How does the Republican Party do so well by never talking about the "issues"?

[kentuck]

They rely almost entirely on personal attack and lies to advance their political agenda. The only time they seem to incorporate issues into their campaigns is when they see it as a sure political winner, such as "inflation".

Otherwise, most of their campaigning is to tear down their opponent with personal attacks, such as "too old", suffering from dementia, worst president ever in history-type of charges. This has always been most effective for them.

No doubt, Democrats in the next election will return to jobs, bread and butter issues, healthcare, social advances for under-privileged, etc. Republicans, on the other hand, have no need to address the needs of the people.

Even when someone like a Donald Trump runs for President, it seems that Democrats are only able to do half-ass attacks against him and his Party. They always return to the "issues" that they believe the people really care about.

IF the political roles were reversed at this time, what do we think the Republicans would be running on? Would they subpoena Joe Biden, former president, to testify before their Committee? Would Joe Biden already be in jail? Would they be afraid of hurting the Democrats feelings or dividing the nation if they acted in "too partisan" of a manner? I think we all know the answer.

[Native]

1. Fear.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. More specifically, Fear of The Other...

That’s their issue.

[Mad_Machine76]

4. It's sad and crazy

that it works and wins them elections.

[ck4829]

44. Indeed

[Strelnikov_]

48. Yep n/t

[Polybius]

50. Yup, Darth Mual nailed it with his honesty in 1999

[Mad_Machine76]

3. I'm baffled too

While we get an endless stream of "Democrats suck at messaging" articles.

[treestar]

10. Exactly

If the Rs are good at messaging, does that mean personal attacks are better? We try avoid going so low. But the voters seem to respond to that. Which is not "supposed" to be true, not according to the values we are taught. Yet Republicans have not held to those values. And it does not hurt them the way it should.

[Mad_Machine76]

26. No it doesn't

Which doesn't say a lot of good things about a lot of people in this country. Voters keep complaining about politicians being ugly and nasty ("partisan&quot and often say they tune out of politics because of it, yet they continually respond to it by rewarding Republicans for their bad behavior by voting for them and giving them money and punishing Democrats for trying to more civil and talk about real policies and concerns.

[Demsrule86]

28. I wish we had voters in this country who gravely considered issues before voting but it doesn't

work that way...so pick an issue and run on it...I wrote a post on Danica Roem's win in Virginia. It was remarkable. We need to consider what works and do it. If our preferred way doesn't work then time for a change...griping about the ignorance of the electorate won't help. Fetterman in PA's primary is a good example. He has his issues and has enumerated them...but listen to his speeches...he does not present a laundry list and it is working.

He is ahead of the others including Connor Lamb who was expected to win hands down. He is also not above fighting back when attacked. This is the kind of candidate we need in most races...not saying that candidates need to be moderate or progressive. This depends on individual circumstances. They simply have to frame the election in a way that helps them and not put a target on their back by using what I call a laundry list of issues. And they must be willing to fight fire with fire.

[Mad_Machine76]

36. Agreed

[Demsrule86]

37. Sigh...imagine having educated voters who cared more about issues than destroying

civil right, LGBTQ rights, Womens rights...ETC. It truly would be paradise.

[treestar]

39. It isn't griping

but realizing that a new way has to be made, and we are uncomfortable with it (insults and such).

[Demsrule86]

40. I don't disagree. We can't be the party of 'nice' unless we want to lose...and laundry lists of

issues are a waste of time. IMHO, they always were.

[betsuni]

47. +1

[Samrob]

49. They do talk about the issues. Their issues. Race, immigration, socking it to those "others" and

owning the libs.

[Irish_Dem]

5. Fear, hatred, racism. And a promise of white christian minority rule.

[jrthin]

6. M$M. They NEVER ask repugs the thought questions,

and rarely do they hold the repugs feet to the fire the way they do w/dems.

[Demsrule86]

41. Well, time to stop giving the media information that they can nitpick ...stand for one of two

important issues and refer them to the website for everything else.

[TuskMoar]

7. It is all Culture War all the Time

I get frustrated when the dems don't engage the culture war. It was good to see former republicans come out in the last election (e.g., Lincoln Project) and make ads for democratic candidates. It was sad to see that those kinds of ads had to be made by recent republicans. The dems seem unwilling to engage in this kind of campaigning and they keep losing as a result.

