Democrats launch aggressive campaign to win back infrequent voters

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/democrats-local-listeners-initiative-elections

DNC’s Local Listeners initiative will target one million ‘infrequent’ voters in battleground districts

Democrats are launching an aggressive campaign to win back voters they lost, not to Donald Trump, but to the proverbial “couch,” as they look to regain support ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) rolled out a new initiative called Local Listeners with the goal of targeting over one million “infrequent” voters in key battleground districts. Seeking to build on the party’s string of off-year election victories, which extended into 2026 with an upset in Texas last weekend, the DNC is betting that early, localized outreach will be crucial in winning back these voters’ trust – and their ballots – this time around.

“If we want to keep earning back the trust and support of voters, we have to listen to them,” DNC chair Ken Martin said in a statement, shared in advance with the Guardian. “This program modernizes the way we are talking to and hearing from the voters that we need to win elections now and for years to come. The Democratic Party is done with waiting until the last minute to engage voters – these conversations need to happen early and often.”

171 points · 62 comments · view on lemmy.world

62 Comments

in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social · 93 pts · 219d (5 replies)

Shut down ICE. You'll be the party in power. Fix voting access, nationalize mail in voting resources (states run the elections)

Promote down ballot leftists

Repeal citizens united

They'll never lose another national election

TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 30 pts · 219d (1 reply)

These feel like pipedreams when looking at the current DNC. Or maybe they'll just talk about it then do bupkis when they're in power like last time.

Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 218d

They have the power not to fund ice now. They chose to give them money again.

UnspecificGravity@piefed.social · 24 pts · 219d

They aren't looking for a list of things to DO.

They are just looking for the right lies to tell.

Maeve@kbin.earth · 22 pts · 219d
kreskin@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 218d

Israel will never allow the dems to repeal citizens united. It would get like 5 votes.

uberdroog@lemmy.world · 53 pts · 219d (7 replies)

Super easy, barely an inconvenience... do the opposite of everything happening in the current administration. Don't court the middle/right. Publicly recognize the lack of accountability and publish plans to do so.

Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 21 pts · 219d (6 replies)

Courting the middle/right doesn't mean diet-fascism or shitty, means-tested versions of policy people actually like. "Free healthcare" is more popular across all demographics than any compromised policy.

DaMummy@hilariouschaos.com · 6 pts · 219d

I hear you, I understand you, and I feel for you. Therefore, we're gonna Pokémon GO to the polls.

ameancow@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 218d (4 replies)
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Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 218d (3 replies)

call it “tax refunded emergency financial care”

Anything that's means-tested or sounds complicated is off the table, because like Obamacare, most people will understand on some level that it won't help them, but they will easily be convinced they will pay for it. "Free healthcare" has such power because you can't add any complications that make it difficult and shameful and complicated to use.

Stop finger-wagging about race and gender issues, THEY DO NOT CARE.

Anyone else you wanna let the right cleave off our coalition? Why not throw women under the bus too? Letting the weirdos who promote checking genitals in women's restrooms have their way with one marginalized group doesn't help us advance in other areas, if anything it energizes them with red meat.

ameancow@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 218d (2 replies)
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Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 218d (1 reply)

Not criminalizing trans people isn't forcing anybody to care about trans people.

We have made negative progress trying to butt heads against them

We have made negative progress because the dems and liberal mainstream media treat trans people existing as a contentious issue worthy of debate. They do dumb shit like this all the time, like when they gave oxygen to young earth creationism or whatever the latest moral panic is. The solution isn't to just let them go around victimizing minorities, it's to shut down any debate on the subject and ridicule the bigots who inject anti-wokeness into everything.

ameancow@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 218d
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Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 45 pts · 219d (9 replies)

No mention of changing any of the policy stances, alliances with far right war criminals, and other substance based reasons for what they pretend to be laziness or apathy.

As usual, they're taking the Aaron Sorkin approach to politics where it's all about giving the right speeches and pretending to listen (while refusing to take action based on what they're told) and what you actually DO is immaterial 🤦

Until they stop acting like the country (and by extension the world) is a ridiculously condescending work of fiction with themselves as the main characters (and thus the only ones that REALLY matter), they will keep losing out on critically needed votes and therefore be accomplices to the ravages of fascism their carelessness enables.

EmpireInDecay@lemmy.ml · 14 pts · 219d (7 replies)

Then blame everyone under the sun except themselves for their failures.

some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org · 11 pts · 219d (6 replies)

It's not like anyone told them supporting a genocide would be bad for voter turnout. How were they supposed to know? /s

Zexks@lemmy.world · -2 pts · 218d (5 replies)

How does the genocide go now huh. Trump give you what you were looking for there.

Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 218d (4 replies)

I am truly sorry I failed to spin genocide as popular. The only way the dems could have won was by doing what the people they were asking to vote for them wanted, to prove that they would honor their side of the deal.

Zexks@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 217d (3 replies)

You did make it popular though. Trump made it go even faster and you will likely be able to buy a fancy condo build on gazan graves real soon thanks to your popularization. Good job!

Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 0 pts · 217d (2 replies)

If genocide was popular, Kamala would have had a shot at winning. Sadly the policy she tied her campaign to decreased turnout.

Zexks@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 216d

Yep all thanks to people like you israel will get a shiney new oceanside resort. Palestine for the highest bidders only Good job! Who needs dirty natives anyways. If we cant have perfection then glass the whole place and hand it over to mossad.

jimmy90@lemmy.world · -6 pts · 218d

so you can't choose between far right criminals?

you'd rather help keep one far right criminal in office?

good to know

we don't need you anyway anymore

Lasherz12@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 219d (1 reply)

Being Mamdani without the policies isn't being Mamdani. America's appetite for Obama types is waning.

captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 219d

Yeah better to be Katie Wilson than Obama

gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 219d

Volunteers will undergo a seven-week training program on how to better engage these voters, including sessions on “active listening” and “having difficult conversations about politics”.

Seven weeks of paychecks for the consultants, but the party members they actually want to go out and do the real work of talking to people are just expected to volunteer. Sounds like the Democratic party I know and loathe.

Tylerdurdon@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 219d

Pfff, yea right. Until they go grass roots, this is all smoke and mirrors. The voters have gotten tired of it and want actual change (which is a big reason why we're in this mess). Get rid of Schumer and the rest of the corpocrats, and look at what the people actually want. That'll never happen.

SippyCup@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 219d

Democrats will try anything but policy.

HeadfullofSoup@kbin.earth · 24 pts · 219d (4 replies)

It’s seem like an out there idea but have they try doing their job? Might help

AbidanYre@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 219d (3 replies)

First you need to explain to Chuck Schumer what his job actually is.

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 219d

It isn't getting aid for Israel?

EmpireInDecay@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 219d

He told us what his job is, it's not us

phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 218d

Schumer's job is to resign immediately and never involve himself in public life again.

OshagHennessey@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 218d

Lol. Lmao.

“If we want to keep earning back the trust and support of voters, we have to listen to them,”

“This program modernizes the way we are talking to and hearing from the voters..."

The problem isn't that democrats don't have a modern way to listen and talk to voters. The problem is, democrats know exactly what the voters want, but refuse to give it to them because it's inconvenient to their donors.

bitjunkie@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 219d

"Corpodems launch aggressive campaign to get votes by doing literally anything other than what the people want" 🥱

MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.world · 14 pts · 219d

Hmm. Opening new offices and hiring people seems more like a way to keep the cycle of donor money moving, rather than a strategy to win…absent any actual messaging or policy changes from Democratic leadership.

When I read the article I expected the regional initiatives to have some sort of mechanism to change messaging and policy. It doesn’t seem to me that “listening” is what’s needed…we know exactly what these potential voters want.

EmpireInDecay@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 219d

They are infrequent voters because they listened to what Democrats said then they watched what Democrats did. Democrats can't be trusted.

inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 219d

I'm sure that having leadership sanction Democrats voting for ICE funding after they murdered an American citizen, withholding support for the progressives that won the primaries, and stating their job is to ensure funding for Israel is their first step in proving they deserver another chance.

Again, big talk, no actions from these A-holes.

mrdown@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 219d (1 reply)

With jefferies, Schummer, Newsome and Kamala forget about it

yonderbarn@lazysoci.al · 6 pts · 219d

I just threw up in my mouth

mrdown@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 219d

We will listen to you then do whatever we always planed to do anyway

phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 218d (1 reply)

Have they considered actually standing up to MAGA?

And what about actually delivering something of value to their voters, in the places where Dems have a majority such as state and city governments?

OshagHennessey@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 218d

No, they haven't. They won't go against their donors.

duelistsage@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 219d

Say they're going to raise taxes on rich people.

