I was pretty numb between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Now I’m angry, screaming at the computer and the radio – You can’t do that! – and sometimes fearful – They couldn’t really take away my Social Security and Medicare – could they?
That said, what I like to do is analyze a situation and find solutions. I like to find the upside. For example, the full-on attack on Federal workers and agencies is shining a spotlight on the good and important things our Federal government actually does for us. We have allowed cynicism about government to grow unchecked for decades. Now we reap what we sow. But I believe we can fix this. We’re Americans.
As you may know, I’m a big believer in the SWOT analysis. Unlike most other strategic planning systems I’ve seen, it is a 360 view. It includes analysis of your INTERNAL issues as well as the EXTERNAL issues you’re grappling with. Too many organizations or movements are unwilling to look in the mirror. But you can’t be successful if you don’t.
When I say “we,” I mean the non-MAGA part of the political spectrum. Right now we all need to act in concert as much as possible. Medium and long-term we must develop a progressive “party within a party.” Without that, we’ll never have credibility as a people’s party.
So I’ve prepared three SWOT analyses – one for the short term (From now to the end of April, 90 days). One medium term (from May through August). One long term (from August through 2026).
This post will cover:
Goals and a brief SWOT analysis (internal: strengths and weaknesses, external: opportunities and threats). I chose the 3 most critical items in each area.
A brief outline of the actions we should take to maximize our strengths and opportunities, and minimize our weaknesses and the threats we face.
I chose these actions not only for their immediate impact, but for how they could set us up to gain power and success in the future.
Goals
You can’t get somewhere if you don’t know where somewhere is. It’s remarkable how many organizations and movements ignore this basic truth.
My goals for the short term are:
Preserve our democracy
Make sure the Federal government is not destroyed
Begin to define a new organizational structure and strategy for Democrats and their supporters, while also supporting spontaneous efforts springing up
Build support for our agenda among working class voters and GOP voters in key areas, as well as among our existing base
Grow the number and engagement level of grassroots organizers and their bases across the country.
SHORT-TERM SWOT – 90 DAYS
MAXIMIZING STRENGTHS
Broad consensus on 2 strategies
1) Working Class/Econ Issues: Quickly stand up a provisional People’s Cabinet.
As laid out by Tim Snyder: A group of key electeds (all strong communicators, from across the country, including a multiracial group with working class electeds and people from districts where the GOP control is weak) take on key economic issues where they have expertise. Key electeds are already out there doing it, so creating a network among them should not be too hard. Just do it.
They fan out to media and respond to the Administration’s actions, and make the case against them AS WELL AS what WE think are better solutions. NO PROBLEMS WITHOUT SOLUTIONS.
For example, if the issue is food costs, rural electeds and farmers could highlight how Trump’s actions are making it worse:
Rounding up immigrants means farmers can’t hire enough people in a time sensitive manner required to harvest the food.
Tariffs on Mexico and Canada will raise prices on the food we eat, including key items like tomatoes.
The attacks on USAID and WHO mean that there won’t be an effective global effort to contain currently-surging avian flu. This means American farmers will have to kill more billions of chickens, and cost of eggs will only get higher.
Obviously the way the party talks about issues now is totally ineffective. But choosing people who already get it for the Cabinet bypasses that. There’s one person we should get in power here stat, and that’s Anat Shenker-Osorio @anatosaurus.
Our solutions: Comprehensive immigration reform means we control our borders AND meet our need for workers. Instead of costly tariffs, negotiate with our neighbors instead of bullying them and pushing them into aggressive retaliation. Restore funding to USAID and WHO, even if just for key programs.
2) Stronger media/communications: Alongside the People’s Cabinet should be a War Room hub for communications.
War Room: The Cabinet electeds’ media appearances need to be converted into short videos and ads. Other prominent Dems, and popular influencers, should also be getting out these messages. They must be good enough that they “go viral” and lots of other people share them. Electeds’ or “groups” staff could be dragooned to help temporarily until the national party can formalize the cabinet and set up resources.
Set up a system to evaluate message effectiveness. Key slogans, like “No One Voted For Elon Musk,” must be created quickly and floated.
The focus must not be on Trump, but on the people and how the changes hurt them, and how Musk and other billionaires are serving their own interests ahead of our interests. My local paper, the MKE Journal Sentinel, had a great story about how many Federal workers live in Wisconsin and what they do. The biggest group works for the Veterans Administration. Every state needs to pull this data together and organize locally on it.
NOTE: Trying to defend our institutions, like Congress’ power of the purse, doesn’t reach Trump voters where they live emotionally. Yes, we have to fight the power grab in the courts and the streets. When we market to our own people, we can talk about it. But when trying to win Trump voters, that won’t help and will actually hurt us. Too many people believe that our institutions are already fatally compromised and need blowing up. They’re not wrong that we need real change.
Beyond the bubble. We must go where the Trump voters are: Fox, Bannon, especially billboards. We must agree and pivot. Let’s talk about cutting waste and fraud in the Federal system! We should be on Fox and Bannon today, talking about prime cuts at the Pentagon, Medicare Advantage, and PBM’s.
Grassroots energy is bubbling up
Someone already put together an event where there was a protest in all 50 states on one day. I’ve seen one of my favorite tactics, a banner hung from an overpass.
We need to make sure extra pressure is being put on vulnerable and potentially sympathetic GOP electeds, while giving everyone and his dog something to do.
We need more radical actions as well as ordinary actions. No business as usual has to be part of our arsenal. Obviously Dems need to be lit up as well as GOP.
The law is on our side
We need to make sure there’s enough money for people to file lawsuits up the ass.
