Current Events > Have no fear, Democrats. Elissa Slotkin has a plan

(+) Yeah! (+)

Is it a good plan? Well,
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/24/slotkin-has-a-war-plan-to-beat-trump-dont-be-weak-and-woke-00308176

Elissa Slotkin, the former CIA analyst turned battleground senator, will on Thursday start road-testing what she calls a war plan to contain and defeat Donald Trump.

In the first of a series of speeches about the Democratic Partys path out of the wilderness, the Michigan senator said she will span everything from strategy to tactics and tone, acknowledging public perception of the party as weak and woke needs to change. She is urging Democrats to fucking retake the flag with appeals to voters sense of patriotism, to adopt the goddamn Alpha energy of Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell and to embrace an airing out of potential 2028 presidential candidates in a broadly contested primary.

Slotkins description of the speech as a war plan came in a recorded dry-run of the remarks viewed by POLITICO. In an interview, she hedged on whether she would continue to call it that, saying its a military-style operational plan. I dont understand how to rally us into a coherent approach if we arent on the same page on where were going.
Trump is doing a whole bunch of things that I think are a threat to our economy and a threat to our Democracy and I have a responsibility on behalf of my state to point that out and try to do something about that, the first-term senator told POLITICO in an interview outlining her speech ahead of delivering it to an audience of home state Democrats and volunteers in Lansing on Thursday afternoon.

Of the stark and militaristic language featured in a draft version, she added: I thought it was very important to put something down on paper, but it wasnt to liken him to ISIS or anything like that. It was just to say if you want to counter something that you see as a problem, you got to have a plan or what else are you doing?

Slotkin won her seat last year in a state that Trump carried (and where Trump will return to for a 100 days event Tuesday), defeating Republican challenger Mike Rogers to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. That has given her some cachet among party leaders, operatives, donors and activists following an election in which Democrats wiped out. After delivering Democrats official rebuttal to Trumps speech to a joint session of Congress last month, Slotkin decamped to her farmhouse in Holly, Michigan last month to develop what she is branding as a more robust strategy to oppose Trump.

In an acknowledgment of Democrats long odds of retaking the Senate next year, she said the party should focus on the House. My definition of success, Slotkin said, includes free and fair elections in 2026, retaking the House, defending the seats we have in the Senate. In the best-case scenario, she said, Democrats could perhaps gain one or two seats in the Senate.

She urged Democrats considering running for president in 2028 to get in early not waiting until 2027, start getting people kind of in circulation and a broad group of people.

An aide described her forthcoming remarks as a part buck-up, part come-to-Jesus speech.

Slotkins plan lays out why she thinks Democrats suffered sweeping setbacks last year, including focus groups of home-state voters who she said described her party as weak and woke. It defines success as winning a number of upcoming battles, including at the Supreme Court.

Most immediately, she said, Democrats could secure a court victory in the most high-profile deportation in recent history by forcing Trump to obey an order in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration.

We need to have this fight as a nation about whether we should still uphold the Constitution and still believe there are three co-equal branches of government and the president is blatantly ignoring one of those branches right now, Slotkin said. I wouldnt have picked this case myself, because its hard with the El Salvador piece. Hes in another country, but the case picked us.

Among other ideas, Slotkin proposes a Democratic shadow Cabinet made up of ranking members on congressional committees to aggressively bracket Trumps own Cabinet.

Her strategy also focuses on language and tone. She said Democrats should stop using the term oligarchy, a phrase she said doesnt resonate beyond coastal institutions, and just say that the party opposes kings. And to beat their weak and woke rap, Democrats should channel the no-bullshit energy of the Lions Campbell, she said, A wonderfully sappy guy with his players, but who is also smart and tough and lovable.

Slotkin plans to deliver another speech which is set to focus on killing sacred cows sometime next month.
I dont think we need to hide the fact that Trump is flooding the zone and making us look 12 different ways at the same time, Slotkin said. But again, because I come from the national security background, theres no end to fighting unless youre dead.

We have to fucking beat the goddamn orange ass Cheeto at his own shitting game

Sounds better than Hogg's idea.

Antifar posted...

Slotkin plans to deliver another speech which is set to focus on killing sacred cows sometime next month.

Is that the part where she stops beating around the bush and just suggests we start killing trans people ourselves?

Because she's not fucking subtle.

Antifar posted...

theres no end to fighting unless youre dead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg0Tmydj29M

DrizztLink posted...

Is that the part where she stops beating around the bush and just suggests we start killing trans people ourselves?

Because she's not fucking subtle.

She's gonna tell us to abandon Garcia.

Fetterman breathing a sigh of relief rn

So she is saying "we just need to become the Republicans ourselves!!!!"?

Talk about a shit plan.

