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J.D. Scholten is a state representative from Iowa House District 1, a professional baseball player and the founder of the economic populist Substack “You’re Probably Getting Screwed.” He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
I know the moment when I felt in my gut that Donald Trump would win the 2024 presidential election.
I will not pretend I have all the answers because I don’t. However, I am a Democrat who has run for office in four consecutive cycles. I have overperformed at the top of the Democratic ticket each time, including in November, winning by 7 points in my reelection bid for Iowa House district, where Trump also won.
My gut feeling was partly influenced by a unique experience I had in the summer when I got to play professional baseball again after 17 years. The catcher for my first four starts as a pitcher was half my age. Being in the clubhouse, traveling with, and playing baseball with my teammates, I understood where my teammates were coming from.
What fascinated me was comparing them to my teammates from 17 years ago, the last time I was in that clubhouse. Generally, my current teammates are more left-leaning regarding culture and policies compared with the ones 17 years ago. Still, the ones today are more likely to vote Republican … if they vote.
So, when Trump appeared on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast in mid-October, I felt the Democrats were in trouble. I don’t listen to that podcast, but I follow its Instagram account. As a sports fan, I enjoy this new wave of sports media.
From my experience, here are three areas in which Democrats can improve to attract more men: our messaging infrastructure, decent messengers, and an aspirational, economic populist message.
Democrats have to improve our messaging infrastructure. If there’s one lesson from the Trump era for Democrats, it is that the times have changed when it comes to where people get their news from and where campaigns can connect with voters less engaged in day-to-day politics.
Conservative messaging gets passed down like electricity. When student protests started at Harvard University last spring, the following day, their version of it was discussed on a conservative talk radio station in Sioux City, Iowa. That echoes on Fox News, conservative podcasts and social media. As a result, voters disproportionately hear conservative takes and can easily regurgitate their message.
Having the right messengers is critical for the Democratic Party to resonate more effectively with men, particularly in working- and middle-class communities. Preferably, these messengers are authentic and serve as validators. This definitely can’t be forced because forcing it would lead to memes like the Steve Buschemi “How do you do, fellow kids?” cringe.
There are two keys to an improved message focused on men: aspirational and economic populism. I credit my consistent overperformance to hard work, having an inclusive, economic populist message, and believing we can have an economy that works for everyone.
For Democrats to win tight races, we must win the economic populist messaging battle. We can still win that battle and lose the race, but if we lose that messaging battle, we have little to no chance to win.
By framing policies as tools for fairness and shared opportunity, the Democratic Party can bridge cultural and economic concerns. This approach resonates with men seeking stable futures and aligns with the broader Democratic vision of equity and economic justice, broadening its appeal across critical voting blocs.
There’s no quick fix to this or many things that Democrats are re-evaluating. I’d argue that a large part of the young male demographic that the Democrats are struggling with are more interested in Trump and being anti-establishment more so than being Republicans. What gives me hope is that after a month in our clubhouse this summer, a teammate came up to me and asked, “How’d you turn this clubhouse liberal?”
