted and elderly start wetting their pants about it. The message has very little truth or fact behind it, but the discipline in repeating it over and over in simple easy to understand language is incredibly effective and always has been.
Both parties have the same problem with their radicals (QAnons and BlueAnons). Rs are a disorganized big tent, like Ds used to be. They're getting a break on their messaging problems because all they have to say is we're not the other guys and they're more crazy. History says Rs easily regain both sides of Congress at mid-terms. Our local Lynch example is a cautionary tale about grasping defeat from the jaws of victory. McClure and his AWOL leadership and deadly mismanagement of Gracedale should be the easiest target in electoral history. But he'll walk to re-election because Rs nominated a blithering retard. Neither party has a corner on this kind of bumbling.
ReplyDelete11:19 am, your condescending tone may also be part of the problem. “Dimwits and the elderly,” according to you can’t formulate their own opinions. I know highly educated people from both parties who can have respectful discussions, while agreeing to disagree. Perhaps you should open your mind and close your mouth.
ReplyDeleteCarville makes the same mistake many are when identifying the problem. This wokeism would be harmless if it was just that, but it is much more complicated and sophisticated of a problem.
ReplyDeleteMake no mistake, our DNC is getting awfully cozy with extreme progressives that push Cultural Marxism, Critical Theory / Crtitical Race Theory, and intersectionality.
If you are not familiar with these terms or can't identify them when they are shoved in your face, please start doing some reading. This is the greatest challenge facing a free and prosperous America and we democrats have to reject this ideology yesterday!
There is the "Rule of Seven" in advertising. You need to hear a message seven times until you are moved to action. The right-wing media is good at carrying out that all day. The left-wing waits until a little later in the day.
ReplyDeleteIt is on us as consumers of news to sift through the noise. Looking to print sources, NPR, BBC, etc. helps to be better informed.
Being somewhat older I went to a high school that offered electives. I took a propaganda course which has forever affected the way I view news. I learned I need to do the hard work of discerning what is true.
I wonder how many "dimwits and the NON-elderly" bought the "pee dossier" and "Russian collusion" lines being pushed by MSNBC and CNN. I bet some of them even think the Georgia 2018 governor's election was "stolen."
ReplyDeleteSo, its not the policies that are bad, its just the messaging, a true shister political operative. Policy doesn't matter, just winning.
ReplyDeleteApologies 11:57, I was generalizing on the FOX News demographic. Highly educated people in general have sharper critical thinking skills and can see propaganda for what it is and tend to avoid single stream news sources. They're also aware of confirmation bias and avoid looking for news/data that only pleases them with what they subconsciously want to hear versus challenges them. I too can have respectful conversations with nearly everyone, but if they're a FOX News watcher they just regurgitate stale talking points.
ReplyDeleteHe's a little right and mostly wrong. There's no need to care about messaging when you can simply import a new electorate. The government that robs Peter to pay Paul may always rely on the support of Paul. There are lots of Pauls massing at our southern border and they are instant Democrats on the nipple.
ReplyDelete4:34 I'm sorry math is hard for you. That must be hard, being an immigration expert.
ReplyDeleteI'm no immigration expert, but you're certain that senile President Uncle Touchy is. Math is the least of your challenges.
ReplyDelete11:28 - Only pointing out the ignorance in that argument. I never implied "uncle touchy" was an immigration expert. I'm only implying that if you had a rudimentary grasp of immigration numbers in our country, you would perhaps realize you are full of shit. Half of our immigrants come from Asia and Mexico, in that order. Might just do you some good to get off the Tucker nipple and seek some answers yourself.
ReplyDeleteSo what are my challenges? or is that just "I know you are but what am I?" statement.
I grew up in a true blue democrat household in New England. My dad was a hardcore democrat. I always voted democrat until around 2006. Little by little I drifted away though, I found myself turned off by the elitism that has taken over the D party. The open support for socialism. The taxing and spending and the belief that government telling everyone what they can eat, wear, and drive, what kind of house to live in. These politicians want to control every aspect of your life. Recently it has gotten worse. Lockdowns during Covid that made no sense. Open war on Law enforcement from the left. There is no longer a free or fair exchange of ideas now. Free speech on college campuses has been eliminated. You disagree with the left they will destroy your life and career, show up at your house with pitch forks. Schools are more interested in teaching transgenderism and critical race theory instead of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Politics has become so tribal now, people won't even have friends that may have different political views. To me that's nuts!
ReplyDeleteIf you believe in secure borders and support law enforcement you are no longer welcome in the party. Democrats like JFK and Casey the elder. who was pro life, would be persona non grata today. The moderate dems have allowed the AOC crowd to take over. They take no prisoners and want no compromise, even though there far left views represent less than a third of the country.The media has made darlings out of these idiots. Social media has made it worse, and in my opinion, made our society much worse, not better.
I appreciate the blog Bernie keep up the good work. I don't always agree with you, but I think behind that miserable front there is actually a good dude there LOL.
There are some great Old school democrats that talk to people not at people. Unfortunately, many of the new dems around here are more interested din telling you how great they are and dhow dumb or bad you are if you don't agree with them. I will continue to support those solid dems that are good people and not self-aggrandizing snots.
ReplyDeleteThe new Willie hit piece eon Dana Grubb is pure evil and should be reason enough not to vote for hum. Scum bag new dem.