The power of simplicity: How to answer when someone asks why you’re a Democrat
Let’s work on tightening up the Democratic message
Republicans have a simple answer. Democrats don’t.
Someone asked me a number of months ago why I’m a Democrat. Surprisingly, the question put me at a loss for an answer, beyond citing support for specific positions and bewilderment and rising hostility at those who hold opposing viewpoints.
The problem is, that type of answer is not enough. And it didn’t strike me as real, truthful, or persuasive, especially if I wanted to convince someone who is on the fence why they should lean one way or the other. So I got to searching and trying to work through a cohesive position statement, one that encapsulates Democratic values and could act as a rallying cry.
Here’s where I’ve landed so far.
The starting point: “We the people”
That’s kind of it. That’s the whole ballgame.
Does it seem too simple? Like something you’d read in a middle school civics class? Maybe. But a simple, easy-to-grasp statement that defines our core values seems like something pretty useful right now. Especially since Democrats keep confessing to a message problem (as in they don’t have one). Here’s how it might play out:
As Democrats, we look at the constitution as a social contract. Where we all have a responsibility to look out for each other, to help each other live in peace and relative prosperity, where we can all live up to our potential, and be healthy, safe, and happy.
To us, government isn’t a separate thing that’s interfering with our rights. Government is us. It’s the way we express our collected self-determination, where we have a voice in choosing how we want to live and the rules we all want to live by through our elected representatives.
Think of your family or your neighborhood. If your sister needed help, say money or a job or medicine, and you had the chance to give it to her, wouldn’t you do it? How about your next door neighbor? You’re there when things are tough, ready to pitch in and lend a hand. Family, friends, and neighbors. That’s what binds us all together as Americans, and the fact that we have a big say in how the rules are set up to help each other out and prosper together is what makes our democracy work.
Democrats look at things from the regular person’s point of view
That’s the value system for Democrats. We see things from the regular person’s point of view. And you can see how that kind of thinking works in all sorts of areas.
It means that taxes help pay for things that we all need to help us live and prosper: roads, schools, financing to spur technological advancement (like the Internet, medical breakthroughs, and space exploration), national defense, protection from harm, and protection for the planet.
It means that everyone should have an equal say (through an equal vote) in how the rules are set up. My vote and voice and influence should count the same as someone who makes a lot more money than I do.
From the regular person’s point of view, it means that we should be protected from bad acts that companies want to take in the name of “just doing business.” Like dumping waste into our rivers. Or selling cars with faulty wiring. And then limiting the amount of money we can sue them for.
Using words that mean something to all us regular folks
Here’s an exercise I use when I want to figure out what I think of a particular issue or rule.
I replace certain words with words from my own point of view. So when I think of “government,” as in “government oversight” or “government rules,” I replace “government” with “we” or “our.” Because government is part of our agreement, our social contract. It’s how we get things done through our collective voice. Then I take a word like “regulations” and replace it with a word from my point of view — I mean, I’m not being regulated. I’m not a corporation. From my point of view, I’m being “protected.”
So a line that might come straight from a set of Republican talking points, like:
“The government needs to remove regulations that interfere with businesses’ ability to make a profit …”
… from a Democratic point of view becomes something like:
“We need to get rid of rules that were put in place to protect people if they interfere in any way with businesses’ ability to make a profit.”
Through that type of value-based filter, a Democratic viewpoint might resonate with a lot more folks. It makes for a pretty compelling starting point — erring on the side of protecting everyday folks, and then see where the middle ground is.
Republicans know simple messages have power
Yes, it may seem intuitive and simple. But, as Republicans have shown us time and time again, simple messages are powerful, especially when they have meaning behind them.
Axis of Evil, Tear Down This Wall, Compassionate Conservatism, Make America Great Again …
These are the types of basic rallying cries that evoke emotions because they ring true for a lot of people.
Democrats have emotions on their side as well, and rich, substantive values to support them. Values like fairness, equal opportunity, and a collective voice. Values encapsulated beautifully by Paul Wellstone: “We all do better when we all do better.”
So let’s do it. Let’s work on tightening up the Democratic message, and make sure we stay committed to filtering our thoughts through that framework when we’re talking about positions. At the very least, we’ll have a unified and more convincing answer when someone asks why we’re Democrats. And in the end, hopefully, we’ll be able to sum up with, “So why aren’t you a Democrat?”
