Ten Marketing Points for Democrats
Here’s a list that begins to compile some of the “Talking Points’ that are vital for just about every promotional campaign surrounding the upcoming Presidential Election. We all need to get on board if we would like our Democracy to continue to survive! One of the things that we have acknowledged over the course of the Trump Presidency, and after, is that Trump & his right-wing band of misfits know how to do very little right. Except for this. They know how to Market themselves to their base!
They have managed to convince a good chunk of individuals, albeit at times we call them low-information or misinformed voters, to just blindly follow their lead! And the need for counter-measures has become apparent. Here are a few starting points we need to work on in order to get the ball rolling for “Team Democracy’ in the age of Trumpism!
Number One: Learn to “Embrace the Difficulty!”
Learn to ‘Embrace the Difficulty.’ In the course of the many self-development studies I’ve come across, and that are so popular these days, comes the term “Embrace the Difficulty.’ Meaning that we should not run away from the idea that something is hard or might be uncomfortable to deal with. That applies also to our own challenges in re-electing an 80 year old!
“Lean in’ to Biden’s perceived weakness of age. Ageism is a talking point to embrace. And also- Bring out your surrogates! People like Governors Wes Moore and Gretchen Whitmer should be seen as the FUTURE face of the party. Pete Buttigieg, too, is an important face of the party and will help tremendously! You want to convey Energy, Action, and an Enthusiasm for the future. And have a look at hope and energy for future greatness to COUNTER all that is being said on the Right!
Number Two: Embrace the Difficulty with an Anti-Gay Bashing Message!
Address the Anti-Gay intolerance with advocates like Pete Buttigieg. He is an important voice in the fight against prejudice for gays and for homosexuality. Buttigieg is a veteran also!
Number Three: Be the PRO-National Defense Party!
Looking at the Military- The Dems finally have a chance to be the party of PRO Military Aid and support! They can support Law and Order by focusing on The RULE of LAW. They can talk about ongoing efforts to defund The FBI from the Right. EMBRACE the Difficulty and SEIZE THE DAY!
Number Four: The Abortion Rights Issue is a No-Brainer
Abortion-Rights is something that just dropped into our lap. Even Nikki Haley, a supposed ‘moderate,’ has a clip talking about toying with the GOP idea of a NATIONAL ABORTION BAN. The ads can write themselves. TRUMP was the KEY ORCHESTRATOR of this entire “Dobbs’ Agenda. Run this stance against him and push HARD daily on this!!! It is tied with FREEDOM and extends to the mere act of crossing STATE LINES. The Texas laws even advocate that someone helping abortion seekers can be jailed! It’s not a hard line to follow…
Number Five: Embrace CIVICS
CIVICS: Old-Fashioned Ideals and CIVIC Engagement are needed. Even short Ebooks and freebies to download can give people the rudimentary tools needed. Promote voting and how-to’s, and what government does for YOU on a daily basis. A back-to-basics promotion is needed to raise awareness and to challenge people as well as to fight apathy. It also leads into pushing the idea of what the history on the ground was leading up to Hitler’s rise to power. And it hearkens back to Mussolini and to the rise and fall of Fascism. Why We Fight type of video messages can be used here. The spots can be black & white that then FADE TO COLOR and jar the people into an awareness of what’s at stake!
Number Six: Revive the idea of American Exceptionalism
American Exceptionalism should be debated. Are we the indispensable nation? Are we the world’s remaining superpower? And it must be a challenge that will ask Americans if they love their country. JFK challenged Americans in his Inaugural to do more for their country… Challenge the voters with thought-provoking questions. Look at the far-right: Do they love America? REALLY? OWN it and slam hard against “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m FREE…’ and then dissect it! Patriotism has to be more than just a ‘feel-good’ song that defines what it means to be an American. You can have commercials where new citizens give moving tributes to the greatness of this country…
Number Seven: The word Freedom should be debated and revived….
Next: push FREEDOM. The idea of Freedom and even FDR’s Four Freedoms can be listed (Freedom from Want/Freedom of Speech/Freedom to Worship/ Freedom from Fear) The idea of Freedom should include what it meant then and what it means NOW. And it should conclude with how lucky we are to remain free.
It gives a point- a turning point- to push back against the darkness on display with Trump. The idea of hope and change isn’t dead! And using that positive “High Hopes’ strategy of a FUTURE where an America is bright will give a positive vision going forward. You can hearken back to Morning in America again ..but ONLY under Dems.
Number Eight Ask Questions…But ask the RIGHT Questions!
Ask the right questions! Always, always, you can hear any University Professor worth their salt telling students that they need to think for themselves. And to do this,-you need to be able to ask the right questions!
WHY is the GOP only interested in tearing down the institutions? Why are they only interested in helping the richest 1%? WHY are they blocking Military Promotions? WHY are they not interested in defending freedom…?
Number Nine: Promote Racial Harmony through Contrast
Promote Racial Harmony by Contrasts. US against THEM has to be the stark contrast. Then you must show how it CAN be and is and will be vs the darkness and absurdity of going back to the fifties era. Question the idea that “Make America Great AGAIN” means going back to…When?! Make fun of Make America Great Again with the fifties faux perfect family and then what follows. We had riots and unrest and the Vietnam War and Watergate and the Cold War & then…..
Black & White fades to color shots of harmony and laughter and people coming together and a 21st Century Futurist vision where there is harmony. The final thought should be that the Turning Point WAS….when they rejected the era of Trumpism and hate and fear. And to emphasize that we chose to move forward into the future. When used correctly-MARKETING can be great! And it is the only thing Trump was ever good at, people😊
No 10 Finally: Marginalize TRUMP!
He should be made to be a small, petty figure of vanity, but don’t spend a lot of time on Trump. Instead, use his image as shrinking or fading out to an orange blur. Don’t emphasize him, but just focus on his vision of darkness and on what he represents vs a vision of a brighter future tomorrow. SHOW the contrast with a Democratic and Independent Coalition. In fact, don’t even tie it to Dems but instead to DEMOCRACY. Tie your vote to FREEDOM and a Patriotic Revivalism. FIND a slogan to use to counter Make America Great Again
Something like…”The Future is Great when you…Vote for Freedom”
Vote Dems/ Vote Biden/ Vote NOW -Vote for Tomorrow
Well, so much for that! Here ends My “Sermon on the Mount’ for what we need to do over the coming year to counter the forces of Fascism and Trumpism that threaten us all…
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