In the premiere episode of The Election Whisperer on The Cycle- On Substack the show’s first in audio-only format, Rachel recaps (as quickly as possible!) the months that have passed since the show went on hiatus.
Jan 2, 2021Liked by Rachel "The Doc" Bitecofer 📈ðŸ”
Rachel, thanks for providing such information. I have been following you for a long time. The Democrats certainly need a bold new leader and the message "whatever it is" should be clear. I don't understand why the Democrats think they have to be so nice, and wonder what the Republicans will think. Take a page from the Republicans book ... do what is best for the party!
Democrats need to launch two nationwide long-term advertising campaigns to remind voters what the party has accomplished and what government can do for everyone. The same "top-of-mind" advertising that Coca-Cola and McDonalds use. Remind voters that Democrats and unions gave us minimum wage, 40-hour work weeks, weekends, overtime pay, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, disability insurance, cleaner water, cleaner air, workplace safety, safer drugs and food, and more. Name it something simple like "Back to Basics." Then remind voters that government programs have paid for the Internet, satellite communications, computers, interstate highways, vaccines, advanced medical research, and more. Name it something simple like "For the General Welfare." These are things that ALL Americans can enjoy. The current party leadership has allowed the GOP to define the Democratic party for far too long.
Yes, exactly Bob. Laurie, Ashley, and I (my partners in the Super Pac will be doing just that, God willing people buy into our vision. We believe that the Democrats have been remiss in building a brand for themselves over the years- and in that vacuum, the GOP has built one, an entirely negative one, for them. Most Americans have never been presented with the message you outline above, which I have argued for years in one Democrats should be running off-season ads about in the way that companies run ads to build up their brands (think BP after the Deep Horizon oil spill). This is important because public opinion is shaped- it flows from the top down. And if you're not shaping it, its shaping you! When I talk about teaching frontline candidates how to effectively campaign in today's environment, this is part of that package. They should be out on the stump credit claiming the many achievements of the Democratic Party for working Americans and the American middle class while simultaneously indicating Republicanomics for its 40 year dissemination of the middle class. When America started the Reagan "trickle down" economic paradigm, our middle class was the envy of the world. Now, we can see the #1 middle class in the world from our front porch (especially if you live in Buffalo or Detroit) because its now in Canada! And the reason its in Canada is because why the GOP was conducting economic terrorism on our middle class, up there, they were pursuing balanced tax and regulatory policies that didn't give the damn farm away to corporate and elite interests and bleed workers dry. Its time to put the Republican Party's handling of the economy on trial before the country and its something Democrats should be salvivating to do because its a shit record!
Thank you Rachel! I sincerely hope you, Laurie and Ashley are successful! The Dems need to learn that people like me are not going to continuously shovel cash into their campaigns just to see it squandered on ineffective electioneering. Most of my support this cycle went to the Biden campaign, but the Lincoln Project was a very, very close second - and I'm still a monthly supporter to them. But the fact that Sara Gideon finished with over $14m in the bank and LOST makes my blood boil. Every day I am bombarded with ridiculous fundraising emails the whiplash between dire predictions of total annihilation and euphoria about some poll result. Each one gets deleted. I'm looking forward to seeing your PAC get off the ground, though. BTW - I spent a lot of time growing up in the rural South and can attest first hand that your analysis of voters is spot on. Keep up the good work!
