I like James Carville but...

[Septua]

..am sick of hearing how the Democrats 'can't get the messaging right'. That's probably how political strategists explain bad poll numbers rather than admit bad strategy; but if the audience isn't listening, the message content is academic.

The people who vote for the Kari Lakes around the country don't want to listen in the first place. They were going to vote for a Kari Lake before Kari Lake decided to run for office. They were just waiting on a Kari Lake to come along.

The anti-MAGA, pro-Democracy movement in the country is messaging all day, every day, with every conceivable message format but they're preaching to the choir. The number of Republicans who have seen the light and jumped ship, did so through their own rationalization of what's real and what isn't and probably as a result of listing to Kari Lake's bullshit rather than Biden's messaging.

Biden has done more for the country in two years than Trump did in four or would do in four more. And worse, Trump is still in destruction mode and some people can't see it.

You can't fix stupid...

[betsuni]

1. Absolutely. They were waiting for a Trump to come along, a Kari Lake.

I see it over and over and over and over that if Democrats have just the right Goldilocks economic message it will change anything. As if Democrats never mention the economy and if only Republican voters hear that they're voting against their own economic interest the scales will fall from their eyes and they'll vote Democratic. No. They think they ARE voting for their own economic and other interests by voting for Republicans. Nothing anybody says will change that.

[SomedayKindaLove]

2. Gas, Inflation, Crime

Mixed in with steady diet of fear and hatred for the Other makes a pretty powerful message, straight out of the fascist playbook.

What 3 words describe the Dems messaging for these midterms?

[PortTack]

5. Social security, RvW, save the democracy. Not 3 words, but 3 TP

Those that are going to vote dem don’t buy the hatred messaging. That’s why it isn’t used. We aren’t hard wired the same as a conservative.

[vercetti2021]

3. Thing is

I remember during the 2018 elections how he said that it was just going to look like a blue puddle and we ended up kicking major ass everywhere. the thing is I don't take people serious like this anymore because they are not always right

[kelly1mm]

4. Keri Lake is an interesting case study as she was actually supported by Democrats in the

primaries because she was seen as too extreme for AZ and easier to beat. Somewhat similar to when many here on DU were elated when Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016 as he was seen as easier to beat .....

Now it looks like her popularity in the state may drag Masters over the finish line with her defeating Senator Kelley - it will be close for sure.

[PortTack]

6. Kelly is seen as Arizonan's favorite son since the death of John McCain

Kelly will handily win re-election. As far as scary lake goes, AZ is awash with CA transplants over the last 10-15 yrs. They brought their liberal politics with them which is why there’s been such a shift there. They know who lake is.

[kelly1mm]

8. Define 'handily'? I think whoever wins between Kelly and Masters it will be by less than 3 points.

When I think of handily winning I think of my Senator Van Holland who will win reelection by 15 points.

Lake will win AZ by 4-8 points, despite all the CA transplants. If she wins by 6 or more Masters will also win. This is all just my opinion based on following campaigns so far.

[Lovie777]

13. And yet the race is tied for governor and Kelly is up % wise .....

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[kelly1mm]

16. I think Lake will win by at least 4 points

And if she wins by 6 or more Masters will win as well. We will see in 5 days what happens.

[PortTack]

7. Thank you..great summation and attitude!!

[claudette]

9. I understand the

Democratic messaging. Whoever doesn’t may have a comprehension problem

[PurgedVoter]

10. I loved Carville, I bought and read his book

But along the way he became a pundit, married the enemy and became beltway bought. He doesn't work for the people. He gets invited in by people who work for American oligarchs. His bread is buttered by oligarchs. He was at one time a strong voice for decency, but you don't get to be a pundit by working for the good of the American people. He was always DLC.

[CentralMass]

11. Talk to any MAGAT on how they are voting.

[Sympthsical]

12. The messaging has been problematic

When we have a midterm and inflation has been what it is, the economy drum should've been banged early and often.

People didn't. There was heavy denial. Remember, "Inflation is transitory!" or "Inflation is global!" or "Inflation isn't really a problem!" and in one infamous incident, "I haven't seen any change at my grocery store!"

And we did this for months. Because we thought Dobbs would carry us (still to be seen) or January 6th would be motivating (no one cares).

It was a total failure of prioritization that many in the party glommed onto way too late - far beyond when the issue was obvious.

Our political consultant class just isn't very good. I don't know what their problem is. Are they just talking to one another on Twitter all day? How do I know obvious warning signs about messaging months in advance when people making six figures to come up with tweets can't figure it out?

