Winning the Right to be Heard

By Tim Mooney

The first thing necessary in politics is to win the right to be heard. Because if the voters are unwilling to listen to you, nothing else can happen.

Think George W. Bush in 2008, after the Iraq WMD’s not found, thousands dead in a worthless war, and a collapsing economy. He could address the nation, but who was listening?

This is true for today’s Democratic Party. After it told the nation that President Biden was the best ever, and Kamala Harris was erudite, and the border was secure, and men can have babies, large swaths of voters are just unwilling to listen.

I generously suggest to the opposite party that a 2028 Democratic candidate could espouse the return to seven basic principles to once again win the right to be heard. Here it goes.

1. Voters are more important than donors.

Or as I’ve often said, “In politics, money without a message is only noise.” After Kamala Harris blew $1.5 billion with a message loved by donors and detested by voters, only to shed votes every day, even the D-Party donors should understand this.

2. We need to protect democracy by having some.

The DNC’s last unmanipulated presidential primary was 2008. The D-Party has been unwilling to trust their voters, so the voters no longer trust them. Care about democracy…OK, prove it by having some.

3. The legacy media are not part of the Democratic party, and should not be.

This lesson must be adopted by the media too, or both will become extinct.

4. Immigration policy needs to be made rational, encouraging both the talented and the tortured to find their way to America -- legally.

Returning to lawlessness at the border cannot be the D-Party fallback position.

5. Not every government program deserves to be expanded. Not every government agency deserves to continue. Not every government worker is meritorious.

Why hasn’t the D-Party called Musk-DOGE’s bluff with the Pentagon and corporate welfare, rather than defending the indefensible in government?

6. We need to make the lives of struggling Americans who work hard and play by the rules just a little easier - especially families with children.

D-Party, who do you exist to serve? Washington and Wall Street, or Moms and Main Street?

7. There are two sexes, Male and Female. And no, men cannot have babies.

Not acknowledging basic biology was the quickest way to lose the right to be heard, and necessary to winning it back. Do so, or it will never happen.

The cRaZiEsT thing is most D candidates for 2028 will be afraid to say any of this, which is why most are unelectable. But the one that does this first, will become the Democratic front runner.

Now, before the GOP thinks 2028 will be won by Vice President JD Vance by default, just remember this – the last time either party’s sitting VP won was GHW Bush in 1988, nearly 40 years. And the time before that was Martin Van Buren in 1836. It can happen, but it doesn’t often.

That’s why I equally strongly suggest the GOP and its candidates double down on these principles too, both to better bond with voters, and to further contrast with undeserving to being heard Democrats. President Trump’s executive orders are nearly universally popular, but easily undone if the GOP House and Senate do not codify them into law. Nearly every Trump EO fits in some way into the seven principles listed above.

For America’s best future, it’s best both parties and their candidates give voters something deserving of being heard. Let’s see which actually do.

Tim Mooney is a nationally recognized political strategist, working with conservative candidates and causes for nearly 40 years. He is president of Morning in America – www.MorningInAmerica.vote.