Seeing the center left trying to cannibalize the left here in PA and I have some thoughts. Thread.

first of all, let’s just name the structural barriers in the way of victories for Democrats right now:
gerrymandered districts
some of the worst voting laws in the country, even with Act 77.
a raging pandemic
an economic crisis that makes voter contact even harder.

In addition, as @dandoubet and I raised the alarm about last year, Act 77 eliminated straight party ticket voting, which is not a permanent barrier to wins for us, but it certainly is a curve ball that will require the training of voters over time.

One way the party and its caucuses have failed so far (but which I KNOW they will work to fix) is creating pipelines of talent when it comes to staff. We need more training, more mentorship structures, and we need healthcare for staff.

When we create a work environment when talented people from marginalized backgrounds can invest in their careers and in their communities, we win races. @MikeZabel is in office right now because he took a chance on someone who knew their district.

I forgot to note this and it’s worth mentioning, but progressives will always be at a fundraising disadvantage, but that does not mean we are unable to fundraise. It means we have to be incredibly thoughtful about how we spend.

It means we have to stop spending piles of money on comms shops that dump money on TV or push bad mail strategy who have no idea what they are doing.

A great prevention strategy is to hire CMs who know the district and push back in those meetings.

Our candidates know their districts and love them, but for too many of them this is their first time absorbing any of this industry. They need an advocate. We are not creating and investing in those pipelines nearly enough.

LET’S DISCUSS MESSAGING. it’s an area of expertise.

Here are things that will absolutely guarantee losses:
watering down our message
being afraid of a back and forth with constituents/voters, to try to bridge gaps between best policy for people and opinion

Here are all the candidates in tough districts who supported #MedicareForAll and won: https://twitter.com/jonathancohn/status/1324732079733616641

We move public opinion by TALKING about these issues. It is slow, hard work. In districts where we lose by 10 points instead of 12, or where we increase the number of registered voters, THAT IS ALSO A WIN. I know that is a tough pill for many to swallow.

Additionally, we create opportunity for victories by running people who look like our communities, even if the evidence of those victories is again, slow.