Democrats Are Horrible At Messaging

[gab13by13]

They just accept the terms du jour.

There is much talk about the 5 year old child with the bunny hat being abused by ICE, but not talked about is the 2 year old who a judge ruled could not be kidnapped by ICE but by the time of the ruling the 2 year old had been flown to a concentration camp in Texas, we don't even know which one.

The fucking key words are "kidnapped" and "Concentration camps."

ICE doesn't have probable cause, doesn't have warrants they are kidnapping people off the streets, fucking call it kidnapping.

Some of the kidnapped people are American citizens and are released.
Some of the kidnapped people are legally working through the system to be naturalized, some of the kidnapped people are undocumented, nevertheless, none of these people are allowed due process are allowed to have a lawyer, they are shipped off to concentrations camps, not detention centers, not prisons. people in prisons have rights, people in concentration camps have no rights.

Would be nice to hear every Congression Democrat start to use those 2 words, kidnapped and concentration camps. I guess that's 3 words.

[PJMcK]

1. Messaging is only part of the problem

Democratic leaders need to be more forceful and less accommodating. Schumer, Jeffries, et al. need to bring more than strong words to the gun fight Republicans and Trump are waging.

[gab13by13]

13. Schumer and Jeffries would inspire us if

they were out in the streets of Minnesota and Maine.

[hay rick]

25. Schumer could wear a bunny cap...

[dem4decades]

27. Schumer is the wrong leader for the times.

[yellow dahlia]

80. Yes. I have been saying it for a year...over and over.

[Scrivener7]

35. Yesterday would have been a perfect opportunity.

[Historic NY]

51. Or if they just f---king quit,

[bdamomma]

66. Schumer and Jeffries

are not made for this moment. If this filthy regime can ABOLISH the Education Department, they can ABOLISH ICE GOONS. Cut funding now.

[NewHendoLib]

2. They seem afraid of offending and alienating - which is what they

end up doing anyway

They also think long explanations can beat short memes. Which for most people doesn't work.

[Tree Lady]

77. People are looking and begging

For strong leaders and right now there are only a few standing up to Trump and not our top leaders.

[Kid Berwyn]

3. Might cause problems for authority.

Which is the point of DEMOCRACY.

[LymphocyteLover]

12. Might cause problems for authority?

[Kid Berwyn]

43. That's my hope.

Unfortunately, it seems those Democrats with authority of office don’t see it that way.

[SocialDemocrat61]

4. The corporate media

parroting the talking points from the GOP might be part of the problem.

[hamsterjill]

48. But shouldn't the Democrats be countering that?

Okay, so the corporate media has decided that it supports the traitors. Don't Democrats have enough donors (i.e., Hollywood elites) where they could figure out a way to get some media attention and get THEIR message out? I'd love to see some of the big producers who are Dems put something together and DARE the GOP controlled stations not to air it.

[awesomerwb1]

54. Lost faith of that ever happening

23-24 years ago. It will never change, perhaps by design.

[SocialDemocrat61]

57. Some have but

Democrats don’t have the media infrastructure, with platforms like FAUX News, like republicans do. Plus there are media platforms and personalities on the far left that are just as hostile to democrats as republicans.

[hamsterjill]

59. So, there's the potential for Democrats to do something.

"Democrats don't have the media infrastructure..." THEY NEED TO GET ONE. Please do not tell me with all of the mainstream, media savvy people who are vocal Democrats, there isn't enough money and talent to be able to do something.

"Plus there are media platforms and personalities on the far left..." THEY NEED AN OPPOSING viewpoint messaging campaign. Again, see my comment above. Democrats are not lacking in funds or talent. They are lacking in coordination and messaging that is united and structured. Those are issues that CAN BE solved.

[SocialDemocrat61]

60. Who do you suggest

who a few billion dollars to spare?

