In a recent strategic meeting held by the Democrats on Capitol Hill, the party's political tacticians have seemingly taken a leaf out of President Donald Trump's playbook.
The Democrats are reportedly considering adopting a populist approach, reminiscent of Trump's strategy, for the forthcoming midterm elections.
According to the Daily Caller, the Democrats are deliberating over the merits of a populist approach versus the newly proposed "Abundance" agenda. The latter, a concept recently embraced by liberal writers Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, argues that excessive regulation hampers growth in crucial sectors such as housing and infrastructure.
This idea has long been a cornerstone of conservative thought, but it's a relatively new consideration for the Democrats.
The research behind this strategic shift was conducted by Democratic pollster Geoff Garin and strategist Brian Fallon, in association with the liberal think tank Groundwork Action. Both Garin and Fallon were part of Kamala Harris's campaign team. A memo shared with Politico from this research warned Democrats against relying solely on the "Abundance" agenda.
The memo states, "While there are elements of the Abundance agenda that have appeal, and the choice on which messages to deliver is not zero-sum, a populist economic approach better solves for Democrats challenges with working-class voters." It further advises that if Democrats are questioning which focus deserves the most attention in their campaign messaging, the answer is clear.
Although some voters believe excessive bureaucracy can be a problem, it ranks far behind other concerns. Addressing it does not strike voters as a direct response to the problem of affordability.
The memo suggests that Democrats should prioritize anti-corporate messaging, such as attributing higher costs to price gouging rather than bloated bureaucracies and excessive red tape. A poll conducted by the group revealed that around 66% of voters believe the government's tendency to cater to billionaires and large corporations is a more significant issue than bureaucratic inefficiencies, a concern for only 37% of respondents. Voters also showed a preference for measures targeting price gouging over reducing bureaucratic obstacles and regulations.
Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Deluzio, along with Garin and Fallon, briefed Capitol Hill staffers and Democratic operatives about polling and focus group insights that support their argument. The group plans to present these findings to congressional Democrats in the coming week.
The "Abundance" ideas proposed by Klein and Thompson, some of which have been long supported by conservatives and libertarians, are indeed commendable and could help address the affordability crisis. These include slashing environmental red tape to build more homes and investing more in green energy, better transportation, scientific research and development, vertical farming, drone delivery, automated technology, lab-grown meat, and supersonic airplanes.
However, the Democrats face a significant challenge. They lack a populist messenger as effective as Trump, who could sell policies like cutting red tape to make things more affordable. Trump successfully did this during his 2024 campaign, even coining the term "Freedom Cities," an idea that bears a striking resemblance to the vision of "Abundance" liberals.
For the Democrats to succeed in the upcoming elections, they will need their own version of Trump. They need a charismatic figure with populist appeal who can win over working-class voters and convincingly advocate for policies that may not sound interesting in sound bites but are nonetheless extremely important.
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