Hit 'Em Where It Hurts

1. Democracy is in crisis, threatened by Republican extremism

Today's Republican Party is a threat to your freedom, health, wealth, and safety.

Democracy under attack. The Republican Party has evolved into an existential threat to American democracy. They have embraced extremism, rejected democratic norms, and actively work to undermine free and fair elections. This shift poses a grave danger to the foundations of the republic.

Voter disengagement aids extremism. A key factor enabling this threat is widespread voter disengagement. Roughly half of eligible voters don't participate in elections, allowing a motivated minority to wield outsized influence. This apathy stems from:

• Lack of civic education
• Distrust in political institutions
• Feeling that individual votes don't matter
• General disinterest in politics

To save democracy, increased civic engagement and voter participation are essential. Americans must recognize the stakes and take an active role in preserving their rights and freedoms.

2. Partisanship shapes political perceptions more than facts

Partisanship provides a perceptual screen that relies on motivated reasoning to discount information that conflicts with a voter's partisan interests, while simultaneously seizing on information that reinforces and validates those interests.

Tribalism trumps truth. Party affiliation has become the dominant lens through which many Americans view political reality. This partisan filter causes people to:

• Accept information that confirms existing beliefs
• Reject facts that challenge their party's positions
• Interpret events to fit their ideological narrative

Polarization deepens divides. As the parties have become more ideologically sorted, polarization has increased dramatically. This leads to:

• Less willingness to compromise
• Demonization of political opponents
• Erosion of shared facts and common ground

Breaking through partisan perceptions requires understanding these psychological forces. Appeals to facts alone are often ineffective. Messaging must account for tribal identities and emotional attachments to party.

3. Media algorithms and profit motives undermine democratic discourse

Facebook's news feed "doesn't differentiate between factual information and things that merely look like facts," the business news website Quartz points out, but it "can predict what you'll click on better than anyone you know."

Profit over truth. Major media companies prioritize engagement and revenue over civic responsibility. This leads to:

• Sensationalism and outrage-driven content
• Filter bubbles that reinforce existing views
• Amplification of misinformation and conspiracy theories

Algorithmic amplification. Social media algorithms are designed to maximize user engagement, not promote factual information. They:

• Show users content similar to what they've engaged with before
• Promote emotionally charged and divisive posts
• Create echo chambers that limit exposure to diverse perspectives

To combat these forces, media literacy is crucial. Citizens must actively seek out diverse, reputable sources and think critically about the information they consume. Pressure on tech companies to prioritize truth over engagement is also needed.

4. Republicans weaponize cultural issues to divide and conquer

Republicans understand their audience. They're well aware that using, say, congressional hearings to fight skirmishes in their culture war, to investigate wackadoo theories, and to skewer the reputations and credibility of their villains looks and feels legit to most politics-averse American news consumers who don't know any better.

Manufactured outrage. The GOP strategically inflames cultural issues to:

• Energize their base
• Drive wedges between demographic groups
• Distract from policy failures

Emotional appeals over facts. Republicans craft simple, emotionally resonant messages around cultural flashpoints like:

• Immigration
• Gender identity
• Critical race theory
• Gun rights

These wedge issues allow Republicans to shape the political narrative and dominate media coverage. Democrats often struggle to respond effectively, getting bogged down in nuanced policy explanations rather than compelling emotional appeals.

5. GOP infrastructure and messaging give them an electoral edge

Democrats have no centralized structure that regularly suggests effective messages the way Republicans do, let alone a whole ecosystem designed to enhance their repetition.

Coordinated messaging machine. The Republican Party benefits from a well-funded network of:

• Think tanks (e.g. Heritage Foundation)
• Media outlets (e.g. Fox News)
• Advocacy groups (e.g. Americans for Prosperity)

This infrastructure allows for rapid, coordinated messaging across multiple channels. Key talking points are quickly disseminated and repeated, shaping public opinion.

Data advantage. The GOP has invested heavily in voter data and microtargeting capabilities. This allows for:

• Precise voter outreach
• Tailored messaging to specific demographics
• More efficient resource allocation

Democrats lag behind in both messaging infrastructure and data capabilities. This puts them at a significant disadvantage in crafting and delivering effective political communication.

