If you followed politics in the early 2010s, you probably read a lot of headlines about House Oversight Committee Chair Darrell Issa and the grilling he and his team gave the Obama Administration. As a senior advisor to House Oversight Committee Republicans, Kurt Bardella probably had something to do with shaping the stories you remember reading.
Kurt no longer spends his days making life difficult for Democratic presidential administrations. He left the Republican Party in 2017 and has since become a Democratic strategist and a familiar face to millions of Americans getting their news on MS NOW, CNN, and NewsNation.
As Andrew Bates said in the first edition of this newsletter, we can’t just preach to the choir. We have to “grow the congregation.” As a Republican-turned-Democrat and as someone who left the beltway to live in Dallas, TX, Kurt has a unique perspective on how Democrats can reach Americans who aren’t on our side (yet).
I hope you enjoy Kurt’s insights on why Democrats should spend more time connecting with Americans who are more worried about WWE Raw and their kids’ theatre rehearsal than the news coming out of Washington.
This is ON BACKGROUND:
5 short questions. 5 quick responses featuring Kurt Bardella, Democratic strategist, author of the Watchdog Report and former Senior Advisor to House Oversight Committee Republicans.
Kurt, what’s the one thing that frustrates you most about the way Democrats are communicating right now? How would you change it?
I think oftentimes, Democrats in Washington lose sight of how most working families are spending their day, in part, because the people who are helping craft these narratives are out-of-touch.
Most Americans don’t watch cable news, don’t read Axios or Politico, don’t even think about politics. We wake-up, make breakfast for the kids, pack their backpacks, get them to school. Then we go to work or run errands, get groceries, supplies for school projects, deal with house maintenance issues and then before you know it, it’s time to get the kids and off to carpool pick-up. Then it’s football practice for Kid 1 and play rehearsal for Kid 2. Then it’s get homework done, make dinner, clean-up dinner, do laundry, have family time and then bedtimes and then we get to do it all over again.
Now tell me where in that routine does “democracy dies in darkness” fit in. Where in that daily cadence, are you able to breakthrough with something that is relevant to my everyday life? You have to meet people where they are and oftentimes, the message makers in DC miss the mark entirely.
You come from a traditional media background, but you’ve also embraced TV, podcasts, and Substack. Which Democrat do you think is crushing it newer media right now, and why?
Rep. Ro Khanna has done a terrific job going outside the traditional media ecosystem and embracing all the platforms to communicate. He still does a tremendous amount of traditional media, but also goes out of his way to participate in podcasts, post on substack, and embracing the challenge of trying to meet people where they are.
What’s one thing Republicans are doing that Democrats need to get on immediately?
Culture. Republicans have had a stranglehold on cultural touchpoint like WWE and country music for far too long. I always say if you want to understand this era of politics where Trump has thrived, watch an episode of WWE Raw on Netflix. Go to a country music concert and see why tens-of-thousands of fans are lining up to listen to songs about trucks, beer, dirt, faith, family, etc. Rather than mock it or reduce it to a stereotype, understand the culture and find ways to make inroads within it.
Anything you want to shout from the rooftops?
STOP TAKING THE BAIT ON TRANSGENDER.
There’s a reason why Republicans spent hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars in TV ads on that issue last cycle. An issue, that impacts such a small percentage of the voting electorate that it is absolutely idiotic to allow them to elevate the issue to such national prominence. Democrats need to stop taking the rage bait and focus on driving messages that effect the 99%, not the 1%.
Who else should we make time to talk to?
Anyone who doesn’t live in DC, NYC or CA.
The culture point is so so spot on and very important
This is spot on!!