Wedge Issues For Democrats In 2024 To Stop Trump
Democrats need to get into the wedge issue game.
Republicans are experts at using wedge issues: think gay marriage in 2004, and “But her emails” in 2016. Democrats need to get into the wedge issue game.
For too long have Democrats lost moderate, independent, and low-information voters, who are actually in favor of Democratic positions on the biggest issues, because of the mindlessly superficial simplicity with which Republicans campaign and straw-man their Democratic opponents.
Republicans are the party of wedge issue bumper sticker slogans and pavlovian platitudes, and it’s good politics because Democrats come across as egghead nerds with long-winded, professorial lectures on the nuances and complexities of issues that contrast disadvantageously with Republicans’ single sentence, slogans that sound decisive but have no real substance, such as “Tax cuts will cut the deficit!” and “The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun!” and “Build the Wall.”
Democrats’ egghead approach works well for governing and actually solving problems once in office, but it’s terrible for the campaign trail.
The wonky and technocratic rhetorical approach Democrats often take responding to bad faith arguments and narrow-minded criticisms from Republicans — as well as the lazy journalists and pundits who repeat GOP talking points for pedantic and, frankly, amateurish “both sides” media narratives — typically concedes the beginning premise of Republicans’ misleading or straight up dishonest talking points before plunging into the weeds of an issue that immediately bores independent and politically apathetic voters until the debate moderator yells “time’s up!” or the interviewer has to cut to a commercial break.
This approach is unmemorable and a sad waste of attention, which in our digital era is increasingly the most precious resource in politics. It also frames the debate with Democrats on the defensive, so it’s no surprise Democrats routinely fail to galvanize the independent and apathetic voters who agree with liberals on the fundamental issues ranging from abortion to healthcare reform to gun control to raising taxes on the wealthy.
However, with Biden’s poll numbers hitting new lows undeservedly despite his steady and stable governance, Democrats need better messaging and to take control of the midterm elections’ narrative. And it’s easy because Republicans offer a truly frightening alternative.
In fact, it’s so objectively frightening that Republicans don’t even offer or compile normal political platforms anymore because they know their agenda is corrupt, unpopular, in many ways evil, and, above all, stupid.
To understand the GOP’s secret agenda, we have to look at the batshit crazy things they’re doing in state legislatures across the country:
They’re trying to disenfranchise voters and banish all Republicans who won’t lie about Trump losing the election.
They’re trying to ban every abortion no matter the circumstances.
They’re trying to end minimum age requirements for marriage.
They want to ban books.
They emulate and apologize for psycho dictators like Vladimir Putin.
They want guns everywhere with no regulations whatsoever.
And, lately most virally, they’re trying to force society to absurdly pretend gay and trans people don’t exist.
Democrats should never miss an opportunity to remind voters that these are the things Republicans will do nationally if they get federal power.
So, Democrats, PLEASE stop playing politics on your back foot using what little political attention you can obtain to get lost in the weeds of defending yourself against every bad faith Republican attack in a way that legitimizes the GOP’s shallow bumper sticker slogans in the minds of moderate, independent, and low-information voters. A fundamental rule in politics is that if you’re explaining, you’re losing. So break out bumper stickers and wedge issues of your own, and go on offense!
Say, “My Republican opponent wants to end democracy, kill pregnant women, marry off little girls, burn books, emulate Putin, allow daily mass shootings, and ban the word ‘gay’ while inviting the government into your private love life.”
Force Republicans to be the eggheads who squirm while explaining the convoluted complexities of how they don’t hate women even though the GOP’s policies would force women to die in dangerous pregnancies they can no longer abort, and how they aren’t groomers even though the GOP is very suspiciously trying to make it legal for 60-year-olds to marry 14-year-old girls for some disturbing reason.
The belligerent overreach GOP legislatures and governors are committing in order to score the brainlessly cheap culture war victories the MAGA base loves is what Democrats can make these elections about.
So here are some free tips for Democrats on the above mentioned wedge issues:
Accuse every Republican of being a mini-Trump the way Republicans call every Democrat a “socialist communist,” a “mini-Nancy Pelosi,” and a “Disney loving child groomer.” It works like a charm for Republicans in even insignificant, obscure races across the country because US politics has become so thoroughly nationalized. Calling every Republican a mini-Trump is not even untrue because virtually every GOP primary now revolves around who Trump endorses, and who says they hate democracy and fair elections the most. The litmus test for MAGA voters is whether or not their candidates will vow to help Trump have a successful coup if he loses again. Democrats need to campaign like Republicans are actively trying to end our great American experiment in democracy.
