I mean, what the hell is this all supposed to mean? Even the Politico writer seems to be having a hard time describing this beyond the topline “abundance” and “populism”
Democratic research finds voters prefer populism over ‘Abundance’
Populism is more electorally effective than the new “Abundance” agenda, a progressive think tank and Democratic operatives are arguing in a preview of the party’s messaging divisions ahead of next year’s midterms.
A memo obtained first by POLITICO cautioned Democrats about relying solely on the emergent school of thought, which criticizes overly bureaucratic regulations for slowing progress on housing production needed to drive down costs and infrastructure projects. It was penned by Kamala Harris campaign veterans Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster, and strategist Brian Fallon, along with the liberal economic group Groundwork Collaborative.
The strategists were joined by Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) in briefing Capitol Hill staffers and Democratic operatives this week on polling and focus group data to substantiate their argument. The group is expected to present its findings again to congressional Democrats early next week, according to a person directly familiar with the schedule and granted anonymity to discuss private meetings.
It would probably be better to come up with a policy plan of Not Being Crazy, but, they apparently just want to play to their hardcore wackadoodle moonbat base.
“While there are elements of the Abundance agenda that have appeal, and the choice on which messages to deliver is not zero-sum, a populist economic approach better solves for Democrats’ challenges with working-class voters,” the memo read. “If candidates are asking which focus deserves topmost billing in Democrats’ campaign messaging, the answer is clear: though some voters believe excessive bureaucracy can be a problem, it ranks far behind other concerns and tackling it does not strike voters as a direct response to the problem of affordability.”
It described affordability as voters’ primary concern, and posited they “see Abundance-style policy solutions as less responsive” to that problem.
Huh what?
The research — which tested populist-based messages versus the cutting-red-tape “Abundance” agenda — is among the first deep dives into the electoral potency of the movement, popularized by New York Times’ columnist Ezra Klein and writer Derek Thompson, who published a book by the same name last March.
It also comes as Democrats wrestle with how to move forward after sweeping losses in 2024, which underscored the party’s inability to focus on voters’ fiscal concerns. The battle over how to move forward with a unified economic message is still underway.
Sure looks like they are still taking the wrong message, but, hey, that’s a good thing. Seriously, this whole “abundance” message, where is it in practice? Where are Democrats cutting red tape? They talk a good game in, say, Los Angeles and Maui after the wildfires, but, in practice rebuilding is still stifled.
Progressives, led by Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), have pushed economic populism, arguing that the party must rebuild its relationship with working-class voters by vilifying billionaires and corporate power. That’s more in line with what the memo argued will reach voters, as “majorities of Democrats and independents and two in five Republicans believe the outsized power of billionaires and corporations in our government is a bigger problem than red tape and bureaucracy.”
Their version of economic populism is still government control, and this is what the Democratic Socialists of America folks in Congress want. Is that popular? It’s still the same old Big Government message in different wrapping paper. And, please, they’re still going to take massive amounts of money from the uber-millionaires and billionaires.
But other Democrats favor Klein’s and Thompson’s diagnosis, which takes aim at bureaucratic inefficiencies and over regulation for stymieing growth on ambitious, Democrat-backed projects around housing, infrastructure and climate change. Pro-“Abundance” Democrats see it as an answer to the party’s eroding trust on delivering for voters, especially in blue cities and states, by failing to prove that the government can still execute effectively.
They can talk all they want, this will never happen if they have any say about it.
The presentation also included a video of “examples of populist framing,” featuring a campaign ad from Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a speech from Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff arguing that “corruption in America runs a lot deeper than Donald Trump,” and debate excerpts from Rep. Vincente Gonzalez, attacking grocers for “price gouging.”
Literally just playing to the moonbat base, not the general voting public. Heck, not even to the more normal Democrats. It’s also a message that says “we think you peasants are stupid.” Democrats will still run on being pro-illegal alien, pro-spending, pro-taxation, pro-Big Government, pro-red tape, anti-Israel/Jews, etc and so on.
