(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Democrats Need a Way to Close the "Excitement Gap" With Republicans — Here's How They Do It [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-12-16 As we continue to assess how the 2024 election went wrong, we must recognize that there is an obvious "excitement gap" between Democrats and Republicans. Voters on the other side of the aisle are just plain more excited to vote for Donald Trump (and Trump-like copycats), whereas on the Democratic side, there is excitement but nowhere near the same. In some ways, this is better — Democrats don't want to have the same cult-like devotion to an individual that we see from voters on the right. But there was clearly a big difference in what motivated voters to back Kamala Harris versus those that backed Trump, and polling data suggests the excitement gap is very real. According to a post-election Economist/YouGov poll , only 69 percent of Vice President Kamala Harris voters reported being "extremely" or "very" enthusiastic about voting in the 2024 race, compared to 76 percent of Donald Trump voters. Conversely, 15 percent of Harris voters were "not too" or "not at all" enthusiastic about voting for her, compared to just 9 percent of Trump voters who said the same about voting for him. Additionally, the poll showed that 4 in 10 Harris voters cast their ballots more to oppose Trump than to support Harris. Comparatively, fewer than 2 in 10 Trump voters said their vote was primarily based on being against Harris. This deficit reflects a broader challenge for Democrats: galvanizing their base and inspiring swing voters. Indeed, with a smaller "excitement gap," Democrats could have possibly won the race, as more people would have been inspired to vote rather than stay at home . There are a number of ways to address this, including getting more Democrats to back Medicare for All. According to a recent Gallup poll , nearly two in three Americans believe the government has a responsibility to ensure health coverage for all. Yet Democrats have largely shied away from fully embracing Medicare for All — including Harris, who initially supported the policy before backing off from it during this year's race . Beyond polling, it's evident that the American electorate wants something proactive and radical done when it comes to healthcare. The memes that flooded your social media this month, following the murder of a healthcare CEO, are proof-positive of that, regardless of how you may personally feel about the action itself. Public opinion on marijuana legalization has also shifted dramatically over the past decade. Another Gallup poll, published last year, found that 7 in 10 Americans support legalizing recreational marijuana nationwide . This is a winning issue for Democrats, especially among younger voters. While Harris did express support for legalization during her campaign , her stance wasn’t said often enough to make a real impact. When I ask people in my daily life how they felt about her stance, most say they didn't even know she took that position. Had she been more frank and open about it, the portion of the youth vote she lost might have preferred her instead. A more assertive push for federal legalization — tied to criminal justice reform and economic opportunity — could resonate deeply with voters and close the "excitement gap" that I'm describing. Especially now with centrist senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema departing, the Democratic Party should make it more known that full cannabis legalization is what they are calling for. Democrats must also reclaim their image as the party of the working class. This involves promising to raise the minimum wage, standing up for unions, fighting corporate greed, and proposing solutions to address income inequality. Policies such as universal paid family leave, robust protections for gig workers, and a guaranteed living wage could also mobilize working-class voters Democrats also have to do much better when it comes to responding to "culture war" attacks by Republicans. From transgender rights to critical race theory, these attacks took over campaign ads in the presidential contest and in local races. Democrats’ responses to these ads were to ignore them — an insufficient approach, to put it mildly. Harris had the opportunity to have a real conversation on trans rights, for example, one that could have led to a better understanding by voters in both this past election and in future ones. Instead, she allowed Trump to control the narrative completely. Democrats shouldn't cede ground on social issues for political purposes — instead, they should vigorously defend them, and do a better job explaining how Republicans' framing of the issue is faulty. With these policies (and more like them) in mind, Democrats can close the "excitement gap," especially if they couple these ideas alongside a well-managed conversation on them, away from false and dangerous attacks by Republicans and toward showcasing how Democrats can really effect positive change on myriad issues. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/12/16/2292194/-Democrats-Need-a-Way-to-Close-the-Excitement-Gap-With-Republicans-Here-s-How-They-Do-It?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/