Remember when appealing to moderate won Democrats the presidency?

Me neither.

It's like half the party wants to become Republican Lights, and half wants to boot out all the Republican Lights.

I'm not seeing anything in this that's a show-stopper like that crap from Newsom. Time will tell.

Ctrl+f "bullet" not found

Not gonna work; don't care

She is kinda right on "stop saying Oligarchy" at least. same goes for fascism, authoritarian, etc. Keep it to stuff third graders can understand.

Truly is her generation's Jim Webb.

I hate the word oligarchy. It's wrong every time it's used. Neither Russia nor America have oligarchs.

I've been trying to say plutocracy because it's much more accurate in America but it rarely catches on.

Tyranthraxus posted...

I've been trying to say plutocracy because it's much more accurate in America but it rarely catches on.

It's all bark and no bite.

DrizztLink posted...

Is that the part where she stops beating around the bush and just suggests we start killing trans people ourselves?

Because she's not fucking subtle.

This could also mean doing away with a lot of the decorum bullshit that many Dems live by.

Tyranthraxus posted...

I hate the word oligarchy. It's wrong every time it's used. Neither Russia nor America have oligarchs.

I've been trying to say plutocracy because it's much more accurate in America but it rarely catches on.

The issue is most people don't know what it means o don't care.

"Elon Musk and Trump took your job and deported your cousin" is easy and simple. Dems have huge issues with consultant speak in general. I'm still not over one congresswoman talking about "road equity"

While some points are good, that felt like a whole lot of nothing. But we'll see. I'm from Michigan. I expect very little from her based on what I've experienced over the last few years.

LightSnake posted...

She is kinda right on "stop saying Oligarchy" at least. same goes for fascism, authoritarian, etc. Keep it to stuff third graders can understand.

Yeah. Simple words are needed for messaging. The people didn't even know what tariffs are.

"Ditching wokeness" or "killing sacred cows" or however she wants to put it seems like a shitty plan, mostly because it involves ceding ground to Republicans and allowing them to frame the issues without understanding that "wokeness" is whatever they say it is in any given moment, and that no amount of moving right will stop them from making that claim, and in fact this only lends to credence to the idea that they have anything resembling a valid point.

Blbmbr666 posted...

This could also mean doing away with a lot of the decorum bullshit that many Dems live by.

Yeah that's not what it means at all.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2fa7163d.jpg

LightSnake posted...

The issue is most people don't know what it means o don't care.

"Elon Musk and Trump took your job and deported your cousin" is easy and simple. Dems have huge issues with consultant speak in general. I'm still not over one congresswoman talking about "road equity"

"Republicans will make you poor, here's exactly how..." needs to be the only D message to undecideds.

Nothing that requires the least bit of intelligence or moral capacity from that audience will work.

What she's saying barely means anything. Just "look strong!"

Like....thanks?

EPR-radar posted...

"Republicans will make you poor, here's exactly how..." needs to be the only D message to undecideds.

Nothing that requires the least bit of intelligence or moral capacity from that audience will work.

If an 8 year old can't understand it, nix it

EPR-radar posted...

"Republicans will make you poor, here's exactly how..." needs to be the only D message to undecideds.

Nothing that requires the least bit of intelligence or moral capacity from that audience will work.

the problem is the democrat messages aren't getting to almost half the population

they get all their news from Fox and Facebook

LightSnake posted...

What she's saying barely means anything. Just "look strong!"

Like....thanks?

Yeah it's not exactly a detailed plan.

Antifar posted...

Yeah it's not exactly a detailed plan.

It's a little less "a plan" and more "shit Supermutants yell at each other in radiant conversation."

"ditch the woke and stop using the word oligarchy" is a shit plan and anyone who thinks it's good is delusional.

also, oligarchy is not the wrong word to use. both oligarchy and plutocracy are applicable to the current situation. and people are learning what oligarchy means thanks to AOC and Bernie's tour. it's not just some weird coastal elite term that nobody else understands.

A_Good_Boy posted...

Sounds better than Hogg's idea.

Nah his idea of primarying all the old fuckers in congress is correct

Instead of oligarchs, say rich fucks or rich pricks

SaikyoStyle posted...

Instead of oligarchs, say rich fucks or rich pricks

"filthy rich" needs to make a comeback.

EPR-radar posted...

"filthy rich" needs to make a comeback.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/8/8bfe375c.jpg

Tyranthraxus posted...

She's gonna tell us to abandon Garcia.

Fetterman breathing a sigh of relief rn

... that is literally the opposite of what she said.

Most immediately, she said, Democrats could secure a court victory in the most high-profile deportation in recent history by forcing Trump to obey an order in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration.