Honestly, that's why we consider this The People's Pac. We know there are millions of Democrats who feel the exact same way we do- which is why when I finally clawed my way up the chain enough to get onto media it resonates so much with people. The things I say are the things people have said to each other on underwhelming election nights for years! We all know exactly what needs to be done, but until now, have lacked the mechanisms to do it. So we've decided, after what happened this cycle, we simply need to build our own mechanism and use it to buttress the efforts of groups working on specific elements of the problem like Stacey's group is doing with registration and turnout. If the party won't invest in those groups, we will. If the party won't research messaging for turnout, we will- and we'll share it with everyone with the hopes that it gets adopted widely. This is why I've been encouraging shared efforts between LP & Meidas and once we launch- us. It'll take all of us, working together to build the efficient and strategically smart Democratic infrastructure of the future. I do want everyone to know though that I have been in contact with the DCCC's new chair, Rep. Sean Maloney, and believe he is also committed to modernizing the party's electioneering approaches. If we can bring the party orgs along on the strategic plan I'm laying out, I have no doubt we can either keep the 2022 midterm losses to a minimum, or perhaps even null them out or turn them into modest gains. Now, that might not sound like much of a victory to an untrained election analyst- but the midterm effect is a longstanding pattern in American elections which have the president's party LOSE seats in the subsequent midterm election. For those that follow my research, you'll know that there is a real potential for a massive turnout pullback from Democrats and Democratic Party Independent "leaners." If this happens, the Democrats are all but certain to lose control of the House of Representatives, and with that, all potential for Biden to govern. The Republican Party of today is a party of extremists, not only refusing to participate in governing the country in favor of playing partisan politics in pursuit of power for the sake of having power. But beyond that (because this not new, the GOP has been in this posture for the past decade) the MAGA version of the party, which endures beyond Trump's tenure as president, is also committed to eroding our institutions and the rule of law- willing to go so far as to overturn a presidential election and install an illegal president. They are failing in this effort because of a combination of robust margins for Joe Biden in critical swing states and the refusal of specific Republicans at the state level who in the face of great pressure, stood for democracy. But as Senator Chris Murphy points out, the tacit acceptance of these efforts by the rest of the Republican Party (they have received only modest condemnation when they required a full-throated rejection) all but ensures there will be future efforts to "cancel" lost elections by the GOP if significant changes aren't made, and soon. This is no time for people to feel comfortable about their democracy. We have put out a blazing wildfire in removing Donald Trump from the presidency before a second term could have made the rot he brought to the institution permanent and likely, irreversible. It is something to celebrate, there is no doubt. But this democracy is under great threat and the work people do right now, and in the coming months will be just as important as work that happens in the fall of 2022 to the outcomes of those elections.
Rachel, you are fearless. Thank you for bringing it. I knew when I first heard you in August 2019 on progressive radio that you were something special. The D machinery is so mamby pamby ineffective (yes, I am talking to you Tom Perez). Time for some kickass truth and real fight against GOP f'ckery. Stakes framing, damnit!! I mean Josh Awfully in a Twitter war with Walmart about salve wages! I wanted to slap him through the Twitter machine.
Great pods Rachel! And someone (rhymes with Fate Blown) owes black voters in Georgia an apology. He owes you one too, but mostly black voters in Georgia!
Rachel, thanks for providing such information. I have been following you for a long time. The Democrats certainly need a bold new leader and the message "whatever it is" should be clear. I don't understand why the Democrats think they have to be so nice, and wonder what the Republicans will think. Take a page from the Republicans book ... do what is best for the party!
Democrats need to launch two nationwide long-term advertising campaigns to remind voters what the party has accomplished and what government can do for everyone. The same "top-of-mind" advertising that Coca-Cola and McDonalds use. Remind voters that Democrats and unions gave us minimum wage, 40-hour work weeks, weekends, overtime pay, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, disability insurance, cleaner water, cleaner air, workplace safety, safer drugs and food, and more. Name it something simple like "Back to Basics." Then remind voters that government programs have paid for the Internet, satellite communications, computers, interstate highways, vaccines, advanced medical research, and more. Name it something simple like "For the General Welfare." These are things that ALL Americans can enjoy. The current party leadership has allowed the GOP to define the Democratic party for far too long.
Yes, exactly Bob. Laurie, Ashley, and I (my partners in the Super Pac will be doing just that, God willing people buy into our vision. We believe that the Democrats have been remiss in building a brand for themselves over the years- and in that vacuum, the GOP has built one, an entirely negative one, for them. Most Americans have never been presented with the message you outline above, which I have argued for years in one Democrats should be running off-season ads about in the way that companies run ads to build up their brands (think BP after the Deep Horizon oil spill). This is important because public opinion is shaped- it flows from the top down. And if you're not shaping it, its shaping you! When I talk about teaching frontline candidates how to effectively campaign in today's environment, this is part of that package. They should be out on the stump credit claiming the many achievements of the Democratic Party for working Americans and the American middle class while simultaneously indicating Republicanomics for its 40 year dissemination of the middle class. When America started the Reagan "trickle down" economic paradigm, our middle class was the envy of the world. Now, we can see the #1 middle class in the world from our front porch (especially if you live in Buffalo or Detroit) because its now in Canada! And the reason its in Canada is because why the GOP was conducting economic terrorism on our middle class, up there, they were pursuing balanced tax and regulatory policies that didn't give the damn farm away to corporate and elite interests and bleed workers dry. Its time to put the Republican Party's handling of the economy on trial before the country and its something Democrats should be salvivating to do because its a shit record!