[hamsterjill]

61. Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Tom Hanks, etc. as a start

While they may not have a billion, they could put up enough to get this off the ground. Plus, they have friends who I'm sure would gladly contribute. Look at all of the celebrities who came forward to donate for 9/11.

So, now I've answered your question. Let me ask you a question, and I'd like an answer: Why are you so adverse to Democrats doing anything differently than what they are doing now, which is obviously not working? If your answer is to wait until the midterms, you need to know that I don't believe we will have midterms, and even if we do, I don't believe they will be fair. So that's not something I'd entertain as a solution.

I await your answer to enlighten me. Thank you.

[SocialDemocrat61]

62. I'm adverse to unrealistic expectations

and plans. The people who you mentioned are under no obligation to fund a pro Democratic Party media operation and highly doubt they would do so. And even if they did, it would still take many years for such an operation to get off the ground and have the reach and impact to make any difference. This was tried in the 2000s with Air America. How did that turn out?

[hamsterjill]

63. Okay, then what is YOUR solution?

Just give up?

[SocialDemocrat61]

65. I don't have one

and never claimed that I did. I just pointed out the problem, doesn’t make me obligated to solve it.

[hamsterjill]

69. The problem doesn't make me obligated to solve it either.

I've posted numerous times on this board about how I feel that the people who sought out the political offices, campaigned that they could DO certain things, desperately wanted the jobs AND take a salary for those jobs - are the ones who need to figure this out. And I'm always met with "Well what do YOU want them to do?"

Their goddamn jobs by whatever means is necessary. We are way beyond the point of leadership "offending someone".

[SocialDemocrat61]

70. Then primary them

with people who can solve the problem. Maybe even run yourself.

[mr715]

71. Lets leave Woody Allen out of this.

[hamsterjill]

72. Probably a good idea.

But he's a big contributor to Democratic causes.

[mr715]

73. Shhhh

Lalalalala don't wanna know don't wanna know.

[mr715]

74. To the underlying point, though,

you are correct. But also in a less tangible, cultural output level. You mention Tom Hanks. The Democratic party has, what, 95% of the artists, musicians, writers, actors, etc. You'd think we could suffocate the GOP by shear lack of content.

[OrlandoDem2]

5. Jeffries, Schumer, et al need to hammer the media for lack of coverage of Trump's dementia.

The public can clearly see it.

It’s an easy message.

Blame the media for not covering Trump’s mental decline. Hammer them both!

And then keep on healthcare costs and Epstein.

This is not complex, but I agree that Democrats aren’t messaging as well as they could.

[SocialDemocrat61]

24. AOC did

More democrats should too.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220961422

[OrlandoDem2]

41. Good!

[Hey Joe]

40. A thousand times THIS!

What is so damn difficult about just pointing out the most obvious examples of this cruel
insanity?!
Jeffries or Shumer wouldn’t say 💩 if they had a mouthful most of the time!

[Scubamatt]

56. AOC went there yesterday

WHY won't our leadership unite behind that message. I know its all about "keeping our powder dry" and letting Trump implode on his own" etc. How did that work for us in 2016 and 2024? Did any of our leaders stop to thing that if they don't start speaking out and standing for something, that people will check out and simply not vote, since they don't see it as mattering. What would happen if Obama, Clinton ,Biden, Newsome, Jeffries, and Schumer came to MPLS and walked the streets?

[Walleye]

6. I read that story and can only think of my beautiful two year-old grand niece

The lack of humanity out of these people is like nothing I have ever seen. Maybe it happened in 30s Germany

[Orrex]

7. You are 100% correct

They’ve been horrible about it for at least as long as I’ve been politically aware.

Republicans are masters of five-second soundbytes, while Democrats respond days later with a ten page strongly-worded letter full of disclaimers and footnotes and cross-references and allusions to previous ten page statements.

It would be so easy to do better, but they have no will to do so.

[LymphocyteLover]

14. many Dems can message well, but the big problem is never having a consistent message that they all hammer

over and over like Rethugs do

[Orrex]

9. Looks like you're eager to get booted

I look forward to missing you already.

