Top Dems question party s strategy as midterm worries grow | The Spokesman-Review
Top Democratic officials, lawmakers and strategists are openly second-guessing their party s campaign pitch and tactics, reflecting a growing sense that Democrats have failed to coalesce around one effective message with enough time to stave off major losses in the House and possibly decisive defeats in the tightly contested Senate.
The criticisms by Democrats in the final days of the midterm elections signal mounting anxiety as Republicans hammer away with attacks over the economy and public safety. For weeks, Democrats have offered a scattershot case of their own, accusing their opponents of wanting to gut abortion rights, shred the social safety net and shake the foundations of American democracy.
Yet as the country struggles with high gas prices, record inflation and economic uncertainty, some Democrats now acknowledge that their kitchen-sink approach may be lacking.
Even among the kibitzing chorus, there s little agreement over exactly what could cost the party control of Congress. In areas where victory depends on high Black voter turnout, Democrats worry that they are not mobilizing that constituency. Others say there has been too much focus on abortion rights and too little attention on worries about crime or the cost of living. And across the country, Democrats point to an inadequate economic message and an inability to effectively herald their legislative accomplishments.
The truth is, Democrats have done a poor job of communicating our approach to the economy, said Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who is in one of this year s most competitive races. I have no idea if I m going to win my election it s going to be a nail-biter. But if you can t speak directly to people s pocketbook and talk about our vision for the economy, you re just having half a conversation.
Slotkin is far from alone in her criticism.
My gut tells me the Dems are in for an epic, humiliating and devasting defeat. Of course, this is my gut speaking, and you should believe it no more than I do. With polls largely rubbish, we have nothing but atmospherics to rely upon.
I bet Google, Facebook etc. are humming along like crazy. When I searched for “Tucker Carlson Lee Fang” to find the story on how DHS and Social Media companies have been busy bees trying to mold the narrative away from stories that they don’t like, at the top of the page I got a “This story is quickly changing! Check back later message!” And only one hit directly on Tucker. Hmmmmm. Seems a bit aquatic, no? YouTube couldn’t find the story. Nope. Nothing like the here. How about some cute puppies? Maybe they’re doing enough of this sort of thing to make a difference. Who knows? But I hope it’s epic. I love to have my biases confirmed.