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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPress: Time for Democrats to play the fear card
...The key to winning on Nov. 8 is for Democrats to play the fear card. And here, too, Democrats have an advantage. They don’t have to make up all the bad things Republicans would do were they back in power. Republicans are already bragging about them...Economic chaos, drastic cuts to Social Security and Medicare, a national ban on abortion, endless hearings on Hunter Biden, abandoning support for Ukraine, a direct attack on democracy and continued slavish loyalty to Donald Trump. That’s all the scary ammunition Democrats need. Play the fear card!
https://thehill.com/opinion/3702671-press-time-for-democrats-to-play-the-fear-card/
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tableturner
(1,839 posts)
niyad
(133,115 posts)tableturner
(1,839 posts)
calimary
(90,316 posts)jimfields33
(19,382 posts)
Traildogbob
(13,075 posts)But listen to the latest MTG and Boebert rants of going after every single federal agency to impeach and defund. That is all they plan on doing. Plus end SS and Medicare or destroy the country economically to do it. The veto pen will not stop a total government shut down. Millions will lose income during their stunt. Including military families.
lees1975
(7,097 posts)if Kevin McCarthy is the Speaker of the House and third in line for the Presidency, and McConnell is next.
These people are thugs. Don't think they're not thinking about that.
KPN
(17,441 posts)better. We need progress, not just a dike to hold them back and put democracy and our country on good footing. Not controlling either or both houses is going to be a setback in a time when any further setback seems perilous. It’s downright scary.
XanaDUer2
(15,772 posts)I've yet to see SS ads in my purple, swing-voter state with tons of retirees. Just abortion ads
AZSkiffyGeek
(12,744 posts)ALL the ads running in AZ are fear-based. And they're running constantly.
AntivaxHunters
(3,234 posts)You counter this stuff by not only the fear card but with POLICY.
"Protecting Social Security" is a defense of the status quo which currently is horrific, leaving many seniors & disabled people yours truly having poverty forced upon us. I get just $800/mo to try and live on with disability in a city, Denver, where a 1 bedroom apartmeny averages almost $2k a month.
Enough "protection", let's talk about a full expansion instead!
And while we're at it, let's talk about full weed legalization too. That's the issue right there which would win us the midterms. It's widely popular and I am absolutely furious that this isn't being spoken of.
Our messaging is just bad. We can do much better and it's pretty easy to do too! Like boasting about how we did a Social Security COLA of 8.5%. yet crickets. I don't know what's up but this isn't good.
tableturner
(1,839 posts)...ending democracy, contraceptives are next...
Forget the usual wonk-ish stuff we use, and unfortunately, lose with, too often!
AntivaxHunters
(3,234 posts)This won't bring voters out. People are just dunzo and have had it with all the bad shit. The anxiety in this country is at an all time high.
You win elections by putting forth policy which helps people and that's happening but it's not being amplified or platformed.
Case in point --
The city of Denver recently had a huge rebate program for e-bikes.
They had to put the program on hold because it was so popular and so many signed up it overwhelmed the system entirely.
Look at how Biden's poll numbers shot up after student loan forgiveness.
Policy. Policy. Policy.
tableturner
(1,839 posts)AntivaxHunters
(3,234 posts)That literally makes no sense given it's what people literally vote on and what they vote for.
Fear politics is why Republicans lost against Obama. Remember that whole "Democrats will allow 9/11 attacks if they win!" thing?
Going negative in an age when voters are begging for something positive isn't a path towards winning IMO.
KS Toronado
(23,730 posts)if they take over Congress is not fear politics, it's being honest with the truth.
R's fear politics have always involved lies. There is a difference. 
RobinA
(10,478 posts)for policy, particularly Repugs. Ask someone why they would never vote for Biden. You won't hear anything about policy, you'll get a lot of crap about his supposed socialism.. Ask them why they prefer Oz to Fetterman. You won't get anything about policy. In particular, the Oz/Fetterman campaign is utterly policy-free. Hell, I'm voting for Fetterman because he's a pro-choice Dem. I couldn't tell you where he stands on any other issue. Nothing I have against Oz has anything to do with policy, although I probably would if he ever expressed a policy position other than abortion.
SergeStorms
(20,687 posts)or curiosity to explore policy. That's what Democrats have done for decades and it hasn't worked.
Republicans always appeal to people's lizard brain instincts, and it works.
The average voter hates to think about these things. They really, really do.
Democrats will lose pushing policy details every time. Americans don't want to think, and it clearly shows.
calimary
(90,316 posts)
Tribetime
(7,145 posts)We need to attack them play the fear card 100%
AntivaxHunters
(3,234 posts)That's why.
Sympthsical
(11,019 posts)This is one of my favorite little lies we tell ourselves. "You guys, we just always, sigh, take the high road." Since when?
This election isn't even slightly hard. I do not know why everyone's running around so confused.
Recognize how bad inflation is and hammer what we'll do about it. Hammer protecting choice.
The end. Politicians have one job here.
There. I saved everyone millions in consulting fees, and I don't even get invited to all the cocktail parties.
KS Toronado
(23,730 posts)will get older voters into voting blue. 
Scottie Mom
(5,838 posts)My gawd, the Repukes are EVIL!
PatSeg
(53,245 posts)when there is something to really be afraid of. Republicans use the fear card for fantasy threats, but Democrats have very tangible and urgent threats to use. It isn't just to win, it is to save our democracy.
Grumpy Old Guy
(4,356 posts)Simply telling the truth about what the Republicans say isn't really "playing the fear card."
I worked with Bill Press for several years back in the eighties. He's a wonderful guy, and his insights have always been spot on as far as I'm concerned.
JT45242
(4,065 posts)That stupid letter stunt almost cost us the high ground in Ukraine.
I lived all over Ohio. Heck, half the people at Kent State said they were of eastern European heritage including a lot of Ukrainian.
We need to be able to hammer that point to flip Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and potentially my new home in Iowa.
Repugs are willing to touch the third rail on social security and Medicare, burn them with it.
They will take away $35 insulin and Medicare negotiating lower drug prices.
They are Putin's puppets and burn them with that.
They will ban abortion nation wide, burn them with that. (Great ads by the veterans group showing female vets saying they will not have to tell their daughter that we lost rights at home).
I normally like what Jayapal has to say, but this was a bad move. The whole progressive caucus should be hammering Medicare, insulin, social security, reproductive rights, lower drug prices.
We're those bills perfect? NO. But we have zero chance to improve them without first holding the Senate and more importantly getting to 52 so manchin and synema are irrelevant again.
TigressDem
(5,126 posts)They are already taking voting rights away. If they get control, voting rights are gone.
NO MORE DEMOCRACY.
period.