General Discussion

peggysue2

(12,581 posts)

70. And Joe Biden would be right

Thu Dec 10, 2020, 05:17 PM

Dec 2020

Defund the Police, the socialism accusation, as well as packing the courts. None of these were winners and in many cases put strong candidates into defensive postures. That's not how you win. We need to take a page out of Mayor Pete's book: be clear and specific in our point of view, always.

Slogans and memes that need explanation do not work and are ripe for twisting. And why telegraph our every intention anyway? Packing the courts may sound good to us, for instance, to rebalance SCOTUS. For Republicans? Manna from Heaven.

We need to stop giving Republicans ammunition, get off our heels and make the aggressive arguments for good governance, something the Republicans have no interest in and/or have forgotten (intentionally or unintentionally) how to do.

We are on the right side. But our messaging sucks!

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

167 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Biden tells civil rights leaders that 'defund police' was 'how they beat the living hell out of us' [View all] Gothmog Dec 2020 OP

That, and "socialism" killed us in SFL mcar Dec 2020 #1

Even in my part of Texas, the GOP was using socialism as an attack line Gothmog Dec 2020 #7

We had a good chance of taking the FL state senate mcar Dec 2020 #11

You are correct Gothmog Dec 2020 #121

I agree also Mz Pip Dec 2020 #2

Me too oswaldactedalone Dec 2020 #18

💯% agree.... Duppers Dec 2020 #66

Have you even met BGBD Dec 2020 #145

Totally agree. That's why... Duppers Dec 2020 #146

Telling us what we need to hear. Botany Dec 2020 #3

Right. elleng Dec 2020 #5

They aren't burdened by having to be honest. Botany Dec 2020 #6

Yes, they're masters at taking half a sentence or thought and omitted the rest..... George II Dec 2020 #63

I agree. We Dems need to get our messaging together redstateblues Dec 2020 #4

WE have it together. WE cannot control the hostile left or right's messaging. Hortensis Dec 2020 #13

+1 betsuni Dec 2020 #93

Defund the police was the #1 issue for a lot of moderate Republicans Johnny2X2X Dec 2020 #8

"Moderate" Republicans are mental children who can't see past their own privilege. maxsolomon Dec 2020 #22

That may be true, but they can make the difference in close elections. Crunchy Frog Dec 2020 #28

Of course. maxsolomon Dec 2020 #33

That's because the Republicans scared them with their messaging. yardwork Dec 2020 #30

Then those people are idiots rockfordfile Dec 2020 #106

If the GOP were demanding defunding the police, they would be calling it... Thomas Hurt Dec 2020 #9

Apply fiscal responsibility to policing. Crunchy Frog Dec 2020 #31

There you have it. Why couldn't our "progressives" think of putting it that way? Hekate Dec 2020 #97

Who came up with that slogan? Lunabell Dec 2020 #10

I've seen that question asked 100x on DU. maxsolomon Dec 2020 #23

Ok, done. Lunabell Dec 2020 #56

I agree with Biden BannonsLiver Dec 2020 #12

True StarfishSaver Dec 2020 #14

"No one was calling for the police to actually be defunded" melman Dec 2020 #37

Terrible slogan then. Johnny2X2X Dec 2020 #43

It's not a slogan melman Dec 2020 #46

Burn down the forests! Johnny2X2X Dec 2020 #51

It says what it means melman Dec 2020 #62

+1000 AmericanCanuck Dec 2020 #103

Does It Fit On A Bumper Sticker? ProfessorGAC Dec 2020 #71

"Huh, what?" By its very nature, and form, it's just a slogan. LanternWaste Dec 2020 #73

"There's a particular bliss to be found" melman Dec 2020 #75

Do you ever tire of being wrong?? Gothmog Dec 2020 #112

here's the fellow you posted disagreeing with you bigtree Dec 2020 #140

Katie Porter on "The View" just called it a slogan and said "relying on a slogan" is wrong. George II Dec 2020 #141

Yup. cwydro Dec 2020 #52

Do you ever tire of being wrong?? Gothmog Dec 2020 #149

These ads were very effective Gothmog Dec 2020 #161

People were actually calling to defund the police. Literally take money out of police budgets... Caliman73 Dec 2020 #39

nope. people were actually calling for exactly that stopdiggin Dec 2020 #49

Joe's human, which means sometimes he is wrong. Jirel Dec 2020 #15

I don't think Biden was wrong about this. nt Crunchy Frog Dec 2020 #34

sorry the language is the issue stopdiggin Dec 2020 #57

It's not "stupid shit." Jirel Dec 2020 #76

the "phrase" (as you put it) constitutes "stupid sh*t" stopdiggin Dec 2020 #108

You are wrong Gothmog Dec 2020 #113

This isn't the same as "Black Lives Matter" StarfishSaver Dec 2020 #61

You are wrong and Joe Biden is correct Gothmog Dec 2020 #64

***BINGO!!!*** Why didn't down ballot democrats respond appropriately to polling saying they were... uponit7771 Dec 2020 #85

