Sorry for the audio glitch. I'm hopeful about my home state of Missouri. Let's expand the map and beat Josh Hawley in 2024. His approval rate is only 42% and we have a fantastic candidate in www.lucaskunce.com.
Hey Not giving up on FL! Debbie Powell planning to unseat Tim Scott for Senate! Coming out the gate Lawrence on MSNBC shows a poll here saying she is ALREADY 1 pts ahead!. She talks here about abortion, gun violence and inflation in FL due to Scott and DeSantis. I bet her campaign will GROW $$$!
Wow, that’s exciting! Thank you for the highlight 😊 Sounds like the attempts to unseat the Honorable Senator Marsha Blackburn here in Tennessee. I don’t think anyone has announced, but I know Representative Gloria Johnson (the woman who narrowly was not expelled with the Justins for giving a voice to their constituents about gun safety after the Nashville school shooting last spring) did mention she was considering it.
Thanks Simon. What you are doing recalls Darwin's main insight: Little actions multiplied by big numbers over a long time builds great things; his first example was the coral polyps that build the Great Barrier Reef. You and leaders like you are forming a lasting political power and I'm happy to be a part of it.
I’m having a hard time being heard on these two points which I believe are valuable insights into messaging for Democrats in 2023-2024
---------------------------------------
Why so many think the Economy is bad
It’s the Prices Stupid !
Everyday I keep hearing pundits and political consultants bemoaning the fact that Biden is not getting the credit he deserves for his incredible and amazing good results with the economy. He really has overseen a remarkable recovery and everyone keeps scratching their heads, “I don’t know why so many think he has done poorly managing the economy - unemployment is down, new jobs are up, inflation is down. I just don’t understand it. Now they’ve added a new inquiry, “How long does it usually take for a President to get credit for a good economy?”
Open your f-ing eyes ! It’s the Prices Stupid !
Past inflation has driven up the prices of groceries and other items we purchase everyday. We went for years with very little inflation and the average person internalized a sort of “set price” for most items. When they go to the store now they see:
Food. 2020 & Precious Prices. 2023 Prices
Eggs. $1.40 - 1.50/doz. $2.50- $4.83
Milk. $3.20 - $3.50. $4.00 / gal
Bread. $1.30 — $1.50 / lb. $1.90 / lb
Bacon. $5.30 — $5.80 / lb. $6.20- $6.80 / lb
Etc.
This is a whopping increase in percentage and in actual dollar price increase -- and it hits the average consumer in the face every day. Every time he or she goes shopping for anything. The cost is way above the range they had been used to for years and years.
We sound like idiots and/or liars when we try to tell them inflation is no longer a problem. Or that we think they are idiots – it’s insulting. It doesn’t match what they see at the store with their own eyes every day. They know what they used to pay and how much they have to pay now. It’s a lot more.
The Republicans are very successful at blaming this on the Dems with their tired old tropes about massive Democratic spending. "Of course prices are up: it’s the result of too many dollars chasing too few goods — and the Dems caused this with their massive deficit spending."
I believe many Dem strategists and pundits must rarely go shopping and/or when they go they just buy what they want and don’t pay much attention to the price; sometimes never even checking the total bill at checkout. It just isn’t important to them -- they have plenty of money and this is just an incidental expense. I think this must be how most of our analysts and political consultants still operate, or worse - they don’t know how to observe from another’s point of view.
But if they start paying attention and trying to put themselves in the position of the average family that lives paycheck to paycheck, they would be shocked at the price of everyday goods from the perspective of someone that has to make his or her dollars stretch. AND THAT IS THE EXPERIENCE OF MOST OF OUR COUNTRY — PRICES ARE HIGH AND MY DOLLAR DOESN’T GO AS FAR. — I AM WORSE OFF AND I SEE IT EVERY DAY.
Abstract concepts like the "rate of inflation” coming down have no impact on the day-to-day prices the average consumer confronts again and again. Inflation moving from 6%--9% down to 3% doesn’t change the prices at the store. In fact, the prices at the store mostly stay the same and/or they continue to rise, just not as fast.
We Dems have to confront and recognize this experience. We have to acknowledge it. And then start a full-on blitz of all media that inflation was a GLOBAL phenomenon brought on by the pandemic, Ukraine, supply chain disruption etc. it is easy to demonstrate this by using a chart showing the inflation rates of the industrialized countries around the globe. It’s a simple and direct illustration to understand.
