This is kind of starting to get old. While guests on network panel shows continue to report on the growing likelihood if a Democratic wave in 2018, they continue to mix apples with oranges. Yes, there is quite possibly a Blue tsunami cranking up to swamp the GOP island in 2018, but the Democrats can still throw this once in a cycle opportunity if they don’t get their shit together, and come up with a cohesive, national message to run on.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think that these reporters are so far off base that they’re about to go back to the dugout in November after being picked off. Starting on November 9th, the media and most pundits started bemoaning the poor performance of Hillary’s “message” in 2016, and wrung their hands in worry that the Democrats could come up with a new, shiny, showroom message in time for 2018. And now they are tut-tutting and wailing that we’re 10 months out, and the Democrats are still in messaging purgatory.
Question. What has happened since November 9th, 2016? Lemme see. We pretty well ran the table in Virginia in the off year state elections, and flipped a Senate seat in one of the reddest states in the country. How did they manage this political miracle without a security message master message?
Simple. In Virginia they had 53 successful messages. Everything from Governor down to House of Delegates. The first transgender candidate to be elected ran on fixing a pothole riddled main thoroughfare in the district. Several Democrat challengers proved their bona fides to their constituents by refusing campaign contributions from an energy company with interest ins a fracking bill on the schedule. Not only didn’t Doug Jones not mention Trump’s name more than his own, he didn’t fixate on the disgusting allegations against his opponent either. He ran on issues that voters in the state understood, and provided coherent solutions.
The ancient axiom “All politics is local” survives for a reason. A broad, reaching, inspirational national message may be necessary for a Presidential candidate, but most congressmen don’t set far reaching policies by themselves. But they do have sway over national issues that have an impact every day to their constituents. There will be a time and place for all of them to highlight Trump’s manifest incompetence and toxicity, but in context. Even in districts with retiring incumbents, Democratic challengers can use them, by saying, “For (however many) years we tried it the Republican way, and look where we are. It’s time to try something new, and here’s what I’ll try and do.”
So please, media, take a deep breath, swallow a pill, and go lie down in a dark room for a bit. There is plenty of time for the Democrats to come up with something a bit more substantive than “We’re not Trump.” But if 2017 taught us anything, it taught us that while voters may have given up on Washington politics, they still want their potholes fixed, their bridges safe, and their farms to have high speed internet. And in what is appearing to be “the year of the woman,” the fact that MSNBC just reported that there are 300+ women signed up to run for the House, and 47 for the Senate, I think all of these candidates can find a message to take to the people they bump up against every day. Patience grasshopper.