into the other guy's playbook

As if the difference isn't stark enough, that we'd have to message our way out of it. Please. The gop has been infiltirated by Russians

I fail to understand why Democrats act like we don't have a message, we do.

a 50 state strategy is the only way to get back in poser...tailor the message for states. You and others need to understand we live in a center left country and without a massive education effort, a big tent is our pathway to power. Tell me how we attain a majority in the Senate without such a strategy...looking at the states.

It was an either/or question. One of the options was leave it to the states. You probably read into it a tone of voice that dismissed that option. I don't know what to do to prevent that. But I do think that careful listening to the population will help us.

so why make it a question?

Learning everyday about how our message was drowned out by those who knew they could manipulate Trump vs anyone else running for office and surely how they (the GOP, Russia, Israel, China) could get bigoted white Americans and angry black millennials and the media to come out against Hillary.

The latest story in WSJ about Israeli help in attacking Democrats is hurtful.

What is the Republican "message?" The is no "message" and a simple slogan does not work.

Should work.

We will take our country back. Trump we are stuck with. Comrade Putin and his boys are outed. Nice talk?

... worried about Trump or Putin. At least not for them to be at the top of the list.

And can never be convinced we are lead by traitors. Fuck Russia......

..not exactly yielding huge dividends electorally is it?

You'll see.

Every Democrat should know. Republicans of course not, they have to hide from what they really don't want to know -- that we really are the good guys, and these days they're not.

You could also watch the 2016 debates to see what points Hillary hit most at that time. She was also always asking people to check out her issues pages for more information.

We adhere to the same in principles and goals we always have, though, specific goals and methods changing to fit current needs and situations, but read 2016 and you will know what we stand for. Just the preamble will be very enlightening.

Thank you for posting this again, Hortensis.

THIS has always been the Dem message.
THIS is the message of a progressive thinking, all encompassing Party of good governance.
This IS the Democratic Party.

For those still wondering what the Dem Party stands for, what the Party has & will ALWAYS govern by, I'll repost it again.
Thanks Hortensis

THE 2016 DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

Every four years, the Democratic Party puts together our party platform, the ideas and beliefs that govern our party as a whole.

What follows is our 2016 platform — our most progressive platform in our party’s history and a declaration of how we plan to move America forward.
Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than walls.

This party platform was voted on and passed by our membership at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016. The platform will be updated and re-approved at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

From the Link:
(CONTENTS
Choose a section to jump ahead, or scroll down to read the platform in its entirety. )

PREAMBLE

RAISE INCOMES AND RESTORE ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
Raising Workers’ Wages
Protecting Workers’ Fundamental Rights
Supporting Working Families
Helping More Workers Share in Near-Record Corporate Profits
Expanding Access to Affordable Housing and Homeownership
Protecting and Expanding Social Security
Ensuring a Secure and Dignified Retirement
Revitalizing Our Nation’s Postal Service

CREATE GOOD-PAYING JOBS
Building 21st Century Infrastructure
Fostering a Manufacturing Renaissance
Creating Good-Paying Clean Energy Jobs
Pursuing Our Innovation Agenda: Science, Research, Education, and Technology
Supporting America’s Small Businesses
Creating Jobs for America’s Young People

FIGHT FOR ECONOMIC FAIRNESS AND AGAINST INEQUALITY
Reining in Wall Street and Fixing our Financial System
Promoting Competition by Stopping Corporate Concentration
Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes
Promoting Trade That is Fair and Benefits American Workers

BRING AMERICANS TOGETHER AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITIES
Ending Systemic Racism
Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
Reforming our Criminal Justice System
Fixing our Broken Immigration System
Guaranteeing Civil Rights
Guaranteeing Women’s Rights
Guaranteeing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights
Guaranteeing Rights for People with Disabilities
Respecting Faith and Service
Investing in Rural America
Ending Poverty and Investing in Communities Left Behind
Building Strong Cities and Metro Areas
Promoting Arts and Culture
Honoring Indigenous Tribal Nations
Fighting for the People of Puerto Rico
Honoring the People of the Territories

PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS, FIX OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM, AND RESTORE OUR DEMOCRACY
Protecting Voting Rights
Fixing Our Broken Campaign Finance System
Appointing Judges
Securing Statehood for Washington, DC
Strengthening Management of Federal Government

COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, BUILD A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY, AND SECURE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Building a Clean Energy Economy
Securing Environmental and Climate Justice
Protecting Our Public Lands and Waters

PROVIDE QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE EDUCATION
Making Debt-Free College a Reality
Providing Relief from Crushing Student Debt
Supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions
Cracking Down on Predatory For-Profit Schools
Guaranteeing Universal Preschool and Good Schools for Every Child

ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL AMERICANS
Securing Universal Health Care
Supporting Community Health Centers
Reducing Prescription Drug Costs
Enabling Cutting-Edge Medical Research
Combating Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Treating Mental Health
Supporting Those Living with Autism and their Families
Securing Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice
Ensuring Long-Term Care, Services, and Supports
Protecting and Promoting Public Health
Ending Violence Against Women
Preventing Gun Violence

PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND KEEP FAITH WITH OUR VETERANS
Defense Spending
Veterans and Service Members
Military Families
A Strong Military

CONFRONT GLOBAL THREATS
Terrorism
Syria
Afghanistan
Iran
North Korea
Russia
Cybersecurity and Online Privacy
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Weapons
Global Climate Leadership

PROTECT OUR VALUES
Women and Girls
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People
Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Young People
Religious Minorities
Refugees
Civil Society
Anti-Corruption
Torture
Closing Guantánamo Bay
Development Assistance
Global Health
HIV and AIDS
International Labor

A LEADER IN THE WORLD
Asia-Pacific
Middle East
Europe
Americas
Africa
Global Economy and Institutions

https://www.democrats.org/party-platform


THIS IS THE FUTURE AMERICA WOULD BE LOOKING AT.
Instead their heads were turned towards the intentional distracted frenzy of Money & Media.

Pity isn't it.

BOOKMARK FOR FUTURE REF.

Is there a resource that shows which candidates and elected officials are aligned with which policies while also listing the specific policies being put forward to advance this platform?

I would also say, while this is a good policy outline what's missing is our ideology. I think that was the original question. What is the liberal moral compass that guides our approach to all of the topics in the outline?

Bye

That's a lot of reading. Isn't there a graphic novel/cliff notes version? Better yet, how about a three minute youtube video with sock puppets? If not, why not?

It's all I got!

The ideology is stated in the preamble. It's been the same ideology for a very long time.
As for a resource on your rep and how it aligns, you can look up your representative's voting record, go to their website and learn about their positions, etc.
If you want more information regarding the outline, click on any issue that you are interested in at democrats.org and read the details.

You can follow your rep on twitter, they usually convey what they are working on, working towards and what matters to them.

The liberal moral compass is in the preamble as well.

In a nutshell though it is to stand and fight for the benefit of the many, not just a few.
It's about doing what we can to make things better, not worse. To bring equality to all so that everyone gets good healthcare, good pay, good returns for your tax contributions, safe water, safe food, breathable air....the list goes on and on. Positive things for all.


The shorter version is - It’s a simple but powerful idea: we are stronger together.

It could be a young person, someone learning...or not. I thought it wouldn't hurt to answer them.

Getting information on my rep is easy, but you're right. I can link through the Democratic platform to get all that information. I know what we stand for and why it's important. I also believe that there are a lot of people in their teens and twenties who have no idea what happened in the world before 2003, or why the damage Trump is doing is so important, or have any idea what it is we are trying to do. Yes, I believe that creating a simple, easy to follow message would help us to win elections and that putting that message in very accessible formats would also help win elections. If you had 30 seconds to explain to someone who says, "I don't watch the news. It's so depressing," why they should vote what would any of us say? The more information we have the better we are able to talk to someone who isn't us. I know everyone here is going to vote blue. It's the people not here who need to get the message.

I am also interested in what's going on outside of my local area. I just don't have time to follow every local race everywhere. I'd like to know more about the new candidates and do more to get their word into the hands of potential voters who won't chase the information down. I wish the coverage spent more time following the candidates and less time with the pundits.

