Frank Schaeffer: how the Democratic Party can pry loose some Trump voters & win back White House

[MBS]

http://frankschaefferblog.com/2017/03/theres-only-one-way-the-democratic-party-can-win-back-the-white-house-and-congress-toss-a-lit-match-into-the-gas-can-of-trump-voters-perpetual-anger/

Speaking for myself, I still believe in the importance of facts and a positive message, and I am still convinced that, in order to win in 2018 and 2020, we have to have a clear positive agenda. I also do not think that reason-based arguments are futile. But I do agree that we have to get some of those Trump voters (or, maybe, more realistically, those citizens who didn't vote in 2016 but now wish they had) in a mood so that they will list to our arguments and our agenda. Still, Schaeffer makes some thought-provoking points. Schaeffer is a recovering ex-right wing evangelical, so he knows his topic (and Trump voters) intimately.

Put it this way: How does one talk someone mired in irrational beliefs into accepting fact-based reality? More to the point these days, how does one change a Trump voter’s mind and get her or him to reject Trump’s multiplying lies and vote for a Democrat next time? As one of my Facebook friends astutely commented “How do you reason someone out of a position that they themselves did not reason into?” My answer is—you can’t. But you can pry enough Trump voters out of the Republican Party and incite them to vote for Democrats, and thereby put a Democrat in the White House and dominate both houses of Congress for years to come.

First you have to understand how to do this.
Forget reason. Forget facts. Forget rational argument. Forget policy. Rather, think of distracting a greyhound chasing a rabbit. You won’t talk him out of it. There’s only one way: distract the mindless creature… with another rabbit. . . I have another sort of dark “expertise” besides knowing about changing minds related to my evangelical days: making people angry and using that anger to motivate political action. . .Other than being too pushy, why did I fail to talk evangelical friends and family into “seeing reason” and joining me in my flight from fundamentalist fantasy-land? For instance, how come actual facts about evolution or global warming or how and why some people are gay seemed never to count in arguments? (No, it isn’t because they “chose that sinful lifestyle.”) I didn’t change minds. I was just branded a traitor. . .
So… how does one entice a Trump voter to consider better options as the Great White Leader flails and fails? . . . Reason isn’t a talking point with the delusional. The real question is this: Do Democrats want to try to win arguments or actually win elections? Turns out that with the unhinged you can’t do both. With a whole swath of American voters Hillary’s sober charts, facts and policy statements never did stack up against Trump’s raw emotion. I get it. I left the evangelical fold (as I explained to Terry Gross on NPR’s “Fresh Air” a few years ago) because of raw emotion, not reason. . .

Facts? Not so much. Anger? Disappointment? Lashing Out? Conspiracy theories? Yes, we can! Trumpism can’t be cured or reasoned with. But many Trump voters can be goaded through their default-position anger to vote against the Republicans. To them this will soon feel like getting sweet revenge on Trump and “these Republicans” for betrayal. It will be another way of expressing rage as former Trump fans begin to perceive themselves as victims of Trump and the quiescent GOP. And for once that perception of victimhood will be factual. . .

. . . we need a Democratic Party version of jujitsu rather than more futile reasoned debate. Here’s where to begin: As Trump enters his third month in office, he’s already established at least one record: he’s the president most open and willing to use the prestige of the White House to enrich himself and his family. As health care slips away for the working elderly poor, as lower middle-class students are crushed by debt, as vets languish, as the lies mount… hammer home the Trump self-enrichment scheme! Turn his much bragged-about wealth against him! . . . opponents of Trump must pound on and repeat this theme: Trump is getting rich as he spreads misery on others. . .

Let it be shouted from the housetops: Trump didn’t “drain the swamp” but led his base into the swamp and then then mugged them there!
The Democratic Party must assiduously nurture feelings of disappointment and personal betrayal in the (aptly named) Trumped. Disappointment with and growing anger at Trump is the match that—when willfully, cleverly, and ruthlessly tossed again and again and again into the gas can of perpetual right wing resentment—will incinerate the GOP.