Accuse every Republican of wanting women to die in forced, unsafe pregnancies. Abortion rights is likely the biggest wedge issue in politics now. Not every Republican has draconian and Medieval views on women’s bodily autonomy, but overwhelmingly the party does, and the sane Republicans will do very little to stop the GOP’s pro-life zealots from instituting state control of their uteruses to force 11-year-old girls to give birth, ban women from getting treatment for deadly ectopic pregnancies, and mandate women must give birth to their rapists’ babies or even incest babies. The bills Republicans draft almost never carve out these exceptions. It’s medical and political radicalism, and Democrats should not miss any opportunity to call this out.
Accuse every Republican of supporting child marriage. Republicans are creepily and weirdly accusing Disney of grooming children despite the fact that quite a few red states are disturbingly trying to eliminate age requirements for marriage. Democrats should highlight the difference between Disney telling little girls they can be brave heroes and protagonists of their own adventures while Republican state legislatures are telling little girls to marry pedophiles old enough to be their fathers and even grandfathers. Bonus: name-drop Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump and Roy Moore here to remind voters that Republicans are projecting when they accuse Democrats of being groomers because Republicans have real groomers they love, cherish, and vote for public office.
Accuse every Republican of wanting to burn books. Republican officials at every level of government are campaigning against universities, public schooling, accurate history books, whole fields of science, and award-winning novels written by Black authors. For all the lame arguments Republicans have about “Cancel Culture” when private institutions and citizens decide they don’t want to listen to or fund nasty and divisive provocateurs peddling dumpster fire conspiracy theories and racist hatred, it’s Republicans who are compiling lists of hundreds of books they want to cancel.
Accuse every Republican of apologizing for Vladimir Putin. This one is easy because Republicans cannot help themselves from idolizing dictators. Republicans ranging from Ted Cruz to Tucker Carlson have been rhetorically (and, considering Tucker’s recent videos on masculinity and testicle tanning, possibly literally) masturbating for years to the tough guy images of shirtless Putin riding horses. Russia’s media personalities and political opponents get pushed out of tall buildings’ windows if they don’t pretend Putin is a genius paragon of male vigor and dominance, so it’s really a testament to Republicans’ gullibility and imbecilic homoeroticism that they fall for Putin’s propaganda. Republicans love dictators and authoritarians, and never shut up about it.
Accuse Republicans of wanting a mass shooting every day. They say they don’t want gun violence, mass murder, and daily domestic terrorism, but their legislative record is literally a graveyard of killed efforts of even minuscule and insignificant gun control.
Accuse every Republican of killing America’s Christian value to love everyone by hating gay and trans people. While Republican legislation so far is focused on censoring words and ideas for young elementary schoolers, this is a perfect area to give Republicans a taste of their own slippery slope medicine. For decades, Republicans have been claiming that if we allow gays to marry or publicly exist, it won’t be long before we allow people to marry dogs and other animals. So if we allow Republicans to ban the word “gay,” what’s next? Will Republicans ban rainbow stickers? Will Republicans force teachers to close the blinds when it’s raining in case it stops and a rainbow appears in the sky? Will Republicans make it illegal to go in and out of closets? What if Republicans ban all these words: bears, otters, twinks, daddies, tops, bottoms, and queens? What if Republicans ban science classes from using the words “Homo sapien” and “Homo habilis” next? What about “Homo erectus?” You have to admit, that taxonomic classification sounds pretty gay. The reason “Don’t Say Gay” went so viral for Democrats is because it’s just three words. Don’t be an egghead and launch into a professorial lecture, just repeat ad nauseam “Republicans are saying ‘Don’t Say Gay’ and ‘Don’t Say Trans.’” Let Republicans be the eggheads explaining how they don’t hate gay and trans people despite their intentionally discriminatory legislation.
REPEAT AFTER ME ONE MORE TIME: “My Republican opponent wants to end democracy, kill pregnant women, marry off little girls, burn books, emulate Putin, allow daily mass shootings, and ban the word ‘gay’ while inviting the government into your private love life.”
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WE SHOULD GIVE TRUMP BREAD KVASS INSTEAD OF COCA-COLA.
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