Suggested Democratic Slogan for 2018 - "Solutions, Not Scapegoats"
I see a lot of wannabe Trumpism being pushed on this Board about trying to emulate Republicans by trying to condense the Democratic platform into a one line solution like "Repeal and Replace" or "Build the Wall and Make Mexico Pay for It," "No TPP," Etc. We hear that Democrats lack a simple message that distills the entirety of what the stand for into a jingle.
My take is why should we try to emulate Republicans? I think the mistake is that Democrats have been conditioned to be ashamed of their achievements. The Affordable Care Act is prime example as is the Paris Agreement. Democrats get things done in the real world overcoming virulent opposition from Republicans. Democrats try to make the lives of Americans better and it is a messy process.
At their core, Republicans offer to feed hate in response to tax cuts and deregulation for the rich and powerful. This is why their actual legislation is so hated. It is easy to promise better health care for lower prices. It is far more difficult to translate slogans into policy that actually helps people. So, what we have are Republicans falling back on scapegoats. Perhaps they can stoke white resentment and, in return, score tax cuts and deregulation for the rich and powerful.
Democrats need to resist the temptation to try to emulate Republicans. We need to stop being ashamed of our achievements with respect o Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, the ACA, Environmental Protections, Etc. If we do need to distill what Democrats stand for in 2018 into three words, it is "Solutions, Not Scapegoats."
We are not offering some pie in the sky utopia where America is Great Again. We offer real solutions. We may not always agree on the details, but unlike Republicans, we are sincere in actually trying to meet the needs of the American people.
