Democrats, don't take the bait over the fake outrage about @TheRickWilson's TV hit. No one is going to suddenly vote for Trump because they're mad at Rick. Those were already in the bag. Trump's support is baked into the cake, and your only goal is to win back 4 or 5 states. /1
The fact that the President himself is trying to floor the pedal on outrage means he know it works. Your response should not be *more* outrage, it should be ice-cold discipline to increase the vote among people who - quietly - basically *agree* with Rick. There are many. /2
The red-hat "fuck your feelings" MAGA nuts scare their fellow citizens more than many of them admit. There's a lot of votes in those five or six states in the burbs, among women, minorities, the educated. Your only goal is not to scare them more than Trump scares them already. /3
Many of you seem determined to blow this by matching Trump's rage with someone like Sanders or Warren. That's understandable, but dumb. People are tired of being unnerved by this guy and his goons. Your *base* wants to fight, but so does Trump. And he's better at it than you. /4
Let the Never Trumpers like Rick and the rest of us strip the bark off Trump. (It's practically a literary art form now.) It's a way of making Trump and his minions show themselves and it flushes the MAGA hate mobs out into the open. That helps you, if you use it wisely. /5
But don't try to match Trump's rage machine with a ragier candidate and a rage-filled campaign. He's better funded and can put out more wattage than you can. Trump is praying you get into a poo-flinging match with him. Ask Rubio and the others who tried and failed. /6
I know you'll say your base needs to be "energized." if they're not "energized" after the past three months, to say nothing of the past three years, Sanders waving his finger in the air about plans he will never manage to enact will not solve that problem. /7
Build a coalition, and fund a turnout effort, not a battle machine. Get to 270. Ignore the rest of the noise. No one cares if California cranks out a 5 million vote plurality. Let Trump be his own worst enemy, every day, and let your candidate be the guy who can get to 270. /8
Call Steyer and Bloomberg and tell them to start doing anti-Trump ad buys that will speak across a wide spectrum of voters. Do not go negative on Bernie; it only helps him. Let Iowa and NH do what they always do and just move on to SC. /8
Do this and save the country.
Thank you for coming to my Never Trumper Dem Pep Talk. /9x
Thank you for coming to my Never Trumper Dem Pep Talk. /9x
