WASHINGTON WATCH: Facing New Midterm Trouble, Democrats Must Take Action -- Quick
Even with just weeks to go, Democrats still have Internet time -- if they choose to use it
How a few weeks have changed things.
It was not too long ago that Democrats were charging full-steam ahead, looking to buck historical trends and power their way to success in the November midterm elections based on the widespread fear and anger stirred by the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the popular Roe v Wade and upend nearly a half century of national abortion rights.
That abortion-fueled fervor apparently has given way to the fear and worry voters have over inflation and the US economy — once again pushing Republicans towards retaking Washington power.
Left-leaning YouTuber Farron Cousins, in his words, began sounding “alarm bells” this weekend, given that Democrats — once a solid 5 points ahead in the generic ballot question in opinion polling — now sit 6 points behind Republicans.
That's potentially blowout, landslide territory for the Democrats, according to Cousins.
With just a couple of weeks to go, Cousins doesn't think that Democrats have time to turn things back around.
And he could well be right.
But I'm not entirely sure.
Democrats still, after all, have access to that nifty little gadget known as the Internet.
Messages, as we've all seen, put online have the potential to “go viral” and change the political conversation — and dynamic — within days, if not hours.
Moreover, they also have access to some of the best and brightest political messaging shops out there — MeidasTouch, for instance, and others.
They've already proven that they can move the needle on such races as the Herschel Walker challenge to Democratic Sen Raphael Warnock, of Georgia, for example.
It's time for these outfits to go into high gear now to get some new, powerful content out there right away to change the electoral narrative back in the direction of the Democrats — and in time, of course.
I'll leave it to these experts in spin to craft the best spots and content.
However I would add to what is quickly becoming the empirically supported truth that it won't be sufficient simply to bang the abortion drums even harder — or even plead in heartfelt tones that President Biden and the Democrats are doing their level best to tame pernicious inflation. (Even though that's very clearly true.)
Rather, the new messages have to focus “like a laser beam” on the economy — but do so with some dramatic new messages, and messages that in this final stretch of campaigning, takes the fight directly to where the Republicans live and put the right-wingers squarely back on the defensive once again.
Editor's Note: Washington Watch is our occasional column on the news and happenings in Washington DC and national politics.
Please consider supporting our work by joining our Patreon for as little as $5…
Also, please subscribe…