On a different note, the platform and ideology don't always match. Some policies come from our ideology, some have just been around for a long time and no one wants to spend the political capital to change them, some are there to oppose Republicans, some are pragmatic bipartisan policies. Often our moral compass does not drive the policies we support. What we do does not always match who we say we are. Look at Obama continuing Bush tax cuts and the Patriot Act surveillance. Even with Black Lives Matter, Obama had a hard time criticizing police officers shooting unarmed black men because he didn't want to upset law and order voters. I personally would like to see a revisiting of our policies. Building policy around our beliefs is not always politically expedient, but the results are always better.

Thank you, chowder, for taking the time to respond to me. I really did find it helpful and constructive.

Of course, immediate issues to be addressed, goals and methods for achieving them change with time (and this document is full of immediate issues and planned solution of 244 years ago), but the basic principles of America's liberals, and we are gathered in and strongly dominate the Democratic Party in this era, have never changed.

First to know in sorting out what's happening in our era is that government of, by and for the people is an intrinsically liberal principle.

The most profound difference between liberal and conservative personalities is our attitudes toward the principle of equality. Most conservatives don't feel that principle or the sovereignty of the people over government in their gut.

Even our ways of feeling moral issues varies, with conservatives wired to concern for the strength and stability of the community, liberals more strongly for the rights of the individual. Thus, conservatives have always been upset by and fought what liberal principles, equality especially, mean when applied to a thousand situations as they affect individuals and whole populations. It's also why conservatives under bad leadership are vulnerable to authoritarian/fascistic movements and why liberals (Democratic Party these days!) are society's anti-authoritarians and antifascists.

So for 244 years and continuing, the liberal party (Democratic these days) must always fight both to protect the liberal principles guiding our nation from being reformed as conservative and to advance them (universal healthcare a current example among thousands).

Maybe the Dems can take a slogan out of that somehow!

tyvm

the crap out of us with a couple simple ideas racism and trade.

Part of our problem is that we really, really want good things for all kinds of constituencies. I don't know if I could stand to see us stand on a nutshell platform, but in this age of Tweets and sound bites, it seems like that's the only thing that works.

voting for fucking third parties like the Greens or stay home or attack the only candidate that can stop a Republican as in 16. We didn't lose because of our message, we lost because some on our side didn't vote Democratic..always vote Democratic...there is no universally effective message, it comes down to party loyalty. The Russian princess Traitor Stein who never had a shot of winning received enough votes to have made Hillary the president in three key states... That is the problem. I know some want to bash Democrats about this but the truth is the left left (Green slimes) kneecapped Pres. Obama in 10 because they couldn't sob sob get single payer. This led to a gerrymander of the house that shut us down the rest of his two terms...what a waste...then in 14, we lost the Senate in basically the same way with people even on this forum posting scathing articles about President Obama. This led to Gorsuch. So those on the left left who cry (not you) about a Democratic 'message' actually caused what they complain about. Thus I pretty much don't give two fucks what they say at this point. They have no credibility.

Hillary's margin of loss was smaller than the number of votes Stein got!

You're basically saying you think most of the voters are stupid and we need to get better than Republicans are at manipulating them.

That makes it sound like they have a huge majority.

They have advantages in the Electoral College, because land gives more influence than voters. The Senate likewise, and even the House is affected.

... the voters, the independents, the not-so-sures to "read the platform????"

So irresponsible they want some kind of slick "message" to be motivated by? Are you sure the voters are like that?

How else do you account for Boss Tweet’s 40% approval rating?

Thank you for bringing that over.

Also shouted from a podium in front of adoring crowds. And single words that can be distorted from their original meaning by repeating over and over and over

Let the national Dems provide an overarching theme: Protecting your healthcare, female and minority rights, increasing teacher wages, and that Republicans don't care about you.

Then let the local candidates hone in on the local issues they need to run on to win, opioid addiction, saving unions, etc.

I really don't get what people don't understand about Tip O'Neill's
Point that all politics is local. As democrats, we have a tendency to nationalize races where there should be intense local focus.

At the time Tip was Speaker most Americans in rural and urban communities trusted the Democrats to look after local issues better than Republicans. Going back to the New Deal that was our identity. Reagan was the point man in fighting global communism, but on most other issues Democrats had the lead.

