Call and response
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Politico last week…
BOOTCAMP BLITZ: More than 100 Democratic candidates from across Illinois are set to gather Saturday at Illinois State University for a campaign bootcamp focused on messaging, field operations and fundraising as they prepare for the midterm elections.
Campaign crash course: The program is part of a broader national effort by the National Democratic Training Committee to prepare down-ballot campaigns in an increasingly fragmented media and political landscape. The organization works with the party to prepare Democrats to run for office.
Message machine: The Illinois session, organized in partnership with the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association, is one of hundreds of in-person and virtual trainings the group says it conducts each year across all 50 states. Training Committee founder Kelly Dietrich said a key lesson this year is about ramping up communication skills — “not telling candidates what to say, but how to say it.”
From the heart: “Traditionally, Democrats bring facts and figures, white papers to a gunfight,” he said in an interview. “We need to be using emotions… connect with voters as a human.”
Jettison the jargon: That approach, Dietrich said, means shifting away from technical statistics and toward everyday experiences. Instead of citing inflation rising 3.8 percent, for example, candidates should talk about “when you take your kids to the grocery store, every time that bill is higher. And the cost of eggs is not coming down.”
I’m not sure many candidates are citing precise inflation data, but the Democrats do have a very real jargon problem. Perhaps more importantly, though, the specific advice is wrong because egg prices are way down. Beef prices have continued to rise, however.
Anyway, that was kind of a tangent.
* ILGOP yesterday…
While President Trump and our Republican majorities in Congress are busy fixing the mess the Democrats left behind, Illinois Democrats are gathering at Illinois State University for a different reason:
They are learning how to hide the truth.
In a “campaign bootcamp” held last weekend, over 100 Democrat candidates were told to stop using “facts and figures” and “white papers.” Why? Because the facts don’t support their radical agenda.
Instead, their trainers told them to use “emotions” to “connect with voters.”
“Traditionally, Democrats bring facts and figures, white papers to a gunfight,” he said in an interview. “We need to be using emotions… connect with voters as a human.”
Translation: They know they can’t defend their record on high taxes, rising crime, and the cost of living in Illinois. So, they are being coached to use emotional scripts to distract you from the reality of their failed policies.
While Republicans in DC are delivering results—slashing regulations and securing our borders—Illinois Democrats are focused on “rebranding” their failures.
We can’t let them get away with this “Bootcamp of Deception.”
They have the “Message Machine” and the “Emotional Scripts.” We have the truth. But getting that truth to voters across Illinois costs money.
DONATE TODAY TO HELP US EXPOSE THE DEMOCRAT LIES
Don’t let them mask the damage they’ve done to our state. Help us fight back against the Democrat spin machine today.
To Victory,
The ILGOP Team
Discuss.
- ZC - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 10:14 am:
Kelly Dietrich is good people. The Dems are lucky to have him on their side.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 10:34 am:
“They know they can’t defend their record *** So, they are being coached to use emotional scripts to distract you from the reality of their failed policies.”
That’s pretty darn rich coming from the GOP.
– MrJM
- JS Mill - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 10:50 am:
The cognitive dissonance (on an industrial scale never seen before) on the part of the republicans is astounding.
“We have the truth.”
I am not endorsing the democrats or what they are doing, I think it is pretty consistent standard politics in line with traditional messaging norms. But the republicans are just unhinged and their party standard bearer is as far from the truth as a person can be.
Off the topic, but I wish the democrats would come more to the center on a number of topics. But one I wish they would push that is more left is Universal Health Care. Given the avarice that the billionaire class has on display right now, tis seems like the moment to get wide public support for it and make it a winning message.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 10:59 am:
Is MAGA using facts and figures? Actually, the sitting Vice President admitted they are making up stories to prove their point.
No, kids aren’t peeing in litter boxes.
No, trans women aren’t child sex abusers.
No, people aren’t eating pets.
No, immigrants aren’t all rapists and murderers.
- Elijah Snow - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 11:22 am:
Why focus on the price of eggs or beef when the price of gas is right there
- very old soil - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 11:41 am:
“To victory” more like “to a less humiliating defeat”.
- Siualum - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 11:48 am:
“While republicans in DC are delivering results…”. Let’s see, starting wars, killing thousands, dumping affordable care act, encouraging inflation, etc. Great stuff.
- Occasionally Moderated - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 11:48 am:
Darn right there is a jargon problem. Slush fund is the latest. Nay, it is a loyalty payoff for criminal acts fund. The greatest minds of the party should be able to say it in a better way than me.
A lot depends on democrats and they continue to underwhelm at every turn.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 11:50 am:
The GOP and those in leadership positions in the government are running at “Trump speed” to fulfill this goal themselves- “They are learning how to hide the truth.”
Just a “for instance”…
Watch the presser from yesterday’s USDA fertilizer press conference and then read an article from Feb. of this year on the planned expansion of “blue hydrogen” in Louisiana. There was much intentionally left unsaid at the presser concerning the damage that running at “Trump speed” will leave behind in Donaldsonville, LA area.
