Each week we continue to learn more about how close Republicans came to sabotaging the last election, overthrowing the government, and installing an authoritarian regime. This last week, Republicans tried again to legitimize January 6. It is our job to stop them.
This week’s focus
This week we focus on the Republicans’ attempt to overthrow the 2020 election and the entire party’s acquiescence (aside from Cheney and Kinzinger). After the Republicans used a phrase trying to play down January 6, our side started to repeat it in order to negate it. WE MUST STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY! As we know, when we use their frames and their words, they have won before we have even begun to fight. So must use our own frame. We must not use the words “legitimate political discourse” EVER! We can call it Republican ruin. Republican overthrow. Coup. Election sabotage. Terrorism. But we do not use their words to negate their words. All that the public will hear is blah blah blah “legitimate political discourse” blah blah. (See Anat Shenker-Osorio and George Lakoff)
SO. I have created content to help remind our allies to use our own words (see below).
We will also focus on the Biden Administration’s TREMENDOUS economic news. By emphasizing the #BidenBoom we can change the conversation from a failed first year to a BOOM year that is unparalleled in modern history. We know that there is more to do but we have got to put a stake in the ground about Biden’s success and not run away from him. I have added a few pieces of content that are local but can be used as templates for your own local messaging.
Circulate content
- Download the content above and post to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or another platform of your choice. (Click on the image to enlarge, then right click/double finger click to “save image as”). Everything you see here is free and open source.
- Commit to stop refuting Republican messaging with their own words. It is time to flip the conversation to our own ground and to start talking about Democrats delivering or Republicans criming. Don’t like, retweet, or comment on Republican content online—screenshot if you must.
Watch, listen, read, and follow
Watch: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver about misinformation.
Listen: Listen to the podcast Ezra Klein Show. Ezra Klein interviews Amanda Litman, head of Run for Something about how Democrats can build real power.
Read: Richard Green The Civics Dean, “6 Messages That Will Help Democrats Win The 2022 Midterms.”
Read: Mike Lux Media, “Why Democrats Can Win in 2022, and How We Will Do It”. Mike Lux, a political strategists talks winning strategy: “What Democrats need to do is shake off the doldrums, get over the pessimism, and get about the business of fashioning a winning strategy for 2022.”
Bottom line
We keep moving. Midterms are in November (with primaries before then), and together we can help Democrats win more elections at every level. We have succeeded before, and we can do it again if we work together.