[Buckeyeblue]

31. That's it. And most of the culture war is manufactured

Republicans are great at inventing problems that don't exist and then proposing outrageous legislation to solve the made up problem.

For instance, the transgender bathroom issue. As far as I know, no one was able to point to one actual instance where people where getting harassed by transgender people in bathrooms. Yet, state legislatures shit all over themselves to quickly craft the craziest law to protect people who don't need protecting.

Same with the don't say gay law. K-3rd graders were not being inundated with discussions about what it is to be gay. Yet, the Florida legislature invented this issue so they could make a big deal out of solving it. It serves as a good distraction when you are making poor people even poorer.

[Marthe48]

8. They know their audience

Great minds discuss ideas
Average minds discuss events
Small minds discuss people

Eleanor Roosevelt

I'd like to add: r's discuss their meth hallucinations

[MissMillie]

9. Fear and anger are big motivators to people who will not stop and think. (n/t)

.

[Thomas Hurt]

11. Their base is gullible and have the critical thinking skills of a rock.

[FakeNoose]

12. The Democratic Party doesn't have a Jim Jordan or MTG

In my mind that's a GOOD thing, but we never attack and pile on like they do. We have some very smart people who won't stoop to the Repukes' level. Sometimes getting nasty is the only way to communicate, and get them to notice.

I believe the answer is to get a few popular entertainers to present the liberal/progressive viewpoint in an entertaining way that also informs. I'm thinking of Garrison Keillor-type of entertainers who can be informative and funny. Political issues get introduced in a round-about way through stories, jokes, songs, etc. A good example is the Forrest Gump movie which touched on political issues without seeming to "preach" the liberal message.

[kentuck]

13. If the shoe were on the other foot?

Ask yourself, "What Would Republicans Do"?

[FakeNoose]

22. Well, 50 years ago they used movie stars and entertainers to advance their conservative ideals

I'm talking about John Wayne, Anita Bryant, even Ronald Reagan, and several others come to mind. The Repukes aren't the same party they were then. But you were asking how do we fight them and not become just like them.

That video that Arnold Schwarzenegger did (to the Russians) a few weeks ago is a perfect example of the type of messaging I'm talking about.

[randr]

14. They control the narrative by distraction

[lees1975]

15. Because Democrats don't turn out and vote except in big elections

But I think the abominable, racist treatment of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was a wake-up call, at least for African American voters whose turnout, or lack thereof, made the difference between the 2012 and 2016 election results, and again in 2020. It's not cliche, we need African Americans to turn out in Presidential election year numbers to win back control of Congress in 2022, and the fact that there are critical races in critical states where African American leadership is on the ballot is key.

And we also need the Latino turnout. Arizona is a key state for that, along with Texas. The polling data looks pretty good from both place. It needs to be much higher.

We need more than the Lincoln project to be putting out those devastating ads. They need to be everywhere all the time. This summer is a crucial time during which Democrats need to put Republicans on their heels. And it would be a wonderful summer to have FP45 on his heels, backed up to the wall on January 6th. An August conviction would be great.

[kentuck]

17. I will admit, it is frustrating to see Democrats on the defensive....

...when they should have the Republicans in full retreat. They hesitate to create even the smallest wave.

[uponit7771]

18. +1, democrats don't use national level stokes in the midterms but we need to this year.

[Wingus Dingus]

16. They're not there to govern, pass laws, solve problems. They're there

to perform--make sick burns on twitter, get attention, insult and inflame, provoke the libs, put on theatrics. That's what they were hired to do. None of their constituents who voted for them actually expect any real work out of them--they want acting.

[ck4829]

45. Turning the government into a cesspool

[JoanofArgh]

19. Have you read Hannah Arendt?

far right wing , fascistic parties never do.

[uponit7771]

20. K&R, I don't think any of the MAGA Messaging is majority organic any longer. They're getting help ..

... and after the collapse of MAGA message from SM post Russia cutting of FB there's no doubt where it's coming from.

[Beautiful Disaster]

21. Because politics today are driven by emotion, not policy.

Emotion wins elections. It's why Trump won in 2016 and likely why he lost in 2020. When you get beyond the party lines, the 80% of the voting population who will support the Democrats and Republicans due to actual ideological issues, you're left with 20% of the voting population that is persuaded on emotion alone.

