Messaging? Why is this so hard? There are already some great ideas listed in these comments. But I would emphasize the basics of life:
"Get the lead out" - show pictures of kids drinking water - list the towns and cities that have still have lead pipes
"Feed our kids" - show some emaciated AMERICAN children - explain that Democratic funding cut child poverty in half!
"Save our bridges" - show a bridge collapsing - run a list of bridges across the country that are certified as unsafe.
"Make voting safe and easy!" - in simple terms, explain how states have used "mail in voting" for years with no problems - states that are red!
"Label Republicans as DO NOTHINGs on the public payroll" - try to make a list of Republican programs that have been helpful to Joe and Jane Sixpack .... just try, no really try hard. Show that face that says " can't". This one is easy peasy.
Democrats need to hire some really good film makers who can scare the crap out of the public and do it effectively. Please tell why it should be hard to make the general public angry at Republicans.
Those stories should be on TV. But more effectively, they need to be on YouTube and Tictok - all over Facebook and Instagram. Using social media is more effective - once something is really clever and it goes viral, it costs nothing. Truth? TV is for old people. Whatever the message, it needs to be smart, quick and entertaining enough to be seen on a phone. Yes, young folks watch TV shows. But while they are doing that they are also staring at their phones.
This is not hard! We have so much ammunition, it's a joke. Now it takes motivation, focus and persistence. Take a hint from TFG. Take the oxygen out of the room.
One of the Democratic bodies, maybe the DCCC, noticed that people don't know what is in these bills the Democrats have been wrangling over. How about some national advertising: 1) Democrats will be repairing roads, bridges, and highways! 2) No more lead pipes. Democrats fixing the country's water supply! 3) Remember what happened in Texas. Democrats are fixing the country's power grid. 4) Thinking about an electric car? Democrats will install charging stations. Once the interminable conversation about the "health and kids" bill (reconciliation bill) is over, we might see advertisements: 5) Someone is finally taking on the climate crisis. Democrats bring you clean energy. 6) Build a better education system. Start with the youngest kids. Democrats bring you universal preschool. 7) Let's hear it for the Democrats. Because of them, seniors will hear what you say. 8) Democrats take tax credits for children seriously. That will make a difference in your life.
Democrats need to put some money into these advertisements now. As they tell us when they ask for money -- early money makes a difference.
At the level of races for Senate and House, every Dem running against a Rep incumbent needs to put something like this on repeat: Our state will be getting $xxx for repairing our roads and bridges, thanks to President Biden's vision and Democrats in Congress making it law! Rep/Sen So-and-So [say the name, not something stupid like "my esteemed opponent] voted against it. Our state will be getting $xxx to expand broadband access to those without it. Rep/Sen So-and-So voted against it. Etc. A nice, long list of the things that the majority of us want (and yes, that smug 1% needs to pay their fair share to fund it). In ads, in speeches. Repeat, repeat. And a similar message for Dem incumbents, along the lines of the Rep Party has opposed all of this, taking credit with their constituents for the good stuff, neglecting to say they voted against it.
The Lincoln Project produced a video advertisement which included the following: “For four years, Donald Trump promised us infrastructure week. The so-called builder said only he could deliver on roads, bridges, and airports, but who got the job done? Joe Biden. Action, not talk. Results, not tweets. Millions of new jobs. Billions for the economy Donald Trump wrecked. Serving America instead of serving himself. Joe Biden. Building Back Better.”
A member of the LP's leadership said: “For the entirety of Donald Trump’s only term, we waited on ‘Infrastructure Week,’ In his first year in office, President Biden provided the leadership necessary to deliver a once-in-a-generation investment on behalf of the American people. Build Back Better, unlike Infrastructure Week, is more than a slogan — it’s a promise.”
Whatever we think of the leadership of the Lincoln Project, the Democratic leadership should connect with these people who know how to message.
Why do ALL commentators refer to the BBB plan as a Social SPENDING Plan? Everyone dislikes spending. Why not Social Services Plan? I notice that military bills are not “military spending “ bills, but “defense authorization” bills., ( and 7 trillion over ten years, not 2 trillion).
I sit in on a framing seminar through Connections Lab. (www.connectionslab.org) I highly recommend it. The focus of the seminars is how Democrats should frame the message. The first thing we should do is stop mentioning the GOP lies. Do not REPEAT their messaging. Particularly on social media. Do not amplify the lies. Second- Dems need to message in emotions and not a litany of facts. It has been proven that people respond to a personal story over an argument laced with facts. They also have discussed, just like the folks in this forum, that Dems need to repeat the good things Biden has accomplished ad nauseum. I personally think the DNC should hire an ad firm to get their "message " out.
