A clear message to set Dems apart right now. The timing of trump et al's tirades is actually perfect

[JudyM]

for us if we capitalize on it well. Our leaders should recover from the treachery and react from strength, throwing down a firm, unified stake in the ground:

Dems stand for women’s right to be safe and lead productive lives.
We stand for POC’s right to be safe and lead productive lives.
We stand for LGBTQ folks’ right to be safe and lead productive lives.
We stand for people of all abilities right to be safe and lead productive lives.
We stand for children’s right to be safe and lead productive lives.
We stand for all workers’ right to be safe and lead productive lives.
We stand for our veterans’ right to be safe and lead productive lives.
We stand for our democracy to be safe from foreign influence.
etc, you get the idea.

This safety covers a lot of ground for further talking points, from assault to reasonable gun control to safe workplace and drinking water and climate sanity to not being separated from parents at the border, to having sensible regulations over financial institutions, etc.

Part of the power in this is that it is clear and hard to argue against, that still-persuadable voters in tossup races are probably a little afraid of the direction trump’s taking the country, and psychologically, the drive for safety is pretty primal.

Even rethug voters wary of the Great Orange Unhinged could find the contrast of this message appealing.

We must be the party of saving our people and our democracy at this point in our history. Let’s take the mantle and wear it with vigor and pride!

[manor321]

1. Democrats have been standing for what's right for decades

The problem is the very large conservative press pumping out propaganda. We have no answer to it.

[JudyM]

5. We need powerful pithy slogans soon to combat their blatant lying.

[vi5]

2. The problem seems to be.....

....that we as a collective party are only allowed to be as FOR those things as our most conservative member(s) allow us to be.

So people see us saying a lot how much we support those things, but then shrugging our shoulders when we can't actually make clear progress on any of those things because Dem Politician Senator X or Representative Y needs to pander to their constituents so...oh well.

Collins likely knew that her consequences for going against her party would far outweigh standing up for what's right. Our most conservative members know that they will never have to face any consequences for anything, and that they can pretty much call the shots.

So Dem candidate in one state can say all they want to voters about what they'll do and how much they'll fight for something but when they see over the years that any one candidate has to essentially defer to Max Baucus or Blanche Lincoln or Joe Lieberman, or Joe Manchin, people eventually start to get cynical about how much can actually be done.

And then factor in that 1-2 terms of half measures we manage to eek out on all of those issues then gets wiped out in one fell swoop the minute after Republicans gain control, and the one step forward two steps back cycle starts to erode any optimism people may have.

[JudyM]

3. Interesting. You think we're discredited for being forced to lead from the middle?

We absolutely can’t squander a moment the next time we have control of both houses and the presidency. We’ve been playing softball while they’ve been playing hardball and stealing bases.

[vi5]

6. I absolutely do....

...like you said, we squander too many opportunities by trying to appeal to some nonexistent middle, simply because to benefit only our most conservative members.

Like you said, next time we gain control we have to make bigger, bolder moves. Not just because people need to see that's what we do when we have control, but because we need to make things harder for them to undo.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. Thanks!

We build; they destroy. They've had too long a run at destruction this time. We need to mobilize and get things fixed as quickly as we can.