The renowned political strategist, Simon Rosenberg recently gave an exclusive presentation to Democrats Abroad Portugal about reasons Democrats have to be optimistic and a rousing call to action. Please enjoy the video and read the summary article below.
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How Democrats Win in 2024
Democrats Abroad Portugal speaks with Simon Rosenberg for analysis and insight.
By Jeana Whitaker
Democrats have built a world of opportunities for people around the globe, including women and people of color, through their tireless work to advance policies that support human rights, equality, and respect for our planet. The past three election cycles have been fueled by a fear of a MAGA takeover, but for Democrats to win in 2024, we need to remember who we are, what we’ve done, and what we are capable of, moving forward with tremendous strength to energize a new generation to carry the torch of a better world through Democracy, says Simon Rosenberg in an exclusive presentation he made to Democrats Abroad Portugal on May 5th.
More than 45 members gathered in Lisbon, and many more Zoomed in from around Portugal and as far away as Greece, France and the United States to gain insight and analysis from Simon about how Democrats win in 2024. Simon is a prominent American political strategist, thought leader, and commentator who has advised policymakers at the highest levels of government for more than 30 years. Today he dedicates his time to crisscrossing the country and globe advocating for the many ways that he believes Democrats can win, including writing his newsletter, Hopium (meaning hope with a plan).
Simon explains that while reported polls can often seem bleak, with numbers showing Donald Trump pulling ahead of Joe Biden it is important to remember our strengths and push forward. According to Simon, Democrats have two existential fights – the fight for Democracy and the climate crisis, and despite the general fatigue and impending apathy, we can’t allow ourselves to give up. These are issues that affect not only our lives today but also the future for generations. We need to start to center the youth in all of our policies and political strategies moving forward, as they are the ones whom today's choices will impact the most.
“The right-wing noise machine of Fox News and all the amplification of all the propaganda that comes out of the right has become a very powerful force in American politics,” said Simon. So we have to drown out that noise of negative sentiment with something even more powerful – that is, the positive stories of the American Democratic Party. We need to stand tall and say this loud and proud, “Joe Biden is a good President. The country is better off. The Democratic Party is strong.”
Finally, Simon says we need to recruit young people to become information warriors and use the incredible tools that technology has given us to spread positive information to counter all of the negative garbage that is flung at us every day. This needs to be a bottom-up revolution, not a top-down one, where we aren't waiting for permission or direction - every Democrat needs to push out our own stories of hope and triumph. Our greatest story is the one of millions of people who have already risen up, not just through protests but through phone calls, texting, social media, and giving money in unprecedented ways - that is the real story about why Democrats continue to win election after election. “Gen Z is the most politically engaged generation of the last 50 years,” said Simon. They know how to utilize modern tools, so their individual and collective voices can and will be heard. “We have more agency and power than we understand.”
Simon is spending his days urging us to use it.
You can subscribe to his newsletter for free here: https://www.hopiumchronicles.com.
Democrats Abroad has been helping Americans living overseas since the 1960’s. Their mission is to help Americans participate in federal elections regardless of where they reside in the world. They have chapters in almost every country and online tools to help voters. DAPT understands that the policies and laws created by Congress could profoundly affect Americans residing in Portugal through taxes, social security, Medicare and more, so they are working hard to bring information and opportunities to every voter.
Simon Rosenberg is the first of our new Speaker Series sponsored by Democrats Abroad Portugal. We are excited to share insights from some of our great political thought leaders. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram and become a member at Democratsabroad.org.