By Comms, Govt & Policy

(Photo credit: donaldjtrump.com)

It’s with a bit of disbelief that one can read the flurry of social media posts from Canadians mocking Americans for voting in Donald Trump for the second time. It may seem a distant spectacle for Canadians far removed from the implications of the outcome—until one holds a mirror up.

At last check, Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada enjoyed consistent, double-digit leads over the governing Liberals. With an election looming in 2025, it’s all but certain the Conservatives will win—likely with a majority, which means they can govern and craft laws unimpeded by compromise.

Source: canadianpolling.ca

I’m a Canadian who has been living in the US for the past three years and can recognize the parallels in the politics of both countries. The polite (yet judgemental) Canadian chuckles may soon turn to scowls once it becomes clear that the same factors—and communications strategies—that fueled Donald Trump’s victory are also driving Poilievre’s rise in popularity: a worsening of material conditions for the working class, a sense of economic uncertainty, and concerns around public safety.

Conservative political ad demonstrates the party’s effective communications style

Rather than add to the chorus of post-election analyses around the outcome of the US election, I’ll share a video of Scott Jennings, CNN political contributor and PR consultant, that nails it on the head.

The speech itself and the way it was delivered exemplify why Republicans resonated more with the majority of Americans: It’s simple, clear, and persuasive—free from pretentious, academic language and esoteric social constructs and theories that make sense to very few.

The coming weeks and months will be full of reflection around strategy and tactics; but from a communications standpoint, it’s clear that there is one pervasive trend that needs to stop if Democrats are to win again: demonizing all those who voted for Trump as racists, fascists, and Nazis. Why? Because that doesn’t help (the Democrats).

Democrats need those voters to win and vilifying them only serves to reinforce their current convictions and push them further away. Those who witness the attacks online and can relate to some of the experiences and grievances of the people on the receiving end will also be turned off and be more likely to support Republicans in the future.

Donald Trump won the popular vote. More than half of those who cast their ballots favored him over Kamala Harris—that’s millions of people. It’s highly unlikely that all—or even most of them—are villainous racists. Most of my American friends are Democrats, but a few are Republican; and I can confirm, they are not monsters. The sweeping generalizations applied to all Trump voters alienate the hearts and minds Democrats need to win in order to take back the White House.

Stuff like this doesn’t help. Progressives are starting to realize this and are speaking out.

A glimmer of hope points to a path forward

One positive outcome for Democrats was in California where moderate candidates experienced a surge in public support. Voters there recalled extreme left politicians in favor of more centrist public safety-oriented candidates. And nearly all public safety ballot initiatives passed with healthy margins.

The victories here point to a viable path forward. Democrats have more to gain than they have to lose by shifting back to the political center and focusing on the fundamentals such as the economy, jobs, public safety—mainstream issues that families care about and underpin quality of life. They would be smart to distance themselves from extreme activists and identity politics as both have been shown to erode popular support from mainstream voters. This recent US election is evidence of that.

This situation is also true in Canada where in the country’s most liberal province, British Columbia, the Conservative Party won a record 45 seats. Much of the frustration and dissatisfaction echoes across the border. And across Canada, the outcome will surely be the same as it was in the US: a conservative win.