[FakeNoose]

1. If they see their jobs being saved

... it makes a difference.

If they see their healthcare benefits being saved, it makes a difference.
The environment is next to be destroyed and sold off, they can see it happening already.

All it takes is going to those areas and doing some good to help those Americans. They don't want to hear any more speeches. They really thought Trump was going to keep his promises and now they're seeing the truth.

So it's too late to go and make MORE promises, they won't listen. They're done listening.
It's time to do stuff, and show them that the Democratic Party really does have some answers for them.

[vlyons]

2. I respectfully disagree. Going after a few true-believer Trump voters is a lot of wasted energy

for very little return. And I refuse to enrage and fear-monger people to vote my way. Fear-mongering is beneath my dignity. I'm more interested in persuading you new voters and 3rd party voters to vote my way. If by that means a few not-die-hard Trump voters get flipped along the way, that's all well and good. We need to offer positive policy positions for more living wage jobs, affordable education and healthcare, childcare options, secure retirement with dignity, getting corrupt corporate money out of politics. If that means raising taxes on the rich and cutting defense spending, then so be it. Let's tell the truth. Let's be the party of positive truth tellers and not the party of rich bait and switcher con men. Focus more on bread and butter issues for families.

[Warpy]

5. I disagree. We wouldn't be going after a few.

Many of them are waking up to buyer's remorse. The threat of losing their health insurance woke them up. Dolt45's insistence on making wild accusations and spouting conspiracy theories without evidence is waking them up. And trust me, his tax "reform" that will lower his taxes and raise ours will wake a few of them up, also.

They'll be there for the taking and the party needs to appeal to them, the betrayed, the conned, the people who know they've been had even if they don't want to admit it to anyone else. Bait and switch con jobs are like that.

Oh, Doltie will still have his core true believers and there is nothing anyone can do to reach those. However, the doubters will be far more numerous and those are the ones the party needs to appeal to.

[vlyons]

6. I think that you and I are basically on the same page

There are Trump voters, who are neither loyal Trumpsters, nor loyal Republicans. They are people, who voted for Trump on a whim that things might change for the better. Not much different than people, who buy lottery tickets on the whim that maybe just maybe they might win. If we just focus on kitchen table issues, rather than social issues, we can win voters over. There is nothing that today's GOP will offer up that will appeal to people with a shred of common sense. We do need a younger, charismatic candidate however.

[still_one]

3. Go after the 47% who didn't vote

[LovingA2andMI]

4. Agreed!!!!

Label their "Candidate" as a Failure who lied like a dog to them because Trump is too "Rich" to give a flip-flying-shit about their daily lives -- then cite, failed policy to fail promise of Cheeto to back it up.

Frank Schaffer is on to something here. Trump has to be put in a cage, and the cage is FAILURE.

No one (except the Sheep Blind Followers of Cheeto) will vote for a failure. Vis-a-Vis Democratic Wins in 2018 & in 2020.

[TEB]

7. I hope the cage trump is put in is a federal prison cage

[Moostache]

8. I would begin preparing ads right now...

60 second spots with rapid cuts to lies told by Trump and his cabal, juxtaposed against images of homeless vets, poor children trying to open locked school doors, elderly eating from Iams cans, hospitalized patients tearfully leaving care facilities and such...these realities and Trump's casual almost non-existent relationship with the truth should run on an endless loop...

Just look at how bad he and his minions look trying to defend his actions in the first 60 days! By mid-terms, we should have enough material to run a new ad every day for a year without repeating a single lie...

[FiveGoodMen]

9. And hammer away at the same message day after day after day

The GOP gets a LOT of mileage from repetition.

There's no reason that we can't (or shouldn't) do the same.

[RussBLib]

10. Do it all

Focusing on the lies vs the reality will sway some. It's not fear-mongering if it's truthful.

Recruiting the millions who did not bother to vote will bring in more.

Dismantling gerrymandering and making it easier for people to vote, not harder, can put the Dems over the top.

Current Dems do not seem to have much fight in them, sadly.