The GOP has a very simple meta-strategy. And it's (unfortunately) working very well indeed.

[TygrBright]

In a nutshell, all GOP strategies - messaging, candidate selection, fundraising, communications, platform development, legislation, regulation, etc. - everything they do - EVERYTHING - boils down to this:

Make things bad. Blame the bad on Democrats. Run against Democrats.

Rinse, repeat.

One reason this is so effective is that Democrats have no comparable simple meta-strategy. Democrats know that "simple" is deceptive and to make real, positive change, you need to pay attention to the complexities, take time to study the problems, build consensus around shared definitions, articulate solutions and test them in diverse communities, and plan long, careful rollouts of real fixes.

Up against: "OMG, things are AWFUL! And getting WORSE! Because DEMOCRATS! Vote for US instead!" this is a complete loser.

Democrats hope that their logical, meticulous strategies, which promise a high probability of ultimate success, will eventually win out, as voters tire of the same old from the GOP, and notice that Democratic policy and legislative initiatives are actually producing real and positive changes for people.

Except that "real and positive changes resulting from a long, careful, detailed process of study, consensus-building, and development" don't sell newspapers, boosts ratings, generate clicks, or sell advertising.

"OMG, things are AWFUL! And getting WORSE! Because DEMOCRATS!" sells newspapers, boosts ratings, generates clicks and sells advertising.

This frustrates the hell out of Democrats, who worry that developing a comparable meta-strategy to counter the GOP will a) Divert critical resources from important initiatives; and b) Be an ineffective 'tu quoque!' response that lands them in the mud, wrestling the pig.

I don't know any good, magic wand answers.

But I do believe that shining the light on that GOP strategy will eventually have some effect, if we can simply keep doing it with a "stuck record" application. Every time the GOP "goes there" loudly and clearly point out how this particular iteration of going there is just one more case of "OMG, things are AWFUL! And getting WORSE! Because DEMOCRATS!" and has about as much chance of making things better for people as standing around throwing matches into a house fire.

Again, and again, and again.

It would be a good start.

thoughtfully,
Bright

[DBoon]

1. The best response dates to Harry Truman

You are here because you are interested in the issues of this campaign. You know, as all the citizens of this great country know, that the election is not all over nothing but shouting. That is what they would like to have you believe, but it isn't so--it isn't so at all.

The Republicans are trying to hide the truth from you in a great many ways. They don't want you to know the truth about the issues in this campaign. The big fundamental issue in this campaign is the people against the special interests.

The Democratic party stands for the people.

The Republican party stands, and always has stood, for special interests. They have proved that conclusively in the record that they made in this "do-nothing" Congress.

The Republican party candidates are going around talking to you in high-sounding platitudes, trying to make you believe that they themselves are the best people to run the government. Well now, you have had experience with them running the government. In 1920 to 1932, they had complete control of the government. Look what they did to it!

This country is enjoying the greatest prosperity it has ever known because we have been following, for sixteen years, the policies inaugurated by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Everybody benefited from these policies--labor, the farmer, businessmen, and white-collar workers.

We want to keep that prosperity. We cannot keep that if we don't lick the biggest problem facing us today, and that is high prices.

I have been trying to get the Republicans to do something about high prices and housing ever since they came to Washington. They are responsible for that situation, because they killed price control, and they killed the housing bill. That Republican, 80th "do-nothing" Congress absolutely refused to give any relief whatever in either one of those categories.

What do you suppose the Republicans think you ought to do about high prices?

Senator Taft, one of the leaders in the Republican Congress, said, "If consumers think the price is too high today, they will wait until the price is lower. I feel that in time, the law of supply and demand will bring prices into line. "

There is the Republican answer to the high cost of living.

If it costs too much, just wait.

If you think fifteen cents is too much for a loaf of bread, just do without it and wait until you can afford to pay fifteen cents for it.

If you don't want to pay sixty cents a-pound for hamburger, just wait. That is what the Republican Congress thought you ought to do, and that is the same Congress that the Republican candidate for president said did a good job.

Some people say I ought not to talk so much about the Republican 80th "do-nothing" Congress in this campaign. I will tell you why I will talk about it. If two-thirds of the people stay at home again on election day as they did in 1946, and if we get another Republican Congress like the 80th Congress, it will be controlled by the same men who controlled that 80th Congress--the Tabers and the Tafts, the Martins and the Hallecks--would be the bosses. The same men would be the bosses, the same as those who passed the Taft-Hartley Act, and passed the rich man's tax bill, and took Social Security away from a million workers.

Do you want that kind of administration? I don't believe you do--I don't believe you do.

I don't believe you would be out here, interested in listening to my outline of what the Republicans are trying to do to you, if you intended to put them back in there.

When a bunch of Republican reactionaries are in control of the Congress, then the people get reactionary laws. The only way you can get the kind of government you need is by going to the polls and voting the straight Democratic ticket on November 2. Then you will get a Democratic Congress, and I will get a Congress that will work with me. Then we will get good housing at prices we can afford to pay; and repeal of that vicious Taft-Hartley Act; and more Social Security coverage; and prices that will be fair to everybody; and we can go on and keep sixty-one million people at work; we can have an income of more than $217 billion, and that income will be distributed so that the farmer, the workingman, the white collar worker, and the businessman get their fair share of that income.

