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<\/p>\nCampaigns don’t succeed just because they have a good social media strategy. They succeed because the messages they’re sharing \u2013 namely, those on affordability \u2013 work.<\/p>\n
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Democratic candidates are trying to find a new way to compete with Republicans on social media, but they still seem to be missing a vital piece of the puzzle.<\/p>\n
Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe recently wrote an opinion column for The New York Times with the headline, \u201cThe Old Way of Campaigning Won\u2019t Cut It Anymore<\/a>.\u201d In it, he details what exactly the Democratic Party needs to be doing differently \u2012 showcasing candidates with an in-house content creation arm that is as robust as other areas of the campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cTo win today, you need to harmonize your message across the ever-growing list of ways people are reachable: traditional TV, connected TV, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, podcasts, Snapchat, radio, video games, community events, door-to-door canvassing, phone calls and texting,\u201d Plouffe writes.<\/p>\n He mentions some case studies of candidates \u2013 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico in Texas and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> \u2013 to show Democrats who are doing things the right way. Each of these politicians is just as focused on how they\u2019re messaging as they are on the content of the messages themselves.<\/p>\n While I agree with the premise that Democratic politicians do need to be taking social media seriously, it seems Plouffe is one of many pundits glossing over what works for progressive Democrats and Republicans alike. Campaigns don\u2019t succeed just because they have a good social media strategy. They succeed because the messages they\u2019re sharing \u2013 namely, those on affordability \u2013 work.<\/p>\n Have Democrats considered focusing on policy?<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that the Democratic Party is struggling and has been for some time. Polling<\/a> during President Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s second term has shown that the party is flailing in the open ocean. When you look at the way Republican politicians have mastered messaging since 2016, it seems that the solution for the left is to grab a podcast mic or turn to TikTok. But that\u2019s only part of what makes a campaign successful.<\/p>\n Mamdani didn\u2019t win in New York City just because his team knew how to edit videos for TikTok or had a cool campaign logo. He succeeded because he was a progressive candidate who focused his message on affordability.<\/p>\n Mamdani focused on elements of city life that have become increasingly difficult for residents to pay for \u2013 transportation, childcare and rent. He kept the message simple and bite-size for the best results, but there\u2019s no denying that the content of the message is what gave people hope.<\/p>\n