Member-only story
In 2022, Democrats need to focus on values, not policies
I recently checked out the 2020 Democratic Platform.
It was a long slog. Surprisingly, I didn’t see anything resembling a list of basic values. This is a big problem for the Democratic Party.
Their opponents do not have this problem. Republicans understand the importance of being clear about values — that’s why they consistently focus on culture — it’s how they define their values-based platform.
Republicans are experts at using values to promote their candidates. Dems promote their candidates by explaining stuff to people. Guess who is more successful?
In my decades of corporate work, where my focus was breaking down silos and encouraging people with varying viewpoints to work together for the benefit of all, I learned the importance of values, and it can be summed up in one sentence:
Meaningful change requires trust, and trust is built on shared values.
People don’t like change. The Dems are trying to change our laws to benefit low- and -middle-class families and decrease the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots.’ It’s a noble goal, but you can’t effectively lead a movement toward change unless you are clear about your values.