We need to have this fight as a nation about whether we should still uphold the Constitution and still believe there are three co-equal branches of government and the president is blatantly ignoring one of those branches right now, Slotkin said. I wouldnt have picked this case myself, because its hard with the El Salvador piece. Hes in another country, but the case picked us.

ZMythos posted...

Remember when appealing to moderate won Democrats the presidency?

Me neither.

Bill Clinton

Basically, she wants to do Clinton 1996 all over again, but in the midst of a fascist/plutocratic coup. As if the compromises made back then aren't a huge part of how we got there and the rapid decline of the Democratic Party with the working class and low info voters.

Maybe we shouldn't let Clintonite, ex-CIA types take ownership of the party in this moment? I have little reason to believe someone like that can spark the mass mobilization we need to get and stay out of this dark moment.

vycebrand2 posted...

Bill Clinton

Who was elected two years before I was born. 32 years ago to be more accurate.

And to beat their weak and woke rap, Democrats should channel the no-bullshit energy of the Lions Campbell, she said, A wonderfully sappy guy with his players, but who is also smart and tough and lovable.

This is clearly a dogwhistle, but about what? I don't know the guy

ZMythos posted...

Remember when appealing to moderate won Democrats the presidency?

Me neither.

You dont remember 2008?

DoesntMatter posted...

"ditch the woke and stop using the word oligarchy" is a shit plan and anyone who thinks it's good is delusional.

also, oligarchy is not the wrong word to use. both oligarchy and plutocracy are applicable to the current situation. and people are learning what oligarchy means thanks to AOC and Bernie's tour. it's not just some weird coastal elite term that nobody else understands.

Yeah, but oligarchy isn't a word people identify with or can fork opinions around. 99.9% of people have never seen or read that word in anything. Almost no one if you walk up to them on the street woild give you a correct and encapsulation of the definition of that word. When you use big words to an audience that doesn't know them well you lose them very quickly.

The right has done the opposite and it's worked. Take smaller easily memorable buzzwords and use them so much they become normal lexicon.

Doe posted...

This is clearly a dogwhistle, but about what? I don't know the guy

Dan Campbell is the coach of the Detroit Lions who is known for being incredibly ballsy with some of his decisions on the field and fiery demeanor with after game speeches and interviews.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpW4JGvERek

Toonstrack posted...

You dont remember 2008?

Do you?

DoesntMatter posted...

also, oligarchy is not the wrong word to use

Nah it totally is. Oligarchy kind of implies that there's some sharing of power among a group of people and there isn't. You have one dictator and he's got all the power. You piss him off and you get fired, or in Russia's case pushed out a window or off a roof or down a flight of stairs onto a dozen bullets.

You've got one fascist dictator and the billionaire elites who bribe him to do whatever they want. There's no oligarchy and never was.

Appreciate the, uh, let's call it "moxie", but not the "let's just be more like Republicans" messaging.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Nah it totally is. Oligarchy kind of implies that there's some sharing of power among a group of people and there isn't. You have one dictator and he's got all the power. You piss him off and you get fired, or in Russia's case pushed out a window or off a roof or down a flight of stairs onto a dozen bullets.

You've got one fascist dictator and the billionaire elites who bribe him to do whatever they want. There's no oligarchy and never was.

"Fascist" isn't working either. People don't care about the technical terms.

The whole "the billionaire elites are..." isn't working. People like and admire billionaires, this doesn't drive them to vote. Keep it to the people actually effecting them nd keep it simple. Don't say "Trump is a fascist," just say "Trump tortured your neighbor and Elon fired you."

Pass an anti-billionaire bill and call it the "STOP ELON ACT"

ZMythos posted...

Do you?

In what universe was he not a moderate that year lol

Ill reserve judgement until she elaborates on ditching woke. Just who and what are we ditching?

Antifar posted...

Slotkin plans to deliver another speech which is set to focus on killing sacred cows sometime next month.

So she's going to be saying to toss out trans people and maybe gut social security, medicare and medicaid.

Toonstrack posted...

In what universe wasn't he a moderate that year lol

The universe where he ran on raising taxes on the wealthy, ending the war in Iraq, and, umm *checks notes* universal health care?

The problem is in the messaging. Republicans are screaming: all dems are bad, we're the good guys, even our worst is better than their best. Decades of this messaging has brainwashed too many people.

What you need is a Republican with a plan (good luck with that). Someone willing to stand up and say that the Republican party today is not the same as what your great-grandfather fought for. This Republican party does not care about you, your wife, your kids, your best friend your neighbour or even your dog.

Then take real verifiable actions that this admin has done and show (irrefutably) the damage that it has done. Say that this would not have happened under Reagan or either Bush.

You guys are screwed until Dumpy kicks it, and even then, it will do decades to undo the damage.