Can Marketing Save America?
November 6, 2024: wide awake, thinking, the coming days, weeks, years are going to be — what? Not just hard, but insane. The Left lost, partly as a result of a botched campaign and series of miscalculations. We’d read a room, but it wasn’t the room. We’d fought a fight, but it wasn’t the fight.
Then, as the days wore on, convicted insurrectionists were pardoned, cabinet positions filled with unqualified right-wing pundits, and the world’s richest man sent teenagers into agencies to fire workers and mine our data. As the idiocracy has upended the world order, one thing has become clear: this isn’t (entirely) what they, his voters, were looking for. I don’t mean all of them, of course — surely there are anarchic factions who want to see the system obliterated. But as a series of recent GOP town halls have indicated, the ground appears to be shifting.
Millions were passionate about Trump and his messaging. Many bought into his promises to lower the cost of groceries, secure the southern border, and extract us from foreign wars. Some believed he was sent from God to deliver us from the “evil” that is DEI and trans activism. They were entitled to their opinions. Do I think they got it wrong? I do. Do I think the pro-Palestinian activists shot themselves in the foot by staying home and not voting? I do, though I understand their anger. They thought things would be better under Trump, or at least not worse.
This is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the so-called low-information voters are the ones who delivered the election to Trump. On the other, these are the voters who may be most persuadable. And just because people vote one way doesn’t mean they’re fixed in their devotion to a party. Like Trump itself, his base is transactional. If they like the way things are going, they’ll try to keep it. If they don’t like something, they’ll get rid of it. That’s the way most people vote.
So here we are. The executive branch acting with seemingly unchallenged authority, musing about taking over Gaza and Greenland, calling Zelensky a dictator, threatening the AP, firing top posts in the military and Justice, and letting a megalomaniacal billionaire with multiple conflicts of interest email the federal bureaucracy asking it to justify its existence. Whither the Senate Republicans? Hiding, apparently, unwilling to do their duty and act as a check on the executive branch. Terrified at the idea of being primaried by someone more MAGA or further to the right, they’ve relinquished their responsibility and folded like so many cheap suits.
It’s true, some GOP senators seem mildly rankled by Trump’s policies and miffed by DOGE. Senators Katie Britt (AL) and Susan Collins (ME) are upset about NIH funding cuts. Senator Bill Cassidy (LA) is concerned about the FBI, stating, “Louisiana specifically benefits from newly hired FBI agents. We need to add to our law enforcement, not take away.” Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK) railed against cuts to the National Park Service. Rep. Troy Balderson (OH) started getting testy about the flurry of EOs: “Congress has to decide whether or not the Department of Education goes away. Not the president, not Elon Musk.” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY) told NBC News:
“There’s a little bit of frustration among those of us who do have large Medicaid populations that we have not been engaged [by leadership] as much as some of the members of the Freedom Caucus in this process.”
Even Fox’s Jesse Watters got into the act, pleading on behalf of a friend at the Pentagon, while Trump voters are begging Sean Hannity to find out what the hell’s going on.
These are, of course, Trump’s enablers, and we will take note of their caveat emptor moment. But when it comes to moving legislators, and even Fox, nothing may be more painful than knowing you’ve lost your constituents.
Whether you’re a farmer affected by the loss of USAID funding, a citizen worried about the deporting of non-criminal migrants to Gitmo, neighbors of the largest nuclear cleanup operation in the Western hemisphere, military families, residents of West Texas and New Mexico affected by a measles outbreak, people on Medicaid or receiving SNAP benefits, a disabled veteran who worked for FEMA, anyone with avian flu, anyone who waits in line at the airport, anyone affected by a natural disaster, anyone who travels by plane, anyone on Medicaid, or the entire state of Utah, something about the new administration doesn’t sit right.
No matter where you are, what you do, or how you voted, you’re going to feel the pain. As T.J. Winick wrote in Commonwealth Beacon, regarding the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Health & Human Services post:
With approximately 1 in 36 children in the United States now diagnosed with autism, the next four years are critical to expanding services… Studying the link between autism and epilepsy is a prime example of the legitimate research HHS should be funding when it comes to improving the health of our loved ones. This is in addition to ensuring better insurance coverage for therapies and supporting programs that help autistic individuals lead fulfilling lives, instead of promoting ideas lacking scientific backing.
This writer may live in a blue state, but his story is in no way unique. Placing unqualified persons in positions that affect healthcare options will have serious consequences for families nationwide. [Full disclosure: T.J. Winick is my brother]
This is where the rubber hits the road. It’s my opinion — and perhaps mine only — that Democrats won’t have leverage until they’re able to take control of the legislative branch. With Senate Republicans having caved to Trump, and the House overrun by MAGA sycophants, the branch is effectively dead. For now.
And while there are undoubtedly those who cheer on Musk and Russ Vought’s determination to traumatize the bureaucracy, how many voters understand what’s going on at the IRS? Or at the Social Security Administration? Or NOAA? Or the General Services Administration? Musk may claim his so-called department is designed to root out “waste, fraud, and abuse,” but as Sen. Patty Murray (WA) told Time:
…these sweeping layoffs do not address fraud or waste. These firings are totally arbitrary — pushing out high performers and the promising next generation of our federal workforce who won’t be easily replaced. Two billionaires who have zero concept of what the federal workforce does are breaking the American government — decimating essential services and leaving all of us worse off.
(Before someone cries, “Surely there are too many bureaucrats in the government,” I don’t disagree with that. There are conversations to be had about government bloat. But there are ways to have those conversations, and it isn’t the way Musk and Co. are having it.)
So what can be done?
