Two Strategists Argue Democrats Must Court Heterodox Swing Voters to Defeat MAGA

Two recent publications contend that Democrats misinterpret swing voters by positioning the discussion as moderates against progressives. In "Supermajority: How Democrats Can Build Lasting Power," Adam Jentleson suggests that candidates should embody the unconventional beliefs of median voters. Meanwhile, Sarah Longwell, in "How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time," highlights the necessity of better communication to attract certain Trump supporters, drawing from eight years of focus-group insights. Longwell recommends an economic framing of issues and a careful approach to cultural matters. Jentleson, who previously worked with Harry Reid, advocates for a sixty-seat Senate supermajority and critiques Democratic tactics that favor elite interests over those of median voters, citing Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, and Mary Landrieu as examples of heterodox figures.