Let it not go unnoticed that the "Dems need to run on something other than against Trump" trope from political pundits is a terrible premise, strikingly lazy, and even if were a correct perception of the current dynamic, it would still be inaccurate. For so many reasons.
From California to Texas to New York, winning Dem candidates have run campaigns on better healthcare, a higher minimum wage, improved schools, labor protections (among other things) and yes: pointing out Trump's corruption and bigotry.
The claim by certain political pundits that Dems only run on opposing Trump is a pretty damn big deja vu to 2016 when they did exactly this: report briefly on Trump's lies (without calling them lies), let it go after a day, slam Hillary constantly over e-mails, and repeat.
Hillary offered concrete, detailed policy proposals in a wide platform that was, apparently, deemed too boring to cover substantially. So, she met Trump head-on re: his scandals and then was accused of not offering policy ideas and hinging her campaign on opposing Trump.
Tonight, and much over the past several months, some lazy journalists have latched on to this dynamic as THE narrative of 2018, despite all evidence to the contrary.
But here's a thought: in what fresh hell is opposing this white supremacist, press silencing, corrupt, infantile, and thoroughly incompetent clown somehow bad politics? The man is a hurricane of shit and petrol intentionally seeking out an open flame. Why is opposing that bad?
They'll tell you that Dems attacking Trump are going to alienate "Middle America", "The Heartland", "blue collar" voters. They mean "white". This is also wrong given the sheer amount of evidence--actual studies--indicating Trump voters care #1 about their hatred being validated.
You catch what I'm saying? Trump voters are going to vote for Trump regardless of what Dems say because Trump validates their racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ nonsense, and xenophobia. He says it okay for them to be angry and bigoted. And they love that. They love it a lot.
There is nothing there worthwhile to alienate. It's like saying a firefighter running into a house to put out the flames needs to be careful about not alienating arsonists who pay the taxes that provide her salary. It's a ridiculous notion that doesn't merit our consideration.
The only option here is getting out the vote of reasonable adults. Part of that is talking about kitchen table issues, which Dems have been doing. A lot. And part of it is acknowledging that, yes, it is important to talk about Trump being an awful human being and stopping him.
And guess what? Weirdly enough, that works. Democratic turnout in primaries compared to 2014 has skyrocketed. Dems have flipped several dozen traditionally-GOP seats across the country in special elections. And they've done so by running, in part, on Trump's awfulness.
The "run on something other than Trump" narrative is jarringly wrong in every way, and it makes me wonder what exactly certain journalists do with their time when they're not regurgitating tired hot takes to each other without, gosh, any credible evidence whatsoever?
Running on the promise that as a Member of Congress you will hold accountable the most corrupt, vicious, incompetent, and hateful "president" in history is a GOOD THING. Morally, constitutionally, and politically. And the voters can see that. Trust them. /thread
