If you were head of the DCCC, what would you advise for this election?
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  If you were head of the DCCC, what would you advise for this election?
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Author Topic: If you were head of the DCCC, what would you advise for this election?  (Read 1151 times)
retromike22
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« on: March 12, 2014, 03:10:21 PM »

My advice:

First, the recent election result in Florida (Jolly vs. Sink) actually didn't surprise me. In a non-presidential year, Democrats simply turn out less than in a presidential year. In this race, and also in 2010, the GOP was able to capitalize on the negative feelings on Obamacare. And Democrats response has usually been: "Oh some parts are good and some parts are bad, so let's try to fix it." Now the American people are roughly evenly divided on Obamacare, but when people are upset about a policy, I feel that they are more likely (and have more of a desire) to vote than people who are simply accepting of a policy.

So the Democratic strategy of boasting about Obamacare's benefits, or trying to accommodate frustration with a (leave the good, fix the bad) campaign will not work because the feelings of being upset are greater on the opposite side.

The only way the current Democratic strategy would work would be if people were upset about not having health care, and the opposition was simply accepting of that policy. (Like in 2006 and 2008)

So in my opinion, the Democrats need to shift the main narrative to something else. Something that most Americans are upset about and something that almost all Democrats can support.

The best option?
Increasing the minimum wage. It's popular, easy to understand, and it motivates people.

From last November:


From last March, showing that 68% of independents, 75% of moderates, 54% of conservatives, and 50% of Republicans support raising the Federal minimum rage to $9 an hour.


In select areas immigration reform and gun control reform may also be effective, but likely not as a nationwide strategy.
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NewYorkExpress
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« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2014, 05:09:32 PM »

Triage, lots and lots of it...

Democrats are going to lose a bunch of seats, so the best bet is to spend to keep the losses limited and avoid another 2010.
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Joshgreen
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« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2014, 08:01:28 PM »

Triage, lots and lots of it...

Democrats are going to lose a bunch of seats, so the best bet is to spend to keep the losses limited and avoid another 2010.

This is an absurd suggestion. The only way to defend is to play offense.
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« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2014, 08:14:49 PM »

The minimum wage idea is a good one.  Also heavily emphasize the "Obamacare Is Working" angle with ads highlighting the benefits.  We absolutely have to push hard back against Republican smears on this issue -- we saw what happened in 2010 when we didn't.
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sg0508
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« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2014, 02:17:50 PM »

It really isn't, but the "economy is better" label may help.  Don't underestimate the stupidity of the average voter.  We've been adding jobs and the stock market has been up for a few years now. Yes, it may all crash soon, but American pockets are heavier today than they were even this time last year. 

I would stay away from Obamacare as much as they can.  Also, keep the pro-middle classrhetoric up.  It got the President re-elected and we know the country thinks the GOP is out of touch with the middle class.
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MalaspinaGold
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« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2014, 11:50:29 PM »

Try and change the narrative on Obamacare. Emphasize medicaid expansion, pre-existing conditions, cap on out-of-pockets. Even more importantly, emphasize what happens if the Republicans take control. A typical ad could go like this:

Because I had  <insert medical condition>, most insurers turned me down. The few plans I could find were far beyond my budget. Because of Obamacare, I am no insured for the first time, at an affordable cost. When <insert Republican candidate> talks about repealing Obamacare, does he realize that I, and millions of other hardworking Americans, will slip through the cracks?
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Nichlemn
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« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2014, 07:56:38 AM »

Probably go strongly negative. Try your best to pretend every Republican is Todd Akin if there's any remote substance to it.
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Meeker
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« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2014, 09:47:28 AM »

Learn the Serenity Prayer
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Joshgreen
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« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2014, 02:28:16 PM »

Grown some balls.
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retromike22
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« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2014, 03:08:23 PM »

Any other ideas?
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Orser67
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« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2014, 04:17:12 PM »

Strategy wise, emphasizing the minimum wage makes sense to me. It's a good issue for Democrats in that it's fairly popular but goes against Republican ideology and donor preferences.