Republicans know that if you can sell fear or anger, you have a good shot at reaching a majority of that 20% needed to win an election. We saw it in Virginia last year and could see it again this November.

The thing is, it's always easier to create emotion when you're not in power. The upside to being a challenger is that you can tap into anger and prescribe it to a specific person or party - typically the party in power.

The flaw is believing Republicans are better at it than Democrats. We're only saying that because the Democrats are the party in power, forgetting that emotion helped Biden in 2020 and the Democrats in 2018.

It also helped Obama in 2008 and the party in 2006.

Conversely, fear is also something an incumbent party can use to success.

In 2002, Republicans grew their majority in the House and took back the Senate because they were successful at preying on the fear of terrorism a lot of the country was experiencing.

Incumbent presidents also can use fear successfully: if you don't reelect me, this and this will happen.

But the common denominator here is emotion.

What you believe is secondary to the mood of the country.

Republicans know their best bet to recapturing the House and Senate this November is by creating anger, either through the economy or social issues.

So that's what they're going to do. Unfortunately, it's hard to argue with emotion.

So Democrats need to find a way to make Americans fear Republican rule over the emotion the Republicans are going to attempt to get them to feel over Democratic rule.

Really, that's what this midterm is going to be: anger vs fear.

One thing to help neuter that anger would be gas prices and inflation dropping. That's feeding a lot of the anger Republicans are tapping into.

But I do think the Democrats are holding their own all things considered. If just might not be enough, unfortunately.

[ananda]

23. Corporate oligarchs who own courts, the media, and the party...

That's how.

[Demsrule86]

29. You are saying Oligarchs own the Democratic Party? I dispute this and advise you to delete ASAP.

We need to support our party...not make it the enemy.

[ananda]

46. I meant the GOPP

only the Dems like Manchin
and Sinema are owned.

[CrispyQ]

24. They don't have to.

We've had 40+ years of hate radio & right wing media telling people that democrats are worse than Satan himself. I know people who identify as repubs who loathed Trump, but they wouldn't never vote for a democrat. There were several reports of ballots where the presidential position was left blank but the rest of the ballot was straight repub.

[Demsrule86]

42. We could have fought right wing radio with our own media...why didn't we. We have to be pro-active

and start thinking about how we can win elections....nothing else matters.

[Midnight Writer]

25. It is the fascist playbook. The GOP & Co. have studied history and decided this is how they roll.

The only division within their ranks is between those who want a "soft fascism" (country ruled by and for the wealthiest)and those that want a "hard fascism" (brutal authoritarianism).

[Demsrule86]

27. I have said repeatedly that laundry lists of issues do not win elections...they present a

target. Pick an issue or two that matters to voters. If you pick issues that can appeal to red, purple and blue voters...all the better. For house races this year- I say go local- and run on whatever is a voting issue or issues in your district. I remember a great Democrat, Danica Roem, the first Trans woman elected in Virginia, ran on fixing the roads. She won her race. And ironically the GOP asshat-Bob Marshal- she defeated had written the Anti-Trans bathroom bill. Marshall had been elected 13 times and the seat was considered 'safe'.

"Danica Roem made history earlier this month, running successfully for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates as an openly transgender candidate. Her win was especially sweet given that she defeated Bob Marshall, a 26-year incumbent who once referred to himself as Virginia’s “chief homophobe” and sponsored an anti-trans “bathroom bill” in the previous session.

Roem has pointed out that while Marshall was campaigning on transphobia, she won by running on bread-and-butter issues that matter to her constituents. And in suburban northern Virginia, one of those issues is traffic congestion."

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/11/29/evaluating-danica-roems-transportation-platform/

[usonian]

30. IT'S CULT BEHAVIOR

United by a few themes, starting with racism, and based on guilt, for supporting gazillionaires, who are just using them.

There is vast contradiction in this all being against their own interest and the shameful use of "religion" as cover for base and hideous behavior that no "Good Shepherd" I ever learned about would advocate or even tolerate.

Similar behavior is found in "addictive systems" as Anne Wilson Schaef writes about, including finding (our) society as an addictive system.

So there you are: a cult turned against its own interest, whipped up with base and addictive patterns, by clever manipulators.

