That Dan Pfeiffer quote brings me to the edge of weeping. May that man never step within 100 yards of another Democratic campaign. It's literally terrifying how much incompetence and spinelessness is rampant among the people on Team Democracy.
Thank you for plugging away at trying to shed light on a better approach.
This reminds me of how all the savvy political consultant types and conventional wisdom commentators thought how awful it was going to be when Biden gave his speech about threats to democracy in Philadelphia in summer 2022 and the Big Red Wave was going to swamp all of us because he would be too divisive, etc. etc. etc.
Pretending the problem (Trump/Republicans/fascism) doesn’t exist is the most frustrating response. It’s like MST3K’s “Red Zone Cuba” where the characters are beset by gunfire, but the hapless actors look oblivious to it, prompting Crow to quip, “Just ignore them. Rise above it!”
Maybe a little off-topic, but not? I remember being surprised when it came out in the media that the majority of the 'peaceful protestors at the Capitol on Jan. 6' were middle-class citizens with big pickup trucks, 2 cars, all the cable you could ever want, a vacation home/RV/lake lot, and a 401-K. There were also small business owners, former and current law enforcement, and then there were the paramilitary folks who can apparently afford to buy a shit-ton of weapons and gear. So, who's suffering economically? I'm not saying that it's untrue, exactly; but once again, the survey respondents might not be a true cross-section of America. (That's me, saying it politely.) If the people I see around me every day have all the stuff they have and continue to buy more, then why exactly am I supposed to feel sorry for them? There's more than one disconnect in the reporting on this issue ...
Trump's supporters are more or less doing well, because Americans are doing pretty well in general. They're just likely to tell pollsters otherwise, because they're playing team sports.
And tell Dan Pfeiffer to either a.) get off the spank, or b.) if he's sober, get on it. No Dem politician in their right mind, Kentucky/Kansas or otherwise, needs to follow horseshit advice like his right now.
A lot of folks got this one wrong this week - and you dd too, Brian, partly, and in your own way.
First of all, no one - and I mean NO ONE - is ignoring Trump. Anyone who actually believes that has their head so far up their ass, they should never be giving ANYONE advice on American politics again, ever. Biden & his team certainly aren't ignoring Trump or Trumpism. Neither are most Democrats.
What you' seem to be vexed about here Brian isn't that Biden is ignoring Trump. That argument is a straw man so weak, it could get blown over from a weak fart.
What you seem to be mad about is that Biden and other Dems aren't taking on Trump the way YOU wish they would. You seem to be saying that you think Biden & Dems should fight him harder, which is to say directly.
As history shows, trying to take on Trump directly never works. Like any terrorist (which is what bullies are, low-grade terrorists), once you engage them on their turf, you're never going to win. Netenyahu is being re-taught that terminally stupid lesson all over again in Gaza right now, at the expense of both Israeli soldiers & Palestinian people's lives.
The other Republicans running for second place in their joke of a primary already have learned that lesson, which is why none of them have or will take on Trump directly. What they're unwilling to admit is the lesson Jeb Bush should have learned in 2016 - no matter how much money you have, cult members don't give a sh**. They're in the cult for reasons you can't fathom or shake. And trying to take on the insanity of their behavior directly works no better than trying to directly take on their Orange Jesus.
So having noted direct confrontation of both Trump & Trumpers doesn't work, Dan Pfeiffer's advice in that newsletter was equally stupid, in its own unique way. Calling attention to the very real danger that Trump and Trumpism present doesn't make Trump look strong or weak, anymore than a wildfire warning means your home is 100% assured to burn to ash. Warnings like these say that you better get your head out of your ass RIGHT NOW, make sure you're prepared, and that you take the course of action you need to NOW, and don't wait for later - because there may not be a later. Properly positioned warnings aren't meant to terrify anyone. They're a statement of facts, albeit a statement that folks had damned well better listen to. And if that means you have to smack them in the face with that warning, that's what has to happen.
