Rachel Bitecofer’s tough-love lesson for Democrats: Time to fight dirty

America’s future — as a multiracial democracy or an ethno-nationalist authoritarian state — may be very a lot on the poll this 12 months, as a variety of observers have famous. However you’d be hard-pressed to see that actuality mirrored within the mainstream media, a lot much less from the mouths of the randomly-selected potential voters interviewed on the bottom, the oldsters who will supposedly decide the result in November. It’s a dire scenario that political scientist turned election strategist Rachel Bitecofer tackles head-on in her new e book, “Hit ‘Em The place It Hurts: Tips on how to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Personal Recreation.” She describes it as “a battle-tested self-help e book for America’s fragile democracy.”

Again in 2019 I first famous Bitecofer’s acumen for election predictions, proven in her forecast of Democrats’ massive 2017 beneficial properties within the Virginia legislature after which her spot-on prediction of the 2018 blue wave, primarily based on elementary voter demographics and her notion of partisan polarization and destructive partisanship, relatively than following the polls. In 2021, I ;interviewed Bitecofer about her evolution from educational into model messenger, as she put these strategies to work in combating to counter the anticipated “crimson tsunami” of 2022. The Supreme Court docket’s Dobbs choice and its aftermath helped shift a considerable variety of campaigns alongside the traces she predicted, as she lays out within the e book, drawing on insights from a long time of political science analysis.

Bitecofer’s most elementary level is easy: Democrats as an entire — regardless of their “reality-based” self-image — have been unable or unwilling “to just accept that the American voter is, at finest, tough clay,” and to work with it accordingly. Then again, she writes, “Republicans have lengthy understood this and have constructed an electioneering system that shapes the voters and meets voters the place they really are.” The purpose of “Hit ‘Em The place It Hurts” is to persuade Democrats to alter their strategic method whereas there’s nonetheless time to rescue democracy, and to focus relentlessly on the risk posed by Republicans in phrases that hit voters the place they’re. 

The excellent news is that some Democrats have already made that shift, whereas others are groping their means in direction of it. However to be efficient, this must be complete, bottom-to-top systemic change, Bitecofer believes, and that hasn’t occurred but. She additionally discusses the consequences of the right-wing media ecosystem, and the think-tank and donor infrastructures that underlie it, to color a fuller image of America’s perilous political scenario. However in truth, she argues, Democrats and their allies can flip the tide by specializing in low-hanging fruit — the issues which are best to alter. Salon interviewed her with a selected deal with these most rapid issues and the 2024 election. This interview has been edited for readability and size.

In your introduction, you write in regards to the 2022 midterms, how the Democrats beat the midterm impact and the way they should preserve doing that to save lots of democracy. However whereas Democrats gained massive in locations like Michigan, additionally they misplaced key Senate races in Ohio, Florida and elsewhere. What’s your clarification — first, for what labored?

Within the e book I lay out the place the destructive partisanship technique was so efficient in serving to to thwart the Republican Celebration’s crimson wave in 2022, and I stroll by means of the locations — Arizona and Michigan — the place Democrats leaned closely into destructive partisanship, and outlined their opponents as extremists. Within the Arizona secretary of state race, particularly, Adrian Fontes ran on a “defend democracy from insurrectionists” theme — his opponent was an precise insurrectionist. In Michigan, it was in regards to the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, from day one, went into her election with the technique of ‘Let’s make sure that voters know Tudor Dixon is an extremist, particularly on the difficulty of abortion.” With the ability to outline the opponents was so essential. 

And what did not work? 

We ran the previous technique in loads of Home races, and within the Senate races in Ohio, North Carolina and Florida. What’s the previous technique? Persuasion on coverage — discover issues individuals like, inform them you are going to give them that — after which attraction in your character, your biography, your {qualifications} for workplace.

Why do you name that “the previous technique”? 

