Six Dem Rules To Kill and Bury
A Plea From A Worried American
Self-imposed rules and norms govern much of what happens in Democratic politics. They direct our interaction with elected officials, set our calendars, map advertising, plan campaigns, focus volunteers, guide our advocacy organizations, and direct fundraising efforts. These are the things that make the difference between winning and losing.
And I admit that rules-based political conduct had its place back in the days of old. You know, back before the rule of law was on life support, when due process was still a thing, before unelected billionaires thoughtlessly DOGEd entire agencies, when everyone believed providing kids with public education was a good thing, before Social Security and Medicaid were being tortued in the basement, before MAGA was selling public land and before Trump and Musk were laughing over their plans to mass-fertilize women. In other words, perhaps rules had a place when winning or losing an election was not a matter of life or death.
But that is not where we are now. Our democracy is in a state of existential crisis. You’ve probably lost sleep over the thought of unplanned trips to El Salvadorian prisons, or public land in Montana being auctioned off to Elon’s tech bro weirdos, or your kids' only career prospect being a servant at a billionaire rocket farm; all dystopian possibilities that sounded like hyperbole a couple of years ago. The shit is real now and I am suggesting it’s time to act like it.
Say what you want about Trump (and we have all said plenty), but many voters believe in the MAGA approach because MAGA believes enough to publicly bulldoze all their obstacles. That’s what people who really believe there is an emergency do, and it’s convincing. Meanwhile, we claim to be in emergencies but are paralyzed by the fear of offending someone or making a change without a permission slip. Weak sauce does not even begin to describe that shit and it’s no wonder voters are skeptical.
So let’s start ACTING like this is serious. Let’s break apart these six naive Dem rules into a million pieces, bury them deep in the backyard, and start fighting like we mean it.
Don’t spend money until a few months before the election; that's the only time people will listen.
Dems still do this, and MAGA laughs at it. The right has spent hundreds of millions on a concerted long-term PR machine that’s strangling the country. Political races are won and lost on overarching narratives, and it takes time to build up messages that permeate the perceptions of busy voters.
Largely due to the substantial amount of money spent on advertising near our elections, voters often tune out traditional political ads in the months leading up to the voting. We should therefore adopt a constant, steady lean-and-mean cultural attack mode in Senate and House races where MAGA is vulnerable. Ensure voters are aware of who is cutting Social Security and selling public land. Stop the inefficient deployment of billions of dollars near the election and shift to a more affordable background message that targets average people.
Nonprofit groups cannot engage in politics.
Please stop with this insanity. Good 501 (c) (3) groups on the center left believe in their missions enough to run organizations, hire skilled staff, fundraise, and generally work their butts off. And then they undo all of that by acting as if they are above politics, even as MAGA has obviously politicized their policy. It's a laughably naive assertion exploited by the right every day.
I am not suggesting that organizations break IRS tax-exempt guidance, but I am saying that there is broad leeway for them to decide what they do, and they need to exercise it. Suppose you work for, or contribute to, an organization that purports to care about a policy. In that case, you should demand that they refuse to take any action if it assists a MAGA politician in any way. No picture, no press release, no kind word, no event, no statement. Nothing that might help MAGA get elected. Stop acting like we are in the old days, when the two parties argued over slight policy differences. Wake up and do it quickly. Now, MAGA is destroying entire agencies, selling public land, shredding universities, and cheering as veterans lose services at the VA. If any 501(c)(3) organization enables any MAGA cheerleader in any way, then it is doing those things too.
Press coverage (local, state, or national) is the key to informing people.
I still hear Democrats fretting about getting stories published. No. The people we need to reach are now getting their news through social media. So YOU are the key to informing people. Post your own videos about town halls. Repost items that highlight what MAGA is doing to make our lives worse. There are still good reporters at the best outlets, and they will write critical stories. You need to share these stories with your social circles, because increasingly, swing voters do not seek out news; they expect it to come to them.
If you want to win, you can’t castigate or judge MAGA.
Buying this BS destroys Democratic credibility. The first 100 days of Trump 2.0 have clarified the stakes, and we need to punch early, often, and hard. MAGA supports stripping due process and must be defeated. MAGA is selling public lands. Thoughtless cuts to services to fund tax cuts for billionaires are wrong, and that's all MAGA. Democrats who think they can convert voters by being MAGA-lite are just supporting these things. Remember, millions of people did not vote for Democrats and just want someone to fight for them. Acting like a dish towel is not going to convince them.
Don’t confront elected officials or make a scene in public places.
This is another one we must ditch. Confront every elected MAGA Republican at every opportunity. Would you shy away from confronting an arsonist at your home? NO. MAGA is burning down the country, so ask them why they vote to cut Medicaid, and why they let Musk gut critical agencies. Ask them why their party is hell-bent on selling public lands. Record the interaction and post it. These are your representatives and if you do not believe in the stuff you say you care about enough to get pissed and confront them, then you don’t care enough to convince any other voter.
It’s more important to get things right than it is to rush into new projects.
Wrong and wrong. The world is shifting with incredible speed. The old Democratic approach of polling for a year or demanding certainty before taking action is killing us. We should be starting new Substacks and trying new podcasts. Embracing new messengers who help grow our coalition. Supporting new candidates that break molds and reach new audiences. We should stop being so damned careful and start being urgently creative. Yes, there will be a lot of failures amongst the successes, but sitting on the sidelines is an unforgivable failure too.
I agree 100%. The gloves must come off. One thing Dems do not understand is that MAGA does not respectfully listen. Therefore, it’s necessary to speak truthfully, and directly to them, to their Politicians, and to their donors. Do not allow them to deflect from the subject at hand. Point out the lie, because invariably there will be one. Pete Buttigieg is good at this.
I hope that you get a version of this published as a guest editorial in local Montana newspapers.