If you've ever been responsible for getting warnings out to a broad number of people, as I have in broadcast radio for many years, when a situation of serious danger comes up, you know that for a motivating warning to work you need TWO parts of the message. First, you need the get their attention, by whatever means necessary, and make sure they know what's coming. Then you have to give those you're warning instructions on what to do next.
Let me repeat that, and simplify it.
You can't just tell them what direction NOT to go.
You have to tell them what direction TO go towards - and you'd best give them a reason that will resonate & motivate.
You Brian, have written off that second part as though it's puffery or bullsh**. But you hint that you know this near the end of your column.
Beshear's advice isn't wrong. People who are fighting affirmatively FOR something are stringer than those merely fighting to stave off something. Urakinians know this well. Give them just a little help - not enough, but a little - and they've held off and even done real damage to the Russian military for two years. Because they are fighting FOR their nation.
Likewise, anyone who knows sports knows a long-term prevent defense never works, in any sport.
There is one part of your column where you're correct Brian, and it's a key part of the eventual solution.
The financial security, jobs, lower crime, lower disease, improving infrastructure - yes, people do rally care about that, ask Gretchen Whitmer - and stability that Americans are getting used to again under Biden, that you note near the end of your column…
THAT is the America too many took for granted, and that Trump and Republicans took away. Not just when he was president, but for 40-50 years now. Rich corporate a**holes like them have been stealing and robbing us all since before you were born. And if we let them back into power? They'll take it all.
The warning is: Everything you care about has a very real chance to be lost. EVERYTHING.
The direction is: Pass the warning on to everyone you care about - and then vote Democratic for EVERYTHING.
And if they argue any variation of, "But Democrats aren't perfect!" You slap them with, "Yes - but they won't take away everything you care about. And they may just make it better. Look at how much LEGISLATIVE progress Biden Dems actually got through."
Much as you and many others - especially on the Farher Left - hate it, Obama's message is still correct: " Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."
Biden's core message still rides along with that: "Don't compare me to the almighty (perfection); Compare me to the alternative."
So it's a warning: "HEY! That thing the COULD destroy EVERYTHING you care about is coming! Prepare NOW! Tell everyone you care about - and then Vote Democratic at every level! They may not be perfect, but we'll clean up that mess after this storm blows through. You need to get your ass movin' NOW. Or else THAT THING is going to wipe you out! Go!"
It's not about weakness or strength.
It's about a very real force coming that will destroy everything anyone in America cares about in ways we can't imagine unless we stop it.
And yet, my Trump-loving husband and son cannot see what is right before their eyes. It doesn’t matter what I say, what information I show, there is no changing their minds. It’s a cult that may doom us all.
I just sent a letter to the editor of the Washington Post basically begging them to get off the fence and start presenting the Trump campaign/White Christian nationalism as the threats they are. Asked if they'd considered that their excellent photojournalism around mass shootings and semiautomatic weapons might have changed the national narrative if presented decades ago. Even years ago. Reminded them that, as journalists, they'd be a target for removal and imprisonment in a 2nd Trump administration. Asked them to help and start taking sides: this isn't a 'fairness' issue around a regular 'ole political contest. I believe that if more of us continue to contact media -- local and otherwise -- there might be a significant difference. And, yes, I know, they're dipping their little journalistic toes in the water here lately but it's not enough and not soon enough ...
Not to be a total ass kisser Brian, but I sure hope the Biden campaign reads Off Message. I've often wondered, with your knack for political/messaging strategy, why aren't you working for a candidate or elected Dem? You never wanted to leap from journalism into campaigns or consulting?
Loved this, but I don’t think I agree with your characterization of Dan’s piece. In fact, you seem to both be saying more or less the same thing. Here’s the bit from Dan’s message box I liked the most:
“People are uncertain about the country and the world’s future. They are bombarded by images — often out of context — containing violence and chaos at home and abroad. To many, the world feels out of control. In this sort of political environment, people gravitate towards authoritarians. They are willing to sacrifice a lot for the perception of safety and security.
When Democrats panic about how Trump will seize and deploy power, we are inadvertently making him seem strong to a segment of the electorate. Every time we talk about how he is a dangerous dictator who will never leave office, we are amplifying Trump’s message.”