At first of the e book I lay that out. In 2004, Republicans did a pivot. That was the primary time Republicans mentioned, “Let’s do persuasion in a different way.” They realized they’d a bonus on homosexual marriage. Which will sound bizarre to your readers now, however when Republicans put up same-sex marriage bans to assist re-elect George W. Bush, they handed in all 11 states. That even handed in Oregon. 

So the guts of Bush’s argument to swing voters wasn’t, “Hey, vote for George Bush — he is an amazing man, he is average, he is bipartisan!” It was, “Vote for George Bush — Democrats need to make marriage between homosexual individuals authorized!” It was persuading swing voters not to vote for Democrats. They did the identical factor with these John Kerry Swiftboat adverts. They weren’t about persuading voters about how nice Bush was. They have been about ensuring they tarnished Kerry’s model, and persuaded swing voters away from him.

OK, that’s the way it began. What then?

Through the years Republicans realized how priceless that was, but it surely actually crystallized with [former RNC chair] Michael Steele’s “Hearth Pelosi” bus tour, and your entire 2010 congressional cycle on Obamacare. What I say within the e book is that every one politics is not native — that is quaint — it is nationwide. And it grew to become nationwide with that “Hearth Pelosi” technique, the place they outlined the 2010 midterm as a referendum on Obama and Obamacare, aka, of their minds, authorities overreach. And it labored very effectively. 

The Republican Celebration within the decade earlier had let 9/11 occur, invaded Iraq and gotten us in a complete clusterf**okay, after which blew up the economic system in 2008. There was a concern inside the Republican occasion in 2009 that they have been going to be out within the wilderness electorally for possibly a few a long time, like they have been after they brought about the Nice Despair. But inside a 12 months, they have been selecting up 63 seats within the Home of Representatives. That is the factor that began to make me take into consideration election choices. As a result of I keep in mind considering, “How may they blow up the economic system, considering they’re out within the wilderness, after which abruptly begin profitable?” So I actually began taking note of voter conduct and technique at that time.

So how does that relate to what occurred in 2022?

Take into consideration what occurred in Ohio, North Carolina and Florida. Democrats ran the identical technique they have been working since 1990, the place they tried to promote [Ohio candidate] Tim Ryan as a average: He is bipartisan! He isn’t certainly one of these Democrats! I speak within the e book about how completely devastating a body that’s, to enter a swing race. As a result of the opponent’s argument is, “Do not vote for Tim Ryan. Tim Ryan is a Democrat and all Democrats are dangerous.” And Tim Ryan’s argument finally ends up affirming that allegation by saying, “Nicely, yeah, however I am not certainly one of these Democrats.”

However political scientists like myself will inform you elections are virtually fully decided by partisan choice, together with for many independents. In case you’re not driving for the model, for those who’re not promoting your model — Democrats good! — and pushing voters away from the opposite model — Republicans dangerous! — you are going to lose. And that is why we see, in races the place [Republican] extremists went up in opposition to bipartisan average Dems, they at all times win the swing vote. How can that be, in the event that they’re extremists? J.D. Vance is an extremist. There isn’t a kinder phrase I may use — I may really name him a fascist — and the Ohio voters by no means, ever heard about it.  The place individuals didn’t outline the Republican Celebration as an extremist risk to individuals’s well being, wealth, freedom and security, all of them misplaced. 

You write that “with democracy on its deathbed” one factor we are able to do is “begin by selecting the lowest-hanging fruit, which is enhancing Democratic messaging.” You lay out seven steps, which I would wish to undergo. Step 1 is “Trip for the model,” which you simply referenced. What does that imply, and what do Democrats must find out about doing it?

I haven’t got to know a rattling factor a couple of voter — I do not know if it is a man, it is a girl, I do not know in the event that they dwell within the South, the North, is previous or younger, is college-educated or not, does not matter. The one factor I must know, to be proper 9 out of 10 occasions about who they’ll vote for, is have they got a celebration choice? And that features leaners. We see that election after election. The voters strolling into the poll field, they needn’t know anything in regards to the candidate aside from that occasion heuristic, that D or that R on the poll. 

