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138
Dems' Messaging Nerds Urged Party Not to Talk About Trump's Military Takeover (www.rollingstone.com)
submitted 2 days ago by UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world
32 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Blue Rose Research, the firm led by Democratic establishment darling David Shor, produced a memo earlier this month digging into the effectiveness of various messages related to Trump’s takeover of Washington, D.C. The firm advised that messaging around Trump’s “rising authoritarianism” was “highly unconvincing,” while messages that say Trump wants to “distract” from his damaging tariffs or horrifying Medicaid cuts were more effective. Meanwhile, Republican messaging about how Trump is clamping down on gang violence tested through the roof.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was asked Sunday on CNN what the party’s plan is to fight the president sending troops into Chicago. He only offered that Trump has no authority to do this, and that he supports the men and women working in law enforcement. He also, as the Blue Rose memo suggested is effective, cast the federal takeover as a “distraction” from Trump’s unpopular policies. Jeffries didn’t seem too worked up about any of this, delivering his talking points with a complacency that certainly did not bely that the United States is currently experiencing a militarized dismantling of representative democracy.

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[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 58 points 2 days ago (3 children)

"Rising" authoritarianism is still too minced of a word to be effective.

America, you are living in an authoritarian regime. Stop acting like Putin's opposition and start making a credible plan (Project 2030?) to restore democracy and establish better guardrails, more accountability to the people instead of in service of capital.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago

Stop acting like Putin’s opposition

[–] Skiluros@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 days ago

As someone who followed the russian "opposition" relatively closely, the similarity with the current US opposition (perhaps not all of them) is striking.

The russian opposition wanted to have their cake and eat it too. Allegedly opposing putin, but still supporting russian imperialism (supporting the annexation of Crimea). Why would the average russian choose them over the real deal?

They were simply unwilling to deal with reality and admit that at this point the only options remaining is violent resistance. there will never be a Disney style outcome in russia where magically it will become democratic and the opposition will win.

US opposition is also unwilling to tell their constituents that if they are truly opposed to the current oligarchic regime, they will have to make sacrifices. It's just how the world works, nothing comes easy.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 12 points 2 days ago

to restore democracy and establish better guardrails, more accountability to the people instead of in service of capital.

They'd (literally, it seems) rather die than do that, so good luck.

[–] M1ch431@slrpnk.net 44 points 2 days ago (1 children)

[Hakeem Jeffries] also, as the Blue Rose memo suggested is effective, cast the federal takeover as a “distraction” from Trump’s unpopular policies.

The future of our country is at stake...and this is our leadership?

[–] PhilipTheBucket@piefed.social 18 points 2 days ago

And when he's floating in a barge off Gitmo, he'll be very mad that it was someone else's fault. This isn't supposed to happen to people like him, he was doing everything professional and right.

[–] Rivalarrival 6 points 2 days ago

I don't know who is going to use it, but the group that adopts "#GuillotineParty" has my vote.

[–] Gates9@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Gee I wonder if they’re getting paid by the same oligarchs who want to implement an authoritarian police state in order to quell populist revolts before people start pulling them out of their houses like the Romanovs?

[–] TipRing@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Democrat leadership continues to be clueless about the lived experience of Americans and will be baffled at their own inability to wrest control from the fascists. I'm sure that when the regime outlaws the democrat party it will come as a huge surprise. "How did this happen? Where did this come from?" they will say as they are either dragged away or swear loyalty to MAGA.

[–] matlag@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago

You mean when Trump start rounding them up, they'll beg for "someone" to "do something" about it!

[–] Wiz@midwest.social -5 points 2 days ago

"Democratic leadership".

Democrat is a noun. Democratic is the adjective form.

[–] chosensilence@pawb.social 27 points 2 days ago (1 children)

this is absolutely enraging. Dems would rather be lied to about what's actually going on than face the horror of fascism. "yeah talking about Tump's authoritarianism is boooring lol boo!!! big thumbs down. that is too heavy a reality for me. can we paint him as a stubborn old fool instead? like just a bad, bad man but in a fingerwaving sense."

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 24 points 2 days ago (3 children)

It isn't that Dems would rather be lied to. It's that these PR advisor groups have no fucking idea what they're talking about. If they did, then maybe their messaging suggestions would be more effective.

At this point they're checking for the pulse of public opinion, by sticking their finger in its eye.

[–] chosensilence@pawb.social 14 points 2 days ago

honestly, i think the PR groups impact the actual base more than people realize, because there are a bunch of Democrats who are truly not as alarmed as they should be. i am seeing way too many "we lived through Bush" messaging as if all we need is to remain positive and stick together. they want him to be a digestible villain.

