Until the Democrats are trusted on the economy, they won’t win again

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The writer is chief executive of the Messina Group and former campaign manager for President Barack Obama

Donald Trump’s global trade war and his administration’s determination to radically remake the federal government have caused instability and hit American businesses and workers hard. Yet many of the same people now angry about his actions enthusiastically supported him in last November’s presidential election, largely because the Democrats did not present a credible economic alternative.

Voters trusted Trump on the economy more than Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, according to exit polls. That’s why we lost. If Democrats want to regain the presidency, the House of Representatives and the Senate, we need to be trusted on the economy again.

Some in Democratic circles have been asking whether an “abundance” agenda could unlock working-class voters again. Unfortunately, debates like these are not how you win elections. You win by communicating your broad values to voters clearly and succinctly. Trump has always done this well, and voters know where he stands. Democrats need to provide the same clarity.

We have a perfect opportunity to draw clear contrasts with the Republicans on economic priorities, especially as the Trump administration pushes its latest round of tax cuts that would disproportionately hurt the working class while adding billions to the national deficit. Democrats should focus on four economic values and put them at the heart of our campaigning.

The first is to make the economy our top priority. There is one refrain we hear repeatedly in focus groups — from young people and the elderly, men and women, white, Black and Latino voters, blue-collar and white-collar workers alike: “We know Trump is a [insert criticism], but he cares about my pocketbook.”

Voters give Trump the benefit of the doubt because they think he is focused on their economic wellbeing. By contrast, they have no idea what Democrats want for the economy — they just think we are “weak and woke”, prioritising cultural issues not economic ones.

The second value is celebrating wealth as the American dream. At its core, this is to own a home and take care of your family. To be rich, even. Yet many Democrats (some of whom are rich) are afraid to say that and instead demonise the idea of getting wealthy.

Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who won in a swing state carried by Trump, recently said one of the keys to his success was talking to young men about getting rich. “These guys don’t want . . . ‘economic stability’, They want to really live the American dream.”

Americans want to succeed and pass wealth down to their kids. And economic success need not be zero-sum — one person’s success does not necessitate another’s hardship. That is an economic value all Democrats should embrace.

Third, Democrats should be pro-business. Though many on the far left of our party will reflexively reject this, it is not about longing to return to the days of unregulated excess but acknowledging that businesses of all sizes are the lifeblood of our economy.

Democrats must stand for making America a great place to run a business, with modern infrastructure, a skilled and educated workforce, sensible regulation and fiscal predictability. In return, we expect businesses to provide fair pay, maintain ethical practices and embrace corporate responsibility. Business is not the enemy, and people must see we believe that.

Fourth and finally, Democrats should be the party of economic innovation. When Democrats have found themselves in the political wilderness, the path back to relevance has always been through embracing the future. We did this and won as “Atari Democrats” in the 1980s and as Bill Clinton’s “New Dems” in the 1990s, and again in 2008 with Barack Obama.

We have been so focused on the dangers of the future that we’ve become an enemy of it. The world is rapidly evolving and Americans know it. They know that many jobs that existed 30 years ago won’t exist 30 years from now. Democrats must be leaders on education and training, empowering the next generation to succeed in new sectors, even without a college degree. This will drive home a simple message: we understand that the future is uncertain, but Democrats will cultivate economic innovation to ensure that it benefits everyone.

There is a lot of ground for Democrats to make up before the next presidential election on November 7, 2028. But relentlessly communicating these core economic values to voters is a good place to start.