I have a few ideas about how Democratic politicians could signal to voters across the cultural spectrum a message along these lines: "I get you. I don't have a problem with the way you live your life. I have some ideas about how government can work better for you, and I'll otherwise get out of your way."
- Don't tell people they should feel guilty. Americans are broadly open to liberal positions on cultural policy issues. Over the last few decades, they have increasingly internalized the idea that the government should let people be free to do what they want in their lives. So embrace that ethos by emphasizing how liberal policy positions would let members of all sorts of groups live their best lives, protected from discrimination and harm. Don't tell people they should feel bad about living their own lives as they want.
- Say when you think the liberal commentariat has gone overboard. While former President Barack Obama has urged people to eat less meat, usually the leading voices of the new liberal moralism are not politicians. Less-smug liberal commentators will usually protest that these voices are marginal, especially the college students who get so much attention on Fox News for protesting culturally insensitive sushi in the dining hall. If these voices are so marginal, it should be easy enough for Democratic politicians to distance themselves by saying, for example, that some college students have gotten a little nuts and should focus on their studies instead of the latest politically correct cause. Showing that you also think liberal cultural politics has gotten a little exhausting is a good way to relate to a lot of voters.
- Offer an agenda that provides benefits people can see as mattering in their daily lives. If you want voters to refocus away from petty cultural fights and toward public policy, it's not enough to turn down the temperature on culture; you need a policy agenda they can relate to. I wrote in December about some ideas to do this - though of course, you could also make such an agenda in farther-left flavors.
- Don't get distracted by shiny objects. If the government can't do anything about the problem you're discussing - if it's purely a matter of the cultural discourse - should you spend your time on it and risk alienating people on the opposite side of the issue? Probably not.
