Activists must ensure that as the primary season gets active that they push the most Progressive candidates. We will work on district-specific messaging after the primaries to tailor the message for the particular constituency. Remember, most Americans want progressive programs even if they are not self-described Progressives or Liberals.
If one wants some evidence of this reality, consider the election last night of Democrat Patty Schachtner in Wisconsin. She won her the vote by 9 points in a district Donald Trump won by 17, a 26 point turnaround. Protect Our Care posted the following on their site.
Last night, Democrat Patty Schachtner, the chief medical examiner of St. Croix County, Wisconsin, won a special election for an open state Senate seat by 9 points. Voters in the district supported Donald Trump by 17 points just 15 months ago, and the seat had not been held by a Democrat since the turn of the century.
One of the big issues in the race was health care, and below is an example of direct mail Schachtner’s campaign used extensively to highlight the consequences of the GOP’s health care repeal. Just like in Virginia, where health care was the top issue for voters and Democrats came away victorious, voters are rejecting Republicans who embrace the GOP war on health care. In fact, recent national polling conducted by Hart Research and Protect Our Care found that health care was the number one issue among voters surveyed.
If Republicans want to stop losing, they should stop their war on health care.
Ironically, many in the broadcast mainstream media while talking about a potential blue wave are not reporting the real driving force behind these victories. Americans want support from their government that follows progressive principles. It is imperative that Progressive running for office ignore those who are pushing false centrism on economic issues and run with the ball. Tell Americans how you will make life better for them with specifics and not the double talk the Right must use to confuse citizens into voting for them.