Monday, November 7, 2011

Crafting a Progressive Message

The following are questions and responses taken from a recent Democracy Corps poll (hat tip The Democratic Strategist):



"The big banks got bailed out but the middle class got left behind. Our economy works for Wall Street CEOs but not for the middle class. America isn't supposed to only work for the top one percent."

Agree: 75% Disagree: 20%

"Our economy is upside down. The majority of America is in a recession, but Wall Street is doing better than ever. Regular people work harder and harder for less and less while Wall Street CEOs enjoy bigger bonuses than ever. If American's economy isn't working for the 99 percent, it's not working"

Agree: 81% Disagree: 15%

"The promise of the American Dream is that if you work hard and play by the rules you can make a good life for you and your family. But right now, 99 percent of Americans only see the rich getting richer and everyone else getting crushed. And they're right."

Agree: 72% Disagree: 25%

"The only way to create prosperity in America is to give our economy back to the free market, not try to destroy it. The liberal elite who are now occupying Wall Street do not understand how capitalism and business work"

Agree: 62% Disagree: 29%

"America has succeeded because of hard work and competition, not because we expect government to give us things for free. For too long, Americans have spent money they couldn't afford, driving up personal and government debt."

Agree: 85% Disagree: 11%

"The top 1 percent are the ones who create jobs in this country. They are already overburdened with job-killing regulations and high corporate taxes. We need to create a climate that encourages business, not one that gives in to protestors."

Agree: 61% Disagree: 32%


The first three questions and answers seem to support a Progressive position. The second three sound Conservative. What gives?





Take a look at this chart, taken from a somewhat earlier Democracy Corps poll:


The 99% story resonates. The middle class has been clobbered, while the rich have just gotten richer. Wall Street is the heart of the problem: they caused the problem, but because of the bailouts, they have not suffered. This unfairness, this tilting of the scales against the 99%, threatens the entire American project.

Yet Americans are worried about deficits and debt levels. They remain free marketers and do not think government, certainly not by itself, can create jobs. And both government and private households have been irresponsible in adding too much debt.

Radical unfairness and big government spending is not the answer.

So how to craft a Progressive message in this context? Democracy Corps found several message themes that resonated: No Old Politics - Look Forward (It doesn't matter who screwed up. Let's not look backwards. Let's go forward to invest in our future and put the middle class back to work). Nationalist (Let's invest in American competitiveness and go out and eat China's lunch). Reform (It's time to copy Teddy Roosevelt and institute Progressive reforms to rebalance the scales and open up the Playing Field).

Americans are telling us that they do have big concerns about US debt and that we need the "job creators" to help us get out of this mess. So deficit spending has to be positioned as investment, and financial/Wall Street reform must be seen, not as vindictiveness or revenge, but rather as concerted efforts to improve the efficiency, safety AND fairness of the system.

The Progressive must make the case for growth - pointing to the serial messes that austerity is giving us in England and the Eurozone. You cannot cut yourself to health, as Europe is showing us. You must have growth. For that, in our balance sheet recession, with the consumer holding back and business cautious, we need government to invest. If we grow, and our growth is faster than the rate of inflation, we will work down our debt, even with deficits. We must keep our eye out for inflation, but given our excess capacity, that risk is a long way down the road. And growth means jobs. And jobs means a fighting chance to level the playing field.

The Cut-Cut-Cut/Austerity approach makes no sense. Investment in growth should resonate. The Big Question is how much reform must be part of the story and is Obama willing and able to stand in a more strongly reformist position. I am one of the few folks who thinks Obama mostly knew what he was doing when he entered the debit ceiling debate (and ultimate disaster) - he was establishing his and the Party's credentials as understanding Americans' concern for deficits, and demonstrating his will to do something about it.

Was he blindsided? Most likely. I think he thought a Grand Deal was possible. But I believe he saw the risks, and felt he could not let Republicans own the debt reduction domain.

Now that he has some credibility with America as being more than your standard "tax and spend liberal", an investment and growth strategy makes sense.

Not fairness alone. Fairness and growth.



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