Democracy for America’s CEO Yvette Simpson appeared on This Week and held her own as she neutralized naysayers with the message Democrats must relay.
Yvette Simpson presented the winning message.
Yvette Simpson is one of the most articulate representatives of the Progressive message, specifically the message that appeals to most Americans. Unfortunately, two often, she is not given the space and latitude on these news programs dominated by corporate and neoliberal messaging.
Today was a different day for Simpson. She used three of her four major slots on the panel to be clear and concise. She wasted none of it. She had three important narratives.
When asked about the meaning of the abortion win, she expanded it to a full court press by Democrats. They must play in rural, urban, and suburban areas.
“I think Kansas is the exact opposite,” Yvette Simpson said. “It shows that this was an issue that people agree with. And when we get on the ground, and we organize voters in a red state across the state, in cities and rural areas and suburbs, people show up. And so, unfortunately for Republicans, unfortunately for us, if we continue this same momentum if we make abortion access the issue. We might actually have enough energy to pull it off.”
Simpson then points out that Democrats cannot rely on the new massive semi-progressive bill, the Inflations Reduction Act (IRA), because it misses too much for the average poor and middle-class citizen.
“I think the reality is we continue to debate about whether there’s inflation, whether we’re in a recession, and if you just ask people, they’re struggling,” Simpson said. “And I don’t know if the IRA is going to get there. … People are still suffering. Child care was not in there. Paid leave was not in there. We still have issues with wages. People are still feeling the pain. And if the issue at the ballot box is, do you feel like we’re in a recession, we’re going to lose on that? Do you feel like there’s inflation? We’re going to lose on that. We need to make sure we’re showing the American people that we’re doing everything we can to make them secure. And a small win on gas prices and a bill on climate right now is not going to get us all the way there.”
And then Simpson hit the coup de grace. Republicans have given Democrats a gift.
“The Republicans are giving us gifts in the form of election deniers and people with rap sheets a mile long,” Simpson said. “You got Dr. Oz, you got Herschel Walker, you got J.D. Vance — these folks who do not relate to the people in their states cannot connect with anybody. And people don’t have faith in them. And I think we’ve been very fortunate on the other side. We’ve got some strong candidates who are going to take them on in Raphael Warnock and John Fetterman and, you know, others. So I think we have to make sure that that is the story, not necessarily about what people are feeling. But the alternative is a Republican Party that doesn’t believe in elections that storm the Capitol on January six. These folks who are abusers and this issue with Marjorie Taylor Greene praying with a guy in a cell. I mean, the Republican Party is a wacko party. The alternative is that you’ve got to go with the Democrats.”
Yvette Simpson nails it. Every Progressive and Democrat must take it all into consideration, modify the edges to fit their district, and bring home the win to save our Democracy. We may not have optimally Progressive candidates in all races, but we know they all believe in at least the minimum form of Democracy.