Am I wrong, or aren’t you saying the same thing? I loved your point that it’s better to say “we aren’t going to let Trump destroy democracy” than “oh no, Trump is going to destroy democracy.” But it seems to work in concert with Dan’s admonition to not bolster Trump’s strongman image. From where I’m sitting, reading Substacks listening to podcasts like a little nerd, Democrats all acknowledge that there’s a paradoxical series of issues here.
-we can’t ignore Trump
-but we also can’t give him the wrong kind of attention
-but also people think the economy is miserable despite good economic indicators
-but also it’s not great messaging to tell people they don’t understand their own bank accounts
-but also the economy really is better than people think
-but also who gives a shit because Trump is absolutely going to destroy democracy if he wins
-but also if you say that it makes people doom spiral and disengage
I think it’s going to take a variety of tactics to address these very real and contradictory problems. I don’t have a solution, but in any case I’m really glad you write these pieces. I find Dan to be a mixed bag when it comes to strategy, but I also think it’s going to take a real mix of a lot of different bags. Different strokes, etc.
Dan and I agree Dems should not be out there affirming Trump's strongman image. From there, Dan says the way to puncture it is to say "he's to [lame/weak/pathetic/incompetent/full of shit] to solve all of your many problems." I think it's to say "I fixed the problems Trump left me, and we're going to keep making things better, a vote for him is a vote for a criminal who wants to end American democracy to stay out of prison."
The Dem strategist world is obsessed with this idea that "I feel your pain" retail politics is always best because Bill Clinton used it to such great effect. But he was challenging an incumbent at the time!
The "I feel your pain" shit is what leads to companies running ads about saying stuff like "beat inflation and come buy our stuff that's 20% off". Democrats need to stop feeding into these narratives that run rampant based on how the right wants to frame things.
That Dan Pfeiffer quote brings me to the edge of weeping. May that man never step within 100 yards of another Democratic campaign. It's literally terrifying how much incompetence and spinelessness is rampant among the people on Team Democracy.
Thank you for plugging away at trying to shed light on a better approach.
This reminds me of how all the savvy political consultant types and conventional wisdom commentators thought how awful it was going to be when Biden gave his speech about threats to democracy in Philadelphia in summer 2022 and the Big Red Wave was going to swamp all of us because he would be too divisive, etc. etc. etc.
Pretending the problem (Trump/Republicans/fascism) doesn’t exist is the most frustrating response. It’s like MST3K’s “Red Zone Cuba” where the characters are beset by gunfire, but the hapless actors look oblivious to it, prompting Crow to quip, “Just ignore them. Rise above it!”
I can't think of a better use of MST3K! This made me laugh.
Maybe a little off-topic, but not? I remember being surprised when it came out in the media that the majority of the 'peaceful protestors at the Capitol on Jan. 6' were middle-class citizens with big pickup trucks, 2 cars, all the cable you could ever want, a vacation home/RV/lake lot, and a 401-K. There were also small business owners, former and current law enforcement, and then there were the paramilitary folks who can apparently afford to buy a shit-ton of weapons and gear. So, who's suffering economically? I'm not saying that it's untrue, exactly; but once again, the survey respondents might not be a true cross-section of America. (That's me, saying it politely.) If the people I see around me every day have all the stuff they have and continue to buy more, then why exactly am I supposed to feel sorry for them? There's more than one disconnect in the reporting on this issue ...
Trump's supporters are more or less doing well, because Americans are doing pretty well in general. They're just likely to tell pollsters otherwise, because they're playing team sports.
THANK YOU. Preach this from the rafters.
And tell Dan Pfeiffer to either a.) get off the spank, or b.) if he's sober, get on it. No Dem politician in their right mind, Kentucky/Kansas or otherwise, needs to follow horseshit advice like his right now.
Worth a like for the subheads alone!
I want to scream this from the rooftops again and again and again
A lot of folks got this one wrong this week - and you dd too, Brian, partly, and in your own way.
