It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but Drew Westen is trying. Westen is an expert on language and how people respond to language. Democrats on Capitol Hill talk like wonks. They do. Very few know how to talk to real people. But, Westen is trying to help them translate policy-speak into language that real people understand:
House Democrats need to drop their wonky policy talk if they want to capture voters this fall.Democrats spend an inordinate amount of time talking about intricate details of policy and way too much time explaining the process. Too many of them talk like their always in the Capitol -- and too many of them (and their staffs) spend too much time in that building. It's one of my political pet peeves. And, that's when they lose people. Changing the way Democrats speak won't solve all their problems, but it can only help.
The party should emphasize what it stands for, and ensure its argument for remaining in power is not lost in the weeds of policy, political consultant Drew Westen told the caucus this week, according to people who attended his briefing.
“His message, essentially, was to stop being so wonky and to start talking to people about our values,” a senior Democratic aide said.
Democrats face a challenging electoral environment this fall that could see them lose dozens of House seats. It’s possible they could lose their majority given the public’s mood with Congress.
Westin told House Democrats in the House to start talking more about what they stand for and less about the intricate details of the bills they’ve passed and the laws they’ve enacted.
Unlike Frank Luntz, who teaches GOPers to use language that misrepresents what they're doing, Westen wants Democrats to own what they do. He just wants them to own it in a way that works.