So that you might be Tim Ryan, you may faux you are not an actual Democrat, you may discuss all of your bipartisanship. However until you promote the model D, individuals aren’t voting for it, dude! On the finish of the day, that D goes to be on the poll. So once I discuss driving for the model, it is recognizing, as Republicans did a decade in the past, that all of us go down or rise collectively. It is about saving that model, defining the Democratic model pretty much as good and defining the Republican model as dangerous. And the campaigns themselves, that are a very powerful devices of message distribution, must be pounding that theme. 

That leads us into step 2, “Rebrand each events with F-words.” What does that imply, and the way ought to Democrats set about doing it?

So there are two F-words: freedom and fascism. We now have to get individuals speaking about fascism. And this concept that we should not use the phrase “fascism” as a result of individuals do not know what fascism is? Nicely, nobody is aware of what socialism is. However once we ballot individuals and ask them, what is the first phrase that pops into your thoughts if you hear the phrase “Democrat,” guess what the plurality response is? “Socialist”!  It is not a legal responsibility when individuals do not know what it’s — it is an asset, as a result of then they outline regardless of the scary factor is right into a custom-made concern class. 

So we have got the president saying the F-word, and we want all of the swing Home and swing Senate candidates additionally speaking about what fascism is, the historic actuality that, identical to with the communist motion, we had a sturdy fascist motion on this nation that solely fell aside due to Pearl Harbor and World Warfare II. We now have by no means, ever informed America: Hey, there’s two ideologies. The left has communism and socialism as its evil-empire drawback, and the suitable has one too, motherf***ers. It is known as fascism, and it is percolating all internationally proper now, and right here within the U.S. 

There are a lot of parts of the Republican Venture 2025, the Heritage Basis’s 1,000-page transition handbook, that can take America from a democracy to a dictatorship beneath the subsequent Republican administration. It is extremely, crucial that each candidate that is getting loads of paid media finances is speaking about the specter of dropping democracy, what it will be wish to have a fascist in cost, and defining — all they must do for voters is say, “Trump, fascism, dangerous!” They do not must depend on voters to know what meaning. However they’ve to verify voters affiliate Trump with fascism the best way they affiliate Biden with socialism, which is unquestionably a way more ridiculous declare.

So your step 3 is “Much less protection, extra counter-offense.” What is the distinction between these issues, and what’s an instance? 

I am within the particular election district in New York proper now, the place [Democrat] Tom Suozzi is working. I walked into my lodge in New York and virtually the very first thing I noticed was an advert, an assault on him about migrant violence, actually darkish and despotic shit, after which I noticed his protection, proper? “Nicely. this is my actual file, da-da-da-da-da.” That’s not a counter-offense. [Suozzi won the special election on Feb. 13 to fill the seat left vacant after George Santos’ expulsion from Congress.]

Counter-offense does not even imply responding on the identical subject. In 2021, for instance, Republicans outlined their complete theme by saying [the attack on critical race theory] was about defending youngsters. How may we allow them to, with a straight face, spend three months speaking about how they need to defend kids in colleges with out attacking them for letting them get slaughtered each day with weapons of conflict? Once I say, “Much less protection, extra counter-offense,” that is what I imply. 

We allow them to legitimize CRT, which isn’t actual, by explaining for months: “It is not actual, it is a authorized principle, da-da-da-da.” What we should always have been doing is pounding the Republican model on weapons and ensuring persons are afraid to go away Republicans answerable for their kids’s lives.

Step 4 is “Take credit score, give blame.” Right here you level out how Democrats have largely failed to do this with their main accomplishments. What’s an instance of what they ought to have been doing, and why do not we see them doing it?  