That's no longer the case. The Democratic party really needs to restore it's image of community leadership. This is something we can still do before November. Because Trump is so divisive, is clearly compromised by Putin, and has no policies benefiting anyone but the richest 1%, we can put forward a message of local communities working together creating opportunity together. Local campaigns can plug into that.

It's easier to show Trump is distant from average Americans than it is to convince Americans to vote for more conflict in Washington.

... I was hoping to get going.

Not as vague as "Make America Great Again" but still...."strengthen America's families" ? What does that mean?

Please, do let us know if they missed anything.

If this is still too vague, please go to the given link for an even more in-depth explanation


This party platform was voted on and passed by our membership at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016. The platform will be updated and re-approved at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

CONTENTS
Choose a section to jump ahead, or scroll down to read the platform in its entirety.

PREAMBLE

RAISE INCOMES AND RESTORE ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
Raising Workers’ Wages
Protecting Workers’ Fundamental Rights
Supporting Working Families
Helping More Workers Share in Near-Record Corporate Profits
Expanding Access to Affordable Housing and Homeownership
Protecting and Expanding Social Security
Ensuring a Secure and Dignified Retirement
Revitalizing Our Nation’s Postal Service

CREATE GOOD-PAYING JOBS
Building 21st Century Infrastructure
Fostering a Manufacturing Renaissance
Creating Good-Paying Clean Energy Jobs
Pursuing Our Innovation Agenda: Science, Research, Education, and Technology
Supporting America’s Small Businesses
Creating Jobs for America’s Young People

FIGHT FOR ECONOMIC FAIRNESS AND AGAINST INEQUALITY
Reining in Wall Street and Fixing our Financial System
Promoting Competition by Stopping Corporate Concentration
Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes
Promoting Trade That is Fair and Benefits American Workers

BRING AMERICANS TOGETHER AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITIES
Ending Systemic Racism
Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
Reforming our Criminal Justice System
Fixing our Broken Immigration System
Guaranteeing Civil Rights
Guaranteeing Women’s Rights
Guaranteeing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights
Guaranteeing Rights for People with Disabilities
Respecting Faith and Service
Investing in Rural America
Ending Poverty and Investing in Communities Left Behind
Building Strong Cities and Metro Areas
Promoting Arts and Culture
Honoring Indigenous Tribal Nations
Fighting for the People of Puerto Rico
Honoring the People of the Territories

PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS, FIX OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM, AND RESTORE OUR DEMOCRACY
Protecting Voting Rights
Fixing Our Broken Campaign Finance System
Appointing Judges
Securing Statehood for Washington, DC
Strengthening Management of Federal Government

COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, BUILD A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY, AND SECURE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Building a Clean Energy Economy
Securing Environmental and Climate Justice
Protecting Our Public Lands and Waters

PROVIDE QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE EDUCATION
Making Debt-Free College a Reality
Providing Relief from Crushing Student Debt
Supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions
Cracking Down on Predatory For-Profit Schools
Guaranteeing Universal Preschool and Good Schools for Every Child

ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL AMERICANS
Securing Universal Health Care
Supporting Community Health Centers
Reducing Prescription Drug Costs
Enabling Cutting-Edge Medical Research
Combating Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Treating Mental Health
Supporting Those Living with Autism and their Families
Securing Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice
Ensuring Long-Term Care, Services, and Supports
Protecting and Promoting Public Health
Ending Violence Against Women
Preventing Gun Violence

PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND KEEP FAITH WITH OUR VETERANS
Defense Spending
Veterans and Service Members
Military Families
A Strong Military

CONFRONT GLOBAL THREATS
Terrorism
Syria
Afghanistan
Iran
North Korea
Russia
Cybersecurity and Online Privacy
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Weapons
Global Climate Leadership

PROTECT OUR VALUES
Women and Girls
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People
Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Young People
Religious Minorities
Refugees
Civil Society
Anti-Corruption
Torture
Closing Guantánamo Bay
Development Assistance
Global Health
HIV and AIDS
International Labor

A LEADER IN THE WORLD
Asia-Pacific
Middle East
Europe
Americas
Africa
Global Economy and Institutions

https://www.democrats.org/party-platform

I think short but specific/concrete is the way to go.

