« There are three big takeaways that I think still apply. First, recognize that people want change and are looking for candidates who will upend a political and economic system that they see as broken and corrupt. Second, be willing to build the broadest coalition possible and work hard to persuade people who may disagree with you on some issues that we Democrats hold pretty sacred. Finally, run on a message of hope and unity. The American people are better than our politics have been. Offer them a brighter future. »
— Democratic strategist, podcaster, and former Obama staffer Dan Pfeiffer. Quoted in conversation with John Guida of the New York Times. Dan outlined what voters are looking for this year.
There seem to be a small but vocal number of "doomer" Democrats. They are the folks who exaggerate every setback and amplify every Trump gain as if it were an imminent apocalypse. Dan reminds es elsewhere in this piece that bad news is not forever.
After the 2024 election, there was all of this talk about a semi-permanent Republican majority. A party that dominated with white working-class voters, held their own with Latinos and was growing with young voters is basically unstoppable, given how the Senate and Electoral College maps play out. Those days are long gone.
In the New York Times/Siena poll this week, Trump has a -51 points net approval rating with Hispanic voters, a -57 net approval rating with young voters ages 18 to 29 and is barely above water with white voters who didn’t go to college.
If you hear people spreading doom vibes, tell them to STFU. That's also good advice for how to deal with the outrage cultivators who spit venom at any Dem who has slightly different views.
Without unity, hard work, and confidence we just end up with more MAGA.
In case anybody needs a reminder, Midterm Election Day is just 164 days from today.