If there’s any GOP electeds or voters who still believe in the rule of law, we have to get them to stand with us PUBLICLY. We only need a few. Judges? Police? Business leaders? Small business is hurt the most by Trump actions.
We will need to ratchet up if we start losing in the courts, and be ready for a full court press if/when things start reaching the Supreme Court.
Flooding the zone is their strategy to paralyze and splinter us, as well as to throw a lot of stuff against the wall to see what sticks. We have to focus on key items, get some wins and build energy off that.
MINIMIZE WEAKNESSES
No structure in place for Dems broadly to work in concert
Start with the People’s Cabinet and the grassroots groups like Indivisible already doing the work. Each half – the Cabinet and the grassroots – should have its own informal network. Then there should be another joint network, with reps from the Cabinet and the grassroots to help coordinate. Just set up a Zoom call and do it.
These groups need to identify areas where we’re getting heat and more engagement and double down on them, as well as identifying holes we’re not reaching and fill them.
The new DNC can help codify these structures and resource them over time. There will be battles over the structures and what they are doing, but we need to put internal battles off as much as we can right now. Focus on where you agree.
Dem leadership and electeds on both sides aren’t ready to fight
Forget Schumer and Jeffries. The DNC vice chairs, state leaders, and the CPC could help. State and local electeds and grassroots leaders, especially in purple states and districts, can help publicize, exert pressure, and build local/state workarounds.
Elevate specifically the cost to people in their districts, and push their constituents to act, when calling them out or urging them to fight.
Elevate the tireless fighters like Chris Murphy.
The way you win is to attack weakness – not strength. Don’t even say “Trump.” Say “Elon.” Say “billionaires.” Say “prices” and “jobs.”
Overall strategy, specific priorities, specific spokespeople unclear
Short-term strategy/priorities should be driven by what’s working right now and our goals.
Someone needs to keep track of what happens in this four-month timeframe so lessons can be learned as we plot a longer-term strategy.
Here are some people I nominate for the People’s Cabinet:
Andy Beshear (TN)
AOC (NY)
Bernie Sanders (VT)
Chris Murphy (CT)
Dan Osborn (NE)
David Hogg (FL)
Delia Ramirez (IL)
Gavin Newsom (CA)
Gretchen Whitmer (MI)
Ilhan Omar (MN)
Jasmine Crockett (TX)
Jon Tester (MT)
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA)
Max Frost (FL)
Pete Buttigieg (MI)
Ro Khanna (CA)
Zack Shrewsbury (WV)
MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES
People in GOP rural areas/states will be hurt most by Fed spending cuts
4 of 5 Fed workers are outside DC. Prioritize these areas and states when gathering damage data and pushing media/organizing. Especially where people are up for reelection in 2026.
Per an NPR story, Kansas, a red state and regional hub for the Fed govt, has 30,000 federal workers. It is the largest employer in Kansas City, KS (KCK). Losing even 10% of those workers – a Musk target – would be equivalent to closing a major factory. These are the stories we need most.
Some GOP states are “working with” the administration on these cuts. Major oppty to hammer them on hurting their own people. These cuts hit people’s major pain points like childcare, food assistance. Losing all these jobs at once a major hit for states to pay unemployment, not to mention the ripple effects.
GOP House margin is small and other GOP splits loom
As a rule I hate these kind of tactics. But because everything is on the line right now, I support Dems holding Elise Stefanik’s NY seat open as long as possible.
We must work to inflame the differences between groups of House GOP members and Senators. Keeping them separated gives us power.
Steve Bannon (representing the “populists”) and Elon Musk (repping billionaires and tech lords) are on a collision course.
Elon Musk is the perfect villain
Survey says wide majorities of the public oppose billionaires’ control of our country, and Elon himself now polls negative. We might riff off Trump’s effective campaign slogan, “Kamala Harris is for they/them, Trump is for you,” and say “Elon Musk is for billionaires, Democrats are for you.”
Elon can stand in for all billionaires. We should also put faces on some of the others now in Cabinet and other powerful positions, their conflicts of interest, campaign donations, the damage they are doing, large mansions, suffering workers, and so on.
We must put working-class faces and voices, especially but not only (of course) white and non-coastal people, up against the billionaires.
MINIMIZE THREATS
If courts, esp Supreme Court, don’t hold the line, we could pitch into autocracy in short order
I heard someone say today, we have only weeks. We need to amplify judges who will speak up – get an open letter from a bunch of them – maybe pro-actively put our Supremes out there to fight. They should be ready to chain themselves to the door or something. We should be ready to chain ourselves to the door. Seriously. They are going for all the marbles.
Media bubbles make it hard to reach, much less convert, Trump voters
We MUST prioritize reaching Trump voters where they’re at, with the right messages. Sure, we need to do social media, but it will be hard to reach them there. We need to be on Fox, local newspapers and broadcast, and especially outdoor media, where you can reach everyone. We need to hone great messages and repeat them continuously. We need to support organizers on the ground to engage Trump voters on local issues.
Trump is acting fast on what are actually real problems. Compared to Congress’ inaction, this is attractive. We have to own some of the problems – yes, both parties have kowtowed to billionaires and allowed corruption – and offer real solutions. Campaign finance reform, anyone? The watchdogs that were fired?
Speed, number and audacity of Trump actions make it very challenging to pick the right battles and win with pushback
This is one of our biggest short-term challenges. If we keep the focus on the people – where the biggest numbers are getting hurt, where the harm is the most extreme, where the hypocrisy is most obvious, where GOP reps are most vulnerable – we have our best chance to significantly cut into Trump’s support. As well as mobilize more people to dissent strongly and publicly.
Comments