In preparation for 2024 and beyond, Democrats outlined 12 key topics, including the Democratic Party’s struggle with messaging on crime.
Democrats face internal conflict, with progressive factions advocating for reform while others emphasize tougher penalties.
Despite declining crime rates, public anxiety remains high, leading to a need for both parties to address crime smartly. (Trending: Judge Announces Historic Ruling In Jeffrey Epstein Case)
Democrats are urged to lean into the crime conversation and take a more proactive stance.
Meanwhile, Republicans are advised to reconsider their traditional tough stance on crime.
“There’s a deep anxiety about public safety,” former Obama advisor David Axelrod said.
“And Democrats or anyone running for public office needs to be able to speak to that.”
“I do think that Democrats and Republicans both have to figure out a way to talk smartly about crime,” Michael Hardaway, managing director of Mercury, said.
“Democrats are right. You need reforms. Republicans are right. You have to arrest people who have committed crimes. The answer is both.”
“We’ve got to get out of this business of saying it’s one or the other. It’s never been one or the other. You have to arrest people, and you have to fix the broken system.”
“Crime rates have come down all across the country this year, and obviously, that’s going to be an important part of the conversation [in 2024],” Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg said.
“Crime went up during COVID, and it’s come down, and that’s good news, and we should be honest with the American people about the progress we are making.”
“Yes, there is anxiety about crime … but I think all this new data and the reality that it’s getting better in all likelihood is going to make this argument [that Democrats are soft on crime] a little tougher for Republicans.”
“I think if the positive news on crime gets out to the masses, it won’t be as big an issue for either party to run on,” political strategist David McLaughlin said.
“I think Fox News has a much bigger megaphone to give anecdotal evidence to keep their viewers angry and watching more Fox News.”
Americans have been “conditioned, and we have no way of countering the idea that crime is rising,” criminologist Jeff Asher said.
“It’s just an overwhelming number of news media stories and viral videos — I have to believe that social media is playing a role,” he added.
“The FBI says that assaults are down, rapes are down, murders are down across the country,” Hardaway said.
“However, people don’t feel safe. I think that’s a function of social media videos that are out there, and I think people just don’t feel safe, which is a problem for any elected official.”
“Democrats should be on the front foot of this, playing offense, not playing defense,” Rosenberg said.
The discussion around crime and punishment is expected to be pivotal in the upcoming elections, with both parties needing to navigate these issues effectively.
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