They’re beginning to get higher at this, a few of them. However there was a senator who tweeted out, after the insulin bundle, how Congress had handed $35 insulin and it was going to save lots of seniors all this cash. And each f***ing Republican voted in opposition to it, dude! So why is that this particular person not saying within the tweet, ‘Democrats‘? It is obtained to be Democrats. Assign credit score. And the distinction needs to be: Republicans take away, Republicans block, Republicans refuse, no matter it’s.

They’re getting away with this obstruction technique that is been working since 2010 and it is the important thing — it is what killed the border reform invoice. I watched voters on the stump final night time. They interviewed a swing voter who mentioned, “Oh effectively, Biden had all these guarantees on immigration and he is simply totally did not ship them.” Why hasn’t Biden handed immigration reform? As a result of f***ing Republicans blocked the invoice, dude! We now have to know that voters do not know that, won’t ever know that and can blame Biden for the shortage of progress until we inform them, “Hey, Democrats are attempting to do that and Republicans are blocking it!”

Step 5 is “Personal our points, then personal theirs.” Right here you observe that Republicans are seen as higher on the economic system — it is a problem they’ve owned for many years — though Democrats are literally higher for the economic system throughout a broad vary of metrics. So what ought to they do about it?

This comes from a political science space known as “problem possession.” There are specific points which are hooked up to the occasion model. For Democrats, it is well being care and schooling. Amongst low-information voters, who hardly comply with politics apart from the presidential 12 months and the final couple of weeks earlier than the election, what’s their broad, top-of-mind understanding of what the 2 events stand for? In ballot after ballot you may see this, and you will see this in Trump versus Biden on the economic system. When they consider Republicans, voters assume: low taxes, good on the economic system, good on nationwide protection. These are the three points they personal.

But as we each know, particularly over the past 20 years — however I’d argue, now that we’re 50 years into Reaganomics, over the past 50 years — Democratic financial principle really outperforms Reaganomics, starve-the-beast, trickle-down economics. So we have to begin speaking about that. We have to get the voters to know that the economic system as they understand it started after the Nice Despair and World Warfare II, and it was f**king buzzing, and the Republicans are available in in 1980 and steal all our tax income to place us right into a everlasting cycle of deficit spending, and due to that divestment from our development, our future, our infrastructure, our schooling programs, all these different issues that in 1950 or 1960 we led the world on, we have been surpassed by the EU, by Canada. It is time for us to inform the story of what occurred to the American economic system, and to verify individuals perceive what occurred to it was the Republican Celebration.

Step 6 is “Stick with a single villain.” Right here you observe that after the mass taking pictures in Uvalde, Texas, President Biden mentioned, “As a nation, we now have to ask: When in God’s identify are we going to face as much as the gun foyer?” What’s unsuitable with that? How is it typical? And what ought to Democrats say as an alternative?

As a result of if it wasn’t for Republicans we might have handed gun laws after Columbine. The explanation we do not have gun laws is not as a result of individuals do not need to rise up or as a result of Congress refuses to behave or the NRA says we will not. It is as a result of Republicans are blocking motion within the Senate and the Home. They’ll by no means aspect with our youngsters over their killers, till and until we take away that impediment electorally by electing Democrats to exchange them. So if we need to clear up weapons, we now have to verify the voters know who the issue is. It is not the NRA. It is not Congress. The explanation we will not have gun security on this nation is as a result of the Republican Celebration tells us that we should always simply go die. 

Lastly, step 7 is “Say it once more. And once more. And once more.” That is fairly apparent, however why is it so necessary? 

As a result of no person pays consideration to information and politics. It is extremely necessary for individuals to know, on the market on the earth — particularly due to the web and all of the divergent tech we now have, which is totally totally different than the ’80s and ’90s — many individuals are listening to completely nothing, ever, about politics. So the one means for us to get by means of to them is to select one thing just like the Roe repeal and wedge the sh** out of it, time and again and over, so there’s repetition all through the system, from the state legislative stage as much as governors, Senate races, the presidential race, with all these candidates speaking about it, making the media cowl it, identical to CRT, to allow them to put that into the thoughts of the voter.