To continue Robert's theme of open mic. night, America’s comedy writers possess a wealth of talent when it comes to a turn of phrase and one-liners. Let’s enlist their help. Don’t laugh! Of course they will have to clean up their language and tone down the insults but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be effective communicators.
We’ve all laughed out loud or at least nodded in agreement with the likes of John Oliver, Samantha Bee, et al. Their teams of writers would be indispensable when it comes to hard hitting and emotional gut punches that the other team has been so successful with. Not to mention the manufactured crises and artificial issues that has been their hallmark. Turn loose the comedy team and see what we get.
How many times have you said “Why doesn’t my, fill in the blank (congressman, senator, etc.), say that?!? Some of that comes down to lack of boldness or integrity on their part but some of it is also due to the fact that not all politicians can think as fast as creative people trained in the arts of rhetoric and improv. They could easily write the necessary talking points plus the bumper sticker slogans that have aided the conservatives for all too long,
Democrats just need to find the guts to talk tough instead of trying to be the paragons of civility. Of course we all know what happens when you wrestle a pig in the mud but YOU CAN you come out as the winner.
Whatever the messaging is, it needs to be EVERYWHERE. On buses, billboards, newspapers (yes real newspapers and online newspapers), on envelopes from democratic organizations mail out but get thrown away (envelopes are more important in a way than what’s in them), touted by all democratic groups—community, state and national and college and high school groups. This messaging needs to go out all over the place (because the gop will use those spaces if Democrats don’t). And yes the message needs to be short, sweet and showing the results. I counted 26 different changes Biden has brought about in HCR’s Letter from 11/27/21.
A simple first step is for Democrats to remind the nation of what proposals the DEMOCRATS put forth, with almost total GOP opposition. A short list: 40-hour work week, Social Security, Medicare, Civil Rights Legislation, Voting Rights Legislation, unemployment benefits, Fair Housing, women's rights, workplace protectios...I could go on, but you get the idea.
For some reason, the Democrats a re acting like it is business as usual. Obviously, it is not. We need to beat the Republicans at their own game.
First, I recommend that everyone read Heather Cox Richardson from November 27th. It is a positive take on Biden.
She also quoted journalist Magda Semrau as saying”Democrats want to fix bridges, provide childcare and lower drug costs. Republicans don’t. These are political facts and voters should be aware of them.”
What a simple plan of attack: Democrats want to …. ! Republicans don’t!
During the 2020 campaign, R’s refused to write a platform, instead their position was “whatever Tя☭mp wants.” That was always a cop-out, so what does the GOP actually stand for? The 3 biggest items are: Death, Racism, and Poverty.
by being anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-science, R’s are pro-DEATH. By the end of this year, we’ll be close to 800,000 Americans dead from Covid.
by pushing through all kinds of discriminatory election laws and favoring “open carry” and “stand your ground laws” R’s are pro-RACISM.
by overturning Roe v Wade and refusing to support family leave, childcare, and stimulus checks (R’s didn’t support any of those measures), they are pro-POVERTY.
Could we add to the list? sure, but any good ad campaign needs to be short and punchy. Death, racism, poverty.
It’s up to Dem’s to make the GOP own these policies by repeating them at every chance.
1. To combat ineffective messaging by Dems, hire a great public relations firm, or just fund the Lincoln Project, whose ads were so effective in the 2020 election.
2. Use Democratic celebrities to deliver the messages. People who will appeal to young voters. Quote John Lewis, historian Heather Cox Richardson, Abraham Lincoln (I’m adding him in.)
3. Keep messages short and succinct “Roads + Bridges”, “Children + Health Care”, “Taking care of Individuals + Taking Care of our Planet”, “Gun Control + Public Safety,” and use powerful images and personal stories to get the point across. Emphasize Services over Spending. And since Republicans are so anti-spending it’s important to hammer home how Trump raised the deficit by $7.8 billion to help the wealthy only. In local districts, mention Republican Congressmen by name who voted against BBB but are now taking credit for it.
4. Hit all social media platforms, You Tube, Tik Tok, as well as newspapers and Tv. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat these messages.
5. Call out Falsehoods and Authoritarianism wherever and whenever they raise their ugly heads. Use Whack-a-Mole approach. Indict insurrectionists, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, and anyone in Congress or on the streets on January 6th involved in the insurrection.