The GOP is using this stupid slogan in Georgia Gothmog Dec 2020 #162

I disagree with President Elect Joe Biden on this gratuitous Dec 2020 #16

Defund the Police killed a number of downballot candidates Gothmog Dec 2020 #78

Incompetent candidates aren't my concern gratuitous Dec 2020 #91

Good candidates lost due to this idiotic slogan Gothmog Dec 2020 #92

they lost because they failed to defend BLM against distortions and lies bigtree Dec 2020 #102

What candidates, specifically, are you calling "incompetent"? George II Dec 2020 #94

Seems rather obvious gratuitous Dec 2020 #100

Name specific examples of who lost because of being incompetent AmericanCanuck Dec 2020 #104

Please re-read my post gratuitous Dec 2020 #107

I said give specific examples of who the incompetent Democratic candidates were AmericanCanuck Dec 2020 #109

So it was okay to lose the Maine and South Carolina senate seats due to this dumb slogan? Gothmog Dec 2020 #120

Are calling Sara Gideon an incompetent candidate? Gothmog Dec 2020 #115

Are you calling Jaimie Harrison an incompetent candidate Gothmog Dec 2020 #114

I wonder how it would have gone if they'd used my preferred slogan: maxsolomon Dec 2020 #17

"Fuck the Police" would have had exactly the same effect as "Defund the Police". Mariana Dec 2020 #58

Is there a link to a news article? Adelante Dec 2020 #19

There's a link in the tweet. NurseJackie Dec 2020 #20

Here you are Gothmog Dec 2020 #21

Thank you. Adelante Dec 2020 #36

My kids laughed at me a couple of years ago about twitter and so I had to figure it out Gothmog Dec 2020 #55

I agree, but the DNC didn't promote that message. yardwork Dec 2020 #24

Yeah, but those groups don't want to REFORM THE POLICE Cuthbert Allgood Dec 2020 #27

Those groups aren't the Democratic Party. yardwork Dec 2020 #32

Those groups are part of the Democratic Party, Cuthbert Allgood Dec 2020 #44

Since most of those groups caucus with us Sgent Dec 2020 #47

Good point. It's still up to the DNC to take control of the message. yardwork Dec 2020 #65

It's still the right thing to do. Cuthbert Allgood Dec 2020 #25

Different times entirely.It was LBJ who lost us some Democrats, because the Dixiecrats all exited... Hekate Dec 2020 #99

Only if you want to make sure that Republicans beat Democrats in close races Gothmog Dec 2020 #116

I lulz'd KG Dec 2020 #26

What does "reallocate" money mean? Caliman73 Dec 2020 #29

ask 10 different people, get 10 different answers stopdiggin Dec 2020 #60

Biden is 100% correct AmericanCanuck Dec 2020 #35

+1 K&R onetexan Dec 2020 #38

I don't know how much of an effect it had. BusyBeingBest Dec 2020 #40

the people who get bashed over the head with this are invariably folks who haven't used the phrase bigtree Dec 2020 #41

Again you are totally wrong Gothmog Dec 2020 #160

I love Joe Biden but disagree that the slogan costs votes. Barbara2423 Dec 2020 #42

+1, if the slogan was that damaging why didn't dems respond to it before Nov 4th. The notion that a uponit7771 Dec 2020 #86

They did. Joe Biden said many times "I do not support defunding police" betsuni Dec 2020 #95

Down ballot dems, not the top of the ticket. Biden responded but why didn't down ballot do such ... uponit7771 Dec 2020 #98

They did. "In all these races, the Democratic candidates opposed defunding law enforcement." betsuni Dec 2020 #105

That's not individual dem down ballot polls, that's a polling of DTP. Dem down ballot polling was up uponit7771 Dec 2020 #128

You don't know why Republicans win? Don't know about cheating, voting suppression, playing betsuni Dec 2020 #129

No, I know down ballot dems didn't underperform polling because of a slogan. That makes no sense uponit7771 Dec 2020 #132

Yep. Joe said that & "progressives" went ballistic. Why give a long rational answer when a snappy... Hekate Dec 2020 #101

Isn't it time to make an issue of Republicans defunding the police by blocking aid to cities? Midnight Writer Dec 2020 #45

I have to agree wryter2000 Dec 2020 #48

Clyburn says the same thing. cwydro Dec 2020 #50

it's as true as any phrase the rw has expolited bigtree Dec 2020 #53

Well, sorry, but I got lost in that run-on sentence. cwydro Dec 2020 #54

the percentage of people who said that on this site was likely a fraction of a fraction bigtree Dec 2020 #68

