My current obsession is pretty simple: Democrats need to focus relentlessly on making people’s lives better—immediately and demonstrably, and they need to brand the hell out of it when they do.
Take the COVID-era stimulus checks. Donald Trump—who is evil, but not dumb about marketing—literally signed his name on them. Joe Biden didn’t do the same when he became president, which he now acknowledges was a big mistake.
“Within the first two months of office I signed the American Rescue Plan,” Biden recently said. “And also learned something from Donald Trump—he signed checks for people, $7,400 for people because we passed the plan. I didn’t—stupid.”
Exactly. Democrats constantly bury their accomplishments in the fine print of the tax code. Working parents get help via confusing credits. Many don’t even benefit because they don’t itemize their taxes. And no one walks away from tax season thinking, “Thanks, Democrats, for that obscure $200 break!” Even those of us who believe in fully funding a functioning society mostly think, “Fuck this shit!” while doing our taxes.
If you want to help parents of young children? Send them a damn check. Every month. Signed by the Democratic president. And then say it clearly: “If Republicans win the next election, you don’t get that check anymore.”
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Do that, and the political landscape looks very different. Republicans make the same mistake too, which is why I wrote this piece urging Democrats to capitalize on Trump’s broken “no taxes on tips” promise. Their branding sucks too—so let’s use that to our advantage.
Obviously we can’t do direct stimulus right now, as Democrats are out of power. But we can absolutely make clear how Trump’s policies are screwing over the very people who voted for him.
Trump is directly gutting services for his new lower-income, less-educated base. Many of them are MAGA dead-enders, and no one is trying to convert them. They are lost to the cult.
But this is a 49-48 Democratic country, and our base turns out less reliably than the GOP’s. We need everything to go right in order to win. Shift the electorate just 5 points, and suddenly we’re a 54-43 country. That kind of margin gives us breathing room. It lets us win even in a rough year. It opens up Senate and House seats that seemed out of reach.
That’s why I love what the Democratic National Committee just did.
They’re launching a billboard campaign targeting Trump in rural communities where hospitals and clinics are shutting down. As NOTUS reports, the billboards are going up in Silex, Missouri; Columbus, Indiana; Stilwell, Oklahoma; and Missoula, Montana—each declaring “Under Trump’s Watch…” followed by what’s been lost.
In Montana, for example, the message reads: “Under Trump’s Watch, Providence St. Patrick Hospital Is Closing Its Maternity Center.”
I would make the language even more direct. Saying it happened “under Trump’s watch” makes it sound like an accident, like a storm or a fire, something that just happened while he was around. But these aren’t natural disasters: They’re the result of deliberate policy. So let’s say it plainly: “Trump killed the maternity ward at Providence St. Patrick Hospital.”
Still, I’m thrilled the DNC is doing this and I hope it’s just the beginning. I’ve written about a Nebraska clinic that closed, and another in rural North Carolina that was set to reopen—until Trump’s policies killed the possibility. There will be dozens, maybe hundreds more of these stories. And every single one should have a billboard calling him out.
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And when Democrats take power again? Brand everything they create and fund with the name of the elected officials who voted to make it happen—and add their party affiliation.
Suddenly, you’ll see a lot fewer Republicans pretending to support federal projects they voted against. And voters? They’ll finally be able to see—clearly and directly—which party actually shows up for them, and what they stand to lose if they stick with the GOP.