However, some Democratic strategists see the challenge as not primarily one of policy. Rather, they argue, the task for Democrats will be to find a candidate who can replicate Trump’s reputation for authenticity and sincerity among his most ardent supporters. “There’s nobody who can take the bully pulpit from Donald Trump or even take the microphone away for a minute,” Joe Jacobsen, a Democratic strategist, told TMD. “You’re certainly not going to be able to do that by, you know, giving a nine-hour floor speech,” he noted, referring to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ record-setting speech against the passage of recent budget legislation.
Shapiro’s simple slogan of “Get Stuff Done” is perhaps less edgy than the populist image some of his fellow Democrats are seeking to cultivate. But his focus on speaking to people who aren’t normally reached by Democratic messaging may be closer to what the party needs. Gallego’s “big a— truck” motto may be catchy, Jacobsen said, but it was delivered to the New York Times—hardly a platform for reaching Republican voters. “I think all these pitches could work,” he said. “You just have to … show people, not just tell them.”