People need to step outside. Talk to actual people - not just their friends, political allies, and Twitter follows. But they don't. So this skewed prioritization results that doesn't resonate outside of people who are already going to vote for you.

It's not about a message that you agree with. It's about a message that people who are not you will agree with and find motivating.

[Cosmocat]

14. Rs played Roe perfectly

They knew it would make a big splash, but timed it far enough out from the general election that they knew it would fade over time, and that they could continue to have their allies who can rat fuck the economy (gas prices, etc.) that they still could win at least the house in November.

I always said that was their play and was likely to be a good one.

They know just how stupid most of the country is, and how to play that stupid.

[kelly1mm]

17. I agree. Who ever leaked the Dobbs decision

Early did the Republicans a solid. Wonder if we will ever learn the identity of the leaker.

[doc03]

15. You can talk until you are blue in the face but is doesn't do any good

if the other side just don't listen.

[brooklynite]

18. Your argument fails...

Mark Kelly is clearly reaching voters that Katie Hobbs is not. Shapiro is clearly reaching voters that Fetterman is not. In the House, people are clearly voting for Republicans who voted Democratic in 2018.

I attend private meeting with DNC leadership and have raised the same concerns. They seem to feel that messaging decisions are up to the individual candidates.

As Carville said yesterday, the Cobbs decision could have been kept alive and leveraged into other issues of concern ("Republicans say they won't get rid of Social Security, just like they said they wouldn't get rid of abortion rights&quot . But I'm not seeing any solid response to the economy issue, which DNC will tell you is and has been the top issue on people's minds.

[Efilroft Sul]

21. I don't get a good feeling about the DNC.

So the DNC has known for a while that the economy is the #1 issue with voters, but party leadership allowed messaging decisions to be decided by the individual candidates? While all politics is local, this meeting you attended, plus Carville's statement, tells me the party leadership lacks in exercising messaging discipline and the will to act effectively on something it's known all along. We needed Grants and got McClellans instead. Do you have a different take on things?

[brooklynite]

22. My specific reply to Jaime Harrison was...

…that the DNC should work with it’s the Party Committees to craft an over-arching framework of “Democrats will protect your rights that Republicans want to take away”; into which individual candidates could plug their own message. Didn’t get a good response.

(Nb: if the November election results are as bad as is being suggested, I think Harrison will be replaced by President Biden)

[Efilroft Sul]

24. Thanks for the reply!

I hate to say it, but this meeting sounds like one of those classic DID articles that Politico is fond of publishing.

Harrison, I think, is good for fundraising. I'm not sure at the moment who I would want to have leading the DNC, though I think we're going to need someone who combines the finer qualities of Don Draper and Don Corleone.

[JI7]

19. Messaging is overrated in Current Times with social media and other things

It might have been more relevant before but not as much today .

We have a clear difference of the parties. Abortion Rights was overturned by the courts.

Republicans aren't trying to hide who they are .

[Xavier Breath]

20. I admired him in '92

watching as the first Clinton presidential campaign unfolded. But I've heard enough out of him the past few years to cure me of any such admiration. Read/listen to one of his rants about "wokeness" and how the woke are "naive." No wonder Bill Maher loves him so. Two old crank peas in a pod.

[Baggies]

23. The message is coming through loud and clear.

If we lose, then it’s because voters didn’t like the message.

At that point, the Party can either adjust their stance or not. Maybe it’s an issue they believe is a hill worth dying on. There’s a lot of factors to weigh.

But it’s not that voters aren’t hearing or listening to the message. They’re listening. They just think the message is full of shit.

[Aepps22]

25. Messaging is Hard

I hear the messaging item being brought up time and time again but the sad reality is that the current facts on the ground make messaging very difficult. In 20 we ran on the economy and kitchen table issues but then after the election we hear that defund the police was what hindered our progress. Now we are running on abortion and the same people that told us to message about the economy in 20 are saying we should talk about the economy. The facts are that the economy is awful worldwide and the American electorate in general doesn’t want to hear the truth that the economy is bad and will be bad for awhile and that there is very little the US government can do to fix it. Without the abortion issue we would be doa. Messaging is easier for Republicans because their voter’s don’t hold them accountable for actually governing or making their lives better. They vote on buzz words when their only policy is tax cuts for the rich and hate. Shutting down the government will make the economy worse but that’s what Republicans want to do. They don’t have a plan for inflation but they never have to have a plan.