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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(132,944 posts)
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 01:25 PM Wednesday

Democrats advised not to center midterm campaigns on attacking Trump

Political strategists say Democrats running in competitive races in this year’s midterm elections for the House and Senate should steer clear of making President Trump the centerpiece of their campaigns.

While Trump’s approval ratings are low and Americans have been frustrated by his job performance in the first year of his second term, the strategists say the key to winning is to home in on economic issues — particularly affordability.

“The fight to win 2026 will be on the economy and affordability. It’s not going to be on the Epstein files,” said Susan Del Percio, a veteran Republican strategist who has never supported the president. “They shouldn’t take the bait on Trump. Even if they want to talk about Venezuela, you can’t talk about it too much.”

It’s not as though Trump won’t be mentioned, people familiar with the strategy of the House Democrats’ campaign arm say. It’s that the president will be secondary to the primary focus of how Democrats can make the economy better.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/democrats-advised-not-center-midterm-110000593.html

19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Demsrule86

(71,492 posts)
2. No offense intended to any Dem who may have said this, but that is fucking stupid...midterms are always about
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 01:31 PM
Wednesday

the president...and jf we don't do it who will? Not C BS or other news stations...Honestly, we need new blood primary Democrats who won't fight for us and attack Trump with gusto...we have a president who is attempting to start WW3.

BannonsLiver

(20,282 posts)
19. Agree
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 03:30 PM
Wednesday

One of the biggest shortfalls of the Harris campaign was making it solely about defining Trump as a threat to democracy. Meanwhile anyone who gave a shit about that was off the fence years and years ago. It was a substantial miscalculation.

mr715

(2,756 posts)
5. Gotta love those political strategists
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 01:39 PM
Wednesday

They know everything! Then something happens and they get very surprised. Somehow they manage to eak out $$$ no matter how many times they fail.

This entire class of employee needs to divorce itself from the Democratic party. Strategy is usually predicated on winning. If you keep losing, you are no longer a strategist - you are a corpse.

So, these political tacticians need to recalibrate because they have been wrong about everything, always. Want to win? Watch Mamdani.

EdmondDantes_

(1,393 posts)
6. I agree he shouldn't be the focus
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 01:41 PM
Wednesday

It didn't work in 2016 or 2024. If you want to talk about how his policies are screwing with the economy, that's good. But telling everyone he's a threat to democracy, or his supporters are a basket of deplorables, that's been shown to not be effective.

Chasstev365

(7,143 posts)
8. Hey Skippy the DC Pollster:
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 01:46 PM
Wednesday

Are you fucking kidding me?

Why do Democrats always have to be nice with a positive message that is never covered by the corporate media, yet Republicans can be a nasty and partisan as they want which often works with dumbass voters? Collectively your advice has not worked since Newt Gingrich and the Contract on America!

If it were up to me I would fire the lot of you and hire consultants that would be brutal and effective at crucifying Trump and the Republicans WITH THE TRUTH!

Trump is insane, capable of starting WW III and or wanting to put his political opponents in concentration camps, and you want Democrats to go easy?

OMFG: Your strategy sucks!

leftstreet

(38,875 posts)
12. +1
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 02:08 PM
Wednesday

He can't run again, so the OrAngE mAn BaD is pointless

The recent Democratic wins have shown it's POLICIES!!

Quiet Em

(2,552 posts)
10. I think "Get the f*ck out of our cities" with an added
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 02:00 PM
Wednesday

and "get the f*ck out of our lives" should be part of the message in the midterm campaigns.

Scrivener7

(58,401 posts)
11. Put Walz in charge of messaging. His stuff had legs, and they gagged him. Set him free.
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 02:05 PM
Wednesday

They ARE smelly, they ARE weird, things ARE too expensive, they ARE protecting pedophiles, our foreign policy IS batshit crazy. And now they ARE killing innocent American citizens.

mr715

(2,756 posts)
14. I agree with you like 99.999% of the time.
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 02:13 PM
Wednesday

He was on point and the moment the Harris campaign shifted from highlighting Gov. Walz to Rep. Cheney, I knew it was a fuck up.

Walz and Klobuchar need to be messaging on this because they are pit bulls and it happened in their backyard.

betsuni

(28,736 posts)
16. Attack Trump: accused of ignoring the economy. Don't attack enough: not fighting or understanding Trump's threat.
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 03:13 PM
Wednesday

Democrats have never ignored the economy.

Deminpenn

(17,299 posts)
17. All the Dems I've heard recently are focused on the cost to live and the cost of living
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 03:25 PM
Wednesday

Trump himself is irrelevent, but the policies he and his R enablers have foisted on Americans aren't.

Most Americans' impressions of Trump are already baked in, He got elected again because too many voters had a hissy fit over prices rising during covid and kept it for 4 years while completely ignoring the quick economic recovery.

dalton99a

(92,179 posts)
18. Fuck that shit. The Republican Party is the Party of Trump. You cannot attack Republicans without attacking Trump
Wed Jan 7, 2026, 03:30 PM
Wednesday

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