But it surely positively takes what I name a “sniper technique,” not a shotgun technique. You can’t get a profitable media narrative constructed for those who’re speaking about three or 4 various things. You need to deal with one or two issues and actually pound the sand about them. 

In Chapter 9, “Tips on how to Land Punches,” you speak in regards to the energy of mockery. Why is that necessary? 

Crucial factor about strategic mockery is that this. In Republican world — Earth Two — there are some truths that they discover to be self-evident. No. 1, the Democrats stole the election in 2020, and Joe Biden is an illegitimate president. No. 2, there was no riot, Trump has by no means dedicated a criminal offense of any sort and he is simply an harmless man that we have been hounding. No. 3, the COVID vaccine is the largest scandal ever. The COVID vaccine is way extra lethal than COVID itself, and anybody who obtained it has tainted blood — I am not making this up! That is Republican actuality. Democrats are pedophiles, Democrats help the genital mutilation of kids. That is the rhetoric that has now, after 10 years of radicalization, grow to be the mainstream platform, the reality-anchoring world of MAGA and nearly all of the Republican Celebration. 

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So it is crucial for individuals to know that is what we’re working up in opposition to. What strategic mockery means is, do not legit their Earth Two actuality. Make enjoyable of it! Make them appear as completely ridiculous as these Earth Two claims are, as a result of there’s verifiable actuality, and so they’re not dwelling in it. As quickly as we legitimize their actuality, we’re dropping. So proper out of the gate, I am more than happy that the Home Democrats have achieved such an amazing job of their committees. We now have an Oversight Committee being run by an insurrectionist, with 11 insurrectionists on the committee, pretending that they are investigating the “weaponization of presidency” whereas they weaponize authorities, attempting to intervene in legal prosecutions they don’t have anything to do with, all their different issues. So we should, always, be mocking the premise of Earth Two claims. 

You go on to clarify how mockery pertains to the messaging components Republicans have lengthy used, which Democrats must be taught as effectively. What’s the lesson right here?

It is attempting to show Democrats strategic comms. While you get a chance to go on “Meet the Press” or “Face the Nation,” there is no higher framing alternative. Republicans get that. So in the event that they’re invited onto a Sunday present, they’ve a strategic narrative, and they’ll form all their feedback round attaining it. We go as a result of we predict, let’s have a legit, substantive dialogue in regards to the deserves of the border invoice or no matter. So when a reporter asks, “What in regards to the Democrats?’ we find yourself explaining, da-da-da-da-da, and the Republicans are there spitting out their messaging speaking factors in opposition to us. 

So it is about getting Democrats to know: Sure, we love coverage, and we obtained into it as a result of we love authorities, however we have got to cease. We have got to cease, particularly in earned media appearances, and ensure we’re utilizing these because the solely alternative to hit eyeballs and to create a story. Make it possible for we’re not taking what the moderator offers us and turning it into an actual dialog. As an alternative, we’re utilizing it as a narrative-setting gadget, like Republicans have been doing for 20 years. 

Typically that entails the pivot and assault. So for those who get requested a troublesome query about Biden and Gaza or no matter, you reply: “What is the Republican coverage in Gaza? It would be to napalm Gaza and erect a Trump Tower.” Not saying that to the viewers, not pivoting and attacking — yeah, Gaza’s dangerous for Biden, but it surely’s worse for Republicans — is unforgivable. 

So, pivot and assault. Once more, I talked about defending youngsters. Republicans wished to run, and did run, in 2021 and 2022 speaking about defending kids. Nicely, if I am on a present with a Republican and I get requested about gender mutilation or books in colleges or no matter, if the phrases “defend kids” come up, I will cease and I will say, “Oh, I believe it is nice you need to discuss defending kids in colleges. Let’s discuss Republicans blocking gun laws for many years and letting our youngsters get slaughtered in school by weapons of conflict.”

