A Playbook for Defeating MAGA
The Bulwark ’s Sarah Longwell, the author of How to Eat an Elephant , on what voters want to hear
Sarah Longwell, the publisher of The Bulwark and author of the new book "How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time," argues that the Republican Party, particularly the MAGA movement, needs to be defeated. Longwell, who once worked for Senator Rick Santorum, now says she wants to see the party's defeat and believes Democrats should capitalize on the opportunity.
In a recent Radio Atlantic podcast, Longwell discussed her focus group research with both Trump supporters and swing voters, revealing that Democrats are using the wrong approach to communicate with voters.
Longwell explains that many Democrats are not connecting with voters in the right way and are instead alienating them. She points out that in her focus groups, she asked voters to give Trump a letter grade, and the highest grade he received was a C. Longwell also notes that the war in Iran, tariffs, and high gas prices have contributed to Trump's declining popularity, with his approval rating at around 35 percent.
Despite the contradictions, misinformation, and conspiracy theories she has encountered in her focus groups, Longwell remains hopeful about the American voter. She believes that Democrats have an opportunity to take control of the House or Senate or both, but they need to change their approach and start talking differently about sensitive issues like immigration. Longwell outlines which Democratic leaders are doing a good job communicating and shares how to achieve "narrative dominance."
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
