The Importance of visibility, Voice and Representation:

the Erasing of Democrats in Central Washington

Why should you care about Rural Americans United's Districtwide Media Campaign! 

Have you wondered how a small minority of far-right or MAGA Republicans can be everywhere all at once? Ever wonder why Republicans seem to always have the quotes in the media? And more importantly, do you ever wonder why Democrats don’t? 

At the most basic level, a far-right Republican will NEVER think that the time is never right to speak up or that it is not the time to voice their opinion. 

We, as Democrats, are at risk of losing relevance in Central Washington. We can reverse this by taking bold actions and raising our game to meet the far-right head on. We will not resort to intimidation and bullying, but we will leverage the tools that bring Democratic representation and relevance to a community; increasing representation initially through media outreach. 

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A Master Class in media manipulation from far-right Republicans 

Read further to better understand why Rural American United’s district wide media campaign is essential to stopping the erasing of Democrats in Central Washington from the public record and public conscience. 

Walmartgate:

A successful media campaign starts by creating or seizing on buzz. Buzz gets people excited and media outlets are ready to publish content that touches a breadth of viewers and continues the story across different dimensions that touch on emotion and intellect. Most importantly, it should have an ending. Walmartgate had it all! 

Buzz: A golden opportunity arose for the far-right fanatics. Our elected officials doing what they are supposed to do inadvertently created a hook for the far-right to twist into a painful lie that played all too well to their base. Phone calls, social media and blog posts started popping up and there was a buzz. It is important to note that the spark that ignited it was from far-right petitioners outside of Walmart. It was just a short jump to get clown college dropout Tim Eyman on board to capture the jaded hearts of the media and turn the volume up even further. 

This egregious attack from the far-right was opportunistic, but fully in line with the MAGA strategy that relies on highly visible intimidation and bullying with their goal being total submission and retreat, which essentially erases Democrats. 

Diversify the topic and introduce critical take aways: Sara Kate, writer for the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, managed to land a Sunday front page article unashamedly titled “The fabric of Republican politics is changing Central and Eastern Washington”. Despite there being Republicans in Walla Walla, the writer chose to give most time to Yakima City Council Member Matt Brown. The article was about Republicans without input from Democrats. Democrats were erased.

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/government/elections/the-fabric-of-republican-politics-in-central-and-eastern-wa-is-changing/article_0864d010-e158-53c6-ad89-15e0de736ca2.html

The most brilliant ending: What was the most significant point the Republicans wanted to make? Remember the petitioners I mentioned earlier that created the spark that lit the fuse? Well, the most recent article was written by Danny Westneat of the Seattle Times. This article solidified the legitimacy of the petitioners because they are backed by $5 million. 

https://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/column-dumb-money-a-redmond-man-bets-5-million-on-resurrecting-the-state-gop/article_1226cde2-c429-541b-a198-e4139c0bb1d9.html

This media campaign went full circle from scandalous petitioners to pillars of the community that are working to restore the integrity of Washington State with the very clear intent of erasing Democrats.

I find the far-right’s methods reprehensible, but their strategy has been highly effective in occupying much of rural America, controlling two-thirds of State Houses and erasing Democrats from rural community consciousness. What have Republicans done differently than Democrats? They speak up everywhere all at once and the media listens!

The smartest thing I ever did was ask the chairs of every Democratic county and LD to be part of my campaign. My argument then is even more salient today. Each local Democratic party has decades of deep knowledge of their communities and political machinations. They have access to resources, media and donors. They know the community event schedule better and can make the most informed decisions on how to maneuver a candidate for the best results. I, in my informed opinion, believe that the path to victory for Democrats is for the local Democratic parties to come together as a singular campaign structure and execute an integrated strategy. Our local Democratic organizations have the strength to get a Representative elected or anything else. I believe in these people and I have the esteemed honor to call them friends. Sometimes I think my belief may be a bit intimidating at times, but it is only because I am so very grateful for what they do every day and it is a debt we can never fully repay.  

Fundraisers are already starting for Dan Newhouse despite the fact that he does not need them. Is this a sign they need to shore up local support early on?

Visible about Central Washington!

2023 Central Washington Candidates

Rural Americans United offered to publish candidate information provided by the local Democratic parties. This is not an endorsement and if you have questions about the local Democratic party's position and the selection process for these candidates, please contact them directly. 

https://www.ruralamericansunited.org/projects/2023candidates