Turning up the heat on Trump: Dems say 'culture of corruption' to be focus of midterms

[ehrnst]

The party has decided to go full drain the swamp on the president's administration, after debating whether to target economic issues or alleged wrongdoing in the coming elections.

"The swamp has never been more foul or more feted than under this president," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said at a news conference on the Capitol steps.

But midterm elections have often functioned as a referendum on the president. And the strategy is acknowledgment that the opposition party may be better off swimming with the anti-Trump tide and harnessing the energy among progressives.

"The problem is that a lot of people hear that (economic) message, they agree with that message, but they're not convinced that we can actually get it done because they view Washington as captured by special interests," Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., who helped craft the new strategy, told NBC News.

"We realized that every other message we're putting out there needs to be accompanied by a democracy reform agenda," Sarbanes continued. "We think that that caffeinates every other message that we're delivering."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/turning-heat-trump-dem-charges-corruption-be-key-focus-midterms-n876161

[Gothmog]

1. We need to have oversight over trump

[renate]

2. I'm no expert but this seems like a big mistake to me

It's not exactly news to 60% of us that Trump is horrible and that the swamp is more corrupt than ever. There can't be more than a tiny number of people in this country who are persuadable towards or away from him and the swamp any more--that's not where to focus.

People want to hear how a political party is going to improve their lives, not just that the opposing party sucks. Focusing on him is just going to lead to another 2016. And "democracy reform" is not going to get anybody's motor running.

Give us specifics. What are Democrats going to do for us that they can't do with the GOP in charge? That's what voters want to know.

[ehrnst]

6. You might want to jump in to this thread...

which says the opposite...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10637509

[Thrill]

3. Yawn!

Focus on tax cuts for the rich and little to nothing for the working class. Cuts to programs the poor and working class need, their attempts to mess with Medicare and social security. Rising gas prices. Everyone knows a Trump is a crook. And they simply don’t give a shit. The message should be the threat Republicans are to your pocketbook.

Damn, they desperately need someone like Dean to organize their message. They’re pitiful.

[ooky]

4. Agree. And emphasize how much of this is connected to

promises he didn't keep.

The corruption message, while true, will simply be called fake news and largely ignored by the voters we need to swing toward democrats. But its hard to call his lack of any actions on tangible things like health care costs or infrastucture anything but unkept promises. And there are lots of objective, unkept promises to make the Republicans own, many of which are hurting Trump voters.

[ehrnst]

5. I said this in response to another poster who thought leadership should be

saying this every week in a press conference, and until they do, they will be "useless."

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10637509

[ooky]

7. Great minds think alike. n/t

[Hortensis]

8. Thrill, to me your response is pitiful and a huge indicator

of how Republicans get in power. They need a lot of help to fool people they're better and get it.

Whiny defeatism masquerading as cynical realism is still just pitiful whiny defeatism.

[Thrill]

10. No ignoring my response is how Republicans stay in charge

Ignoring they have a messaging problem is how you get surprised by Trump wins and idiots like Johnson beating people like Feingold

[ehrnst]

13. You have some influence

that contradicting you will "keep Republicans in charge."

[Hortensis]

9. Thrill, to me your response is pitiful and a huge indicator

of how Republicans get in power.

Whiny defeatism masquerading as cynical realism is still just pitiful whiny defeatism. Weaponized corruption doesn't just kill by persuading conservatives to support corruption but also through transforming others into sniveling losers who surrender instead of fighting.

[Thrill]

11. It's not defeatism. It's sounding the alarm now

Before you’re asking the question again, how did they win again?

[ehrnst]

14. How did who win? (nt)

[Hortensis]

15. Little late for the alarm. Too late to surrender for

2016, btw, and too early for 2018 and 2020. Don't know how two posts happened in the middle of one, but if the distraction delayed posting more of this pitiful, dispiriting, demoralizing badmouthing elsewhere, fine.

Btw, James Clapper says the Kremlin had thousands of Twitter accounts and tens of thousands of bots that posted more than a million tweets. Then there's Facebook... He's said flat out the Russians got Trmp elected, and Hillary defeated.

Perhaps that's what's happening, Surrender before voting and turning people to vote against Democrats for spite and/or just phony disillusionment was and is their battle strategy.

[heaven05]

12. we need unity

this post IS NOT an example of Party unity. We need total unity at this juncture in our history as a country of diverse people fighting fascism, corruption, LIES from on high, racism, sexism....need I go on? We are a strong Party when it's understood that we must fight harder. I think this present potus and his AG have given us cause. Quit attacking please, not really helpful.

[Gothmog]

16. I like the Democrats' game plan

Trump is running a very corrupt administration