Here's how I would boil it down:

1. Raise Minimum Wage
2. Increase Infrastructure Spending
3. Raise Taxes on the Wealthy
4. Impose Regulations on Banks and Wall Street
5. Impose Regulations to Alleviate Climate Change
6. Free College (maybe?)
7. Universal Health Care
8. Stricter Gun Regulations
9. Criminal Justice Reform
10. Combat Systematic Racism

How does that look?

the policies they lay out. They have broken those basics down even further so when policy & laws are written, every detail that affects everything involved, is considered.

That is how good governance succeeds.

Good governance doesn't come from a broad brush of good ideas with no plan to implement fairly, good governance comes with thoughful consideration of a reachable working policy plan.

I'd rather have a solid 10 that are more concrete. Sort of split the difference between the lengthier list and the quartet.

hating banks.

Millionaires are getting a pass lately...because...

That’s about it.

that was so inspiring I'm sure! He's more of a Democrat than the Democrats, after all!

That would be good. It is just anti-Dotard, but the idea that we need competence in the government again should strike a chord!

Also and and

yet it could be now! After 2 years of incompetence and corruption, the best message might be "back to normal" and "competence."

And we here in Michigan are very well aware that we are totally on our own and literally NO ONE gives a shit...

Since no Dem maps actually include the formerly great state of Michigan I will tell you, it is a very large state. It has very diverse geographic regions as well as demography. Yet each CD is it's own world. Take for instance, the 1st district. It's over 30 counties big and encompasses the entire Upper Peninsula and a huge section of the mitten. I live here and can tell you it has about zero in common with Lansing or Detroit. Our great candidate, Matt Morgan, is running an excellent campaign, taking no corporate pac money and can relate to a broad section of the constituency. It would be a completely different animal in Detroit or any large urban district.

While there are of course commonalities among all progressives, each district needs their particular issues addressed by someone they feel understands what they are. To simply stick to a one size fits all message from sea to shining sea would be the most ineffective thing I can think of.

You illustrate that well.

This is not a presidential election. An over-arching party message is less important than local candidates running on local issues.

In fact, the whole "what do Dems stand for?" question actually distracts from local candidates real messages.

Eye on the prize.

In other words, just like 2016.

(On the bright side, Congressional races don't have an Electoral College to give the runner-up the seat.)

With concern trolls “progressives.” How is that comrade?

I've been on DU since the early 2000's and an active Democrat since the mid 80's and I am "concerned" as hell. I think our messaging and consistency at the leadership level is lacking to put it nicely.

I can't believe I got found out! It's true I've been part of a decades long Russian plot to get Donald Trump elected and undermine the Democratic party from within.

Oh well, back to Moscow I go. You are all way too smart for me.

Maybe get some ideas from then?

And if we do win, are you going to admit whatever the "messaging" was worked?

You mean when Howard Dean was in charge? Sure I'd be game for that.

And part of the problem is this "are you going to admit". I'm not in this for my own personal edification. I don't need to "admit" anything. i don't think I need to prove that we are not doing great as a party. I think the results speak of the majority of general elections since 2000 (especially ones where Obama was not on the ballot) speak for themselves.

Oh, right I forgot. it's all the fault of Russian bots and our party and it's leaders have done absolutely nothing wrong.

and we do well, we just need turnout more than we need slogans. Slogans work better for right wingers. We don't need to do the things they do. It's just as unreasonable to put it on our leaders and dismiss the Russians and the gerrymandering as the straw men you put up.

or won’t acknowledge that Bernie’s own messaging is rather obsolete in the face of the Russian interference. That is the GOP’s angle to stay in power but they stick with their outdated “messaging”.

..as I said in my other response, it's fair to blame the Russians and gerrymandering and the media as actual problems that do need to be solved. And no we didn't create those problems. But It's also fair to point out that we've done a very bad job in handling a lot of these problems and our lack of electoral successes during that time (especially during years when Obama was not on the ballot) are proof of that.

The republican-ization of the media and the Republicans incessant and calculated marketing blitz has been going on since Clinton's second term. It's almost 25 years later and we still do not seem to have a read on how to effectively handle that. And yet we seem to keep going to the same well in terms of how we handle it.