The accompanying message is: “Inflation was everywhere and It was not the result of Democratic spending. -- Yes Biden and Dems (along with Republicans who joined in passing the legislation) spent money that was needed to bring us out of the pandemic induced Great Recession”. Did this have some impact on inflation? Probably some, but that was a necessary cost to bring us out of the tailspin of losing 800,000 jobs a month.
In fact, Biden and the Dems have worked to bring inflation down in the US tremendously compared to other countries [show chart again]. Yes, prices are up, across the globe. But Bidonomics has worked to bring us out of the recession and set us on a road to future growth and stability. This is a remarkable accomplishment -- remember Trump turned over to Biden an economy that was hemorrhaging hundreds of thousand jobs a month, our economy was so bad it was coined “The Great Recession.” Biden has helped lead our economy back to health and mostly tamed the inflation genie. Yep we now have to adjust to the higher price levels, but for most of us, our wages are up too. (Note to reader: I don’t really know if this is true – I hope so).
We need to put the political and communication experts on delivering this message — I watch show after show where all the pundits throw their hands in the air and say they don’t understand why Biden’s good economic results aren’t being recognized. They don’t understand because they don’t see what the average American living paycheck to paycheck sees every day. — prices are way up ! That the RATE of inflation is down doesn’t change this everyday reality.
Dominion Systems showed us how. Make him show his fear of being sued again.
Every time Trump is available he should be hit with something like the following:
“You continue to say the 2020 Election was stolen. Approximately 60 independent Courts looked at the evidence presented and rejected that claim every time, yet you still persist in this lie.
If you are not merely a dishonest Con Man, tell us exactly who rigged the election and how. Give us a name. Tell us when and where. Unless you give us that simple information it is clear that you are nothing more than dishonest con man abusing the trust of your followers. . So who did it ? When and Where? Are you too afraid to give us a name? Or is it that you really are just a con man who has been abusing the trust of your followers for years? Which is it? Are you a con man or will you give us a name and when and where? Or have you just been abusing for years the confidence your followers have placed in you ?”
Something like this. And don’t let up until he gives a straight answer — that he can’t give a name or a when and how. Everyone has to do this. Hit him with this over and over. Stick with the line of questioning to its conclusion. Over and over.
Give him a choice: give us the goods or admit you’ve been abusing the confidence of your followers for years – you’re just a con man.
There are now 875,000,000+ reasons why he won’t name a name, and we have push hard on this leverage point again and again.
Don’t argue facts with his followers use this question to show they’ve been conned.
Ron
PS — this will work for all the other election deniers as well.
Hey, thank you for your passion, Ron. I would like to point out that the polls show the reason the “economy first” voters didn’t punish Biden in the midterms was because they *already* knew inflation was from Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine. And you are right, wages have been up, *especially* for lower wage workers. And have you looked specifically at the inflation numbers for energy costs? Every month I look at them, they have been like...*high negatives* like prices dropping 16% to almost *20%*. Almost like we had a really smart set of leaders (I’m looking at you President Biden 😊) who passed legislation with record investment in clean, reliable, and cheaper energy sources that are sourced in the U.S. rather than relying on our oil-dictator adversaries. I haven’t had time to check how far back the drop in energy costs go or how closely they are connected to the investments in clean energy, but the solar farm that helps power my community in rural West TN seems to be helping since it opened in the spring. 😊🌱
The data I would like to point out is that the largest chunk of inflation was increased corporate profits (like 30%-50% of inflation was attributable to corporate profit increases alone) and that’s why many companies made record profits during the world health crisis. That means if companies would have been content to keep the high profits they already had, inflation at its peak would have been as low as 4.5%, not 9%.
Thank you again, Ron. I think being kind, honest, and ready to respond to those who are struggling is important. Some of our neighbors are hurting, it’s just a lot fewer than we’re hurting before Joe Biden inherited the hemorrhaging economy you mentioned from his predecessor. Joe Biden has been a good president. America is better off. And I think most Americans know that, especially when they hear about the historic accomplishments he has made for all Americans, not just the wealthy and well-connected few. American workers are the hero of this story. 😊
Hey Ron, thank you again for your passion. 😊 Just wanted to follow-up to get your thoughts on my last reply when you have time. Also, reading back through your comment I wanted to add this: I’m not sure calling people who think differently than us stupid is helpful. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar and all. 😊
Great shouts! I really do love that as I dig in to the data more, even from anti-Biden sources, the message the data tells continues to be the same; Joe Biden has been a good president. We are much better off.
