Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) urged her Democratic colleagues to stop attacking the "oligarchy," arguing that the word did not resonate with most Americans.
It’s not about me. It’s about how others think, and they don’t necessarily think wealth is a problem.
But it is a problem, so nerfing your messaging and platform in such a way as to avoid addressing it ends up making things worse (not to mention that you end up losing the people who know it’s a problem and are frustrated at the constant running away)
I think you overestimate Americans & don’t know how many think unlike you.
Rubber, glue
At some point, democrats need to start making the case for their platform instead of tailoring it to what they think voters believe. If we believe wealth inequality is the source of the issue and needs to be addressed, then we need to go to bat for that platform instead of shying away from it because some people have been propagandized into believing it’s communist to talk about. Constantly running away from that platform makes it look more like democrats actually endorse the inequality
Merely complaining that someone is rich is oblique
“Nobody should have so much money they can buy their way into a presidential cabinet position”. That’s not oblique, that’s straight to the point
Complaining that they exercise undue power over you & cheat you out of a fair shot makes the point directly.
“This person is abusing power” vs “This person used their wealth to fuck you over”. Both are simple messages, but one is addressing the actual issue while the other is complaining about who is exercising power and not how or why they have that power to begin with
Democrats will not win on the messaging being proposed, because their own base is getting frustrated with the double-speak and impatient with the lack of progress. You can blame those people if you want but it won’t make them any more likely to win.
Look around: who voted Trump into office?
What thoughts voted him in?
I doubt they’re anti-capitalist.
But [wealth] is a problem
Again, many don’t share your anti-capitalist sentiments.
They’d say the problem is cronyism such as political connections & undue influence of moneyed special interests in politics.
These are not the same.
They aren’t opposed to accumulation of wealth.
They’re opposed to wealth gained through illegitimate means (eg, connections to win government bids, pass laws in their favor, capture regulatory agencies, reduce competition): economic government corruption, ie, crony capitalism.
They boil down to the same answer: get money out of politics (eliminate the dependence of campaigns on fundraising, reform lobbying) & break up the 2-party system.
If we believe wealth inequality is the source of the issue
Many think it’s a symptom: the problem is political access from wealth disadvantaging others from gaining wealth or crony capitalism.
“A presidential cabinet position shouldn’t be for sale to the highest bidder” is more direct without requiring buy-in to an idea many don’t accept.
You focus on wealth rather than that no level of wealth should be able to buy that sort of thing.
one is addressing the actual issue
Questionable: the actual issue is illegitimate power as originally stated.
Some people care more that it was gained at all: they shouldn’t have that illegitimate power through wealth or any other means (personal connections, favors, etc).
They want the cronyism removed from capitalism.
so nerfing your messaging and platform
It’s not: it’s framing the same goals in language other voters will accept.
Neither oligarch nor kings implies capitalism as you stated.
Democrats will not win on the messaging being proposed
Until Democrats build in other states the kind of establishment they have in California & New York, Democrats in other states will need to adapt their message to their voters.
Frankly, adapting a message isn’t enough.
They need to beat Republicans at social media, have their own answer to right-wing influencers & podcasters like Joe Rogan, probably pump out their own viral bullshit, answer Republican troll farms with Democrat troll farms.
“It’s not my opinion” spends the next ten paragraphs expressing that opinion
Insisting that the problem isn’t wealth accumulation, but instead “corrupt” wealth that just happens to be accumulated under capitalism is just delusion and denial.
Bernie and AOC are two of the most nationally-favorable politicians in the US, and the core message from both is “wealth inequality is the problem”.
I’ll just say it again: if democrats run their platform on “cronyism” and not wealth disparity and accumulation, they will continue losing. But don’t take my word for it - that’s what they’ve been running on.
Edit:
They need to beat Republicans at social media, have their own answer to right-wing influencers & podcasters like Joe Roga
Lmao, Ken Martin, that you? This is such a boomer take. This is like trying to claim Clinton lost in 2016 because she didn’t tweet enough or use the right young-person slang, skibidi
But it is a problem, so nerfing your messaging and platform in such a way as to avoid addressing it ends up making things worse (not to mention that you end up losing the people who know it’s a problem and are frustrated at the constant running away)
Rubber, glue
At some point, democrats need to start making the case for their platform instead of tailoring it to what they think voters believe. If we believe wealth inequality is the source of the issue and needs to be addressed, then we need to go to bat for that platform instead of shying away from it because some people have been propagandized into believing it’s communist to talk about. Constantly running away from that platform makes it look more like democrats actually endorse the inequality
“Nobody should have so much money they can buy their way into a presidential cabinet position”. That’s not oblique, that’s straight to the point
“This person is abusing power” vs “This person used their wealth to fuck you over”. Both are simple messages, but one is addressing the actual issue while the other is complaining about who is exercising power and not how or why they have that power to begin with
Democrats will not win on the messaging being proposed, because their own base is getting frustrated with the double-speak and impatient with the lack of progress. You can blame those people if you want but it won’t make them any more likely to win.
Again, not my opinion.
Look around: who voted Trump into office? What thoughts voted him in? I doubt they’re anti-capitalist.
Again, many don’t share your anti-capitalist sentiments. They’d say the problem is cronyism such as political connections & undue influence of moneyed special interests in politics. These are not the same.
They aren’t opposed to accumulation of wealth. They’re opposed to wealth gained through illegitimate means (eg, connections to win government bids, pass laws in their favor, capture regulatory agencies, reduce competition): economic government corruption, ie, crony capitalism.
They boil down to the same answer: get money out of politics (eliminate the dependence of campaigns on fundraising, reform lobbying) & break up the 2-party system.
Many think it’s a symptom: the problem is political access from wealth disadvantaging others from gaining wealth or crony capitalism.
“A presidential cabinet position shouldn’t be for sale to the highest bidder” is more direct without requiring buy-in to an idea many don’t accept. You focus on wealth rather than that no level of wealth should be able to buy that sort of thing.
Questionable: the actual issue is illegitimate power as originally stated. Some people care more that it was gained at all: they shouldn’t have that illegitimate power through wealth or any other means (personal connections, favors, etc). They want the cronyism removed from capitalism.
It’s not: it’s framing the same goals in language other voters will accept. Neither oligarch nor kings implies capitalism as you stated.
Until Democrats build in other states the kind of establishment they have in California & New York, Democrats in other states will need to adapt their message to their voters.
Frankly, adapting a message isn’t enough. They need to beat Republicans at social media, have their own answer to right-wing influencers & podcasters like Joe Rogan, probably pump out their own viral bullshit, answer Republican troll farms with Democrat troll farms.
“It’s not my opinion”
spends the next ten paragraphs expressing that opinion
Insisting that the problem isn’t wealth accumulation, but instead “corrupt” wealth that just happens to be accumulated under capitalism is just delusion and denial.
Bernie and AOC are two of the most nationally-favorable politicians in the US, and the core message from both is “wealth inequality is the problem”.
I’ll just say it again: if democrats run their platform on “cronyism” and not wealth disparity and accumulation, they will continue losing. But don’t take my word for it - that’s what they’ve been running on.
Edit:
Lmao, Ken Martin, that you? This is such a boomer take. This is like trying to claim Clinton lost in 2016 because she didn’t tweet enough or use the right young-person slang, skibidi