Triage, Part Three – Understanding Messaging

Democrats in Wright County need to learn from Lisa Demuth. Now that you hate me, let me explain.

I want to start by saying that most Democratic candidates and leaders in Wright County are sincere. They are dedicated and they work hard. But this alone doesn’t win elections. Most Republican candidates and leaders out here are sincere, dedicated and they work hard, too. And they are the ones who consistently win the elections.

It’s possible that I use the word “messaging” in a way that is idiosyncratic to me. To an extent, I am talking about the content of the message. I am also talking about how the message is delivered. Not “what” is said, but “how” it is said. And importantly, I am talking about what should not be said.

The typical Democratic candidate out here thinks they have to spill their guts about everything. They think this because they are inexperienced, they don’t know any better, and no one is around to teach them. In part, this is also because of the cluster that is the current Democratic party, and the party’s reluctance or inability to formulate a tightly controlled message.

Democratic candidates often just make a laundry list of everything they support, and everything they oppose. So, they will say they are for affordability, better schools, fighting fraud, forcing doctors to charge less for their services, increasing taxes on rich people, trans rights, gun control, access to abortion, ranked choice voting, and the list goes on. Interminably.

The Democratic candidates who say all these things believe that people will read the list, find one issue they support, and vote for that candidate because of that one issue. It might be pretty to think this, but it is wrong. Instead, people will read the list, find one issue they disagree with (or more than one thing) and vote against that candidate because of that one issue.

This is where we need to take a page from the playbook of Lisa Demuth. We might not like her policies, but she is a smart, savvy campaigner. If Democrats did not have such a strong candidate in Amy Klobuchar, Lisa Demuth would likely be our next governor. What we, the Democrats, need to worry about in Wright County is that Amy Klobuchar did very poorly out here in 2024, which means that Lisa Demuth will carry Wright County, and that influence will favorably impact Republican down ballot races.

So, what does Lisa Demuth say when she is interviewed?

Lisa Demuth says there are three issues, and only three issues:

1.         Ending fraud.

2.         Affordability.

3.         Improving Education.

She says three things that everyone, Republicans and Democrats, agree with. She does not give voters a reason to vote against her.

When Demuth was specifically asked about abortion rights, she said that that is not an issue in this election, so she would not talk about it. Of course, it is well known that Demuth is anti-choice, but she will not talk about it in the campaign because she knows that one issue will alienate people who are pro-choice.

Democrats should take the same position on abortion. They should say that it is not an issue in this election. That way, they will not alienate people who are anti-choice. And the fact is, abortion is not an issue in this election. This is because the Minnesota supreme court resolved the issue in the case Minnesota v. Gomez, 542 N.W.2d 17 (Minn. 1995). The court ruled that the Minnesota constitution grants broader protections for abortion than the federal constitution.

Demuth is right. Abortion is not an issue in this election and Democrats should shut up about it.  Talking about this issue only loses votes.

The effectiveness of Demuth’s message is that it does not challenge the voter’s identity. This point is so important! (Please go back and review everything I have written about Identity Politics.) Demuth’s message is also effective because no one can disagree with her stance on these three issues. I mean, if you are a Democrat, are you going to say that Demuth is wrong about affordability, and that things should cost more? Of course not.

To win elections, candidates need to not lose votes. They avoid losing votes by keeping the message simple. Candidates should always talk in groups of three. Psychologically, people can keep track of three issues, and no more. Keep the message about primary colors, not shades of gray.

Finally, your “look” is part of your messaging. If you are a rock star who dresses like Keith Richards, this says something about your music and your attitude about life. If you are a rock star who wears a suit and tie like Elvis Costello, this says something else about your music and attitude about life. It is appropriate for country musicians to wear cowboy hats when they perform. It is not appropriate for an orchestra conductor to wear a cowboy hat when she is conducting. Think context!

In Wright County, candidate clothing should be aspirational. People do not aspire to dress like unfortunate people, in T shirts, jeans, and dirty shoes. They might dress that way because it’s all they can afford. But most people aspire to dress a little nicer, though not necessarily the Brooks Brothers crisp suit, white shirt, and tie. A candidate should dress for the job they want, not the job they have. How a candidate looks says something about how they feel about themselves. So, if a candidate looks like they are lined up outside a bar waiting for the meat raffle to begin, they are probably going to lose some votes. This is true for Republicans and Democrats.  

Over the past thirty years, Democrats have dug a hole for themselves in Wright County that appears impossible to crawl out of. The way to get out of this hole that we are in is to stop digging. We need to do something different. Instead of recycling the same losing campaigns and the same losing candidates, we need to adopt a new approach that is based on proven marketing principles. We need to learn how to persuade, and we will not persuade soft Republicans and Independents by challenging their identity. 

Keep the message simple.