Democrats can connect with voters by telling a story about how they'll make the economy work for all

[applegrove]

Democrats can connect with voters by telling a story about how they'll make the economy work for all of us.

by Richard Kirsch at the Roosevelt Institute

http://www.rooseveltinstitute.org/new-roosevelt/news-flash-progressives-have-winning-economic-narrative-and-democrats-who-used-it-won

"SNIP.........................



The big difference here is how the common sentiment among Americans – that the rich call the shots – is framed to suggest a solution. By focusing on the government, Luntz sets up the Republican push for limited government. Or as successful Iowa Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst said in a debate, “When Washington is picking… winners and losers, it’s almost always our Iowa middle-class families that lose.”

For Carville, Greenberg, and Gardner, the focus is on the economy being rigged. Or as one ad for Oregon’s Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said, “It is Jeff leading the fight to hold Wall Street and big banks accountable when they prey on working families and small businesses. ”

Merkley won and so did Ernst. The explanation, according to progressive pundits, is that Democrats like Merkley who used a populist message – which means they connected people’s economic concerns to the rich and powerful who are responsible – were successful while Dems who ran away from that message lost. As someone who has been leading the Progressive Economic Narrative (PEN) project, I really wanted to believe that. But as it seemed too easy, I decided to look at some campaigns and see whether it was spin or the truth. It turns out to be the truth.

The first case I looked at was Minnesota Democrat Al Franken’s campaign. After eking out a victory in the great Democratic year of 2008, Franken won handily this year, even as Republicans took over the Minnesota House of Representatives. Imagine my smile when I quickly found Franken ads based on the key value statement in our Progressive Economic Narrative, “We all do better when we all do better.” This was also a key theme of Minnesota’s great progressive senator, Paul Wellstone.




.........................SNIP"

[RiverLover]

1. Al Franken is a great liberal & knows how to convey it sincerely. We do need to learn from that!

Merkley & Ernst too, like the article said. Really good article, thanks applegrove

Go populist progressives!!!!!!!!!!

[applegrove]

2. Jodi Ernst? I think the model should be dyslexics. Like Woodrow Wilson, JFK, Jean Chretien and

Winston Churchill were all dyslexics. They know how to say things the voters can see themselves in. But seriously. I hate to give Ernst any compliment.

[Scuba]

3. We need our candidates, nationwide, to campaign on three easly understood issues ...

Enrich and expand Social Security

Medicare for All

Raise the minimum wage



Do this and Democrats will win.