[Emile]

11. LG

[sir pball]

15. Buh-bye now

Enjoy your pizza, don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya

[Orrex]

10. "Trafficked" would also be a good word to use in this context (nt)

[gab13by13]

17. Nope,

Random people are being kidnapped by the Gestapo and then later determine whether they should be sent to concentration camps so that the Gestapo goon can get his bonus money.

[LymphocyteLover]

16. for some reason the leadership is still afraid of somehow offending people with strident messaging

even though their lack of fire probably turns more people off

[AStern]

64. Or they're working in tandem.

Zero pushback since 1980.

[W_HAMILTON]

18. They have to fight against a fascist friendly media and the "blame Democrats first" segment of the left.

Having said that, if someone needs """better messaging""" to realize the stark difference between the two parties and the terrible things the fascist MAGA Republicans are doing to our country, I'm not sure there is any messaging that can get through that sort of abject oblivious ignorance.

[Orrex]

19. You're right; they should just keep doing what they're doing

I’m sure it’ll work this time.

[Scrivener7]

21. That's exactly what they're saying. Over and overe and over and over.

I begin to suspect there is a purpose to all the insistence that we never discuss things that can be done against the fascism that is taking over my country.

[Scubamatt]

58. Well said . . .

[W_HAMILTON]

67. No, WE, the people and the voters, need to stop doing what we've been doing...

... which is constantly criticizing the only people that could have -- and the only people that will -- put an end to this fascist administration and just fucking vote for them instead of their bullshit reasons to justify why they let evil be elected while they sat out or voted third party.

[Orrex]

78. That's gaslighting baloney

Our elected officials are entrusted with vast power and vast sums of money to act in the interests of the people, not in the interest of securing their own committee seats, for example. They have resources at their disposal far beyond what DU's entire membership can actually bring to bear.

The idea that the venting of frustrations on DU is somehow damaging to the Democratic party is preposterous in the extreme. But that's the nonsense that the cheerleaders keep peddling, all because they apparently can't bear the idea that others have different opinions.

It's absurd, bordering on obscene, to blame the voters for their legislators' failures. How many more innocents must be disappeared or murdered in the streets before you, in your lofty gatekeeping position, will grant us permission to declare it a mistake to vote to fund ICE?

Spare me.

[BeyondGeography]

20. I've seen a lot of younger Democrats who are quite good on their feet

Imagine if their leaders were even better. They’re not.

Sorry, but when you’ve lost two out of three national elections to Donald Trump and you’ve done precious little to shake things up the problem isn’t just the country.

[gab13by13]

22. It is up to us the people to save ourselves, however,

it would be inspiring if Schumer and Jeffries hit the streets with the people in Minnesota and Maine.

Walk the Walk.

[cachukis]

23. How do you get someone who sees the complexity

of an issue to share their insights to someone who only gets the shallow surface?
They have the power of simplicity, but I prefer the experience of fine dining over fast food.
Should we give up learning how to improve lives, or just use the current system to get rich?
Some choose power as their guide, others choose harmony.
I agree we have ro raise the level of consciousness with the simplicity of salt and pepper.
Lincoln was mostly monosyllabic in his speeches.
We must as well.
We also need the means to get our message out.
We use small donations as our method of fund raising. We do have some large donations, yes, but our opponents have large funders who direct that money to media savvy socializers.
We don't have the simple minded audience. They are satisfied with entertainment. Trump is master at the bouncing ball.
We are reliant on the pauses if we can't stop his machine.

[Clouds Passing]

26. Leadership dems need to grow a set of pitbull teeth

[mr715]

52. And a pitbulls heart.

I say this as the owner of a pitbull that is the most loving, protective, kind dog in the whole world.

