The Stories Democrats Aren’t Telling (But Should)
We can still talk about policy. But policy comes after connection—and connection starts by putting the audience first.
If there's one thing Democrats should have learned by now, it's this: voters don’t just remember what you did - they remember how you made them feel.
Facts matter. Policy matters. But they don’t win the argument on their own. The right understands this. Fox News doesn’t lead with policy breakdowns - it tells stories. Stories of grievance. Stories of identity. Stories of fear.
Progressives? Too often, we lead with white papers.
To compete, we don’t just need better ads or more media buys - we need better narratives.
Why Storytelling Matters
Storytelling is how humans have always made sense of the world. A good story moves people from “I don’t know” to “I care.” From “maybe later” to “what can I do?” From “that’s not my issue” to “that’s my people.”
And unlike talking points or infographics, stories stick.
In today’s media landscape - where attention is short and outrage spreads fast - the side that tells the better story wins. It wins airtime. It wins sympathy. And ultimately, it wins votes.
So if we want to reach people outside the progressive bubble, we need to stop lecturing and start connecting.
This isn’t my opinion – it’s science
Neuroscience shows that stories activate more areas of the brain than facts alone. While data engages the language-processing centers, stories stimulate regions tied to emotion, sensory experience, and memory - making them more impactful and easier to recall. When a story mirrors a listener’s values or struggles, the brain produces oxytocin, a chemical that builds trust and empathy. That’s why a well-told personal narrative can be more persuasive than a list of facts - it literally helps people feel the message, not just understand it.
The 5 Elements of Powerful Political Storytelling
A Relatable Protagonist
Not a politician. A person. Someone who looks, sounds, and lives like your audience.A Clear Stakes-Based Conflict
What’s the threat or injustice? Why should people care now?A Journey or Transformation
The change the person undergoes - how they fought back, found hope, or made a difference.Emotion Over Data
You can have facts in your story, but they should support the emotion, not replace it.A Point of Connection to a Bigger “Us”
It’s not just one person’s story - it’s a window into our shared fight, values, or future.
Three Great Democratic Stories - And Why They Worked
1. Barack Obama’s 2004 Convention Speech – “The audacity of hope”
“My father came from Kenya. My mother was from Kansas…”
Obama didn’t just introduce himself - he embodied the American story. The child of a single mother. The dream of immigrants. The bridge between Black and white. His speech used his story to tell our story. And it catapulted him to the presidency.
✅ Relatable protagonist.
✅ High stakes (division, cynicism, lost hope).
✅ Transformation (his own and America’s).
2. Joe Biden’s Empathy After Tragedy – The story of loss and resilience
Joe Biden doesn’t always speak in soundbites. But when he speaks from his pain - losing his wife and daughter, and later his son Beau - he connects like few politicians can.
When he comforted grieving families during COVID, he didn’t lead with policy. He led with grief. That human connection became the foundation of that campaign’s moral argument: restoring the soul of the nation.
✅ Protagonist with real scars.
✅ Emotional truth.
✅ Universal connection through loss.
3. Barbara Jordan’s 1976 Democratic Convention Speech – “We the people”
“My presence here is one additional bit of evidence that the American Dream need not forever be deferred.”
Barbara Jordan didn’t just deliver a great speech - she told a story of belonging. As a Black woman from Texas, the daughter of a Baptist preacher, her presence on the national stage was a story in itself: of progress, of perseverance, of patriotism reimagined.
She grounded her speech in the Constitution—but not as a dry document. She made it personal and moral, weaving her identity and values into a call for unity and justice.
✅ Relatable but barrier-breaking protagonist.
✅ Historical and emotional stakes.
✅ Connection to the larger “we” of American democracy.
What Democrats Need To Do Now
If we want to win hearts—not just minds—we must:
Train candidates, organizers, and spokespeople to tell personal and local stories.
Build media channels that elevate those stories year-round, not just in election season.
Prioritize emotional connection over information overload in our content.
Help everyday people - nurses, teachers, veterans - tell their stories to their communities.
We can still talk about policy. But policy comes after connection.
Because nobody ever said, “That spreadsheet changed my life.” But they do say, “That story stayed with me.”
I’m working with others to help make this shift—training messengers, building digital channels, and changing how we connect with people. Want to collaborate? Reach out or subscribe. Let’s build a movement that tells a better story.
Storytelling beats spreadsheets.
But for grassroots messengers, storytelling doesn’t necessarily mean sharing our stories. It can mean lifting up the stories already around us and anchoring them in our values. You don’t have to be the protagonist to be a powerful narrator.
We can lift stories from the news, from neighbors, from the realities across the state. You don’t have to be the one who lost your house to longwall mining to say: “This family’s story shows what happens when profit comes before people.” You don’t need to be a teacher to say: “This school just lost its afterschool program because of a federal freeze and kids will suffer because of it.”
I appreciate your insight. Another issue progressives are poor at is talking about patriotism. We seem to have handed it over to conservatives, and so people are only hearing a toxic version. We need to provide a healthy alternative. There is an idealism interpretive gap, as well as an emotional one. Despite the current political polarization , it was interesting to me that at least one conservative video interpreting the Declaration of Independence (Hillsdale College) sounded pretty much like the interpretations.