Honestly, if I were in the DCCC, my number one concern would be getting into position for a shot at taking the House back in 2016. Just my two cents, but I would:

-Defend incumbents who might be in trouble in the decreased turnout atmosphere of 2014, but who would be fairly safe in 2016
-Compete heavily for open seats so that a potential Republican victor can't build up two years of incumbency
-In seats with Republican incumbents and/or a fairly strong Republican lean: use 2014 as a trial run for candidates who might be willing to run again in 2016
-Possibly seek to neutralize the potential negative impact of Obamacare on 2016
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Del Tachi
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« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2014, 05:05:08 PM »

Democrats (and politicians in general) have to get back to the axiom that says all politics is local.  Voters eat this "Hometown Glory" type of stuff up, and its crazy to think that Democrats are going to be able to win in Republican-leaning seats if they try to nationalize the elections. 

Recruiting candidates in every race is essential too.  Some of you on this forum may not like it, but that means propping-up and supporting moderate-to-conservative Democratic nominees in places like the South and West. 
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Indy Texas
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« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2014, 05:15:36 PM »

Democrats (and politicians in general) have to get back to the axiom that says all politics is local.  Voters eat this "Hometown Glory" type of stuff up, and its crazy to think that Democrats are going to be able to win in Republican-leaning seats if they try to nationalize the elections. 

Recruiting candidates in every race is essential too.  Some of you on this forum may not like it, but that means propping-up and supporting moderate-to-conservative Democratic nominees in places like the South and West. 

One of the ways some of the Texas House Democrats used to hang on in the '90s and '00s was by pitting urban/suburban and rural residents of a district against each other. In a lot of cases, a rural white Democrat with no VRA protections would be drawn into a district that had been made more Republican by tacking on the outer fringes of Houston/Dallas or a mid-size city like Longview. The Republican candidate would inevitably be from the city because there were no rural Republicans at the time. So the Democrat would basically drive around to all the little podunk towns and say, "Do y'all really want some city boy from Dallas working for you? Do you think he has our interests in mind?"
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Del Tachi
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« Reply #13 on: May 10, 2014, 05:20:11 PM »

Democrats (and politicians in general) have to get back to the axiom that says all politics is local.  Voters eat this "Hometown Glory" type of stuff up, and its crazy to think that Democrats are going to be able to win in Republican-leaning seats if they try to nationalize the elections. 

Recruiting candidates in every race is essential too.  Some of you on this forum may not like it, but that means propping-up and supporting moderate-to-conservative Democratic nominees in places like the South and West. 

One of the ways some of the Texas House Democrats used to hang on in the '90s and '00s was by pitting urban/suburban and rural residents of a district against each other. In a lot of cases, a rural white Democrat with no VRA protections would be drawn into a district that had been made more Republican by tacking on the outer fringes of Houston/Dallas or a mid-size city like Longview. The Republican candidate would inevitably be from the city because there were no rural Republicans at the time. So the Democrat would basically drive around to all the little podunk towns and say, "Do y'all really want some city boy from Dallas working for you? Do you think he has our interests in mind?"

What I think Democrats (and Republicans sometimes) don't realize a lot of the time districts are still drawn this way.  The only problem nowadays is finding rural Democrats to run. 
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« Reply #14 on: May 10, 2014, 05:43:53 PM »

Democrats (and politicians in general) have to get back to the axiom that says all politics is local.  Voters eat this "Hometown Glory" type of stuff up, and its crazy to think that Democrats are going to be able to win in Republican-leaning seats if they try to nationalize the elections. 

Recruiting candidates in every race is essential too.  Some of you on this forum may not like it, but that means propping-up and supporting moderate-to-conservative Democratic nominees in places like the South and West. 

