Feel their pain first

by | May 1, 2014 | 2014 Elections, Editor's Blog, National Politics, Polling | 2 comments

I have a bias about campaigns. I don’t believe that people usually vote around issues. I think they vote on an emotional response to things that are less tangible. Rarely does a candidate’s position on a single issue or even group of issues persuade the electorate. Regardless, most campaigns run on issues and are lured into those issues by polls saying voters agree with them or disagree with their opponents.

In the 1980s, voters disagreed with Ronald Reagan on a host of issues but still re-elected him by a landslide. In the 1990s in North Carolina, the people of the state were far more progressive than Jesse Helms but they stood by him twice. In both instances I remember Democrats’ frustration as they argued that people actually agreed with them more than the Republicans. 

This year is no exception. The political environment for Democrats looks dismal. Yet, a Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that on most issues, voters side with Democrats

However, the electorate is a pessimistic lot. They think the economy is on the wrong track and that it’s not going to get much better. They aren’t happy about much the president is doing but they are obviously fed up with Congress, too. And that’s what candidates should focus on: voters’ frustration, not their beliefs. And the frustrations are a combination of weariness with the slow recovery and, I believe, cynicism about the process. 

Polls tell us more about what people believe. Politicians need to focus more on why they believe it. Understanding and addressing those underlying reasons will take more research, but their messages will be stronger if they can figure them out. 

This year, Democrats need to address the recovery and the cynicism if they want to change the dynamic. Instead of leading with a minimum wage increase, they should talk about an unequal recovery that has the stock market with record highs but wages stagnant and job growth slow. Acknowledge the problem. Put it in context. Then offer solutions, but feel their pain first.

And they should address the cynicism by calling for an end to gridlock by electing people who are more solution-oriented than ideological. Again, Democrats need to acknowledge voters concerns before offering solutions. In essence, positions on issues need to be given context and voters need to be given more credit. 

This election is less about issues than it is about emotions. And the dominant emotion is frustration and anger borne of that frustration. If Democrats hope to change the dynamic of this election, they need to first let voters know they hear them before they start throwing out solutions. If they don’t, little will likely change over the next six months.

2 Comments

  1. Kim Hanchette

    Listening, an art that candidates must practice and perfect on the campaign trail- excellent point. As new candidates, we are are counseled on how to message our top three issues in 2,3, and 5 minute renditions- but I have learned by knocking on lots of doors to introduce, stop talking, listen and ask questions-

  2. BattleDem

    Fear and Hate has always motivated the voters. I wish they made their choices based on information and reasoned thought but that has always been too much to ask. One must not base a campaign on the belief that just offering the facts will convince the voter to choose to vote for their own interest. There is NO shame in using whatever works to win the election. It is in the best interest of the voter and for our State/Nation to win the election first and then educate the voter on the issues. We must destroy the notion, held by many people of good faith, that- “I would rather be right, believe in the goodness of the people and lose than use the tools of Hate and Fear to win the election”.

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