I did notice your characterization of North Carolina seemed similar to TN where I live. MAGA supermajority with autocratic and anti-Democratic tendencies, while the Democratic brand still seems viable. The Republican led legislature just saw the largest drop in approval that I know of in response to expelling the Justins and refusing to act on gun safety. Is TN also a possible expansion state?
THE POSITIVE MESSAGE: “Historians tell us that fascism arises in a mood of ‘cultural pessimism’ that fosters a demand to entirely remake government, and casts the authoritarian strongman as a messianic-like figure who can arrest decline. Without cultural, economic and political ruin and ensuing panic, there is no crisis to quell. By contrast, if a democracy is producing real gains and people see improvement, voters will be less inclined to throw the entire system overboard to follow the cult leader. No wonder hyperbole, fearmongering and hysteria are part and parcel of the MAGA message.” Jennifer Rubin, “Biden goes positive. Can voters handle it?” NY Times, 8/24/2023 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/24/biden-positive-ad/
A friend, who's smarter than me, thinks Democrats need to crack down on all the illegal union-busting activities that are going on in places like Walmart. Lots of labor unions with power would be good for Democrats. We should have been doing this for years.
Thanks for inspiring me to work with the local high school here in Anthem, AZ. I'm the liaison to the Young Dems' Club. I passed along the info re the Civics Center and CEBV nation-wide High School Voter Registration Drive the first week of October. I was thrilled when two of the members contacted me that they had taken the training and would I please pick up 600 voter registration forms from the registrar's office. Absobloominglutely!!!
Heard you on White Flag w/ Joe Walsh saying Democrats had gained 5 points in the August Gallup Party ID poll. Can you give the source for that? https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx. Looks flat to me here. Thanks.
Sorry for the audio glitch. I'm hopeful about my home state of Missouri. Let's expand the map and beat Josh Hawley in 2024. His approval rate is only 42% and we have a fantastic candidate in www.lucaskunce.com.
Please forgive the meme but it was too good to pass up.
A great piece of advice from Minnie Mouse about why you should not pay attention to political polls:
https://twitter.com/EmGusk/status/1693451320579985463?utm_campaign=wp_power_up&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpinl_powerup&s=20
Just keep your head down and do the necessary work. The key to Democratic victory is turnout. It has nothing to do with polling.
How many people did you speak with today about the importance of voting? Tell one more person.
Hysterical!!! You are so correct! Ditto all that! Lol
Great session!
Hey Not giving up on FL! Debbie Powell planning to unseat Tim Scott for Senate! Coming out the gate Lawrence on MSNBC shows a poll here saying she is ALREADY 1 pts ahead!. She talks here about abortion, gun violence and inflation in FL due to Scott and DeSantis. I bet her campaign will GROW $$$!
https://youtu.be/xu84fWLboNg
https://www.debbieforflorida.com
Wow, that’s exciting! Thank you for the highlight 😊 Sounds like the attempts to unseat the Honorable Senator Marsha Blackburn here in Tennessee. I don’t think anyone has announced, but I know Representative Gloria Johnson (the woman who narrowly was not expelled with the Justins for giving a voice to their constituents about gun safety after the Nashville school shooting last spring) did mention she was considering it.
Thanks Simon. What you are doing recalls Darwin's main insight: Little actions multiplied by big numbers over a long time builds great things; his first example was the coral polyps that build the Great Barrier Reef. You and leaders like you are forming a lasting political power and I'm happy to be a part of it.
John Cole, Las Cruces
bluecd2nm Messaging Committee
Simon,
I love the Star Wars photo describing the Republican debate!
Karen
It’s The Prices Stupid !
The reason folks think the economy is bad
+
How to hit Trump
I’m having a hard time being heard on these two points which I believe are valuable insights into messaging for Democrats in 2023-2024
---------------------------------------
Why so many think the Economy is bad
It’s the Prices Stupid !
Everyday I keep hearing pundits and political consultants bemoaning the fact that Biden is not getting the credit he deserves for his incredible and amazing good results with the economy. He really has overseen a remarkable recovery and everyone keeps scratching their heads, “I don’t know why so many think he has done poorly managing the economy - unemployment is down, new jobs are up, inflation is down. I just don’t understand it. Now they’ve added a new inquiry, “How long does it usually take for a President to get credit for a good economy?”
Open your f-ing eyes ! It’s the Prices Stupid !
