I love politics. I hate my political party. I’m a registered Democrat because I hate the GOP worse. The GOP’s moral cowardice towards Trump and their support of Eric Greitens pushed me from independent to registered Democrat. And that, in short, is how politics in the U.S. truly works. We don’t vote for our team; we vote against the other team. Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts by Rachel Bitecofer takes this bit of wisdom and puts case studies, data, and common sense to proving it. Then she goes on to give Democrats strategies for adapting to the new political environment the U.S. finds itself in. If you’re a Democrat or a Progressive, you should read this book. Below I detail why.
TL;DR
Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts by Rachel Bitecofer is a wonderful political book for Democrats and Progressives. She lays out the realities of U.S. voting patterns, and then she provides strategies for winning elections. This should be a must read for any Democrat or Progressive politician. For the rest of us political junkies, it’s highly recommended.
From the Publisher
A radical, urgent plan for how the Democratic Party and its supporters can win elections at one of the most pivotal moments in the history of our nation’s democracy
“Bitecofer hits hard against the GOP tactics of fear and anger and the Democrats’ status quo narratives around political engagement and winning elections.”—Michael Steele, former RNC chair
Why do Democrats fail to win voters to their side, and what can they do to develop new winning political strategies—especially as the very fate of democracy hangs in the balance in 2024? Too often the carefully constructed, rational arguments of the Left meet a grisly fate at the polls, where voters are instead swayed by Republican candidates hawking anger, fear, and resentment. Only when Democrats are handed an overwhelming motivational issue—like the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade—have they found a way to counter this effect.
Political scientist and strategist Rachel Bitecofer came to prominence after predicting the size (to the seat) of the Democrats’ rare Blue Wave in the 2018 midterms. At the heart of her prediction lay a powerful concept—negative partisanship, or the idea that voters, even most so-called independents, don’t vote for their candidate so much as they vote against their candidate’s opponent. Seen through this lens, Hit ’Em Where It Hurts is a deep dive into the Republicans’ own playbook, sharing how Democrats can turn the Right’s own tactics against them. The way for Democrats to wage—and win—electoral war, Bitecofer writes, is to present themselves as “brand ambassadors for freedom, health, wealth, safety, and common sense,” the very opposite of the extremist, freedom-fearing Right. This is a last-ditch effort to armor democracy while there is still time to save and strengthen it against hijacking by a small minority of ideologues.
As America careens into the election cycle that will determine its democratic future, Hit ’Em Where It Hurts is the book for any Democrat who has ever banged their head against a wall when obvious reasoning failed to sway voters over to their side. This guide is a lifeline to save American democracy in its darkest hour.
Review: Hit 'Em Where It Hurts by Rachel Bitecofer with Aaron Murphy
Bitecofer starts off the book talking about politics, which seems natural for a book about politics. But what’s she’s talking about is the fact that, for Americans, politics is considered a dirty word. In the introduction, she pulls no punches and informs the reader that they should be worried about democracy’s continued existence in the U.S. (I am.) Bitecofer has correctly identified that we’re currently in the midst of a national crisis and that the solution to that crisis relies on democrats and the American public. (Sooooo, not great.) The truth is that if you’re reading this book, this review, or any book on politics, you’re in the minority in the U.S. The majority of U.S. citizens DO NOT VOTE. Bitecofer’s book isn’t about how to engage the non-voters; though, she tries. Her book is how to convince a majority of voters who do their civic duty to vote for the party that is trying to keep democracy alive. Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts does just that, assuming democratic politicians and their teams read it. Bitecofer has divided her book into three parts. Since I have an advance copy and the titles may change, I’m going to refer to them as “The Setup”, the “Republican Strategy”, and “How to Fight Back.” The three stages are effectively organized even if the middle section is difficult to read. Bitecofer’s writing is fine and perhaps too well as in this section she details how Republicans have built a system to destroy democracy. Their actions are awful; Bitecofer is simply documenting it.
Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts is a political nonfiction work aimed at Democrats and Progressives. It’s common sense advice backed by examples from the other side. The book is an easy read; there’s no need for a political science degree to understand Bitecofer’s advice. It’s aimed at people who are uninterested in voting but is most effective for those running campaigns.
The Setup
For someone who has voted in nearly every election since he was 18, the first part of the book was shocking. Bitecofer lays out the statistics on how politics ranks among the average Americans interest. It’s not a good result. She notes that making voting easier works, but that also the GOP doesn’t want more voters. They’re a vastly unpopular party, which is why they suppress voters and gerrymander the hell out of their districts. But she also notes that politicians are now permanently campaigning. Much like internet ads, the explosion of campaigning results in people ignoring more and more.
Where Bitecofer shines is her discussion of partisanship and the identification of negative partisanship. I rely liked how she lays out how it works. She even uses a neat phrase: “partisan circuitry.” It’s an excellent reason for why more and more extreme Republicans get elected. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Herschel Walker should never be considered serious politicians. (Or serious people, for that matter) But partisanship gets them votes simply because they have that little “R” behind their name. This isn’t a one way street, though. Partisan circuitry is a universal human problem.
Republican Strategy
Bitecofer then goes on to show how Republicans use negative partisanship. Not only that, she lays out the infrastructure that the GOP has to hammer home its message, which is generally to frighten people into not voting for Democrats. For anyone who has paid attention to politics, we know that Republicans parrot their talking points with robotic accuracy. They don’t care what question is asked, they just say the lines their political overlords tell them to say. Even if they don’t believe it. Even if it’s a bold-faced lie. Republicans don’t care about the law or improving the country. They care about power and power alone. If democracy has to burn for them to run your life, c’est la vie, they’ll say. (Actually, they won’t because something something french socialism.)
This chapter confronts us with how the Republican machine works. It also shows how the Democratic machine is far, far behind. Of course, this makes sense. The Democratic party is a big tent one made of many coalitions. These coalitions prefer fighting with each other instead of Republicans, which plays into Republican strategy. Where Republicans succeed is that at every vote, they goose-step in sync to pass their horrible agendas. Democrats and Progressives will bicker and fight but not show up to support each other. They won’t vote inline with each other. In a functioning democracy, that would be great. We do not have that. Unless they get their act together, Progressives and Democrats will continue to bicker as democracy burns.
How to Fight Back
Finally, we get to the good stuff. Bitecofer gives Democrats some tools to fight back. Her chapter on messaging is spot on. While I do think the word ‘fascism’ is generally overplayed, it’s time to rebrand Republicans with it. They want to control women’s uteri (That’s a weird plural) to the point they’re talking about punishing abortions that don’t even happen in their states. It’s time to label the party as they are. Democrats need to counter-punch. More importantly, they need to punch first. Joe Biden has been doing this lately, and it’s effective. I hope more Democrats and Progressives take this approach. (Also, remember that the real enemy is the GOP. Once it’s destroyed, feel free to bicker all you want, Progressives and Democrats.)
To be clear, I can’t say enough good things about this section. It’s concrete, solid advice that will work. The reality of our nation is that it is divided with the partisan gap widening. All the peace and love strategies of the past will not close that gap. Politics have changed, and it’s time Democrats change their tactics. Bitecofer’s strategies give Democrats a real, fighting chance. As long as Trumpism exists, the U.S. will be divided. As long as Trumpism continues to win elections, it will continue to exist. If Trumpism is to be defeated, it can only be done at the ballot box. Voters will show up if Democrats inspire us. More voters will show up if Democrats scare us. Sad but true, and Bitecofer shows us how to correctly frame the GOP’s actions as the terrifying acts that they are.
Conclusion
Rachel Bitecofer’s Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts is the wake-up call that Democratic politicians need. It’s filled with solid strategies to help Democrats turn the voter base to them and away from the GOP. I cannot recommend this book enough to Democrats and Progressives. The political landscape has irrevocably changed, and the U.S. needs Democrats to change with it. Bitecofer’s book is an action plan to help them change.
Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts by Rachel Bitecofer is available from Crown Publishing on February 6th, 2024.
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