6. Ask billionaire Democrats (Michael Bloomberg? I wonder) to step up and counter the funding of the Rupert Murdoch/Koch brothers on the Republican side.
7. America is a huge country. Where we live influences our attitudes and economics. We need to act locally. Get involved in local politics. Set an example of acting for good, not tearing the fabric of our society apart.
My fantasy is that Biden would emulate FDR's "Fireside Chats." I see him delivering them from an armchair, with or without a fireplace, not from a lectern. Roosevelt's tone was declamatory. I recommend a more conversational one for Biden (Reagan was actually good at this). The highly structured "chats" stated the problem, gave the context, covered the implications for Americans, and laid out the plan of action. They dispelled, or tried to dispel, the sense that government is going on behind closed doors. Roosevelt didn't talk down to his listeners, but the talks used plain language. And, to my knowledge, he didn't use the phrase "hard working."
In my precinct a small group of us have started an initiative to contact registered voters, starting with Democrats and Independents and also "like minded Republicans". We are doing this by setting up a network of neighborhood leaders who will sponsor neighbor to neighbor civil discussions of issues. In 2020 the Democratic Election Committee in our county achieved a 93% participation of registered Democrats. Our effort focuses on insuring that all voters are able to vote despite Gov. DeSantis attempts to nullify or disqualify votes and by sponsoring civil discussions we hope to win over voters.
I recently saw columnist Molly Jong-Fast discussing her op-ed in The Atlantic (below) asserting that “Biden Needs an Enemy.” She and others feel that, while Biden and the Democrats are already accomplishing great things by governing responsibly for the people, it is sadly not enough to convince the American people and prevent his drop in the polls. I have long held that the only way Democrats can win over the public’s confidence is to govern effectively and get something done. I am very pleased and proud that they are already far along in working down a list of nearly three dozen actions I posted over a year ago as essential. I am also grateful that they have not been goaded by sensationalist media and opinion polls into adopting authoritarian tactics of ginning up false enemies and fearmongering.
Biden and the Democrats have relied so far on the common good sense of the American people to see who is really in their corner and seem to have sensed that, above all, the public wants some normalcy. The Republicans, on the other hand and as they have in the past, are betting on the ignorance and gullibility of the public to fall for the propaganda of unjustified fear and mistrust of one another, disinformation and chaos, and outright lies – just as Russia and China delight in promoting from without. There is plenty of evidence that Republican tactics are working. We shall see come the next election.
If the Democrats wanted to pick an enemy on which to focus their message, I would agree with Heather Cox Richardson to pick the rise of authoritarianism here and in other countries around the world. It is real and an existential threat to our democracy that must be reversed. Biden is already convening a global conference to address this distressing trend and shore up democracy everywhere. If Republicans want to side with the global brutality of authoritarians, let them sell that to the American people.
All that aside, I do think Jong-Fast and the others make a very valid point that Democrats cannot allow Republicans to seize the narrative of who has the country’s best interests at heart. I’m glad to see that Biden has not made Obama’s mistake of not touting significant administration successes along the way. In fact Biden has been very effective at holding frequent press briefings and convincingly articulating the importance of remarkable administration and legislative progress. Still, Biden and his surrogates have got to do even better at clearly and simply pointing out how all these accomplishments can make a difference in people’s day-to-day lives, in reduced drug costs, the price of insulin capped at $35 a month, safe roads and bridges, rural access to broadband, etc. and, unlike Trump’s tax cuts for the super-rich, all without really increasing the deficit. Democrats must not allow pompous Republicans to claim credit for these ultimate benefits when they voted almost unanimously against all of them. The administration must mount a relentless campaign to explain, promote and take credit for these wins to counter Republicans’ never-ending, unscrupulous fog of lies. It wouldn’t be propaganda because it would be based on truth. The news media also bears a great responsibility in our democracy to give the public the truth until it sinks in, instead of taking the easy, profitable route of chasing nonsensical and outrageous behavior of a Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Perception is often more important than reality, but what Americans desperately need now is well-orchestrated perception based on undeniable reality they can see before their very eyes.
Engage a highly successful marketing group to design creative, fun, engaging, memorable ads that promote all the positive things the Biden administration is doing for key target groups. Determine the most popular TV shows for each target, then buy ad time and run the ads on the dates/times most effective for that group (top marketing firms will have that info). Expensive, but I’ll bet some Hollywood and tech billionaires would ante up to cover the costs.