USDA press conference- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gnL9vPoF9k
Louisiana bets big on ‘blue ammonia.’ Communities along Cancer Alley brace for the cost - https://lailluminator.com/2026/02/10/ammonia-louisiana/
- Johnny B - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 12:09 pm:
You all seem convinced the next election Democrats are going to run the table next election nationally.
The party is so fractured it can’t even release the autopsy of why they did so poorly last election and ceded complete control to Washington to Republicans.
If you can’t even admit to problems with your platform, you will continue to be disappointed.
- Stephenson County - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 12:11 pm:
Republicans are probably upset because if they held a similar event, they could not find 100 candidates to attend.
- Jerry - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 12:12 pm:
Jargon problem? How about how much more expensive TrumpCare is! If Democrats aren’t going to play dirty…than why bother.
- P. - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 12:15 pm:
Yes I am convinced the next election the Democrats are going to run the table because the country is in an XL Hefty trash bag right now.
- Occasionally Moderated - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 12:38 pm:
Democrats, the count is 2-2. Trump keeps throwing belt high fast balls and you keep taking them while you wait for a better pitch to hit.
The last batter got behind fouling off pitches trying to bunt the runner to second. He got finished off by a hanging curve that should have been hammered to the gap.
This inning is almost over. Somebody needs to go hit the ball. And if someone doesn’t start hitting the ball better than the current lineup the draft is coming up after November.
- OneMan - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 12:50 pm:
You know why there have been so few engineers in politics, and the two who were most widely known, Hoover and Carter, were not successful in getting re-elected? Because an engineer feels that once they have explained the answer using data, the issue is settled. That is not the way people work.
Years ago they tried selling cars by using safety as a differentiator, it didn’t work. Name anything that is successfully sold using logic.
The GOP has been successfully using fear for decades.
Come on, Democrats, the messaging is there for you.
- Prices are going up for regular folks, $5 gas isn’t a problem for Trump and the wealthy; it is for you.
- Growth in the stock market doesn’t mean growth for real people.
- Giving away the store to folks who want to use technology to eliminate your job.
Not sure why you need a boot camp for that.
- Iron Duke - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 1:20 pm:
Maybe you missed it but 62% of real people are invested in the stock market, so logic says growth in valuations is a very good thing.
- here we go again - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 1:28 pm:
Someone would have to be bonkers to give money to the Illinois Republican Party right now. Totally dysfunctional. Total waste of money.
Smart thing to do for a Republican who wants to donate would be to give it directly to a local candidate they like and want to try and save. I believe it’s probably already too late for any of the statewides.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 1:38 pm:
Never doubt the Dems ability to blow an easy lay up. But they’ve got better cards, if they can figure out how to play them.
- Archpundit - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 1:48 pm:
===The party is so fractured it can’t even release the autopsy of why they did so poorly last election and ceded complete control to Washington to Republicans.
==If you can’t even admit to problems with your platform, you will continue to be disappointed.
Said like a Dem with a position paper. Seriously, no one cares about the autopsy besides people trying to settle a score on one side of the party or the other and no one cares what’s in the platform except activists.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 3:38 pm:
=Maybe you missed it but 62% of real people are invested in the stock market, so logic says growth in valuations is a very good thing.=
When Biden was president and the market and economy were strong those were not the important things.
Now that the market is being played by a conman that is important, but inflation and a tanking economy are not.
Pick a lane.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 4:23 pm:
- Seriously, no one cares about the autopsy besides people trying to settle a score on one side of the party or the other and no one cares what’s in the platform except activists. -
Then why did the party commission one?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 4:26 pm:
===Then why did the party commission one? ===
This thread is being hijacked by that topic. How about we get back to Illinois?
- Iron Duke - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 5:04 pm:
My lane is that a rising stock market is extremely important-because it directly impacts consumer spending, corporate expansion and the health of retirement and investment funds.
When the market is rising, it reflects investors expectations of future corporate earnings which signals they believe the US economy will perform well in the future.
Stop with that nonsense a growing US economy isn’t important to all Americans.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, May 20, 26 @ 8:42 pm:
The stock market’s rising tide has never lifted all boats.
– MrJM
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 12:00 am:
===And the cost of eggs is not coming down.===
A lot of the times the folks that are doing communications at this level don’t actually spend any time talking to the voters they’re trying to appeal to or directly experience this situations that they’re referencing — like the price of groceries forcing them to make choices about what they are able to buy.
Heck, the national party can’t even come up with a coherent reason to support Democratic candidates or a specific national policy promise the party will try to accomplish — and the US Senate Minority Leader openly speaks out against Democratic Primary winners, like Mayor Mamdani and relies on his conversations with imaginary neighbors to justify his refusal to support policies that would actually help the working class.
===Training Committee founder Kelly Dietrich===
The organization this Dietrich guy is running has been around for a decade. How have we been doing the last decade?
Does the Democratic Party really think that the people that lead us here as a party are capable of leading us to success?
But all of that said, why is there a press piece openly discussing such a condescending view of the American voter that suggests that the actual rate of inflation is jargon. Democrats aren’t habitual losers because of jargon. They lose because the party is run by folks who have no idea what it is like to not be able to afford to see a doctor.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 1:55 am:
===The organization this Dietrich guy is running has been around for a decade. How have we been doing the last decade? ===
Except for 2020, good point.