[Doodley]

28. America is in crisis at home and globally, and that needs a sense of urgency to be conveyed to the American people.

[Autumn]

29. A small part of their problem.

[everyonematters]

30. The Democratic Party does not have a messaging problem. It has a trust problem.

Forty-five percent of the electorate are registered as independents because they don't trust either party to make a difference in their lives. We need to be pushing progressive economic policies, specifically as it pertains to income inequality. People know about the abusiveness of ice.

[Scrivener7]

33. Two sides of the same coin, though, don't you think?

[everyonematters]

45. Not necessarily. Messaging and acting can be two different things.

We can say that we understand that people are having problems with making ends meet, but it is not the same as putting up a vote to raise the minimum wage.

[Scrivener7]

46. I agree with that. But we don't even take public credit for the good things we do do.

[SunImp]

75. President Biden did a lot of good things during his term, but didn't bother to message some of it out

Trump & the GOP saw those & made it their achievement

[W_HAMILTON]

68. The most progressive administration in recent memory led to the election of MAGA Republicans up and down the ballot.

I'm tired of people making excuses for enabling the election of the greater evil that now rules our country.

The choice was between fascist Donald Trump and the only person that could have stopped him in his tracks -- period.

Anyone that didn't support and vote for Kamala (and Hillary before that) directly led to this, no matter how much they want to blame others for the disastrous decision(s) they made.

[betsuni]

31. Horrible Dems REFUSE saying just the right strongly worded magic words, why don't they stop Republicans?

Bashing du every jour: Dems Bad Messaging At.

[Scrivener7]

32. The usual response to this is, "But the right wing owns the media," which is true. But it has

been true for thirty or forty years. And we have yet to come up with a workable plan to deal with that.

Republicans have bot farms to seed their message into social media. I suspect some of the bots or paid influencers have even made their way into our happy DU home. But where are our bot farms? It's a cheap thing to do. Apparently a huge percentage of the misinformation from the 2016 campaign originated with 80 accounts. Imagine a similar 80 accounts, but working for us and spreading truthful messages?

But whatever plan they do come up with, it's really high time they do it. 30 or 40 years is long enough to recognize the problem and address it.

[sleroy49]

34. We need a war time consigliere

[Grim Chieftain]

36. If ever in our nation's history there was a time for strong Democratic leadership

it is now. Our country, our very democracy is being destroyed on a daily basis. Speak up, stand up like our very lives depend on it, because they do.

[gulliver]

37. They? Not we?

Sorry, but this is an example of the kind of "messaging" that (when falsely attributed to us Democrats) undermines voter trust and respect. In turn, that hands defeat to all of the core pro-human issues we stand for, including immigration. My conclusion is that this overwrought, hyperbolic messaging style is immoral. I'm glad our Democratic party leadership isn't using this style, and I trust them. We need to win in 2026.

[gab13by13]

39. That's fine, I respect your opinion,

The Schumer strategy which he spelled out back in March after he led a minority of Senate Democrats that kneecapped the vast majority of Democrats who were prepared to take a stand and vote No for the CR back in March.

Schumer went on Chris Hayes and stated his strategy, to wait Krasnov out because Krasnov is going to burn it all down and then Democrats will win elections. Is that the strategy you are talking about? I don't want to misinterpret what you are saying. Our house is on fire and we should just wait and measure for the new drapes? That isn't my strategy, I heard what Chuck said with my own ears.

Jason Crow, 3 days ago said on TV that there are 2 camps of Democrats, those with courage who want to fight now, and those who want to wait Krasnov out and then beat him in the next election. Those are not my words, I am simply stating what Crow said about his own constituents. Go ahead and alert on me if you truly believe I am harming the Democratic party.

Join or donate to Indivisible, donate to the ACLU and marc Elias law firm.