First of all, no one - and I mean NO ONE - is ignoring Trump. Anyone who actually believes that has their head so far up their ass, they should never be giving ANYONE advice on American politics again, ever. Biden & his team certainly aren't ignoring Trump or Trumpism. Neither are most Democrats.
What you' seem to be vexed about here Brian isn't that Biden is ignoring Trump. That argument is a straw man so weak, it could get blown over from a weak fart.
What you seem to be mad about is that Biden and other Dems aren't taking on Trump the way YOU wish they would. You seem to be saying that you think Biden & Dems should fight him harder, which is to say directly.
As history shows, trying to take on Trump directly never works. Like any terrorist (which is what bullies are, low-grade terrorists), once you engage them on their turf, you're never going to win. Netenyahu is being re-taught that terminally stupid lesson all over again in Gaza right now, at the expense of both Israeli soldiers & Palestinian people's lives.
The other Republicans running for second place in their joke of a primary already have learned that lesson, which is why none of them have or will take on Trump directly. What they're unwilling to admit is the lesson Jeb Bush should have learned in 2016 - no matter how much money you have, cult members don't give a sh**. They're in the cult for reasons you can't fathom or shake. And trying to take on the insanity of their behavior directly works no better than trying to directly take on their Orange Jesus.
So having noted direct confrontation of both Trump & Trumpers doesn't work, Dan Pfeiffer's advice in that newsletter was equally stupid, in its own unique way. Calling attention to the very real danger that Trump and Trumpism present doesn't make Trump look strong or weak, anymore than a wildfire warning means your home is 100% assured to burn to ash. Warnings like these say that you better get your head out of your ass RIGHT NOW, make sure you're prepared, and that you take the course of action you need to NOW, and don't wait for later - because there may not be a later. Properly positioned warnings aren't meant to terrify anyone. They're a statement of facts, albeit a statement that folks had damned well better listen to. And if that means you have to smack them in the face with that warning, that's what has to happen.
If you've ever been responsible for getting warnings out to a broad number of people, as I have in broadcast radio for many years, when a situation of serious danger comes up, you know that for a motivating warning to work you need TWO parts of the message. First, you need the get their attention, by whatever means necessary, and make sure they know what's coming. Then you have to give those you're warning instructions on what to do next.
Let me repeat that, and simplify it.
You can't just tell them what direction NOT to go.
You have to tell them what direction TO go towards - and you'd best give them a reason that will resonate & motivate.
You Brian, have written off that second part as though it's puffery or bullsh**. But you hint that you know this near the end of your column.
Beshear's advice isn't wrong. People who are fighting affirmatively FOR something are stringer than those merely fighting to stave off something. Urakinians know this well. Give them just a little help - not enough, but a little - and they've held off and even done real damage to the Russian military for two years. Because they are fighting FOR their nation.
Likewise, anyone who knows sports knows a long-term prevent defense never works, in any sport.
There is one part of your column where you're correct Brian, and it's a key part of the eventual solution.
The financial security, jobs, lower crime, lower disease, improving infrastructure - yes, people do rally care about that, ask Gretchen Whitmer - and stability that Americans are getting used to again under Biden, that you note near the end of your column…
THAT is the America too many took for granted, and that Trump and Republicans took away. Not just when he was president, but for 40-50 years now. Rich corporate a**holes like them have been stealing and robbing us all since before you were born. And if we let them back into power? They'll take it all.
The warning is: Everything you care about has a very real chance to be lost. EVERYTHING.
The direction is: Pass the warning on to everyone you care about - and then vote Democratic for EVERYTHING.
And if they argue any variation of, "But Democrats aren't perfect!" You slap them with, "Yes - but they won't take away everything you care about. And they may just make it better. Look at how much LEGISLATIVE progress Biden Dems actually got through."
Much as you and many others - especially on the Farher Left - hate it, Obama's message is still correct: " Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."
Biden's core message still rides along with that: "Don't compare me to the almighty (perfection); Compare me to the alternative."
So it's a warning: "HEY! That thing the COULD destroy EVERYTHING you care about is coming! Prepare NOW! Tell everyone you care about - and then Vote Democratic at every level! They may not be perfect, but we'll clean up that mess after this storm blows through. You need to get your ass movin' NOW. Or else THAT THING is going to wipe you out! Go!"