Past inflation has driven up the prices of groceries and other items we purchase everyday. We went for years with very little inflation and the average person internalized a sort of “set price” for most items. When they go to the store now they see:
Food. 2020 & Precious Prices. 2023 Prices
Eggs. $1.40 - 1.50/doz. $2.50- $4.83
Milk. $3.20 - $3.50. $4.00 / gal
Bread. $1.30 — $1.50 / lb. $1.90 / lb
Bacon. $5.30 — $5.80 / lb. $6.20- $6.80 / lb
Etc.
This is a whopping increase in percentage and in actual dollar price increase -- and it hits the average consumer in the face every day. Every time he or she goes shopping for anything. The cost is way above the range they had been used to for years and years.
We sound like idiots and/or liars when we try to tell them inflation is no longer a problem. Or that we think they are idiots – it’s insulting. It doesn’t match what they see at the store with their own eyes every day. They know what they used to pay and how much they have to pay now. It’s a lot more.
The Republicans are very successful at blaming this on the Dems with their tired old tropes about massive Democratic spending. "Of course prices are up: it’s the result of too many dollars chasing too few goods — and the Dems caused this with their massive deficit spending."
I believe many Dem strategists and pundits must rarely go shopping and/or when they go they just buy what they want and don’t pay much attention to the price; sometimes never even checking the total bill at checkout. It just isn’t important to them -- they have plenty of money and this is just an incidental expense. I think this must be how most of our analysts and political consultants still operate, or worse - they don’t know how to observe from another’s point of view.
But if they start paying attention and trying to put themselves in the position of the average family that lives paycheck to paycheck, they would be shocked at the price of everyday goods from the perspective of someone that has to make his or her dollars stretch. AND THAT IS THE EXPERIENCE OF MOST OF OUR COUNTRY — PRICES ARE HIGH AND MY DOLLAR DOESN’T GO AS FAR. — I AM WORSE OFF AND I SEE IT EVERY DAY.
Abstract concepts like the "rate of inflation” coming down have no impact on the day-to-day prices the average consumer confronts again and again. Inflation moving from 6%--9% down to 3% doesn’t change the prices at the store. In fact, the prices at the store mostly stay the same and/or they continue to rise, just not as fast.
We Dems have to confront and recognize this experience. We have to acknowledge it. And then start a full-on blitz of all media that inflation was a GLOBAL phenomenon brought on by the pandemic, Ukraine, supply chain disruption etc. it is easy to demonstrate this by using a chart showing the inflation rates of the industrialized countries around the globe. It’s a simple and direct illustration to understand.
The accompanying message is: “Inflation was everywhere and It was not the result of Democratic spending. -- Yes Biden and Dems (along with Republicans who joined in passing the legislation) spent money that was needed to bring us out of the pandemic induced Great Recession”. Did this have some impact on inflation? Probably some, but that was a necessary cost to bring us out of the tailspin of losing 800,000 jobs a month.
In fact, Biden and the Dems have worked to bring inflation down in the US tremendously compared to other countries [show chart again]. Yes, prices are up, across the globe. But Bidonomics has worked to bring us out of the recession and set us on a road to future growth and stability. This is a remarkable accomplishment -- remember Trump turned over to Biden an economy that was hemorrhaging hundreds of thousand jobs a month, our economy was so bad it was coined “The Great Recession.” Biden has helped lead our economy back to health and mostly tamed the inflation genie. Yep we now have to adjust to the higher price levels, but for most of us, our wages are up too. (Note to reader: I don’t really know if this is true – I hope so).
We need to put the political and communication experts on delivering this message — I watch show after show where all the pundits throw their hands in the air and say they don’t understand why Biden’s good economic results aren’t being recognized. They don’t understand because they don’t see what the average American living paycheck to paycheck sees every day. — prices are way up ! That the RATE of inflation is down doesn’t change this everyday reality.
It's the Prices, Stupid !
________________________________________________________________
Bonus:
How to shut Trump down
Dominion Systems showed us how. Make him show his fear of being sued again.
Every time Trump is available he should be hit with something like the following:
“You continue to say the 2020 Election was stolen. Approximately 60 independent Courts looked at the evidence presented and rejected that claim every time, yet you still persist in this lie.
If you are not merely a dishonest Con Man, tell us exactly who rigged the election and how. Give us a name. Tell us when and where. Unless you give us that simple information it is clear that you are nothing more than dishonest con man abusing the trust of your followers. . So who did it ? When and Where? Are you too afraid to give us a name? Or is it that you really are just a con man who has been abusing the trust of your followers for years? Which is it? Are you a con man or will you give us a name and when and where? Or have you just been abusing for years the confidence your followers have placed in you ?”