First, Democrats need to get their messaging straight. Despite ample evidence Musk is overstating his findings, it won’t be easy to convince MAGA that his intentions aren’t strictly above board. MAGA won’t likely find anything wrong with the administration’s stance on immigration. It may not be persuaded by Trump’s stance on Gaza and Ukraine, or the pardons of the January 6th insurrectionists (despite being very unpopular).
At the same time, at least for now, the Trump/Musk approval numbers are in the toilet. According to a recent Gallup Poll:
Trump’s job approval rating is 15 points below the historical average for all other elected presidents in mid-February since 1953, but it is five points higher than the February reading in his first term. Bill Clinton has the next lowest mid-February rating for a newly inaugurated president — which, at 51%, is six points higher than where Trump is now. John Kennedy (72%) and Jimmy Carter (71%) were the highest rated at this point in their presidencies.”
So let’s look at this as marketing, as a series of messages. Because that’s what this is: a sales pitch. A targeted campaign to change hearts and minds. I’d start at home, with the programs that most affect MAGA voters. We’ve seen what’s happening with egg prices, given the predominance of the avian flu, and with inflation and job numbers. These, of course, were Trump’s signature promises, and his strategy is backfiring. 2026 is just two short years away, and there are slim margins in the House and Senate.
Democrats need to acknowledge the discontent, focus on the issues that can change voters’ minds, and be the solution.
Further:
Play the long game. It’s going to be a hard year. Trump and Musk are laying waste to government agencies and departments. They’re purging FBI agents, the military top brass, and top lawyers at Main Justice. But cracks are showing, and in all likelihood, they will continue to widen. Democrats need to keep track of how constituents blue AND red are being disadvantaged. Be aware of opinion pieces and take note of reader letters like this one in The Salt Lake Tribune. Be the boots on the ground. Pay attention and listen.
Plant the seed. Democrats shouldn’t wait to start messaging to MAGA: “Your reps and senators bought into the Trump/Musk plan. Things are going badly. That’s on them.” It’s not too early to make those points, as they’ll bear fruit down the line. Democratic senators in red states should hold town halls in unfriendly districts. Or be like Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) and do a barnstorming tour of the U.S. to pressure Republican House members into rejecting the GOP’s proposed cuts.
Be compassionate. Times are tough, but people still have options. If services are taken away, Democrats need to rush in, fill the void; and if they can’t provide services themselves, they need to point constituents in the right direction. Empathize. And be genuine about it.
Look at vulnerable districts, and find candidates to run in them. There has been so much turmoil in DC that Republican candidates are at a huge disadvantage. Reasonable candidates with common sense solutions need to step up. There may never be a time like the next couple years to take back control of the legislative branch.
Think of the best ways to message. Yes, money will need to be spent. But Dems shouldn’t limit themselves to traditional media. A newly-created super PAC with a suggestive name like “HELP,” “RELIEF,” or “MAKING GOV’T WORK FOR YOU” could purchase advertising. Digital, TV, billboards, and radio are fine as a start, but go deeper. Where are people getting their information nowadays? Think Social media, Spotify, podcasts, and YouTube.
Don’t overplay the hand. The more obvious it is that messaging represents a candidate or a campaign, the more voters will be turned off. For now, while it’s early, keep the message simple: we understand and we’re here to help.
Don’t underestimate the power of organic social media. Though most of us are in the Bluesky bubble, having powerful voices “behind enemy lines” on Fox or X is key, as they will occasionally break through.
Be realistic. Right-wing media will always be with us and fighting to misinform or delude the public. Despite his misgivings about the firings, on February 17 Jesse Watters put it bluntly, “We are waging a 21st-century information warfare campaign… It’s like grassroots guerrilla warfare. Someone says something on social media, Musk retweets it, Rogan podcasts it, Fox broadcasts it... and by the time it reaches everybody, millions of people have seen it.” If we acknowledge and understand what we’re dealing with (and perhaps replicate some of their efforts), we can start to make inroads.
Finally, Stay positive. Republicans have the smallest House majority since 1931. In the Senate, there are 53 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and two Independents that caucus with the Democrats. Taking back at least one of the two houses is an achievable goal.
And lest you think I’m putting all of this on Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, and Ken Martin, here’s a list of organizations providing resources Democratic voters can utilize in the fight:
American Civil Liberties Union
Democracy Docket
Indivisible
MoveOn
People for the American Way
Public Citizen
Vote Save America
As of late February, Republican constituents appear to be coming around to the draconian nature of the Trump/Musk/DOGE cuts. Witness what happened to Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia at his recent town hall. Per Greg Bluestein of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
McCormick was peppered with boos and catcalls throughout a town hall meeting in Roswell late Thursday, as hundreds of critics jeered the Republican for backing President Donald Trump’s agenda during his first month in office.
Similar antipathy has confronted Wisconsin Reps. Glenn Grothman at his town hall and Scott Fitzgerald at his, as well as at town halls held by Kevin Hern (OK), Stephanie Bice (OK), Pete Sessions (TX), Jay Obernolte (CA), Mark Alford (MO), and Cliff Bentz (OR).
These are positive signs.
Do I have all the answers? No. Never have and never will. I’ll always defer to professional politicos like PSA’s Dan Pfeiffer and The Bulwark’s Tim Miller. But as someone who’s been a marketer for half his life, I’ll say this: there’s nothing more exciting than the art of the message, and convincing someone to reconsider preconceived notions. To step out of the black and white. To live in the gray.
Look, things will get worse before they get better, but hearing about GOP discontent, tanking approval ratings, town halls going off the rails — that gives me hope. The guy who won his district with 64.9% of the vote was shouted down by his own constituents.
Baby steps, perhaps, but at this point, I’ll take them.