You may discover these phrases are all hyperbolic, they’re emotive, they’re designed to create the picture. It is not “defend our youngsters in class.” It is “defend our youngsters from getting slaughtered in school by weapons of conflict.” In that course of, abruptly the controversy switches from whether or not the faculties have been closed too lengthy for COVID to why Republicans are letting our youngsters die. It places them on protection and you may belittle them, like, “How will you supply ideas and prayers when your inaction obtained these youngsters killed?”

In Chapter 10, “Tips on how to Give Wedgies,” you describe wedging as a messaging tactic, utilizing a political problem to divide the opposition and the voters, and to border the opposition occasion as a risk. You describe the workings of “the GOP’s two handiest wedgies,” abortion and gun possession. What’s your recommendation on how Democrats can do the identical? 

Clearly abortion is the primary problem for this cycle. Abortion politics have lengthy favored Republicans. They’re higher at messaging, so we outlined abortion as a selection, like going by means of a drive-through and getting a cup of espresso, and so they outlined it as life and homicide. You’ll be able to see in that body who’s obtained the rhetorical benefit. Additionally, they’ve at all times benefited from the fact of authorized abortion being in place. 

So the abortion debate has at all times centered, when it comes to morality, on the declare that these unborn, harmless kids are being murdered by egocentric ladies who obtained irresponsibly pregnant after which used abortion as a fast repair. Then, after Roe was repealed, the morality turns into not about hypothetical unborn infants. It turns into about actual, dwell ladies being tortured and ultimately somebody’s going to die.

We’re virtually two years out from Roe repeal now. We now have the 2022 midterms, the 2023 Virginia cycle and all of the particular initiatives which have occurred since then, and so they all inform us the very same factor. The Roe impact has mainly purchased the Democrats, on common, about eight factors improved efficiency in all the numerous contested partisan elections they’ve run in. That features swing races and all races. 

I used to be telling individuals to run on the specter of MAGA extremism, and the Roe repeal allowed them to take that summary declare and put it into one thing very tangible. So it is very, very concrete in that regard. It proves that Republicans will mislead you about your freedom. They have been on file for many years, all these justices saying, “Oh, the precedent is all settled,” proper? And the second they obtained an opportunity it was, “You haven’t any constitutional proper.” So getting individuals to run on that body, defining the Republicans as an extremist risk, was helped extremely by the Roe repeal.

I’ve solely targeted on a number of key chapters in your e book, so I do know you’ll have a solution to my final query. I at all times ask, what’s a very powerful query I did not ask? And what’s the reply? 

That’s positively the “why.” Why does Republican messaging work higher than ours? Why does not our wonky cerebral messaging, fact-checking and explaining the reality, being extra correct, appear to yield us dividends? And within the entrance half of the e book is the place I make the case as to why. The primary lesson from that, people, is that this: Regular Individuals, virtually half of them didn’t vote in 2020. They’re so tuned out of American politics that an election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the midst of an apocalypse did not catch their curiosity.  

After which, within the 60 p.c who bothered to indicate up in essentially the most consequential election in American historical past because the Civil Warfare, they know an amazing deal about deflate-gate in the event that they’re soccer followers, or about NASCAR or Taylor Swift or all of the sh** that persons are fascinated with, however for those who ask them about politics, they do not know.  

So the e book is designed to repair the inspiration that we’re constructed on. Our electioneering basis has been constructed on a flawed assumption. The American persons are loads sensible in terms of IQ. That does not imply they’re civically sensible. The reason being disinterest. Individuals do not comply with politics as a result of they do not care, and I present you guys in survey knowledge: Not solely do they not care, they’re sort of proud about not caring. We now have to fulfill the clay, the tough clay, the place it’s. If we’re coping with an voters that is aware of nothing, then we now have to verify it at the very least learns one factor: The trendy Republican Celebration is a fascist cult that is coming to steal your well being, your wealth, your freedom and your security.