Honing the class warfare message: First draft, final draft, and possible specifics

Hillary Clinton didn't like the employment report that came out last Friday*, and used the occasion as a chance to hammer away at the class warfare message.  The final draft—the end result of the message-honing process—is the only thing we usually get to see.  But I thought it would be enlightening to contrast that with the first draft of the message.  The comparison is instructive for anyone interested in how an effective political message comes together. 

First draft of the class warfare message:

The demons in the other party have totally ruined the economy and completely ignored the middle class.  I am not a demon; I will think about the middle class a lot—probably every day.  So, if you are middle class, you should award me with the presidency. 

Contrast that with the following final draft:

For seven long years, the economic hardships facing hardworking middle class families have been invisible to this administration. But the job struggles of these families aren’t invisible to me, and when we take back the White House, they will no longer be invisible to the President of the United States. 

The complete press release in its final form is at this link; it's brief, so be sure to read it, to see her several specific grievances against the incumbent demons' economic results.

Further musing
As is usually the case with political rhetoric, her message was long on what's wrong with the opposition, and short on what the candidate in question would do differently.  So I decided to speculate on how Hillary would specifically prevent or fix each of the grievances she spelled out.  Below is my first draft .

Specific solutions to the problems created by the incumbent demons:

• To prevent any increase in the ranks of the uninsured, force taxpayers to fund health insurance for all illegal aliens, and for all who can now afford it but choose not to pay for it.

• To prevent anyone else from falling into poverty, triple the minimum wage, make layoffs and firings illegal, and subsidize any business in danger of failing so that its "stakeholders" (employees) never lose their jobs unwillingly. 

• To prevent household incomes from falling, establish a minimum income below which the government and its taxpayers will not allow any household to drop. 

• To prevent an increase in the national debt, steadfastly veto any increase in the statutory debt limit, and force the budget into balance each year via tax increases.

• To prevent future crises in the housing market, make mortgage loans illegal for low income families who don't meet federal guidelines on personal solvency.

• To reduce the yawning gap between most Americans versus the richest, prevent anyone else from getting rich (...starting with those people trying to invent a super battery that would obsolete the internal combustion engine). 

Again, that's just a first draft, which I'm sure could be honed into a message that sounds better to the ear.  And I'm sure I left a few other possible solutions off the list, so feel free to add your suggestions.

==============

* see my take on Friday's employment report in the article immediately below this one.

Comments

[Jason]

Proposed Final Draft (political-speak removed for clarity):

Just give me all of your money, and I'll choose who gets what. No worries!

[Bob]

"Honestly, folks, I just want to become President; the first female one at that. It's not that I plan to really do anything all that remarkable.....having all that power is just so exciting. I learned that from Bill. Actually, it's about the only thing I learned from that skirt chaser but that's another story.

This is all about my destiny and I'll be damned if anything will get in the way. Don't worry, though, I have a program for anyone and everyone.

All you people have this great opportunity to make history by electing me. Aren't you excited about that? I know you are and y'all (see I really am a Southerner) will do the right thing so some crackpot on the right doesn't get us blown to kingdom come or hurt all the little people. None of the rich folk care about you.

Vote for me and I'll set you free!"

[Ben]

SO-

Congratulations...you have given the perfect example of a straw man argument. You have successfully argued against policies THAT HILLARY CLINTON HAS NEVER PROPOSED!

[Ariah]

Ben has a point there. Bob's commentary doesn't at all like Hillary. Okay, I'm going to take a shot at this... Tell me if I get it more or less right.

I'm Hillary Clinton. See this small, photogenic child and his adorable puppy? They are among the millions of Americans who can't afford health insurance. Although some of my heartless opponents think it's "too expensive" to provide everyone with the medical treatment they need, if I am elected President everyone will have health care.

Are you upset about the Iraq War or the way it was executed? My muddled voting record shows that I was against the Iraq War - except for those times when I was deceived by that lying Republican warmonger. If I am elected President, my administration will be much like my husband's - strong on defense, while simultaneously reducing military spending and protecting our citizens from invasions of their privacy by our intelligence agencies.

Under Bush's short-sighted policies, this nation's economy has greatly deteriorated. Although many statistics look favorable at first glance, that's because during the past eight years the business elite have filled their pockets at the middle classes' expense. Rest assured - If I am elected President, I will do everything I can to benefit America's hard-working middle class.

Furthermore, Bush insisted on enormous tax breaks for his rich friends, and he paid for them using what you could call "our nation's credit cards" - the national debt. During his terms in office, the national debt has increased by over 3.4 TRILLION dollars, or over $11,000 per American. Worse still, a large portion of that money was lent to us by China and Saudi Arabia, effectively making us captive to foreign interests. As President, I will create a plan that will reduce our national debt.

Lastly, the prior administration has allowed our nation's manufacturing industry to disintegrate, while our trade deficit has increased further. Although I also believe in free markets, I intend to protect America from unfair foreign competition.

[JorgXMcKie]

"if I am elected President everyone will have health care." Just don't ask me how this will be paid for, because you probably don't want to know.

"my administration will be ... strong on defense, while simultaneously reducing military spending and protecting our citizens from invasions of their privacy by our intelligence agencies." Again, don't ask how, because you don't want to know. (You probably really don't want to know how I expect to do this *AND* prevent another 9/11 or worse.)

"I will do everything I can to benefit America's hard-working middle class." This despite entry number one. Don't ask how I'm going to help the middle class while paying for health care for 47,000,000 people. Also, don't ask how this other stuff 'benefits' the middle class.