Have you seen this pattern before? How many HUNDREDS of times?

Now, Jaime Harrison of DNC has come up with a slogan that encompasses all this without the $20 words.

I ENCOURAGE ALL TO READ AND HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD


https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216571510
Finally, a sticky slogan for the GOP: 'Fraud, fear and fascism'

From DailyKos:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/4/6/2090427/-Democratic-Party-chair-nails-the-GOP-It-is-a-party-built-on-fraud-fear-and-fascism

Kerry Eleveld
Daily Kos Staff
Wednesday April 06, 2022 · 10:41 AM PDT

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison on Wednesday offered a particularly apt summation of Republicans on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

“It is a party built on fraud, fear and fascism," Harrison said. "They don’t deserve to be in power.”

The three Fs—Fraud, Fear, and Fascism—are a perfect alliteration for the GOP. The fact that it could fit on a bumper sticker is also a notable advancement for Democratic messaging.

Culling Republicans down to a sticky umbrella message about the pervasive corruption pulsing through the GOP would be super helpful for Democrats.

More at my link or DKos.

[peggysue2]

32. They rely on emotional triggers, the so-called wedge issues

They rarely speak to things that affect the day-to-day life of Americans--healthcare, jobs, paychecks. When they do? They lie and spread disinformation as in: these are the worst jobless reports in 40 years.

Complete fabrication.

But for those who do not investigate, research the comments? The 'alternate facts' are swallowed whole.

We criticize the Russian population for feeding off Putin's propaganda. But there's a good 30-40% of Americans who do the same thing because the lies confirm their own biases which are continuously amplified through right-wing channels.

Even President Obama admitted he underestimated the effects of the Republican disinformation campaign.

It's real and it's extraordinarily damaging to our body politic and social fabric.

[BlueIdaho]

33. The Republican Party is a cult of personality

They promote a strong man leader and use plenty of jingoistic bullshit flag waving to justify the villainization of anyone who dares to challenge their dogma. Their populism attracts losers who identify with their message - “you were robbed, it’s time for payback.”

Who needs issues when you are selling a “messiah” who will right all your perceived wrongs and punish your perceived enemies?

[Emile]

34. They fabricate wedge issues to piss off their base. How else can you convince

average working class voters to support a political party who's whole agenda is tax cuts for tax evading billionaires!

[Caliman73]

35. They use emotions and narrative.

The Republicans have set themselves up historically as the party that supports free enterprise and that supports "less government". It is all bullshit, but that is the accepted narrative.

They use this narrative to beat up on Democrats because we are the party that believes that Government should help people. It is easy for Republicans to point out times where Government is inefficient or seems indifferent. Ever go to the DMV? You remember the times when you had to spend long hours waiting but you don't necessarily remember when they were efficient OR that they service a hundred million people, pushing hundreds of millions of documents regularly with complex laws and regulations.

My wife and I were talking about the IRS the other day. We owe back taxes and they have been coming after us hard. We are fortunate enough to be able to hire an attorney who has helped us come to a settlement, but it has been a major process. Then when we hear about people like Bezos and Musk paying no income tax or getting a refund, or the the IRA has not gone after wealthy tax evaders because of the complexity and time it takes, we get upset.

Now my wife and I know that much of the inefficiency and the unfair practices we perceive in government are the result of intense lobbying and a lot of money changing hands, mostly with Republicans, so we would NEVER vote for Republicans, ever. The problem is that most people do not really pay attention to politics like we do, like most people on DU do. It is a lot easier for Republicans to blame "Big Government" as an idea and hang it around Democratic necks, even though they are 95% of the problem. The other 4% is just the size and scope of what government has to do and I leave 1% by Democratic politicians like Manchin and Sinema who are also captured by lobbyists.

Republicans do not want to govern. They want power. Their whole worldview is a hierarchy, a pyramid of power with Wealthy White Men at the top and everyone else below them, serving them and the status quo. They believe that this is the "Natural Order" ordained by God. To Republicans/Conservatives anything to make that happen and maintain it is fair game. That is why they have no problems cheating, offending, being hypocrites, and destroying any conventions and standards for government.

[Kid Berwyn]

38. The Dog Whistles

Link to tweet

[ck4829]

43. What's stopping people from flipping the script?

"Where's the 'wokeness' charge at?", make things like that common.