That is what I stand for.

That is what the Democratic party stands for.

Vote for that, and you will be safe.

https://speeches-usa.com/Transcripts/harry_truman-nothing.html

[abqtommy]

5. +100 Well said. nt

[DBoon]

6. thank the long deceased Harry Truman

and what the Democratic Party fought for then

[TygrBright]

9. It was all so do-able, back when we were only doing it for white people. n/t

[Wicked Blue]

2. My husband and I were just ranting about this yesterday

We seriously need to upgrade our party's propaganda

[abqtommy]

3. I wonder just how clever the reTHUG Fascist Insurrectionists are. They're all up to

their necks in conspiracy and treason and more of them are being arrested, tried and
found guilty almost daily. Now that's a message that we Democrats can utilize. I
shouldn't have to remind anyone that in 2020 81 million voters rejected the reTHUGS.
We can do it again. If we want to.

None of what I've written is meant to take anything away from the very good OP here.
I'm just adding my perspective.

[Jm7603]

4. You are absolutely right. Negative catch phrases are

hard to compete with when you are proposing real legislation and real ideas that involve complex issues. We need to simplify, consolidate, and consistently reinforce the campaign slogans for the knee jerkers out there. Then govern like real people with real solutions to real world problems when given the opportunity.

[global1]

7. Democrats Need To Promote Their Logical, Meticulous Strategies & Tout Their Successes....

You indicated in your post that Democrats hope that their logical, meticulous strategies, which promise a high probability of ultimate success, will eventually win out, as voters tire of the same old from the GOP, and notice that Democratic policy and legislative initiatives are actually producing real and positive changes for people.

The Democrats need to communicate that to the American People and point out how they have made things better for the American People and how it translated in making life better for them.

At the same time - the Dems need to ask the American People - how do the Repugs benefit you? What have they done for you?

This messaging needs to be communicated by all Dems - any chance they get. It should be part and parcel to all of their campaign materials and televised commercials.

Currently - I don't think the Dems do a good job at communicating to the American People as to how they've made things better.

There are enormous contrasts between what Biden has done since elected versus what the previous Repug administrations have done for the American People. I got to think that it is relatively easy to point out these differences.

Now is the time (in fact it might be too late) communicate to the American People this and the real and positive changes resulting from a long, careful, detailed process of study, consensus-building, and development and how this translates into making their lives better.

The Dems need to force the Repugs into a defensive strategy. Make the Repugs explain what their plan is to make the American Peoples day-to-day life better.

As far as I can tell - the Repugs have no plan and can't defend what they have done or what they will do to make the lives of the American People better going forward.

[TygrBright]

8. They don't need a plan. They don't need to defend what they've done.

They have no interest in making the lives of Americans better going forward.

All they want is to win elections, gather power, and funnel resources to oligarchs.

And everything they have done, and are doing, has given them TERRIFIC success in doing exactly that.

Why should they change anything?

That's a key question. We need to answer it in ways that the GOP and their voters will feel on a gut level.

sadly,
Bright

[TomCADem]

10. The OP Suffers From The Common Top Down Magical Media Strategy Fallacy

To begin with, who is the OP referring to when the OP talks about Democrats:

One reason this is so effective is that Democrats have no comparable simple meta-strategy. Democrats know that "simple" is deceptive and to make real, positive change, you need to pay attention to the complexities, take time to study the problems, build consensus around shared definitions, articulate solutions and test them in diverse communities, and plan long, careful rollouts of real fixes.

Is it us? Is the media? Is it progressives? In context, it appears that the post is referring to the Democratic leadership. However, this type of top down recommendation is the wrong solution for a misdiagnosed problem.

First, the energy on the Republican side is not coming from Republican leadership, but from external actors (both foreign and domestic) such as the large right wing media ecosystem, which caters to racism and hate, that in turn motivates the Republican base to take action, not on the federal level, but at the state and local level. When you see raucous meetings about cultural war issues, they are taking place in school boards and local government, not in Congress. You are not having Mitch McConnell or Kevin McCarthy showing up at school boards to motivate people. Instead, through right wing media and social media, you are seeing people motivated to take easily publicized action at the local government level.

Second, the OP does not take into account that asymmetric nature of our media where you have a mainstream media that is motivated by profit and sensationalism, and a right wing media that pushes Republican propaganda that is largely underwritten by the billionaires that stand to benefit from pro-corporate policies. Regardless of media strategy, Fox News is never going to play any pro-Democratic story. OANN is never going to fairly cover the Biden administration. Unlike Republicans, Democrats do not have the luxury of a hermetically sealed universe where 40 percent of the population will never hear any stories that critical of Republicans.

Third, in terms of solution, look at how Republicans are generating buzz, by getting 20 people to show up a podium for free at school board to discuss the evils of CRT. Its not the GOP. Just racist Republicans showing up at their local school board, then posting videos. Why can't progressives start showing up and demanding bans on teach white nationalism and fascism? It does not matter that it is not taught at schools.