Something like this. And don’t let up until he gives a straight answer — that he can’t give a name or a when and how. Everyone has to do this. Hit him with this over and over. Stick with the line of questioning to its conclusion. Over and over.
Give him a choice: give us the goods or admit you’ve been abusing the confidence of your followers for years – you’re just a con man.
There are now 875,000,000+ reasons why he won’t name a name, and we have push hard on this leverage point again and again.
Don’t argue facts with his followers use this question to show they’ve been conned.
Ron
PS — this will work for all the other election deniers as well.
Ron Feinman, Esq.
Lynchburg Virginia
rfeinman@oneworld.ws
Hey, thank you for your passion, Ron. I would like to point out that the polls show the reason the “economy first” voters didn’t punish Biden in the midterms was because they *already* knew inflation was from Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine. And you are right, wages have been up, *especially* for lower wage workers. And have you looked specifically at the inflation numbers for energy costs? Every month I look at them, they have been like...*high negatives* like prices dropping 16% to almost *20%*. Almost like we had a really smart set of leaders (I’m looking at you President Biden 😊) who passed legislation with record investment in clean, reliable, and cheaper energy sources that are sourced in the U.S. rather than relying on our oil-dictator adversaries. I haven’t had time to check how far back the drop in energy costs go or how closely they are connected to the investments in clean energy, but the solar farm that helps power my community in rural West TN seems to be helping since it opened in the spring. 😊🌱
The data I would like to point out is that the largest chunk of inflation was increased corporate profits (like 30%-50% of inflation was attributable to corporate profit increases alone) and that’s why many companies made record profits during the world health crisis. That means if companies would have been content to keep the high profits they already had, inflation at its peak would have been as low as 4.5%, not 9%.
Thank you again, Ron. I think being kind, honest, and ready to respond to those who are struggling is important. Some of our neighbors are hurting, it’s just a lot fewer than we’re hurting before Joe Biden inherited the hemorrhaging economy you mentioned from his predecessor. Joe Biden has been a good president. America is better off. And I think most Americans know that, especially when they hear about the historic accomplishments he has made for all Americans, not just the wealthy and well-connected few. American workers are the hero of this story. 😊
Hey Ron, thank you again for your passion. 😊 Just wanted to follow-up to get your thoughts on my last reply when you have time. Also, reading back through your comment I wanted to add this: I’m not sure calling people who think differently than us stupid is helpful. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar and all. 😊
Great shouts! I really do love that as I dig in to the data more, even from anti-Biden sources, the message the data tells continues to be the same; Joe Biden has been a good president. We are much better off.
I did notice your characterization of North Carolina seemed similar to TN where I live. MAGA supermajority with autocratic and anti-Democratic tendencies, while the Democratic brand still seems viable. The Republican led legislature just saw the largest drop in approval that I know of in response to expelling the Justins and refusing to act on gun safety. Is TN also a possible expansion state?
THE POSITIVE MESSAGE: “Historians tell us that fascism arises in a mood of ‘cultural pessimism’ that fosters a demand to entirely remake government, and casts the authoritarian strongman as a messianic-like figure who can arrest decline. Without cultural, economic and political ruin and ensuing panic, there is no crisis to quell. By contrast, if a democracy is producing real gains and people see improvement, voters will be less inclined to throw the entire system overboard to follow the cult leader. No wonder hyperbole, fearmongering and hysteria are part and parcel of the MAGA message.” Jennifer Rubin, “Biden goes positive. Can voters handle it?” NY Times, 8/24/2023 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/24/biden-positive-ad/
A friend, who's smarter than me, thinks Democrats need to crack down on all the illegal union-busting activities that are going on in places like Walmart. Lots of labor unions with power would be good for Democrats. We should have been doing this for years.
Why does the media insist on spinning the "most Democrats don't like Biden" myth? How can we effectively counter this?
Thanks for inspiring me to work with the local high school here in Anthem, AZ. I'm the liaison to the Young Dems' Club. I passed along the info re the Civics Center and CEBV nation-wide High School Voter Registration Drive the first week of October. I was thrilled when two of the members contacted me that they had taken the training and would I please pick up 600 voter registration forms from the registrar's office. Absobloominglutely!!!
Heard you on White Flag w/ Joe Walsh saying Democrats had gained 5 points in the August Gallup Party ID poll. Can you give the source for that? https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx. Looks flat to me here. Thanks.
https://twitter.com/SimonWDC/status/1699846442288849006
It's the one with leaners (which is the only way to look at this).