Asmodeus_Krang@infosec.pub · 6 pts · 219d
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Danarchy@lemmy.nz · 5 pts · 219d

VOTE MORHRRFUKER (punches u in the face)

JennyLaFae@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 218d

In the months leading up to the election i had so many Democrats knocking on my door i started going off on them, asking if they talked to each other at all, telling them i was feeling harassed. I literally almost threw away my ballot i was so pissed, when one asked me to send her pictures of me voting, I told her to fuck off.

They don't care about us.

cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 219d (1 reply)

seems far better to listen to your frequent voters in the base turned off by leaderships inability to listen to them then it is to chase mythical focus group groups.

Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 219d

The issue is you think progressives are the frequent voters, they aren’t nor are the young.

Krauerking@lemy.lol · 3 pts · 218d

If you are paying yourself to train to better understand the average person, you have immediately lost.
You are incentivized by the wrong thing now

Maeve@kbin.earth · 3 pts · 219d
Ryanmiller70@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 219d

Guess the one benefit of living in a deep red Midwestern state is they'll never try that crap here. Not gonna waste breath on people that value donations over human lives.

UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 218d (1 reply)

Democrats need to replace First-past-the-post voting in states they control. Then they can be whatever they want.

phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 218d

European countries that don't have FPTP are just as fucked up as the ones that do.

The same is true of term limits. US states that have implemented them don't have any better governance than those that didn't.

ameancow@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 218d
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moseschrute@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 219d (4 replies)

Just tell them JD fucked the proverbial couch. They’ll get right up.

MrVilliam@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 219d (3 replies)

And also show them a picture of JD Vance and explain that he's Peter Thiel's lapdog. And explain who Peter Thiel is. And explain why he's bad and therefore why Vance is bad.

On second thought, reaching the willfully ignorant is gonna be a fucking task and a half, especially with fox news blasting in public spaces like waiting rooms while critical thinking is gutted in public schools.

It's hard to feel bad for America right now. We had it coming. We told ourselves for 80 years that it can't happen here, so our guard wasn't up to contend with the reality that it could happen here, guaranteeing our eventual current state of fucking happening here.

I don't know how this ends in anything other than violent collapse, and I'm not sure how to get my family out in time or where to go. I won't be considered a valid refugee until after these Nazis have us too trapped to get out at all. People are too exhausted and stupid to organize into effective resistance. I doubt it would take that many bodies to surround the white house with rifles and achieve regime change, but nobody's coming to save us, and that includes our bickering, divided left and also the feckless liberals trying to soften everything to just some light fascism that's still 100 calories of fascism, but that's better than 140 calories of fascism so we're supposed to just be over the fucking moon with all their hard work.

I'm so tired of warranted anxiety. Say what you want about Biden, (believe me, I have my complaints,) but he at least kept the car on the road. He got us off the rumble strips. Now we've already careened off the cliff, but nobody will acknowledge it until we hit the bottom in a fiery explosion. It would take a fucking miracle to sprout wings and save us at this point.

moseschrute@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 219d (2 replies)

I have to disagree with the hard to feel bad part . I’m American. Every election I’ve ever voted in has been plagued with Trump. I didn’t spend 80 years saying that it couldn’t happen here. I’ve never really seen what an election without Trump looks like. At least not one that I was old enough to participate in. It’s difficult for me to not feel that the older generations have let my generation down. That’s where my frustration lies. I don’t think the younger generation deserves the blame yet.

I don’t mean to sound morbid, but I’m excited that boomers are close to aging out of politics (aka dying). Will be nice to finally have some younger representation. Too bad it couldn’t have happened sooner.

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 219d

Primaries are important

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 0 pts · 219d

Primaries are important

Edit lol I guess they're not

kreskin@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 218d

"If we want to keep earning back the trust and support of voters"

they never started. If the are "keeping on" some effort, it has already failed. Ken has proven to be a collosal disappointment and waste of everyones time.

kandoh@reddthat.com · 2 pts · 219d

Two words:

President Clooney

sturmblast@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 218d (1 reply)

This is a campaign that should never stop

Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 218d

Depends, will dems use this as a pretense to move to the right or will they convince themselves its a messaging issue, and republican-lite policy is actually tHE Most Progressive eVAr!?, its the voters who are bad and dumb.

JennyLaFae@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 218d

In the months leading up to the election i had so many Democrats knocking on my door i started going off on them, asking if they talked to each other at all, telling them i was feeling harassed. I literally almost threw away my ballot i was so pissed, when one asked me to send her pictures of me voting, I told her to fuck off.

They don't care about us.

homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world · -4 pts · 219d

Left: NeVaR!!1