Messaging for Democrats

Democrats have accomplished some big things recently, most significantly building coalitions that forestalled Republican attempts to destroy the Affordable Care Act. Mainstream media tended to emphasize divisions among Republicans , but they overlooked the effects of effective public education efforts, followed by massive grassroots organizing and wise coalition building with pragmatic Republican governors .

As awful as the Trump administration has been, only one of its accomplishments is irreversible: its placement of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. If the Trump administration succeeds in placing many other judges in the federal court system, the damage will be long-lasting.

Despite having succeeded in averting disaster so far Democrats seem to be doing what Democrats do best: fighting internal turf wars. In the wake of John Ossoffs narrow loss in a recent Georgia special election, some party leaders couldnt wait to throw Nancy Pelosi under the bus . Disappointment from the 2016 election still divides Democrats. Should the party cater to the white working class voters who once supported it? Is its commitment to equality for racial minorities, women, and LGBTQ folk weakening the rest of its message?

In response to those suggestions other Democrats and I stand among them refuse to discard our commitment to dignity and equality in search of white voters who dont share those commitments. Meanwhile, many Democrats believe the partys economic message needs to be more, not less, progressive.

Everyone seems to agree that, Were against Trump, and the Republicans are terrible, is not a winning message.

Recently I heard commentator E. J. Dionne reaffirm his commitment that a political party needs two wings to fly. That is, a one-dimensional message cannot win national elections.

I have a suggestion. The Democratic message should be simple: Democrats are committed to efficient investment in our societys success and to including all citizens in our societys opportunities.

When it comes to political influence, I am a nobody, just an ordinary citizen like most readers. Im not even a loyal partisan. My attachment to the Democratic Party reflects my aversion to how Republicans are undermining our society more than it does absolute trust. When I joked about running for office, my wife responded in chilling detail with about six reasons I would have absolutely no shot. She loves me.

Despite being nobody, Im convinced Im right. The winning message is simple. For a long time Democrats have been good at two things: investing in things that make society work, and advocating the inclusion of all people.

The twentieth century bore the fruit of Democratic social investment. FDRs New Deal not only helped the US pull out of the Great Depression, it set the template for a growing society. Im from North Alabama, and believe me, the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority lifted several Southern states out of poverty. Medicare and Medicaid defined an American commitment to a social safety net. Our public schools and state universities created a population prepared for remarkable innovation.

Democrats dont necessarily deserve all the credit. In the past Republicans saw the need for many of these policies. President Eisenhower signed the legislation that created our interstate highway system. But recently Republicans have been doing all they can to undermine investment in our social success. They attack public schools and universities. They decry all forms of taxation. As weve seen with the Affordable Care Act, theyre willing to destroy without even a minimal plan for mitigating the damage. Just a year ago, most Republicans saw the need for serious criminal justice system reform. Now they stay silent while Jeff Sessions returns us to the War on Drugs with all its horrors and inefficiencies.

Democrats should also celebrate their heritage of inclusion. Womens rights, civil rights for racial minorities, and LGBTQ rights all have enjoyed Democratic support. The same goes for ensuring that every child has health insurance, some food to eat, and an educational opportunity. Recently Republicans have undermined all of these initiatives. We must argue that its not just playing nice to include all people. Its smart. Because successful citizens contribute to prosperity for all of us, while marginalized neighbors add to our collective cost.

Too often Democrats have shied away from their opponents accusations. We should be proud. When Republicans protest every single tax, Democrats should counter with the language of investment. Democrats can also point out that, historically speaking , their presidents tend to manage budgets better than Republicans do. Nixon raised the deficit by a higher rate than Johnson, Reagan and Bush 41 by more than Carter, Bush 43 by more than Clinton, and even after the financial disaster of 2008, Obamas presidency increased the deficit by the same percentage as Bush 43s.

The irony is, the very people that have benefited most from Democratic policies are the ones who tend to vote against them. I dont mean that people in red states rely more heavily on government health than people in blue states do. Im talking about highly successful people: the ones who got a great public education, got through outstanding state universities like Michigan State, Auburn, and Texas A&M with almost no debt, and built upon that foundation to create wonderful lives for themselves. In their minds they have earned their success, and indeed theyve worked hard for it. But their affluence is a direct result of positive social investment, a reality contradicted by their politics. We dont invest like that anymore.

Democrats may disagree on the policy details. Thats a healthy process. Indeed, Democrats will need to advance specific proposals on economics, education, infrastructure, climate change, and the like. But our basic message should be simple. We invest prudently, and we include everyone in the returns. Whats not to like about that?