One of the ways some of the Texas House Democrats used to hang on in the '90s and '00s was by pitting urban/suburban and rural residents of a district against each other. In a lot of cases, a rural white Democrat with no VRA protections would be drawn into a district that had been made more Republican by tacking on the outer fringes of Houston/Dallas or a mid-size city like Longview. The Republican candidate would inevitably be from the city because there were no rural Republicans at the time. So the Democrat would basically drive around to all the little podunk towns and say, "Do y'all really want some city boy from Dallas working for you? Do you think he has our interests in mind?"

What do you mean?  Republicans did quite well in rural areas in the 90s and 00s.
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Nichlemn
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« Reply #15 on: May 10, 2014, 07:18:50 PM »

Democrats (and politicians in general) have to get back to the axiom that says all politics is local.  Voters eat this "Hometown Glory" type of stuff up, and its crazy to think that Democrats are going to be able to win in Republican-leaning seats if they try to nationalize the elections.  

Recruiting candidates in every race is essential too.  Some of you on this forum may not like it, but that means propping-up and supporting moderate-to-conservative Democratic nominees in places like the South and West.  

One of the ways some of the Texas House Democrats used to hang on in the '90s and '00s was by pitting urban/suburban and rural residents of a district against each other. In a lot of cases, a rural white Democrat with no VRA protections would be drawn into a district that had been made more Republican by tacking on the outer fringes of Houston/Dallas or a mid-size city like Longview. The Republican candidate would inevitably be from the city because there were no rural Republicans at the time. So the Democrat would basically drive around to all the little podunk towns and say, "Do y'all really want some city boy from Dallas working for you? Do you think he has our interests in mind?"

What do you mean?  Republicans did quite well in rural areas in the 90s and 00s.

I'm guessing that there were very few Republicans holding elective office in many of those areas, in spite of them often voting Republican for President. Also, there were probably proportionally a lot more registered Republicans in the city, for the Republican primary.
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Indy Texas
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« Reply #16 on: May 10, 2014, 09:27:31 PM »

Democrats (and politicians in general) have to get back to the axiom that says all politics is local.  Voters eat this "Hometown Glory" type of stuff up, and its crazy to think that Democrats are going to be able to win in Republican-leaning seats if they try to nationalize the elections. 

Recruiting candidates in every race is essential too.  Some of you on this forum may not like it, but that means propping-up and supporting moderate-to-conservative Democratic nominees in places like the South and West. 

One of the ways some of the Texas House Democrats used to hang on in the '90s and '00s was by pitting urban/suburban and rural residents of a district against each other. In a lot of cases, a rural white Democrat with no VRA protections would be drawn into a district that had been made more Republican by tacking on the outer fringes of Houston/Dallas or a mid-size city like Longview. The Republican candidate would inevitably be from the city because there were no rural Republicans at the time. So the Democrat would basically drive around to all the little podunk towns and say, "Do y'all really want some city boy from Dallas working for you? Do you think he has our interests in mind?"

What do you mean?  Republicans did quite well in rural areas in the 90s and 00s.

Not at the state/local level. Presidential candidates and statewide offices, sure.

But your typical rural legislator or small town mayor or county sheriff in Texas was a Democrat. I think the Democrats actually still held a majority of county judgeships in Texas up until 2010. Most Republican state reps/congressmen in the late 20th century were representing Houston and Dallas. Every now and then you'd have a rural Republican in West Texas or the "wheat counties" in the Panhandle - people like Malouf Abraham and Bob Price. These tended to be mainstream Great Plains-style conservative Republicans as opposed to the Southern "Muh Heritage, Muh Tradition" kind that now tend to do quite well in rural East Texas.
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sg0508
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« Reply #17 on: May 11, 2014, 09:55:10 PM »

Keep up the economic talks. True, the quality of the jobs isn't great, but job growth continues and the more people that get back to work, the better the Democrats can limit the damage in both Houses. 
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