The Subtle Democratic “Messaging Shift” That Could Pay Big Dividends

A rose by any other name still springs from a layer of shit

The first time I heard it, it didn’t make much of an impression, it was said almost in passing, and I thought it was just Biden being Biden. But he’s kept doing it, and now so are a couple of other Democrats, and I think I see the point. And it could work.

If these 2022 GOP primaries show nothing else, they show that, however strong Trump thinks his grip is on the party, there is still very much an active civil war going on in the GOP. And if I’m right, the Democrats may be about to capitalize on it.

On the Traitor tot side, everything is MAGA, MAGA, MAGA. When Trump endorsed JD Vance in Ohio, he called him a True MAGA candidate. When Sugar Daddy Matt Gaetz showed up to pimp for Vance, he spent almost all of his time pimping for Trump instead, but called Vance Ohio’s MAGA candidate. And in his victory dance, Vance called his victory the Rebirth of MAGA in Ohio. This is going on everywhere there are Trump anointed candidates.

But not everybody is riding the MAGA train. Many senior GOP leaders, like Mitch McConnell realize that His Lowness has a limited reach. And for good reason. A quarter of Ohio GOP voters voted for the lone anti Trump candidate. And the same night, Michigan Democrats flipped a House seat in a district that Trump won by double digits, and had been reliable GOP for more than 30 years. And so, moderate GOP leaders avoid all mention of Trump or MAGA, choosing instead to refer to it as The GOP, or The Republican party, trying to invoke images of your grandfather’s GOP, and keeping the moderates in the fold.

But I think the Democrats are starting to try to exploit that schism. It started a couple of weeks ago, when Biden made what seemed like an almost offhand comment referring to That MAGA crowd on the other side of the aisle. But listen to Biden’s recent speeches. In every one he refuses to mention the Republican party, or the GOP, instead calling them the Radical MAGA party of Trump. 

And now it’s reaching a crescendo. Since the leak of the first draft Alito ruling, Biden has taken to railing against the Extremist radical policies of the MAGA Trump party! And in recent post leak speeches, both Elizabeth warren, as well as VP Kamala Harris have spoken of the Radical anti woman policies of the MAGA party!

Personally, I love this strategy, as it’s so sneaky and subliminal. We’re barely into the GOP primaries, the third one will be Pennsylvania on Tuesday, and before the GOP even gets rolling, the Democrats are making a concerted effort to brand the entire Republican party as the radical, extremist MAGA party of Trump! And it can work, simply because The Trumpster Fire himself is giving them a giant assist, easily shouting down McConnell and the moderates in the media.

There are two possible windfalls the Democrats can reap from this strategy. Groups like Miles Taylor’s are out beating the bushes to motivate traditional conservative voters who normally skip the primaries to show up and bear MAGA candidates at the primary ballot box, keeping them off of the general election ballot.

As the primary calendar rolls on, every GOP voter goes to the polls with what should be a crystal clear choice. Either vote for the insane Trump MAGA crowd, or vote for a sane Republican you don’t have to hold your nose for when you punch a ballot. This could lead to some MAGA morons going down in flames in the primaries. Or, the sane moderates could just sit it out in protest and disgust, leading to more MAGAt’s on the November calendar, and more Democratic opportunities.

We’re all so used to seeing the GOP jump the gun and negatively brand a Democratic policy before the Democrats can even open their mouths. It’s nice for a change to see the Democrats first off the line, branding the GOP as a party of radicals before the GOP can even formulate a response. And it can be brutally effective. It worked for the GOP in 2009 during the ACA debate, not only causing a weaker bill, but also The Tea Party Revolt of 2010. The GOP doesn’t know how to message themselves right now, so the Democrats are doing it for them. And at the same time, they’re subliminally implanting the drastic choice message to moderate and independent voters ahead of November, when the choice will be sane Democrats against insane, anti woman MAGA morons. Keep up the good work guys!