We Need Strategy First

Why Democrats Keep Losing the Information War

We are in trouble. The right has built a massive, monolithic organic media ecosystem -one that runs 24/7, spewing disinformation and hardwiring distrust into millions of minds every single day.

And it's working.

The Democratic brand is damaged. We’re losing voters and entire regions that once made up the heart of our base. We’re watching working-class factory towns, rural areas, and communities of color shift away from us - not just because of policy or performance, but because of narrative collapse and media abandonment.

We didn’t lose these voters overnight. And we won’t win them back with one message, one ad, or one election cycle.

Plans Without Strategy Are Just Noise

I always taught the stages of a campaign should follow this order:
Research → Strategy → Planning → Organizing → Execution. (That’s me 13 years and 80 pounds ago).

But in practice, we often skip right to the middle - or worse, we chase a shiny new tactic: a “game-changing” message, a pivotal Podcast, a hot new tech tool. We launch into planning without understanding the people we’re trying to reach. And we call it strategy.

Let’s be honest: sometimes we’re lucky if there’s even a plan. Luckier still if it’s written down.

But without a real strategy - grounded in research and audience insight - even the best plan can’t succeed in this fractured, platform-driven, trust-starved media environment.

What Is Strategy, Really?

A plan is what you do and when you do it.
A strategy is why you do it - and who you’re doing it for.

A good strategy starts with research. It defines clear goals. It centers the audience. It takes into account:

• How people get information

• Who they trust

• What values shape their worldview

• What platforms and content formats they respond to

That’s why behavior and values-based psychometric research is so important.

Audience First, Always

The right understands something we keep forgetting - people don’t change their minds through information alone - they do it through identity, emotion, and trust.

We need to stop treating communication like a vending machine. You don’t just put in a fact and get out a changed mind.

That’s why our media strategy is built around:

• Local content created by trusted voices

• Culturally fluent stories that feel real, not rehearsed

• Memes, videos, and posts that meet people where they are—not where we wish they were

This is what it means to be audience-first. It’s not about dumbing things down. It’s about communicating in ways that resonate, scale, and stick.

We Need to Build Something That Lasts

Yes, we’re under attack. But the answer isn’t panic - it’s discipline.

Preparation, Organizing, and Execution: Turning Strategy Into Power

Once you have a strategy grounded in research and centered on your audience, the next steps are just as essential - and often overlooked.

Preparation means building the tools, teams, and systems you’ll need before you launch. That includes:

• Creating content banks tailored to specific audiences and platforms

• Training messengers to deliver authentic, values-based narratives

• Setting up metrics and feedback loops to track what’s working

Organizing is how you build reach and trust. Disinformation spreads because it's social - shared through networks of identity and community. Our content must be shared the same way:

• Empowering local pages, influencers, and digital organizers

• Coordinating with partners to amplify aligned narratives

• Creating spaces for two-way conversation, not just broadcasting

Execution is where it all comes together. But it only works when it flows from strategy - not as a one-off campaign or rapid-response fire drill, but as a sustained, audience-first effort:

• Posting consistently across the right platforms

• Boosting proven content - not just the flashiest

• Adapting in real time based on engagement and feedback

The right has built a media machine that is relentless, decentralized, and emotionally resonant. To counter it, we don’t just need better content - we need prepared teams, organized networks, and disciplined execution tied to a long-term strategy.

A well-researched strategy doesn’t just lead to a good plan. It leads to sustainable infrastructure that can go toe-to-toe with right-wing media - and win.

Let’s Build It Together

This isn’t just theory. It’s the basis for the work I’m doing right now with other partners - training new messengers, producing localized content, and testing how different messages land with real people across the country.

If you're doing disinfo research, digital organizing, voter engagement, or grassroots communication, I want to hear from you.

We can’t outspend them.
We can’t out-algorithm them.
But we can out-organize and out-strategize them.

If we start now.