"I will create a plan that will reduce our national debt." Okay, I lifted this completely from John Kerry. Having 'a plan' which you don't explain always works. Trust me.

"Although I also believe in free markets, I intend to protect America from unfair foreign competition." Y'all don't remember Smoot-Hawley, do you? If you do, it won't be like that, I promise.

[Ariah]

Actually, Steve, this is one of the few times that I disagree strongly with one of your posts. In the process of criticizing Hillary's platform, you've twisted it almost beyond recognition. The result is a post that is neither amusing nor convincing, yet makes this blog disappointingly partisan.

[JorgXMcKie]

"if I am elected President everyone will have health care." Just don't ask me how this will be paid for, because you probably don't want to know.

"my administration will be ... strong on defense, while simultaneously reducing military spending and protecting our citizens from invasions of their privacy by our intelligence agencies." Again, don't ask how, because you don't want to know. (You probably really don't want to know how I expect to do this *AND* prevent another 9/11 or worse.)

"I will do everything I can to benefit America's hard-working middle class." This despite entry number one. Don't ask how I'm going to help the middle class while paying for health care for 47,000,000 people. Also, don't ask how this other stuff 'benefits' the middle class.

"I will create a plan that will reduce our national debt." Okay, I lifted this completely from John Kerry. Having 'a plan' which you don't explain always works. Trust me.

"Although I also believe in free markets, I intend to protect America from unfair foreign competition." Y'all don't remember Smoot-Hawley, do you? If you do, it won't be like that, I promise.

[Steve]

Ben and Ariah:

Was my point that unclear? She enumerates specific grievances against her opponent, yet says nothing specific about how any of those specifics would have been prevented under her leadership, or would be solved if she were elected.

My list was a starting-point guess at those specifics, to fill the void she left. Please feel free to correct any of those with whatever remedies she has actually put forth on the specific points she raised. Don't just knock down the straw man; replace it with what should be there.

Demonizing opponents is how politicians have learned to operate. Both sides do it. It is the class warfare message that's a hot button for me; I'll resist it whenever it comes up. So far, only one side is using it, though.

By the way, the unqualified anti-immigration message is another hot button of mine, and it's usually the other side that oversimplifies that topic to capitalize on emotions. When it comes up, you'll hear from me on that one again, too.

[Ariah]

Steve:

Now I understand the point you were trying to make now. I agree with it. I guess I should have read your post more carefully.

And yes, she (and the other Dems) do seem to love the class warfare message. Unfortunately, "if you vote for me I'll give goodies to your income bracket at the expense of wealthier people" is a pretty compelling argument for some folks.

Jorg:

Yes, I do wonder about the specifics of how she would implement any of that. The talk of fixing our trade deficit is particularly alarming to me, since it implies some sort of protectionist trade policies. Hopefully that (and the rest of her platform) is just rhetoric, and will be discarded if she actually becomes President.

[Joe C.]

First draft: "AHAHAHAH!!! What fools you mortals be.

"I can't believe you sheeple fell for the same crap they used in Russia and Germany in the first half of the 20th Century, and we used in the second half. Hell, I don't even believe it anymore, but it is the only way us 'Progressives' (giggle) could ever get power. Don't you suckers ever read history? Oops! Maybe not since we control the schools and the Media, too."

Final draft: "I, Hillary Clinton, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States...."

[A Tanatar]

Without going into any discussion on the relativity of the proposals to the things suggested by Mrs. Clinton, let's look at the proposals themself.

1. [To prevent any increase in the ranks of the uninsured, force taxpayers to fund health insurance for all illegal aliens, and for all who can now afford it but choose not to pay for it.] - Why not? This will also make it easier for the employers not to pay the insurance and be more competitive regardless of size, industry and relations with local health insurance providers. This will also ease the burden on hospitals of providing emergency health care. And I vaguely remember some old saying about "cutting the middle man"...

2. [To prevent anyone else from falling into poverty, triple the minimum wage, make layoffs and firings illegal, and subsidize any business in danger of failing so that its "stakeholders" (employees) never lose their jobs unwillingly. ] - Well, I bet US could easily double the mimimum vage to bring it more in line with the one north of the border. As far as layoffs go, why not make them at least part of the decision making process in the first place? Replacing manufacturing jobs with burger flipping jobs is not a viable approach.

3. [To prevent household incomes from falling, establish a minimum income below which the government and its taxpayers will not allow any household to drop.] - And how is this supposed to prevent incomes from falling? This is a very silly solution to start with.

4. [To prevent an increase in the national debt, steadfastly veto any increase in the statutory debt limit, and force the budget into balance each year via tax increases.] - I think this is pretty much what Canada did in early 90es. The economy improved *a lot* since that time. What's wrong with this?

5. [To prevent future crises in the housing market, make mortgage loans illegal for low income families who don't meet federal guidelines on personal solvency.] - Actually, this might work. Part of the problem is that a house won't be bought if there is noone who can afford it, so tightening the limit might affect nothing in the long run. Taxes in Quebec might be higher, but lower real estate prices make the difference with Ontario negligible: all the extra money goes towards mortgage instead.

6. [ To reduce the yawning gap between most Americans versus the richest, prevent anyone else from getting rich (...starting with those people trying to invent a super battery that would obsolete the internal combustion engine). ] - No, this means that the guy who makes a start-up or goes to college to create such battery shouldn't pay more taxes than someone whose great-granddaddy did something. The focus should shift from helping the rich stay rich to helping people become rich. I don't think highest income tax bracket really does anything, in Canada or south of the border. Perhaps it should be raised to 500k or so with AMT kicking in at 2mm or more.