How did we even do a bad job? There are no specifics here.

To your (hopefully) sincere query should NOT be the message, that’s for damn sure.

Wall Street, billionaires, neoliberal, third way, 1/10th of 1%, Corpo Dems...what did I miss? Welcome.

Sincerity?

Maybe the “paid Russian trolls” are the ones trying to stifle any constructive discussion through ridicule or outright bullying.

Seriously this IS a Democratic message board: Isnt the whole damn point to do things like “discuss the message”.

It certainly isn’t about One man.

We think alike, RB, you and I.

but much better and with those awesome gifs!

Seriously, this IS a Democratic message board and Democrats are not trolling a Democratic board by explaining the Democratic message to people insisting (for years) there IS no message. After the 2000th post moaning about how terrible the Democratic Party is and gee whiz, what does the party stand for, it has no other message than we-are-not-Republicans, one gives up and resorts to gifs and LOLs because constructive discussion must be based on facts.

We have heard this one too many times before, and with no suggested answers! And no intention by the proponent to get involved in the campaigns so they can have an influence!

note it did not come with any suggestions.

It's the desire to have it be easy. Just come up with a simple slogan. The voters need to be manipulated into voting for us with simple slogans. Not all of us have that belief.

And then whatever the leaders do come up with will, you can guarantee, be not good enough. And then if we do win, they will forget about it.

Not being of the Incompetent Self Centered party that brought the Dotard into office worked in a place like Alabama, FFS. And bringing out the base - minority voters.

Dems have flipped about every special election and those have low turnouts. As usual, the easy answer if turnout the base. Don't insult them by implying it can be done with a simple "message."

...the same way the trumpanzees approach their own loss and lack of success in life.

There will always be someone else to blame and it's never their fault.

They don't have money or jobs? Well it's definitely illegal immigrants!! And muslims!!! And definitely not any of the choices that they have made throughout their lives.

We have a consistent record of losing national, state, and local control of government? It's Russian Bots!!! It's the Green Party!! it's liberals wanting a pony! And it's definitely not any of the choices we've made as a party in terms of our leadership and/or our approach.

Russians and Greens did their part to make it harder.

....when we look at the degree to which we've lost control over the past 25 years at every level of government it can't all be blamed on outside forces especially when the boogeymen who are to blame are constantly changing over that same time period to not admit that a large portion of that falls on our choices is willfully naive.

And even when it has been outside forces (particularly the media, voter intimidation, etc. ), how we've chosen to deal with those forces and who we put in charge of handling those issues are actual choices we've made. So yeah, we can blame others for starting the problem but we bear blame for how we've handled them.

and to have a say in those, you have to get involved.

How to communicate it is.

is completely untrue.

... question. It was implying that we need to think hard about how we get our message out.

to it...I could see discussing the 50 state strategy...or things like that. But we have seen this before and I will say with absolute confidence, Democrats have a message and given that only twice since 1934 have the president's party won midterms we have a good chance...and I will also add the unspoken message here that we should not run against Trump is wrong. The current president is always on the block during a midterm. And I say off with his head.

The situation.

For instance, different people have different value systems.

People in high density population areas are more likely to be concerned with housing costs and transportation issues.

People in more rural areas might be more concerned with access to healthcare and job opportunities.

Military families and veterans have a whole slew of specialized issues that are unique to that demographic.

The Democratic Party has a very good platform however the difficulty is how to reduce key components of the platform into "2 minute elevator" speeches.

Maybe an on-the-ground analysis of the districts, conducted by locals followed up by a customised "marketing" campaign is the way to go. This is important because i truly believe that the people on the ground in the district know what will work. The folks at the top of the party may have the best of intentions but not really know what will work.

Politics is a business whether we like it or not. The voter is the customer.

They have a choice of which brand to buy...conservative or progressive. We need to sell our product.

My .02 cents.

if they continue to act like consumers they will be the ones to suffer; look at now.

To take the initiative...

Good luck with that.

They got self-government from the Founders. If they aren't inspired by that, then they can let those who care take over and quit complaining and acting above it all.