Messaging? Why is this so hard? There are already some great ideas listed in these comments. But I would emphasize the basics of life:
"Get the lead out" - show pictures of kids drinking water - list the towns and cities that have still have lead pipes
"Feed our kids" - show some emaciated AMERICAN children - explain that Democratic funding cut child poverty in half!
"Save our bridges" - show a bridge collapsing - run a list of bridges across the country that are certified as unsafe.
"Make voting safe and easy!" - in simple terms, explain how states have used "mail in voting" for years with no problems - states that are red!
"Label Republicans as DO NOTHINGs on the public payroll" - try to make a list of Republican programs that have been helpful to Joe and Jane Sixpack .... just try, no really try hard. Show that face that says " can't". This one is easy peasy.
Democrats need to hire some really good film makers who can scare the crap out of the public and do it effectively. Please tell why it should be hard to make the general public angry at Republicans.
Those stories should be on TV. But more effectively, they need to be on YouTube and Tictok - all over Facebook and Instagram. Using social media is more effective - once something is really clever and it goes viral, it costs nothing. Truth? TV is for old people. Whatever the message, it needs to be smart, quick and entertaining enough to be seen on a phone. Yes, young folks watch TV shows. But while they are doing that they are also staring at their phones.
This is not hard! We have so much ammunition, it's a joke. Now it takes motivation, focus and persistence. Take a hint from TFG. Take the oxygen out of the room.
One of the Democratic bodies, maybe the DCCC, noticed that people don't know what is in these bills the Democrats have been wrangling over. How about some national advertising: 1) Democrats will be repairing roads, bridges, and highways! 2) No more lead pipes. Democrats fixing the country's water supply! 3) Remember what happened in Texas. Democrats are fixing the country's power grid. 4) Thinking about an electric car? Democrats will install charging stations. Once the interminable conversation about the "health and kids" bill (reconciliation bill) is over, we might see advertisements: 5) Someone is finally taking on the climate crisis. Democrats bring you clean energy. 6) Build a better education system. Start with the youngest kids. Democrats bring you universal preschool. 7) Let's hear it for the Democrats. Because of them, seniors will hear what you say. 8) Democrats take tax credits for children seriously. That will make a difference in your life.
Democrats need to put some money into these advertisements now. As they tell us when they ask for money -- early money makes a difference.
At the level of races for Senate and House, every Dem running against a Rep incumbent needs to put something like this on repeat: Our state will be getting $xxx for repairing our roads and bridges, thanks to President Biden's vision and Democrats in Congress making it law! Rep/Sen So-and-So [say the name, not something stupid like "my esteemed opponent] voted against it. Our state will be getting $xxx to expand broadband access to those without it. Rep/Sen So-and-So voted against it. Etc. A nice, long list of the things that the majority of us want (and yes, that smug 1% needs to pay their fair share to fund it). In ads, in speeches. Repeat, repeat. And a similar message for Dem incumbents, along the lines of the Rep Party has opposed all of this, taking credit with their constituents for the good stuff, neglecting to say they voted against it.
The Lincoln Project produced a video advertisement which included the following: “For four years, Donald Trump promised us infrastructure week. The so-called builder said only he could deliver on roads, bridges, and airports, but who got the job done? Joe Biden. Action, not talk. Results, not tweets. Millions of new jobs. Billions for the economy Donald Trump wrecked. Serving America instead of serving himself. Joe Biden. Building Back Better.”
A member of the LP's leadership said: “For the entirety of Donald Trump’s only term, we waited on ‘Infrastructure Week,’ In his first year in office, President Biden provided the leadership necessary to deliver a once-in-a-generation investment on behalf of the American people. Build Back Better, unlike Infrastructure Week, is more than a slogan — it’s a promise.”
Whatever we think of the leadership of the Lincoln Project, the Democratic leadership should connect with these people who know how to message.
Why do ALL commentators refer to the BBB plan as a Social SPENDING Plan? Everyone dislikes spending. Why not Social Services Plan? I notice that military bills are not “military spending “ bills, but “defense authorization” bills., ( and 7 trillion over ten years, not 2 trillion).
Keith
I sit in on a framing seminar through Connections Lab. (www.connectionslab.org) I highly recommend it. The focus of the seminars is how Democrats should frame the message. The first thing we should do is stop mentioning the GOP lies. Do not REPEAT their messaging. Particularly on social media. Do not amplify the lies. Second- Dems need to message in emotions and not a litany of facts. It has been proven that people respond to a personal story over an argument laced with facts. They also have discussed, just like the folks in this forum, that Dems need to repeat the good things Biden has accomplished ad nauseum. I personally think the DNC should hire an ad firm to get their "message " out.