Why 'Defund The Police' Attacks Were So Potent Against Democrats Gothmog Dec 2020 #80

here's who this article blames bigtree Dec 2020 #89

We lost races and seats that we should have won due to this ignorant slogan Gothmog Dec 2020 #117

it's just astounding how disconnected this argument of yours is from reality bigtree Dec 2020 #123

It is you who is dsconnected from the real world Gothmog Dec 2020 #124

you have some damn nerve telling me what to do bigtree Dec 2020 #126

I have been working hard in the real world to turn Texas blue. This means winning races Gothmog Dec 2020 #127

This message was self-deleted by its author bigtree Dec 2020 #138

Thanks. Now we have to pretend there were no demonstrators R B Garr Dec 2020 #96

As the famous Representative said a few weeks ago, "Defund the police means defund the police!" George II Dec 2020 #59

And Joe Biden would be right peggysue2 Dec 2020 #70

He is correct It was a huge contributing factor along with "socialism." Boogiemack Dec 2020 #67

why should anyone stifle their beliefs because republicans might expolit something said? bigtree Dec 2020 #69

Because we want to win. We want to win to get the positions of power we need to bring about Boogiemack Dec 2020 #72

we live our lives in the middle of elections, we don't live for elections bigtree Dec 2020 #74

The goal is to win elections Gothmog Dec 2020 #79

trust who you want, but you should recognize that most people don't live for elections bigtree Dec 2020 #83

A huge catastrophe': Democrats grapple with congressional and state election losses Gothmog Dec 2020 #122

these candidates need to defend themselves better bigtree Dec 2020 #125

This attack is sad and does not reflect how campaigns work in the real world Gothmog Dec 2020 #144

blaming the people politicians expect to vote for them for expressing themselves is not only sad bigtree Dec 2020 #147

Have you ever worked on a campaign in the real world? Gothmog Dec 2020 #148

how special of you. You must be the only person who worked for a campaign here bigtree Dec 2020 #150

Thank you for confirming that you do not understand how campaigns in the real world work Gothmog Dec 2020 #151

what a trip bigtree Dec 2020 #153

Do you ever tire of being wrong?? Gothmog Dec 2020 #155

not one word of this article you just posted contradicts me bigtree Dec 2020 #156

Again do you tire of being wrong? Why do you want Democratic candidates to lose elections? Gothmog Dec 2020 #157

putting you on ignore bigtree Dec 2020 #158

I am glad that you admit that you are totally wrong Gothmog Dec 2020 #159

Obama Says 'Defund The Police' Alienates Voters Gothmog Dec 2020 #152

There is ... NO ... empirical proof of this, not one poll. Also, if that slogan was so damaging to uponit7771 Dec 2020 #87

In leaked recording, Biden says GOP used 'defund the police' to 'beat the living hell' out of Democr Gothmog Dec 2020 #77

Convenient excuse, but wrong DeminPennswoods Dec 2020 #81

+1, also if DTP was depressing down ballot dems so bad why wasn't there a response before Nov 4th !? uponit7771 Dec 2020 #88

+1 leftstreet Dec 2020 #111

No you are wrong Gothmog Dec 2020 #118

Doubt any area saw more "scary" about not having police DeminPennswoods Dec 2020 #130

That's not the reason down ballot dems underperformed out of MOE polling. The whole article is a ... uponit7771 Dec 2020 #134

Democrats and progressives need to learn messaging, and message discipline. backscatter712 Dec 2020 #82

This attack is currently being used in Georgia Gothmog Dec 2020 #165

Why didn't down ballot dems respond to polling that showed this beating them down ballot? tia uponit7771 Dec 2020 #84

A huge catastrophe': Democrats grapple with congressional and state election losses Gothmog Dec 2020 #119

Which were countered how by dems? Also, were the candidates you're speaking of... uponit7771 Dec 2020 #137

The real world is a nice place Gothmog Dec 2020 #143

Agree Meowmee Dec 2020 #90

PHRASING. WhiskeyGrinder Dec 2020 #110

Defunding the police wouldn't solve the problems dansolo Dec 2020 #131

this town disagrees bigtree Dec 2020 #139

And playing nice with the repugs will be how they beat us again. nt Hotler Dec 2020 #133

Living near a white middle class republican neighborhood- he is absolutely correct about this dsp3000 Dec 2020 #135

that level of racism from your neighbors bigtree Dec 2020 #154

"Hold them accountable" for.....? WhiskeyGrinder Dec 2020 #136

Katie Porter is on "The View" this morning, and she just called it a slogan and said.... George II Dec 2020 #142

+1000, love Katie Porter telling it like it is. R B Garr Dec 2020 #164

I saw a ton of ads using the "Defund the Police" slogan very effectively against Democrats in Texas Gothmog Dec 2020 #163

They're doing it all over the state of Georgia in the two runoff campaigns. It's getting nasty. George II Dec 2020 #166

This dumb slogan may cost us two senate seats Gothmog Dec 2020 #167