[LearnedHand]

38. They are, but it's once again because they either don't know how or are unwilling to change the fucking framework

Last edited Sat Jan 24, 2026, 08:44 PM - Edit history (1)

They need to blast the airwaves about the real problems, both about the modern gestapo and about the destruction of people’s livelihoods. But I guess it would be uncomfortable to their donors to talk about how Guilded Age 2.0 has eviscerated the lives of ordinary people and how we need to create a real social safety net, tax the hell out of wealth, and build a modern European style infrastructure. And pass the ERA and any other amendments needed to ensure absolute equality for women and marginalized groups.

I read this week that Jeffries wants to stop talking about ICE and get back to talking about affordability. That’s NOT changing the framework. Talking about affordability means urging the corporate overlords to tone it down a bit. A true FDR type would understand government’s place in protecting ordinary people from the corporate savages, and how lifting up ordinary people’s lives lifts everyone up.

[Doodley]

42. Who here watches Democratic YouTubers like Meidas Touch or Adam Mockler? IMO, they wouldn't

be needed if lawmakers on our side were clearly communicating, and even those YouTubers' audiences are going to be overwhelmingly Democrats. So even more than that needs to be done.

How hard is it to get a hundred Democratic lawmakers together in front of the cameras to be noticed and make a statement about Healthcare in crisis or about how Trump brought shame to America when he was in Europe? Too hard.

How hard is it between all our lawmakers to be doing what a 22 year old kid like Adam Mocker is doing? Too hard!

How hard is it to have an official Democratic website that has a daily update with all the information about Trump's failings and what needs to be done? Too hard!

How hard is it to find a lawmaker, other than 84 year old Bernie Sanders, who would tour America to tell the people how bad Trump is? Too hard!

What is at stake is our basic rights, our democracy, our healthcare and social security, our relations with other nations. Act like it!

[Gore1FL]

44. You mean strong letters, "God is on the Throne" and capitulation aren't popular? nt

[4bonhoffer]

49. From your lips to Democratic Party ears!!!

KIS- keep it simple! You’re suggesting is so spot on !

[Grins]

50. Been saying it since Gingrich was Speaker.

Can’t get over how a major Party DOESN’T have a messaging unit working on a moments notice 24x7.

[Bluetus]

53. The people in power don't want to admit that the Constitution and Courts are no longer functional

They may still go through the motions. But most aren't even doing that. We all witnessed a brutal murder caught on camera from 20 different angles. That was 3 weeks ago, and the Democratic Mayor and the Democratic Governor and the Democratic AG still can't find the time to get an arrest warrant issues.

And in the cases where judges do act, the Trump administration simply ignores them with zero consequences.

The courts are lost. We just can't bring ourselves to say that out loud.

Now, quite literally, the only way out of this is to have an overwhelming election result in November. But there is good reason to believe that Elon Musk worked with Theil, Trump, Palantir and others to commandeer ESS tabulation machines to flip swing states. This could easily be proven or disproven simply by rerunning ballots from suspected precincts through tabulators certain to not be compromised. Better yet, just count them by hand. It could all be done in several days, but nobody in any of those targeted states, most of which have Democratic Governors, has raised a finger to do even that. So are we going to have a real election this fall?

[Festivito]

55. Hard to fight a huge cash flow. Every tack is countered by what cash can buy.

Cash buys people who post, podcasters, youtubers, youtube followers many that are fake but in big numbers that pays the creator.

Shumer tries facts and logic only to be overwhelmed by questioning those facts and the logic from a thousand locations at once.

Bernie tries to describe singular decisions from government as democratic socialism and the singular decision making of socialism is ridiculed mercilessly by everyone and democracy vote counting is questioned.

It does not matter which tack we choose. They can counter on a dime, er, ah, on 100-billion dimes. And in a couple of hours spread it in 10,000 outlets.

[luv2fly]

76. It took almost a half hour...

But you riled up the posse. How dare you express dismay with our glorious leaders! They do no wrong and you will not question them!

- insert sarcastic thingy here -

[Skittles]

79. repukes are treated like white men, while Democrats are treated like women / POC

we are judged much harsher for any aggressive / angry messaging

I do think we need to try though.