Thank you Rachel! I sincerely hope you, Laurie and Ashley are successful! The Dems need to learn that people like me are not going to continuously shovel cash into their campaigns just to see it squandered on ineffective electioneering. Most of my support this cycle went to the Biden campaign, but the Lincoln Project was a very, very close second - and I'm still a monthly supporter to them. But the fact that Sara Gideon finished with over $14m in the bank and LOST makes my blood boil. Every day I am bombarded with ridiculous fundraising emails the whiplash between dire predictions of total annihilation and euphoria about some poll result. Each one gets deleted. I'm looking forward to seeing your PAC get off the ground, though. BTW - I spent a lot of time growing up in the rural South and can attest first hand that your analysis of voters is spot on. Keep up the good work!
Honestly, that's why we consider this The People's Pac. We know there are millions of Democrats who feel the exact same way we do- which is why when I finally clawed my way up the chain enough to get onto media it resonates so much with people. The things I say are the things people have said to each other on underwhelming election nights for years! We all know exactly what needs to be done, but until now, have lacked the mechanisms to do it. So we've decided, after what happened this cycle, we simply need to build our own mechanism and use it to buttress the efforts of groups working on specific elements of the problem like Stacey's group is doing with registration and turnout. If the party won't invest in those groups, we will. If the party won't research messaging for turnout, we will- and we'll share it with everyone with the hopes that it gets adopted widely. This is why I've been encouraging shared efforts between LP & Meidas and once we launch- us. It'll take all of us, working together to build the efficient and strategically smart Democratic infrastructure of the future. I do want everyone to know though that I have been in contact with the DCCC's new chair, Rep. Sean Maloney, and believe he is also committed to modernizing the party's electioneering approaches. If we can bring the party orgs along on the strategic plan I'm laying out, I have no doubt we can either keep the 2022 midterm losses to a minimum, or perhaps even null them out or turn them into modest gains. Now, that might not sound like much of a victory to an untrained election analyst- but the midterm effect is a longstanding pattern in American elections which have the president's party LOSE seats in the subsequent midterm election. For those that follow my research, you'll know that there is a real potential for a massive turnout pullback from Democrats and Democratic Party Independent "leaners." If this happens, the Democrats are all but certain to lose control of the House of Representatives, and with that, all potential for Biden to govern. The Republican Party of today is a party of extremists, not only refusing to participate in governing the country in favor of playing partisan politics in pursuit of power for the sake of having power. But beyond that (because this not new, the GOP has been in this posture for the past decade) the MAGA version of the party, which endures beyond Trump's tenure as president, is also committed to eroding our institutions and the rule of law- willing to go so far as to overturn a presidential election and install an illegal president. They are failing in this effort because of a combination of robust margins for Joe Biden in critical swing states and the refusal of specific Republicans at the state level who in the face of great pressure, stood for democracy. But as Senator Chris Murphy points out, the tacit acceptance of these efforts by the rest of the Republican Party (they have received only modest condemnation when they required a full-throated rejection) all but ensures there will be future efforts to "cancel" lost elections by the GOP if significant changes aren't made, and soon. This is no time for people to feel comfortable about their democracy. We have put out a blazing wildfire in removing Donald Trump from the presidency before a second term could have made the rot he brought to the institution permanent and likely, irreversible. It is something to celebrate, there is no doubt. But this democracy is under great threat and the work people do right now, and in the coming months will be just as important as work that happens in the fall of 2022 to the outcomes of those elections.
Rachel, you are fearless. Thank you for bringing it. I knew when I first heard you in August 2019 on progressive radio that you were something special. The D machinery is so mamby pamby ineffective (yes, I am talking to you Tom Perez). Time for some kickass truth and real fight against GOP f'ckery. Stakes framing, damnit!! I mean Josh Awfully in a Twitter war with Walmart about salve wages! I wanted to slap him through the Twitter machine.
LOL Mariel, I believe I say "stakes framing, dammit! at least twice a day! Also, I love Sedona!
Great pods Rachel! And someone (rhymes with Fate Blown) owes black voters in Georgia an apology. He owes you one too, but mostly black voters in Georgia!