5 Truths Progressives Can’t Afford to Ignore in 2024

As more and more conservative politicians rally their bases and pull supporters from across the political spectrum, it’s never been more important for progressive changemakers to maximize our impact.

No matter how insidious we may find their messaging, it can’t be dismissed. Why? Because it’s working. The progressive same-old isn’t inspiring people like it used to.

It’s time for us progressives to start implementing new approaches. So, when the next election comes, whether it’s local, provincial or federal, let’s not get caught on our heels. Here are 5 things we can start doing right now to make sure we’re ready to rally supporters.

1. Ditch the truisms and platitudes ASAP.

“Avoid all the bloody cliches. Talk in plain language.” – the late Ed Broadbent, as quoted by Jenn Hollett.

In an era of hypervisibility and information, people are more attuned to authenticity — or lack thereof — than ever. But progressive key messages and speeches have more or less sounded the same for the last decade. We’ve fallen short of meaning and relevance.

Most people would not identify as a ‘worker’ or even as a ‘progressive’. So, how can we create more meaning with the language we use? How do we cut through the ‘sea of sameness’ and present what we believe is a better vision?

We need to focus on shared values and the direct impacts of policies, and we need to describe those policies plainly in terms of people’s daily lived experiences. Verbally committing to making the world more equitable and just is empty without tangible solutions that everyone can understand.

2. Stop making false assumptions.

At Point Blank we recently ran some testing on persuasive frames at the outset of campaign planning, including some tried, typical union bargaining messaging. As it turns out, this messaging performed poorly compared to the alternative messages.

What we believe will create public support can sometimes have the opposite effect, and leaning on the status quo can hurt us.

Want to read more about challenging our assumptions? My colleague Colette wrote a blog about how we can test to make sure we are truly adding value through campaigns to persuade and deliver wins.

3. We need to move outside of our lane.

If we’re serious about our progressive principles and vision, and we have the gumption to make it a reality, we need to win. How do we win? We need to persuade moderates who make up 70% of the population.

The majority of people do not see themselves strictly as ‘progressive’ or ‘conservative’. Instead, they have multiple nuanced views on multiple topics across the political spectrum. We cannot continue business as usual, appealing to only our base, playing the role of union leaders and New Democrats that everyone expects us to play.

To win at the polls, we need to invite more people in with solutions to problems that matter to everyday moderates.

4. We’ve got to have a progressive populist message.

Right now we (New Democrats and adjacents) purport to be the party for diverse working class people. But our self-righteous moralizing and over intellectualization of issues has completely alienated moderates — the people who make up the majority of the population.

We must strike a balance between gatekeeping and being outright anti-expert like the Far Right. We cannot simply say we support the working class, and then in turn not represent them honestly.

Even though they couldn’t be farther from diverse working people, Trump, Ford, and Poilievre are all more convincing as ‘everyday people’ because they’re pandering to the very real pain and fear of economic distress. This cannot be dismissed.

Instead of being afraid of that distress ourselves, we must confront it with tangible solutions that people can relate to.

5. Instead of ignoring divisiveness, we need to tackle it head on.

Did you notice the dog whistle in the commentary above? Unfortunately, ‘everyday people’ suggests whiteness in the collective imagination.

When we play at politeness or get on the defensive, we play into the conservative playbook. Whether it’s citing ‘culture wars’, ‘identity politics’, or ‘parental rights’, we come at issues from disparate angles.

Instead, we need to be direct. What we can do is call out the division for what it is: a distraction from the real world impacts of conservative policies. Instead of using language of ‘unity’ that ignores difference, we must be able to articulate shared values that are inclusive of our differences.

A proven framework for this approach is the Race-Class-Gender Narrative. Paraphrased from the We Make the Future website, it is proven messaging that explicitly names and weaves together race, class, and gender to mobilize our base and persuade the middle, allowing us to challenge our opposition’s worldview.

The basic principles of this approach are summarized here. It’s been tested in the US and UK, and at Point Blank we have started our own tests in Canada.

It works. Let’s be ambitious together.

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Miranda Hassell is a Senior Strategist at Point Blank. Miranda’s work focuses on union and political campaigns, with her ten plus years of experience spanning nonprofit, post-secondary education, and government. In 2023, Miranda was Digital Director of Olivia Chow’s successful mayoral campaign.

Point Blank is available for training on Race-Class-Gender Narrative, in addition to a full suite of services for campaigns.