Rachel Maddow laid out a simple election message that presents a clear contrast with Republicans who operate on a different planet than most of the nation.
Maddow said:
Even in print, these are adjacent headlines in The Washington Post” yesterday. Biden administration canceled $1.2 billion in student loans. Right next to Trump and allies planning militarized mass deportations to concentration camps. That’s the choice. Relief from high student loans or using the military to lock up millions of people in huge new camps. Adjacent headlines in The Washington Post both parties at the same point in general election campaigning thinking about what they want to be doing to present to the American people about what their idea is of governing.
And I don’t know which of those two sides the American people are more in the mood for, but it seems pretty clear to me, at least, that the best contrast for the Democrats to draw for voters this year is maybe just the simplest one. Normal, popular, practical accomplishments from President Biden and the Democrats. Versus burn it all down radicalism being screamed at the top of their lungs by Republicans under Donald Trump and you can’t understand what they’re talking about half the time because they speak in their own code.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Video:
Rachel #Maddow “The best contrast for the Democrats to draw for voters this year is just the simplest one. Normal, popular, practical accomplishments from President Biden and Democrats. Versus burn it all down radicalism being screamed at the top of their lungs by Republicans/” pic.twitter.com/J1QP6CQU1w
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 27, 2024
The reason why Republicans are at a disadvantage in the 2024 general election is that they don’t have a real campaign message. They have messages that work great on their older voters involving fear. By the way, making older Republican voters scared is the whole point of the party of Trump’s constant harping and hyping of a “border crisis.” It is a crisis that is so urgent that Republicans aren’t willing to do anything about it until after the election.
If you are a voter who doesn’t consume hours of Fox News every day and hangs on Trump’s every word posted on Truth Social, the odds are good that a lot of what Republicans and Trump are talking about won’t make sense.
Democrats have a much simpler message that they support democracy, the freedom of women to make their own healthcare decisions, they support couples getting IVF, and they have done a lot of stuff to make life better.
Simple messages work best with broad groups of voters, and Democrats have a message that, if delivered correctly and often, could lead to victory in November.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
