These words say “I’m more empathetic than you, and you are callous to hurting other’s feelings.”

Privilege

Violence (as in “environmental violence”)

Dialoguing

Othering

Triggering

Microaggression/assault/invalidation

Progressive stack

Centering

Safe space

Holding space

Body shaming

Be aware of words proliferating in elite circles that have closed off open conversations and have made it uncomfortable for many people to engage in hard topics.

Seminar Room Language

This language says “I’m smarter and more concerned about important issues than you. Your kitchen table concerns are small.”

Subverting norms

Systems of oppression

Critical theory

Cultural appropriation

Postmodernism

Overton Window

Heuristic

Existential threat to [climate, the planet, democracy, the economy]

When we use words people don’t understand, studies show that the part of their brain that signals distrust becomes more active, undermining our ability to reach them.

Organizer Jargon

These words say “we are beholden to groups, not individuals. People have no agency.”

Radical transparency

Small ‘d’ democracy

Barriers to participation

Stakeholders

The unhoused

Food insecurity

Housing insecurity

Person who immigrated

Democrats can fight for the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and immigrants more effectively if they speak in everyday language and in the language of those most affected by these issues.

Gender/Orientation Correctness

These say “your views on traditional genders and gender roles are at best quaint.”

Birthing person/inseminated person

Pregnant people

Chest feeding

Cisgender

Deadnaming

Heteronormative

Patriarchy

LGBTQIA+

Standing up to MAGA’s cruel attacks on gay and transgender people requires creating empathy and building a broad coalition, not confusing or shaming people who could otherwise be allies.

The Shifting Language of Racial Constructs

These words signal that talking about race is even more of a minefield. You will be called out as racist if you do not use the latest and correct terminology.

Latinx

BIPOC

Allyship

Intersectionality

Minoritized communities

As we fight racism and discrimination, we should reflect upon whether the words we are using are part of the reason Democrats are losing support from all non-White voter groups. We must know when to take a step back and listen, instead of peppering our websites, fundraising asks, and newsletters with sociology buzzwords.

Explaining Away Crime

This says: “The criminal is the victim. The victim is an afterthought.”

Justice-involved

Carceration

Incarcerated people

Involuntary confinement

People deserve to feel safe where they live, work, and go to school, and we can’t defend the progress we’ve made on criminal justice reform or hope to make more unless we acknowledge that reality in plain terms.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5765062&forum_id=2:#49203925)

“We are doing our best to get Democrats to talk like normal people and stop talking like they’re leading a seminar at Antioch,” says Matt Bennett, Third Way’s executive vice president of public affairs. “We think language is one of the central problems we face with normie voters, signaling that we are out of touch with how they live, think and talk. In recent weeks, this has become a bit of a thing, with comedians like Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman highlighting how insane Dems can sometimes sound. Also, elected officials like [Delaware Rep.] Sarah McBride and [Kentucky Gov.] Andy Beshear are begging their colleagues to just be normal again.”

“People can’t relate to something unless it has some edge about it,” Lanae Erickson, Third Way’s senior vice president, tells Playbook. “And we had shaved off all of our edges in an attempt to never make anyone upset about anything.”

The group doesn’t base its list on any specific polling. And the authors don’t offer specific counter recommendations for these terms. But they do outline the values their vision of the party includes.

“We will never abandon our values or stop doing things to protect those who need help, encouragement, trust, a second chance, acceptance, a fair shake, and the opportunity to pursue life, liberty and happiness But as the catastrophe of Trump 2.0 has shown, the most important thing we can do for those people and causes is to build a bigger army to fight them,” the memo reads. “Communicating in authentic ways that welcome rather than drive voters away would be a good start.”

It’s worth noting that in certain parts of the country, a lot of people, especially now, do talk in this language and use the phrases Third Way recommends against, even if it doesn’t scream big tent enough. It’s also worth noting an inherent irony in all of this: it’s hard to police how politicians talk at the same time that you’re asking them to be authentic.

The memo’s authors write “we are not out to police language, ban phrases or create our own form of censorship. Truth be told, we have published papers that have used some of these words as well. But when policymakers are public-facing, the language we use must invite, not repel; start a conversation, not end it; provide clarity, not confusion.”

“The Democratic Party brand is toxic across the country at this point with way too many people — enough that there’s no way for us to win a governing majority without changing that,” Erickson said. “Part of the problem was that we were using words that literally no normal people used — that we were sticking to messages that were so overly scripted that they basically sounded like nothing.”

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5765062&forum_id=2:#49203930)

That’s a new one for me

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5765062&forum_id=2:#49203932)