DNC Report Says Blankety-Blank Democrats Need a “National Narrative Project.” No, They Don’t.

[KoKo]

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

I really didn’t want to post on the [this is a family blog] blankety-blank Democrats, but when I read this story, my head exploded, and after I wiped off the screen and the keyboard, I felt I must take up the sad, but necessary, duty.

First, I’ll look at what the Democratic National Committee (DNC) report said about the state of the party; then, I’ll look at their solution, and put it in context; finally, I’ll look at what the Democrats should be doing if they didn’t want to, ya know, keep [verb in the progessive aspect that a family blog would never, ever use], but how about we substitute “enter a death spiral of wankitude”? Or “go the way of the Whigs”?

The state of the party (WSJ, “Democrats’ Review Finds Party Ignored Congressional and State Races at Dire Cost”):

In the Obama era, the Democratic Party successfully has won the White House but all too often has ignored down-ballot races that determine control of Congress and state legislatures

Yeah, oopsie. Never mind that state legislatures determine redistricting; both parties seem happy with that, despite all the moaning for the rubes. What matters is that Democrats have a thin bench already, and according to the DNC itself, they nuked their own farm team (Here’s a fine sample of the iron law of institutions in action in the Pennsylvania Senate fight.) So after the Democrats slowly wheel Hillary’s catafalque in and out of the Oval Office — or not! — what happens then? Sure, at the Presidential level, a black woman gay hispanic, but who? Where? Biden? Booker? O’Malley? And in the House and the Senate? The candidate:

Also urgent, the report said, is the need to recruit strong Democratic candidates over the next three elections to win back state legislatures, so the party can have more control over the redrawing of congressional seats following the next Census.

“We need to build our bench,” Mr. Beshear said. The report recommends identifying and nurturing a new generation of Democratic candidates and advisers.

Sure, but why would anybody agree to run on the Democratic ticket? (Outright corruption, or having a seat handed to you, aside.) It’s like stone soup. So where, I ask, are the Democratic stones?

Well, the DNC has a solution. Here it is:

The task force recommends creating a “National Narrative Project” that will work with party leaders, activists, and “messaging and narrative experts” to create a “strong values-based national narrative that will engage, inspire and motivate voters to identify with and support Democrats.”

This is like AOL saying that their problem is no mission statement…. Ever been to one of those meetings? With the PowerPoints, the consultant, the airless room? The feels, they’re all there…

The problem here, is that the [blankety-blank] Democrats tried this already, back when there was a massive fad for semantics or semiotics or whatever dude George Lakoff, who used to be interesting when he was a scholar, was pushing.


Much More of this Interesting Rant and some "Good Read Comments"at:

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/02/dnc-report-says-blankety-blank-democrats-need-national-narrative-project-no-dont.html

[Cosmic Kitten]

1. Ignored down ballot races on purpose?

Again, true enough.

I find the point about Lakoff interesting
and illuminating regarding the party policies

The problem here,
is that the Democrats tried this already,
back when there was a massive fad
for semantics or semiotics or whatever
dude George Lakoff, who used to be interesting
when he was a scholar, was pushing.

It's not that Lakoff was a fad.
It's that the DNC and 3rd-Way VALUES
are not authentic. Used car salesmen!

Messaging, semantics semiotics are only
relevant when they communicate what you
really mean and intend as your values.

The DNC has been spewing EMPTY rhetoric
and it's caught up to the party through election losses.

Now, the "new strategy" is to spew NEW EMPTY talking points!
Yeah that's the ticket! New lies to convince the peasants
to keep us in power/employment

[on point]

2. You nailed it. It is policy problem. Marketing con on bad policy = fail

[RiverLover]

6. +1

Its just like how they're trying to figure out how to roll out Hillary for her presidential run~

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0224-goldberg-hillary-clinton-5-0-20150224-column.html

They are only worried about branding, not what they're actually DOING (or not doing) in office.

[Still Sensible]

3. Actually, different for different audiences

"Messaging, semantics semiotics are only
relevant when they communicate what you
really mean and intend as your values."

To a great extent this is true when the message is attempting to reach more progressive, open minded and generally democratic voters. I contend that the other side has been very successful using semantics--to reach right wing, regressive, generally republican and/or low information voters--by covering up "what they really mean" in order to get susceptible voters to support them and often vote against their own interests.

I think the difference is, people inclined to vote our way give a crap about things like reality, reason, fairness and truth... the other side doesn't... they just care about winning for their agenda.

[Cosmic Kitten]

4. Great observation!

I forget to put on my right-wing hat/brain at times.

The "other side" does, literally,
process information differently.
That is also why Democratic messaging
is ineffectual with right-wing brains.

Emotion trumps facts

[aspirant]

5. If they have no bench left,

I say great. Then our candidates who have been coming in second, third, fourth are now the cream that are rising to the top.

[Scuba]

7. Is there not a word about policy in this whole report? Maybe I'm just a simple guy, but ...

... it seems to me that if Democrats nationally ran on:

Enriching and expanding social security

Medicare for All

Living Wage

... that we would win a whole lot of elections.


"Not the Republican" is a losers argument.

[KoKo]

8. It seemed to me, that it was just "Think Tank Stuff" going beyond Lakoff's early

"Brand the Message" because we Dems weren't as effective at "Messanging" as the Repubs were...at that time.

I thought Lakoff made good points, but too WONKY...but since Obama blew it out of the water with Axelrod and Others Messenging/Controlling Campaign then that made Lakoff look like someone past his time and sort of like "DUH!"


I'm not a person who is comfortable with Corporate/Think Tank supported "Messenging" as the problem with my Dem Party since Clinton won with "It's the Economy Stupid" before the worst of the "McKinsey/Harvard Group" got involved with counseling the Dem Party later..........but, all I have to say is Dem Party will be going down if we don't go to the "People's Message" of what Ordinary Citizens of all Colors/Creeds and Persuasions are living through and get back to Howard Dean's "50 State Strategy" of connecting GrassRoots Together with Each Other. And..in Many Ways it's STILL ABOUT....."It's the Economy Stupid" given what we've seen under Obama as "Giveaways" to the Wall Street Banking Sector with "Tap on the Hand Fines" instead of Prosecution and "Keystone Pipeline, Privatization of Schools and Utilities and whatever else along with TPP, TPIP and More War Interventions around the Globe while those of us who got burned in Dot Com Meltdown of early 2000 and then the Wall Street Meltdown of 2007-08 are still suffering from loss of jobs, lack of return on Savings (puny as they are) and now a return to "Buy Real Estate, Invest in the Market and other Schemes that will end up badly somewhere down the road as they have for the past 20 Years.

Howard Dean is now consulting with Hillary Clinton's Campaign...and I don't really think that is a good thing at this point in our Dem Party History. But, I realize others will differ on that.

It gets TIRESOME...the SAME OLD...SAME OLD... Just Vote....VOTE.... Where is the REAL CHANGE? Decades of this "HURT" against the Middle Class and Poor!

Well...this is a bit of a Rant. Just my thinking these days....