No, *You* Can't Persuade Voters

And They Really Hate It When You Try.

“We need to persuade voters, not meet them where they are.”

When I saw this response in a Twitter thread, I thought it was a joke - another parody of the left's arrogance.

Since last November’s election, the consensus among Democrats and liberal-leaning voters is that the Democratic Party failed to “meet the voters where they are.” If it wants to win again in the future, it will have to do so. The problem, of course, is that there is wide disagreement on “where the voters are.” Some think they are more conservative than in the past, while others believe voters are frustrated, economic progressives voting for far-right populists out of pure rage. The idea that Democrats should put energy and money into actually shifting the electorate - a gargantuan task in the world’s second-largest democracy with more voters than the total population of all but seven countries in the world - was reserved for the most delusional.

“Persuasion" is a concept usually utilized by supporters of an issue or policy that is unpopular and politically toxic. The idea behind “persuasion” is simple: you come up with a compelling message that convinces voters they are wrong and should view the issue from your perspective, persuading them to change their minds. Seems easy enough.

If you believe it’s that easy, then you’ve watched too much Aaron Sorkin. Voters change their minds and views on issues and policies all the time, but that is mainly a result of their own lived experiences, rather than some snazzy messaging you spend hours putting together alone in your room. Sometimes, the art of trying to persuade someone may only make them dig their heels in deeper.