It's not about weakness or strength.
It's about a very real force coming that will destroy everything anyone in America cares about in ways we can't imagine unless we stop it.
So save your world, and get off your ass.
Brian, are you no longer with Crooked Media?
And yet, my Trump-loving husband and son cannot see what is right before their eyes. It doesn’t matter what I say, what information I show, there is no changing their minds. It’s a cult that may doom us all.
I hope you'll cancel one of their votes and recruit a friend to cancel the other!
I just sent a letter to the editor of the Washington Post basically begging them to get off the fence and start presenting the Trump campaign/White Christian nationalism as the threats they are. Asked if they'd considered that their excellent photojournalism around mass shootings and semiautomatic weapons might have changed the national narrative if presented decades ago. Even years ago. Reminded them that, as journalists, they'd be a target for removal and imprisonment in a 2nd Trump administration. Asked them to help and start taking sides: this isn't a 'fairness' issue around a regular 'ole political contest. I believe that if more of us continue to contact media -- local and otherwise -- there might be a significant difference. And, yes, I know, they're dipping their little journalistic toes in the water here lately but it's not enough and not soon enough ...
Not to be a total ass kisser Brian, but I sure hope the Biden campaign reads Off Message. I've often wondered, with your knack for political/messaging strategy, why aren't you working for a candidate or elected Dem? You never wanted to leap from journalism into campaigns or consulting?
Loved this, but I don’t think I agree with your characterization of Dan’s piece. In fact, you seem to both be saying more or less the same thing. Here’s the bit from Dan’s message box I liked the most:
“People are uncertain about the country and the world’s future. They are bombarded by images — often out of context — containing violence and chaos at home and abroad. To many, the world feels out of control. In this sort of political environment, people gravitate towards authoritarians. They are willing to sacrifice a lot for the perception of safety and security.
When Democrats panic about how Trump will seize and deploy power, we are inadvertently making him seem strong to a segment of the electorate. Every time we talk about how he is a dangerous dictator who will never leave office, we are amplifying Trump’s message.”
Am I wrong, or aren’t you saying the same thing? I loved your point that it’s better to say “we aren’t going to let Trump destroy democracy” than “oh no, Trump is going to destroy democracy.” But it seems to work in concert with Dan’s admonition to not bolster Trump’s strongman image. From where I’m sitting, reading Substacks listening to podcasts like a little nerd, Democrats all acknowledge that there’s a paradoxical series of issues here.
-we can’t ignore Trump
-but we also can’t give him the wrong kind of attention
-but also people think the economy is miserable despite good economic indicators
-but also it’s not great messaging to tell people they don’t understand their own bank accounts
-but also the economy really is better than people think
-but also who gives a shit because Trump is absolutely going to destroy democracy if he wins
-but also if you say that it makes people doom spiral and disengage
I think it’s going to take a variety of tactics to address these very real and contradictory problems. I don’t have a solution, but in any case I’m really glad you write these pieces. I find Dan to be a mixed bag when it comes to strategy, but I also think it’s going to take a real mix of a lot of different bags. Different strokes, etc.
Dan and I agree Dems should not be out there affirming Trump's strongman image. From there, Dan says the way to puncture it is to say "he's to [lame/weak/pathetic/incompetent/full of shit] to solve all of your many problems." I think it's to say "I fixed the problems Trump left me, and we're going to keep making things better, a vote for him is a vote for a criminal who wants to end American democracy to stay out of prison."
The Dem strategist world is obsessed with this idea that "I feel your pain" retail politics is always best because Bill Clinton used it to such great effect. But he was challenging an incumbent at the time!
Gotcha, that makes total sense! And I agree.
The "I feel your pain" shit is what leads to companies running ads about saying stuff like "beat inflation and come buy our stuff that's 20% off". Democrats need to stop feeding into these narratives that run rampant based on how the right wants to frame things.
Celebs singing “imagine” during the pandemic vibes