You deal with it by sacking up and doing the opposite of Whitmer. Fuck your feelings has to be the attitude Dems take towards the mythical sensitive swing voter. Stop wringing your hands and ignore that shit. Stand your ground that GQP policies suck They do Never waver from that message. “Republicans are stealing from you and giving it to the wealthy,” is the refrain. Sing it until it’s burned in people’s minds like the Kars 4 Kids jingle. 459-2222, the Republicans are fucking you.
Then, build a platform that will actually help people. Build it to attack the new protectionist agenda on the right by showing how much better you can make the lives of regular folks while the Pubs are out there giving more money to the wealthy. Do it without excessively making yourself the party of rapid social change, but if that shit comes up, pivot to pocketbook issues, don’t shrink from the moment, reframe and attack
You’re never going to get more of the upper middle class. So fuck em. Taxes have to go up on the better off, and down on the poor and middle class. But give them more than tax cuts. They need a bigger safety net, and generally a path to a better life.
Even If it’s never going to be effective, Dems need a rural America economic program. Ignore any warts and sell the shit out of it. When your defense is weak, attack. Attack by selling a dream, even if it’s little better than fantasy. People outside the metros only hear one message they could possibly accept. Give them something.
Dems need to stop being Dems. They need to the fervor and self-assuredness of radical movements of 100 years ago. The era of triangulation is over. The grifting carnival barker out front shoulda told ya.