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Stop Calling Them 'Conservatives.' They’re Radicals, and It’s Time We Said So. [1]
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Date: 2025-03-07
Progressives have the facts. We have the science. We have policies that would make life better for millions. So why do we keep getting outflanked by bad-faith arguments, corporate propaganda, and fossil-fueled nonsense? Because we keep losing the messaging war.
If you're a regular DKos reader, this is not the first time you've heard this.
Right-wing and corporate messaging is ruthlessly effective. It’s simple, emotional, and designed to stick. They don’t bog people down with facts and figures—they tell a story. A villain. A hero. A clear, easy-to-repeat narrative. And more often than not, progressives respond with a fact sheet.
We can do better. Here’s how. If we need to do baby steps first, focus on #1. Absolutely.
1. Stop Calling Them “Conservatives”
Right now. Stop it. Words shape perception. The right spent decades branding progressives as "radical leftists" while keeping "conservative" sounding stable, traditional, and respectable. But today’s right-wing movement isn’t conservative—it’s radical, extremist, and authoritarian.
Never use their framing. A Supreme Court judge gutting environmental protections isn’t “conservative”—they’re a radical, corporate-backed extremist. A senator blocking climate action isn’t a “conservative lawmaker”—they’re an anti-democracy fossil fuel shill. The right has weaponized language against us—it’s time we did the same.
2. Quit Talking Like a Professor
This isn’t a TED Talk. It’s a fight for the future. Yet, too many talking heads on the left default to explaining things like they’re trying to impress a college debate team. Voters don’t want to hear about “systemic inequities within extractive capital structures.” They want to hear: “Billionaires are robbing you, and here’s how we stop them.”
Keep it simple. Keep it sharp. Marketing 101, FFS.
3. Lead With Emotion, Not Data
People don’t change their minds because of statistics. They change because of stories. Instead of starting with "the planet is warming by X degrees," start with who’s suffering, who’s responsible, and what people can do right now.
4. Define the Villain Before They Do
The right is brilliant at picking an enemy: "woke banks," "job-killing regulations," "radical environmentalists." But progressives often let the other side frame the debate. Call it what it is: corporate greed, fossil fuel profiteers, billionaire polluters. Make it personal.
5. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Repetition isn’t lazy—it’s strategic. Conservatives hammer the same talking points over and over until they become "common sense." Progressives, on the other hand, often jump from argument to argument. Stick to a core message and say it until you’re sick of it—then say it more.
6. Make Action Simple
People need to know what to do right now. Not "raise awareness" or "build a movement" but concrete, immediate action. Call your senator. Move your money. If it takes more than 10 seconds to explain, it’s too complicated.
7. Stop Playing Defense
When we’re always reacting, we’re losing. Instead of constantly rebutting their bad arguments, force them to answer ours. Why should oil CEOs get richer while your town floods? Why do banks invest in climate destruction? Put them on their heels.
We don’t need better facts. We need better stories. If we want to win the fight, we have to stop sounding right and start winning minds.
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