6. Democrats must adopt negative partisanship to win elections

Negative partisanship strategy relies on broad, overarching messages to accomplish its two goals: to freak the hell out of all factions of coalitional voters so much that they'll go out of their way to show up to vote for Democrats, and to freak the hell out of swing voters so much that they'll vote against Republicans and for Democrats, even if it's by default.

Motivation through opposition. Negative partisanship leverages voters' dislike of the opposing party to drive turnout and sway swing voters. For Democrats, this means:

• Highlighting Republican extremism
• Emphasizing threats to democracy and personal freedom
• Painting a stark contrast between the parties

Unifying message. Rather than tailoring messages to specific interest groups, Democrats should focus on a broad, overarching theme of protecting democracy and freedom from Republican threats.

This strategy requires Democrats to overcome their aversion to partisan attacks and simplistic messaging. While policy nuance has value, electoral success in the current environment demands a more aggressive, emotionally resonant approach.

7. Effective messaging requires simplicity, repetition, and emotion

The most effective words in politics stir up emotions, resonate with our values, and paint vivid pictures of the future—the future we want for ourselves and for our kids, and the much bleaker one envisioned by MAGA Republicans.

Simplicity is key. Political messages must be:

• Easy to understand
• Memorable
• Emotionally resonant

Repetition reinforces. Effective messaging requires:

• Consistent use of key phrases and themes
• Repetition across multiple channels
• Persistence over time

Emotional appeals work. Messages should:

• Tap into core values and identities
• Evoke strong feelings (e.g. fear, hope, anger)
• Paint vivid pictures of positive and negative futures

Democrats often struggle with overly complex, policy-focused messaging. To compete, they must embrace simpler, more emotionally charged communication that connects with voters on a gut level.

8. Wedge issues can be powerful tools to sway voters

Wedge issues are like bunker-buster bombs—the opposite of finding common ground; they split people apart.

Divisive by design. Wedge issues:

• Force voters to choose sides
• Highlight divisions within opposing coalitions
• Dominate media coverage and shape narratives

Emotional resonance. Effective wedge issues tap into:

• Deep-seated values and identities
• Fears and anxieties
• Sense of fairness or injustice

Strategic deployment. To use wedge issues effectively:

• Identify issues that split opponent's coalition
• Frame in stark, binary terms
• Hammer message consistently across channels

Democrats have often been on the defensive against Republican wedge issues. To gain an advantage, they must learn to proactively deploy their own wedge issues, such as abortion rights and gun violence prevention.

9. Democrats should rebrand as champions of freedom

Democrats must take back the most powerful f-words in American politics by rebranding themselves as the party of freedom and the Republicans as the party of fascism.

Reclaiming freedom. Democrats should:

• Frame their policies in terms of protecting and expanding freedoms
• Highlight Republican threats to personal liberty
• Emphasize positive vision of a free, diverse society

Exposing fascist tendencies. Simultaneously, Democrats must:

• Call out Republican attacks on democratic institutions
• Highlight GOP efforts to restrict voting rights
• Frame MAGA movement as fundamentally authoritarian

This rebranding effort requires consistency and repetition. Every Democrat should hammer home the message that their party stands for freedom, while Republicans represent a creeping fascism that threatens core American values.

10. Winning elections requires putting party over policy nuance

Democrats: Get comfortable with partisan credit claiming and partisan blaming; get comfortable branding achievements as Democratic achievements and not just generic congressional achievements, even if a handful of Republicans come along.

Partisanship over policy. To win elections, Democrats must:

• Emphasize party brand over individual policy details
• Take credit for popular achievements
• Assign blame to Republicans for problems

Simplify messaging. Instead of nuanced policy explanations, focus on:

• Clear contrasts between parties
• Emotionally resonant themes
• Easy-to-understand slogans and catchphrases

Discipline and unity. Success requires:

• Consistent messaging across all Democrats
• Willingness to set aside policy disagreements
• Presenting a united front against Republicans

This approach may feel uncomfortable for Democrats accustomed to policy wonkery and ideological purity. However, in the current political landscape, electoral success demands a more partisan, simplified approach to communication and campaigning.

Last updated: November 8, 2024