[–] PhilipTheBucket@piefed.social 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Seriously. You'd think that after 2016 when the signal stabilized and people who ignored this messaging were consistently wildly popular in elections, and people who listened to it got beat like a rented mule year after year, they'd see the pattern. There aren't a lot of fields of big league human endeavor where you can be this stupidly unsuccessful for this long and people still take you seriously and keep paying you vast sums of money to learn your wisdom.

I suspect there's a certain amount of deliberate sabotage involved. How much of it is that, and how much is pure homegrown white-collar stupidity, it's impossible to say, although I would speculate they're both heavily involved.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm starting to wonder if these consultants aren't double agents or something.

[–] PhilipTheBucket@piefed.social 9 points 2 days ago

Yeah. I don't really know politics well enough to know how realistic it is. I do know that most of them exist in a weird white-collar corruption ecosystem which really doesn't give a shit about parties D or R, working people, America's standing in the world and success or failure, any of that stuff. They just work for who pays them, and for the most part, who pays them is the rich sociopaths who are completely fine with putting all the poors in camps.

I feel like a certain amount of it is also deliberate partisan sabotage by people who care specifically about R instead of D, but I think mostly it's just the bipartisan Washington consensus that Bernie Sanders is a loony old guy and Hilary Clinton / George W / Mitt Romney / Hakeem Jeffries / all those indistinguishable dickheads are the future of this country, because they're going to continue to enable all of "us" to get filthy rich without really having to work for it.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 days ago

At this point I'm wondering if they know exactly what they're talking about...

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 days ago

Why the fuck do they listen to these idiots?

[–] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago

This country and its people are fucking stupid. Shit is literally unfolding in front of their own eyes, yet they still support Donnie.

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

If you live in the USA, CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES! https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

"Guys remember: the point isn't about winning it's about pointing to Trump's poo poo diaper and laughing! Then we lose the future elections, keep all the donations, and don't have to upset our ~~owners~~ donors by enacting any policy the voters want!"

Meanwhile on Fox news:

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 days ago

GAH! Trigger warning, please!

[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 days ago

Stop relying on the Democrats to get you out of this mess. They are not on your side against the Republicans. THEY HAVE THE SAME GOALS and only differ in how to get there.

Ever wonder why the Republicans pull everything to the right when they're in power? And then the Democrats do almost nothing to pull it back to the left even when they control the Legislative and Executive branches?

One side is definitely better than the other, but neither party is on the side of the people. They are not your friends. They are not your allies.

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Armchair quarterback here, but I think the messaging is only as convincing as person sending the message.

The research may show that the current messaging is not convincing. But does that mean it will never be convincing? Or does it mean that the democrats aren’t doing a good enough job of convincing people?

[–] YouAreLiterallyAnNPC@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

Armchair fullback, here. The moment they let David Hogg go was the moment that opportunity slipped through their fingers. The problem is nobody was paying attention. The Democrats have no message, once again. They are being neutered by internalized and entrenched incompetence. They consistently choose the worst options because there's no flight left in them and when there is they spend it fighting each other. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was the end of the party. Super delegates still exist within the party. These are not leaders. These are failures. Get rid of super delegates in current form and we might have a small chance at even discussing recovery.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Those of you who are new, this is the inevitable defeat of [insert your Democratic candidate here] as it has always been. This is why Harris’ messaging started out gangbusters and was eventually smothered.

After trumps first installment in office by Putin, the DNC - no shit, i’ll find it if I have to - decided the midterm platform should be “Better Jobs”. 😱

But it’s not a new phenomenon, it’s as old as sleazy marketing itself.

And here’s what it’s telling us right now: the DNC isn’t seeing how it’s done. The only thing they’ve seen is Bernie/AOC and they’re unconvinced.

And immediately before you go shitting on the DNC again, I’d remind you this is the case with any non-fascist party. They will have disagreements on messaging.

So let’s tell them what we want! Write your reps and senators (presuming they’re Dems, DNC if they’re not) and tell them. They’re in the bubble, they need some sticking.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So let’s tell them what we want!

I hope you have a megaphone that spews money.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

If that's what you're waiting on, you're in a little bit of trouble then.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I can't wait to see what happens when Little t actually deploys some other states' Nat Guard troops to Chicago. It will not go the way it did in California.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It will not go the way it did in California.

California was systematically disarmed during the Civil Rights era so that wouldn't surprise me, but just in case how common is gun ownership in Chicago?

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 5 points 2 days ago

IL has fairly tight gun laws, Chicago more so, but oh there are guns for sure.

I’m more interested in seeing the governor’s response.