Thread by @cmclymer

Whatever you may think of The Lincoln Project and their effectiveness, the simple fact remains that if the Democratic Party and progressive movement invested more in grassroots organizations already doing the work, no one would ever even perceive a need for TLP. Invest locally.

Maybe they work. Maybe they don't. I think that's even more moot than it was last week. You know what does work? The progressive grassroots organizations already doing the labor and moving the needle, even in spaces in our country that are conservative. Support them.

I think, too, that so many Democrats have this internal fear that Republicans are better at making ads. That's not true. They're better at pandering shamelessly in one of two directions: saturated patriotism or saturated racism (sometimes both). And there's no counterpoint.

They're the only ones making noise in so many races while their Democratic opponent plays it safe. Don't get me wrong: playing it safe can be an effective strategy. It wins some races. And it sure as hell loses some races, particularly the winnable ones.

Republicans never back up and wonder "is this shit too blatant"? Should I really have a bald eagle fucking a flag pole with Toby Keith serenading Proud Boys in the background? No, they don't worry about this. They just do it. For them, a win is a win.

But the thing is... that's also all they can do. They can't honestly run on their ideas. Not the merit of them. It's always a reframing about a Dem position being an existential threat and they're the suit of armor you can wear.

Republicans know only one way to win: by shitting on the conversation. They never have bold ideas meant to better and unify the country. There's a reason for that.

Democrats do, and yet... so many of us don't campaign that way.

So many Democrats play it safe, and so because the only voice out there is a loud pandering one, so many Dems lose races they should have won if only they had been a strong counter voice. A real one. The kind that loudly calls for a bold vision.

Republicans aren't better at ads. It's just that they're usually the only ones making them.

Ads. Actual punches. Not checked boxes on your screen afraid of their own shadow.

So, fuck The Lincoln Project. Who cares? They didn't have a special sauce or a silver bullet. They just knew how to pander to some moderates and conservatives. Ask yourself where the counter voices are, and send your money to them. Stop wringing your hands and take charge.