Let's face it, the main and well-deserved criticism of the Democratic Party (going back a very long time) is that we suck at messaging, at controlling the narrative.
This is a post I made recently:
Let’s consider all of the crap being flung at the public in hopes that some of it will stick in the minds of just enough people to discombobulate the masses:
If it’s out in the open, it can’t be a crime.
It’s not political; it’s about fighting corruption.
Biden’s the corrupt one, and Ukraine colluded with the Clinton campaign–it wasn’t Russia colluding with my campaign.
There’s nothing wrong with having private conversations with foreign leaders. (Except for that pesky Presidential Records Act.)
So-and-so told me to do it.
It was just a joke.
And so on.
As silly and just plain false as those arguments are, Democrats do need to be vigilant about controlling the narrative by pointing out how wrong the arguments are *and* – I would argue – by pointing out what tactic is being employed. Because as obvious as it is to some of us, I guarantee many people aren’t going to recognize that Trump and his minions are attempting to convince people that their transparency (never mind that the whistleblower forced their hand) equates to innocence. ‘I’m not hiding this, so it can’t be wrong.’ If you help people recognize the tactic that’s being employed to fool them, I’d like to think they’re less likely to be fooled.
For the last three years, I’ve wished the DNC would hire a spokesperson such as John Fugelsang to hold a weekly or even daily press conference for the sole purpose of addressing Trump/Republican lies and obfuscation. Most people aren’t political junkies and need help understanding not just the what but also the *why* behind various lies and misleading statements. Given how many lies Trump tells on a daily basis, a dogged persistence on the part of Democrats would be required, so why not hire a charismatic spokesperson whose only job is to smack down the propaganda. If Dems continually point out that such and such tactic is being employed, it’ll eventually register in the public consciousness. Repeat, repeat, repeat. That’s how Republicans made “liberal media” a household term, which has had devastating effects on the public consciousness and the media itself. It seems some in the media are finally exhausted enough by the onslaught of lies that they are calling out the liars instead of simply letting the lies pass as if the liar is merely expressing a valid opinion (but chances are the media, as a whole, will fail us again in 2020 just as it did in 2016). It’s one thing to have two guests on who are expressing opposing opinions about the proper role of the federal government. It’s another thing to just let a guest insist over and over again that two plus two equals seventeen, or that climate change is a hoax. But I digress…here are some examples of how a Democrat (at a press conference or on a talk show) might go about explaining (in simple terms) what tactic is being employed like a weapon against the public:
1) Trump wants you to believe that crimes committed out in the open can’t possibly be crimes. He’s wrong. Crimes out in the open are still crimes. He is committing impeachable offenses and hoping you’ll fall for his tactic. Don’t.
2) Republicans have for many decades employed the strategy of accusing Democrats of the very thing they are doing (such as Trump saying it’s Pelosi and Schiff who are committing high crimes and misdemeanors), so as to muddy the water and inspire false equivalencies (something the media loves to promote, because media personalities seem to think it will help them appear unbiased). The American people need to recognize this tactic for what it is and not fall for it.
3) Republicans (e.g., Kellyanne Conway) are employing the Gish gallop, which is defined as “a technique used during debating that focuses on overwhelming an opponent with as many arguments as possible, without regard for accuracy or strength of the arguments.” In other words, they’re trying to drown their opponents in so much BS that one doesn’t even know where to begin in responding. Well, we’re not going to play that game. When they are ready to join the rest of us in the land of fact-based reality, then and only then can we have an honest discussion. In the meantime, don’t fall for their tactic.
These tactics will continue to work unless Democrats repeatedly shine a light on the tactics themselves.
When Trump said on live TV that China should investigate Biden, Dem leadership should have immediately held a press conference to spell out exactly what Trump was doing, which is twofold. First and foremost, he’s committing an impeachable offense. Secondly, he’s trying to fool the public into believing that crimes committed openly can’t possibly be crimes. Dear American people, don’t be fooled–transparent illegality is still illegality. And remind the American people that there is still much that *is* being hidden, including transcripts of calls that have no business being stored on a server meant for highly classified records. And remind the American people that making threats to whistleblowers is witness intimidation and a crime. Never underestimate the ignorance of the American people; they need constant reminders.
= new reply since forum marked as read
that we supposedly must win back. When, in reality, we lost because hundreds of thousands of Obama voters across key battleground states simply didn't vote in 2016 (and because 3rd party voting was higher than usual). And because of even greater voter suppression efforts than we'd seen before. And because of foreign interference. And because of the media.