To continue Robert's theme of open mic. night, America’s comedy writers possess a wealth of talent when it comes to a turn of phrase and one-liners. Let’s enlist their help. Don’t laugh! Of course they will have to clean up their language and tone down the insults but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be effective communicators.
We’ve all laughed out loud or at least nodded in agreement with the likes of John Oliver, Samantha Bee, et al. Their teams of writers would be indispensable when it comes to hard hitting and emotional gut punches that the other team has been so successful with. Not to mention the manufactured crises and artificial issues that has been their hallmark. Turn loose the comedy team and see what we get.
How many times have you said “Why doesn’t my, fill in the blank (congressman, senator, etc.), say that?!? Some of that comes down to lack of boldness or integrity on their part but some of it is also due to the fact that not all politicians can think as fast as creative people trained in the arts of rhetoric and improv. They could easily write the necessary talking points plus the bumper sticker slogans that have aided the conservatives for all too long,
Democrats just need to find the guts to talk tough instead of trying to be the paragons of civility. Of course we all know what happens when you wrestle a pig in the mud but YOU CAN you come out as the winner.
Whatever the messaging is, it needs to be EVERYWHERE. On buses, billboards, newspapers (yes real newspapers and online newspapers), on envelopes from democratic organizations mail out but get thrown away (envelopes are more important in a way than what’s in them), touted by all democratic groups—community, state and national and college and high school groups. This messaging needs to go out all over the place (because the gop will use those spaces if Democrats don’t). And yes the message needs to be short, sweet and showing the results. I counted 26 different changes Biden has brought about in HCR’s Letter from 11/27/21.
A simple first step is for Democrats to remind the nation of what proposals the DEMOCRATS put forth, with almost total GOP opposition. A short list: 40-hour work week, Social Security, Medicare, Civil Rights Legislation, Voting Rights Legislation, unemployment benefits, Fair Housing, women's rights, workplace protectios...I could go on, but you get the idea.
For some reason, the Democrats a re acting like it is business as usual. Obviously, it is not. We need to beat the Republicans at their own game.
First, I recommend that everyone read Heather Cox Richardson from November 27th. It is a positive take on Biden.
She also quoted journalist Magda Semrau as saying”Democrats want to fix bridges, provide childcare and lower drug costs. Republicans don’t. These are political facts and voters should be aware of them.”
What a simple plan of attack: Democrats want to …. ! Republicans don’t!
During the 2020 campaign, R’s refused to write a platform, instead their position was “whatever Tя☭mp wants.” That was always a cop-out, so what does the GOP actually stand for? The 3 biggest items are: Death, Racism, and Poverty.
by being anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-science, R’s are pro-DEATH. By the end of this year, we’ll be close to 800,000 Americans dead from Covid.
by pushing through all kinds of discriminatory election laws and favoring “open carry” and “stand your ground laws” R’s are pro-RACISM.
by overturning Roe v Wade and refusing to support family leave, childcare, and stimulus checks (R’s didn’t support any of those measures), they are pro-POVERTY.
Could we add to the list? sure, but any good ad campaign needs to be short and punchy. Death, racism, poverty.
It’s up to Dem’s to make the GOP own these policies by repeating them at every chance.
To summarize some of the great suggestions here:
1. To combat ineffective messaging by Dems, hire a great public relations firm, or just fund the Lincoln Project, whose ads were so effective in the 2020 election.
2. Use Democratic celebrities to deliver the messages. People who will appeal to young voters. Quote John Lewis, historian Heather Cox Richardson, Abraham Lincoln (I’m adding him in.)
3. Keep messages short and succinct “Roads + Bridges”, “Children + Health Care”, “Taking care of Individuals + Taking Care of our Planet”, “Gun Control + Public Safety,” and use powerful images and personal stories to get the point across. Emphasize Services over Spending. And since Republicans are so anti-spending it’s important to hammer home how Trump raised the deficit by $7.8 billion to help the wealthy only. In local districts, mention Republican Congressmen by name who voted against BBB but are now taking credit for it.
4. Hit all social media platforms, You Tube, Tik Tok, as well as newspapers and Tv. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat these messages.
5. Call out Falsehoods and Authoritarianism wherever and whenever they raise their ugly heads. Use Whack-a-Mole approach. Indict insurrectionists, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, and anyone in Congress or on the streets on January 6th involved in the insurrection.
