Trump is a master at communication with his base. It would take an equally massive communication strategy to overcome his lies, smoke and mirrors. I think what disappoints me the most is the national media does a poor job of providing the rest of the story and the only people who are actually informed are getting their news from places that already agree with their positions. On the other hand I will never watch Fox
Great point about the need to re-tool our tax code to make more headway. I also think Mike McVey raises an interesting observation about anti-trust playing a role. Thank you!
Good article, Ed. It appears to be kind of a chicken and egg situation for the Dems. Which comes first- messaging that tariffs hurt most Americans or that there are better alternatives to offer than "no new tariffs?" Not just a message reacting to Trump policies but substance with stated actions. I agree with you- multinational tax policy overhaul is a big piece as is rejecting the idea that tariffs should be paying for tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. I also think that anti-trust is important, as well as an approach to regulations that isn't driven by large corporations (follow the lobbyist money) to be barriers to entry against new or smaller competitors. If the Dems (and Republicans) were to actually think about how to use tariffs properly, they'd be focused on having and communicating a strategy that speaks to what work should be brought back to the U.S. Demographically we CAN'T do it all without more immigrants entering the country legally or companies making huge investments in automation. Those things can depress wages, so how we go about incentivizing change needs to not turn out to just be another bait and switch that burns the typical American. Thanks for your insights.
Presumably, the best the Democrat Party could offer for an alternative was VP Harris. That didn't go well.
Using leverage to move others to a more palatable position is not new. Obviously, asking MX or CN to secure their side of the border wasn't working. Imposing the same restrictions on imported vehicles that others put on US vehicles in their country isn't somehow adversarial. Quite the opposite, it's a reaction that is equal.
It would seem the Democrat Party needs to completely remake/rebrand itself and remove those who throw insults if one disagrees, remove those who silence others, and develop alternatives that help the average American. I'll venture a guess that the aforementioned is highly unlikely until the "old guard" has retired. According to various polls taken after Pres. Trump's address of Congress, roughly 3/4 of Americans polled liked what they heard and an even greater percentage were appalled by the Democrat's reactions. When they get tired of digging their hole they'll need a more stable ladder than what they have today.
As an aside, it would be nice to have better alternatives in future elections.
Thanks Ed. I will re-post and send to tariff opponents (not all D's) and to Dem contacts. You are right, and I hope strategists understand and follow your insight.
First, D leaders in DC and other opponents to tariffs have to understand they are losing the messaging wars. When they accept they are losing (just saw MSNBC poll that confirms this), then your insight should resonate.
Thanks, Ralph. I'm sure there are some Republicans who don't like the tariffs. But, in Congress, anyway, they won't speak up--not in a way that matters.
I am writing our federal delegation about tariffs. Let's see what they say--realizing they won't publicly speak up. I do want to give them as much support to speak up privately, at least. I ask my repub friends to call and write.
The Dems had many chances to help the Working-class, and they really didn't care. Minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour. Try to eliminate student-debt and you would have an additional $2 trillion in the economy that would spur consumer spending at levels never seen before. Neither party will ever reform the BROKEN TAX CODE because they helped reform it for their wealthy donors. American workers will never get any breaks, the GOP hate labor unions and every Chamber of Commerce in the country is ANTI-UNION. When the country is PRO-BUSINESS AND ANTI-LABOR and our governments both state and national are ONLY WORKING FOR WALL STREET things will only get worse for the working-class. This Dilemma has been going on since 1981 when Mr. Ron Reagen threw the WORKING-CLASS under the bus. When you have a government of the wealthy, by the Wealthy, working for ONLY THE WEALTHY---THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF HOPE FOR THE OTHER 99%.
Trump is a master at communication with his base. It would take an equally massive communication strategy to overcome his lies, smoke and mirrors. I think what disappoints me the most is the national media does a poor job of providing the rest of the story and the only people who are actually informed are getting their news from places that already agree with their positions. On the other hand I will never watch Fox
Great point about the need to re-tool our tax code to make more headway. I also think Mike McVey raises an interesting observation about anti-trust playing a role. Thank you!
Good article, Ed. It appears to be kind of a chicken and egg situation for the Dems. Which comes first- messaging that tariffs hurt most Americans or that there are better alternatives to offer than "no new tariffs?" Not just a message reacting to Trump policies but substance with stated actions. I agree with you- multinational tax policy overhaul is a big piece as is rejecting the idea that tariffs should be paying for tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. I also think that anti-trust is important, as well as an approach to regulations that isn't driven by large corporations (follow the lobbyist money) to be barriers to entry against new or smaller competitors. If the Dems (and Republicans) were to actually think about how to use tariffs properly, they'd be focused on having and communicating a strategy that speaks to what work should be brought back to the U.S. Demographically we CAN'T do it all without more immigrants entering the country legally or companies making huge investments in automation. Those things can depress wages, so how we go about incentivizing change needs to not turn out to just be another bait and switch that burns the typical American. Thanks for your insights.
Thank you, Ed. I always learn something new, or how to better connect things I already knew, from your writings.
Presumably, the best the Democrat Party could offer for an alternative was VP Harris. That didn't go well.
Using leverage to move others to a more palatable position is not new. Obviously, asking MX or CN to secure their side of the border wasn't working. Imposing the same restrictions on imported vehicles that others put on US vehicles in their country isn't somehow adversarial. Quite the opposite, it's a reaction that is equal.
It would seem the Democrat Party needs to completely remake/rebrand itself and remove those who throw insults if one disagrees, remove those who silence others, and develop alternatives that help the average American. I'll venture a guess that the aforementioned is highly unlikely until the "old guard" has retired. According to various polls taken after Pres. Trump's address of Congress, roughly 3/4 of Americans polled liked what they heard and an even greater percentage were appalled by the Democrat's reactions. When they get tired of digging their hole they'll need a more stable ladder than what they have today.
As an aside, it would be nice to have better alternatives in future elections.
Thanks Ed. I will re-post and send to tariff opponents (not all D's) and to Dem contacts. You are right, and I hope strategists understand and follow your insight.
First, D leaders in DC and other opponents to tariffs have to understand they are losing the messaging wars. When they accept they are losing (just saw MSNBC poll that confirms this), then your insight should resonate.
Thanks, Ralph. I'm sure there are some Republicans who don't like the tariffs. But, in Congress, anyway, they won't speak up--not in a way that matters.
I am writing our federal delegation about tariffs. Let's see what they say--realizing they won't publicly speak up. I do want to give them as much support to speak up privately, at least. I ask my repub friends to call and write.
The Dems had many chances to help the Working-class, and they really didn't care. Minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour. Try to eliminate student-debt and you would have an additional $2 trillion in the economy that would spur consumer spending at levels never seen before. Neither party will ever reform the BROKEN TAX CODE because they helped reform it for their wealthy donors. American workers will never get any breaks, the GOP hate labor unions and every Chamber of Commerce in the country is ANTI-UNION. When the country is PRO-BUSINESS AND ANTI-LABOR and our governments both state and national are ONLY WORKING FOR WALL STREET things will only get worse for the working-class. This Dilemma has been going on since 1981 when Mr. Ron Reagen threw the WORKING-CLASS under the bus. When you have a government of the wealthy, by the Wealthy, working for ONLY THE WEALTHY---THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF HOPE FOR THE OTHER 99%.