Right out of a Stephen King horror movie.
Posted on 05/12/2018 1:35:15 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Democrats are growing worried that the strong economy, and President Trump’s messaging about his economic stewardship, will help Republicans in this year’s midterm elections and have an even greater impact in 2020.
Even as signs point to Democrats winning back the House, the party is concerned that their hopes of a blue wave could turn into something smaller if Trump and the GOP are effective on their economic messaging ahead of November.
Interviews with more than a dozen Democrats suggest a number of people in the party are worried that Democrats aren’t doing enough to provide a counterargument.
“It’s a very big concern,” said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. “The economy is the No. 1 issue out there for people and right now Trump has a very aggressive economic message that seems to cross traditional party lines to voters.”
The unemployment rate, which fell under former President Obama, has dropped even further since Trump took office. In April, it hit 3.9 percent, the lowest figure since December 2000.
Lake said Democrats can’t assume that because Trump’s approval ratings are low, it will translate into voter support for Democrats on the economy.
“We tend to just assume that people will view us as better on this issue and they don’t, and you can’t win elections when you’re behind on the economy,” she said. “To produce a real blue wave, you need to have an economic message.”
Basil Smikle, a Democratic strategist who served as the executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, also said Democrats are losing the messaging war when it comes to the economy.
“The problem is, we could say the auto industry is still alive because of President Obama, unemployment went down during the Obama administration, we can say that businesses were doing better and hiring more [under Obama]. All of that is true,” Smikle said.
“But the Republicans have spent so much time saying that Obama was to blame, it’s going to be hard going back to rehash that argument,” Smikle said. “We’ve been playing defense for so long we haven’t had a cohesive message that is about big ideas and getting people to believe in these ideas again.”
A CNN poll out this month showed that 57 percent of those surveyed think the country is doing well, an uptick from 49 percent in February. At the same time, a CBS poll also out this month showed that 66 percent of those polled believe the economy is good.
Republicans, for their part, aren’t feeling super confident that voters will reward them for the good economy.
GOP lawmakers have expressed frustration to The Hill that they haven’t received more credit for the tax-cut bill signed by President Trump.
The CBS survey showed 46 percent disapproved of the bill, while 43 percent approved. The poll also showed that 62 percent said the law would either hurt them or have little effect on their well-being.
Pointing to those statistics, some Democrats say their party should hit Republicans over the law, arguing it benefitted corporations and the wealthy more than the middle class.
“Most Americans agree that the bulk of benefits from tax reform won’t help them but will help Trump’s billionaire friends,” said Democratic strategist Christy Setzer. “That’s gold, candidates. Please use it.”
A possible messaging frame for the Democrats’ argument, Setzer added, should be that “Trump is a grifter looking to profit off the American taxpayer, and if his dirty friends like Michael Cohen also get rich as a result, even better. But he’s not looking out for you.”
Democratic strategist Jim Manley acknowledged that “the last thing Democrats should do is try and knock down the economy.” Still, he agreed those in his party can point out that the administration’s tax policy is “skewed to the wealthy” and Democrats should seize on that opening.
“Republicans aren’t spending a lot of time talking about the tax cuts and there are very few if any Republicans who want to talk about it,” he said.
Despite Smikle’s argument that voters are dug in on the Obama years, former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) said Democrats should also be showcasing the fact they were the ones who rescued the economy from “falling off the cliff.”
“We need to point out that the economy is on the same trajectory it was on when Barack Obama left office,” Tauscher said.
Others say the party needs to take it a step further.
“Our biggest challenge in the midterms is you’re going to have a waterline on the economy and unless you’re able to articulate a theory of the case, you’re going to be dependent on where that waterline is,” said Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist.
“Democrats right now, we’re going up to bat and we’re not even looking to hit,” Lehane added about the messaging. “We’re hoping to get hit by the pitcher so we can walk to first base.”
Lake proposed creating an economic plan with several points that the party talks about, including investments in education and taking on insurance companies and drug corporations.
“We need to offer a positive alternative,” she said. “You can’t be something with nothing.”
What signs? I see no signs other than the left telling me that there are signs.
Democrats will shoot up a school for the 2018 election.
Exactly right. If the idiots who run the GOP had gotten behind Trumps agenda they would be cruising to almost certain 60 seat majority in the Senate.
The economy sucked azz during the Obozo years. We all know it no matter how much the Democrats try to claim otherwise. It was just awful and many millions of Americans were badly hurt by it.
Under President Trump, the economy is starting to actually recover. I don’t mean a fake “let’s talk this up because we want to cheerlead for our guy” so called recovery. I mean a real one. There’s a big difference and the American people can see it.
“Are you better off now, than you were 2 years ago?”
By now you should know how to resize images.
Right out of a Stephen King horror movie.
Sorry about that. It didn’t look so ridiculous when I posted it.
Every month, every week, statistics are reported proving that the recent tax cuts have been a boon to the economy.
But the Democrats can’t say this because every Democrat in Congress voted against the tax cuts.
And the Republicans won’t say it because, aside from Donald Trump, they’re frightened little mice who are afraid to open their mouths — except of course, as in every election, for the one or two Republican candidates in the Bible Belt who will say something to the effect that they’re against allowing abortions in the case of transgender pregnant individuals after the second trimester, which the liberal media will erupt into a nationwide fury over, denouncing every Republican as unfit to walk the earth, let alone sit in Congress.
So, if the Republicans are to retain their majorities in the House and Senate, it will be up to Donald Trump to tell the truth — that the tax cuts have helped the economy and that Americans must vote for Republicans or Nancy Pelosi will return with her big gavel and destroy everything.
Sure. Gun confiscation, celebration of a cornucopia of sexual deviancy, advocacy of open borders, higher taxes, and they all loves them some muzzies. There's a sure winner, huh?
How dare he take credit for his achievements.
Gas prices going up have zero to do with tax cuts. If anything, it lowers it as the marginal cost of production dropped.
Everyone knows what their counter argument is, it's higher taxes, more regulation, open borders and support for criminal illegal alien.
And they expect to win?
What signs point to the Democrats winning control of the House? All signs lately point to the Republicans retaining control of the House.
“Nothing from nothing leaves nothing”
Not totally relevant but here are words from the Sound of Music:
Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good
Great song, great movie!
Connect the political dots: Trumps gets a tax cut passed and erases the financial gain for the average Joe by pulling out of the Iranian deal - tax cut gain evaporates in average Joe's gas tank.
We can sit back and say one has nothing to do with the other. But both are the result of Trumpian actions. That is why I have started to harp on Trump going after the speculators. He has already tweeted about it once. I know his plate is full... but he needs to get movin' before gas hits well over $3 per gallon nationwide.
Absolute BS. Oil has gone up only 4-5 bucks a barrel since the Iran stuff started, has been somewhat offset by n Korea de escalation. It’s up more than 2 since trumps election. Oil is going up on strong global demand for oil, period, which means the entire global economy is booming
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