6. Ask billionaire Democrats (Michael Bloomberg? I wonder) to step up and counter the funding of the Rupert Murdoch/Koch brothers on the Republican side.
7. America is a huge country. Where we live influences our attitudes and economics. We need to act locally. Get involved in local politics. Set an example of acting for good, not tearing the fabric of our society apart.
My fantasy is that Biden would emulate FDR's "Fireside Chats." I see him delivering them from an armchair, with or without a fireplace, not from a lectern. Roosevelt's tone was declamatory. I recommend a more conversational one for Biden (Reagan was actually good at this). The highly structured "chats" stated the problem, gave the context, covered the implications for Americans, and laid out the plan of action. They dispelled, or tried to dispel, the sense that government is going on behind closed doors. Roosevelt didn't talk down to his listeners, but the talks used plain language. And, to my knowledge, he didn't use the phrase "hard working."
In my precinct a small group of us have started an initiative to contact registered voters, starting with Democrats and Independents and also "like minded Republicans". We are doing this by setting up a network of neighborhood leaders who will sponsor neighbor to neighbor civil discussions of issues. In 2020 the Democratic Election Committee in our county achieved a 93% participation of registered Democrats. Our effort focuses on insuring that all voters are able to vote despite Gov. DeSantis attempts to nullify or disqualify votes and by sponsoring civil discussions we hope to win over voters.
David Estey
I recently saw columnist Molly Jong-Fast discussing her op-ed in The Atlantic (below) asserting that “Biden Needs an Enemy.” She and others feel that, while Biden and the Democrats are already accomplishing great things by governing responsibly for the people, it is sadly not enough to convince the American people and prevent his drop in the polls. I have long held that the only way Democrats can win over the public’s confidence is to govern effectively and get something done. I am very pleased and proud that they are already far along in working down a list of nearly three dozen actions I posted over a year ago as essential. I am also grateful that they have not been goaded by sensationalist media and opinion polls into adopting authoritarian tactics of ginning up false enemies and fearmongering.
Biden and the Democrats have relied so far on the common good sense of the American people to see who is really in their corner and seem to have sensed that, above all, the public wants some normalcy. The Republicans, on the other hand and as they have in the past, are betting on the ignorance and gullibility of the public to fall for the propaganda of unjustified fear and mistrust of one another, disinformation and chaos, and outright lies – just as Russia and China delight in promoting from without. There is plenty of evidence that Republican tactics are working. We shall see come the next election.
If the Democrats wanted to pick an enemy on which to focus their message, I would agree with Heather Cox Richardson to pick the rise of authoritarianism here and in other countries around the world. It is real and an existential threat to our democracy that must be reversed. Biden is already convening a global conference to address this distressing trend and shore up democracy everywhere. If Republicans want to side with the global brutality of authoritarians, let them sell that to the American people.
All that aside, I do think Jong-Fast and the others make a very valid point that Democrats cannot allow Republicans to seize the narrative of who has the country’s best interests at heart. I’m glad to see that Biden has not made Obama’s mistake of not touting significant administration successes along the way. In fact Biden has been very effective at holding frequent press briefings and convincingly articulating the importance of remarkable administration and legislative progress. Still, Biden and his surrogates have got to do even better at clearly and simply pointing out how all these accomplishments can make a difference in people’s day-to-day lives, in reduced drug costs, the price of insulin capped at $35 a month, safe roads and bridges, rural access to broadband, etc. and, unlike Trump’s tax cuts for the super-rich, all without really increasing the deficit. Democrats must not allow pompous Republicans to claim credit for these ultimate benefits when they voted almost unanimously against all of them. The administration must mount a relentless campaign to explain, promote and take credit for these wins to counter Republicans’ never-ending, unscrupulous fog of lies. It wouldn’t be propaganda because it would be based on truth. The news media also bears a great responsibility in our democracy to give the public the truth until it sinks in, instead of taking the easy, profitable route of chasing nonsensical and outrageous behavior of a Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Perception is often more important than reality, but what Americans desperately need now is well-orchestrated perception based on undeniable reality they can see before their very eyes.
Engage a highly successful marketing group to design creative, fun, engaging, memorable ads that promote all the positive things the Biden administration is doing for key target groups. Determine the most popular TV shows for each target, then buy ad time and run the ads on the dates/times most effective for that group (top marketing firms will have that info). Expensive, but I’ll bet some Hollywood and tech billionaires would ante up to cover the costs.