“We who think about politics all the time rarely have a good handle on what’s going on in the lives and minds of those who do not. That’s what makes focus groups so fascinating. I usually see voters holding on to conventional thinking and subconsciously absorbed conservative talking points, and I have to figure out how to communicate with them in ways that open their minds to the possibility of bigger change. This year, I walked in hoping to find a little more awareness of the system-wide nature of our economic dysfunction, and not only were voters already there, they had continued on to the wholesale corruption of government. As a lifelong campaign finance reform advocate, I had resigned myself to the idea that voters weren’t ready to “go there” when it came to money in politics, but much to my absolute delight, they have arrived!”
          –Antonia Scatton, from “Voters are Leaving Politicos Behind,” Antonia Scatton | Substack, July 22, 2026

Until yesterday I had never heard of Antonia Scatton, who describes herself in this way at her Substack: “Antonia works with George and Lisa Greene of the Connections Lab on a mission to get the Democratic Party’s messaging back on the right track. They worked with DNC Chair Ken Martin when he was President of the Association of State Democratic Committees, to bring in-person messaging and framing workshops to state and local leadership, staff, candidates and others in key target states, along with video training and other supporting materials.”

I suppose if I had been a long-time activist in the Democratic Party, something I definitely am not, I would have heard of her long before now, but in this case, for sure, it’s undoubtedly “better late than never.” This brand-new column, published yesterday, is one that, imho, should be checked out and reflected on by all of us who are actively working to defeat the Trumpfascists at the polls on November 3.

Scatton may be someone “up there” in the higher levels of the Democratic Party, which honestly gives me some pause given my much more independent and progressive politics and personal history, but, hey, she clearly is an important part of the broadly-based movement for democracy and justice which has emerged since Trump was elected.

Here’s another important paragraph from her latest article:

“American voters’ feelings are evolving so fast that politicians and their advisors can’t keep up with them. They started at “prices are too high,” briefly alighted on “our economic system is broken” and leapt right ahead to “because our government is working for the mega-rich and not for us.” Candidates have been told that voters are mad about the cost of living and hate data centers. If they’re not talking about WHY, they risk getting caught pandering to public opinion (following) rather than articulating what voters are feeling but have not yet put into words (leading).”

And one more:

“When the voters in my focus groups talked about “corruption,” they defined it more broadly. They also meant that our economic system works for wealthy elites, not the American people, because our government is under the influence of, if not the control of, wealthy elites. Those who have accumulated extreme wealth have used it to “rig” the economy to their advantage. And my focus group voters were not alone. According to the same poll, while 97% of voters understand “corruption” in the usual sense of “officials using their position for personal gain,” 94% also defined it more broadly as ‘prioritizing the interests of billionaires and big corporations over those of the public.’”

Obviously, this information should inform how all Democratic candidates, as well as Independents on more local levels, campaign in the next 100 days leading up to November 3^rd, but some will not. Some have benefited personally from that rigged economy. Others, not so corrupted, are concerned about being attacked as socialists or communists by the Trumpists. But many, hopefully a growing number, will learn from what Scatton’s focus groups are exposing and then apply it on the ground where they are campaigning.

Then, after the House and the Senate are controlled by Democrats and a small number of Independents, we as a country can finally get down to the business of moving for real towards a truly democratic and justice-based society. It’s time!

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