Should Democrats Break Their Promises?

Will from Cincinatti calls in to ask about a piece written that said Democrats should campaign on popular policies and then not follow through. The article contended that it's better to not get anything done than let Republicans run attack ads on what you did accomplish.

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Will: Hey Sam this is will from Cincinnati.

Sam: Will from Cincinnati what's on your mind?

Will: Hey I wanted to talk to you guys about the David shore piece I was making the rounds about popularism. I don't know if you guys addressed it I missed the first half of the show. Sam: Haven't. Have not. Have not. I’m really going to get into that soon I think next week but yes go ahead.

Will: Well I read the piece I read some of the discourse I got very frustrated at Matt Yglesias whose take basically asserting that democrats would be better to campaign on popular policies and the political penalties for implementing popular policies is greater than just not doing it. Do you know? Like that the common wisdom just blows my mind.

Sam: Articulate that again. Say that again sometimes.

Will: Let me reword it matt Iglesias and David shore from what I understand from the piece are basically stating that the common wisdom is that democrats should campaign on popular things and not actually implement it because of the potential blowback of implementing popular policy from like you know bad faith republican attack ads would be greater than just not implementing it at all.

Sam: So the blowback from implementing popular policies would be worse than not implementing the popular policies. That's what you're saying that there are.

Will: That's my understanding that there'd be less blowback if you just promise good things and not do it from your base than the political blowback from bad faith Republican attack ads and.

Sam: Yeah well part of the problem I have with that is that: A. we played that medicare ad the other day it really doesn't matter. What I mean is democrats don't get to dictate what republicans do. I would argue that it is really just a question of space. When you don't do these things you create a vacuum. You create a vacuum. and I agree with the idea that like you know voters just get you to know what ultimately voters here the vast majority of them is sort of like a third level reflection of what is actually going on. But I just think that doing things creates an aura of power. And it really you know in many respects doesn't it matters because the way that you project that aura of power is not just by doing things in a vacuum. You do them because there is an enthused group of people who are around you psychographically. and I’m talking about the activists. who then carry that message to the broader population. I mean I and I’m not convinced I mean I do think that they sort of recognize a problem. But I’m not convinced that they provide a solution frankly. To what they're saying. I mean I do think that you should be you should have likable candidates and but I don't I think we'll get more into it too. Dane's got a good piece delivers that he called it I think it’s the American prospect.

Will: I read his article it was excellent and it kind of encapsulated my feelings on it. I just really questioned the disconnect of these politicians and these campaign advisors who seem to earnestly believe that yes please campaign on all these popular policies that the American people love we're polling they love it. but please don't implement it we're really afraid of the republican blowback if you actually follow.