{"id":2133555,"date":"2023-12-26T06:06:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-26T11:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/twelve-days-of-wex-mas-democrats-rebranding-candidates-as-tough-on-crime-ahead-of-2024-race\/"},"modified":"2023-12-26T06:10:44","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T11:10:44","slug":"twelve-days-of-wex-mas-democrats-rebranding-candidates-as-tough-on-crime-ahead-of-2024-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/twelve-days-of-wex-mas-democrats-rebranding-candidates-as-tough-on-crime-ahead-of-2024-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats are rebranding candidates as crime fighters for the 2024 race"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftwelve-days-of-wex-mas-democrats-rebranding-candidates-as-tough-on-crime-ahead-of-2024-race%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2133555&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Crime and the \u20642024\u200b Elections: Democrats Face Uphill Battle<\/h2>\n<p>In the \u2064spirit \u2063of the season, the Washington Examiner has identified 12 matters we believe will shape\u200d 2024 and beyond. These close-up examinations of agenda-setting topics cover everything from the battle between the Biden\u200c family and the House Oversight Committee, the emergence of a &#8220;new world order,&#8221; and fights\u2063 over redistricting and new\u2064 election maps. Part Two is about crime\u200c and its role in the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats are facing serious headwinds\u2064 going into the 2024 elections,\u2062 locked in an internal \u2063tug \u2062of war \u200dover their messaging on crime and up against \u2064a Republican \u2064machine that has hammered them for years on the matter.<\/p>\n<p>The Democratic Party&#8217;s progressive wing has been raked over the coals for favoring reform over punishment.\u2064 It&#8217;s been a hard, \u2063bruising, and often losing\u2062 battle, with voters showing their dissatisfaction at the local level, siding \u200dwith sheriffs and prosecutors pushing for harsher \u2063penalties.<\/p>\n<h3>Nikki Haley&#8217;s 2024 Campaign Momentum Under New Spotlight in Iowa Caucuses<\/h3>\n<p>On the national stage, Democrats have allowed Republicans to paint them as soft on crime, while voters, frustrated with competing and sometimes confusing statistics on crime rates, have made \u2064it clear their patience is wearing thin.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a deep\u200d anxiety about public \u2062safety,&#8221; said David Axelrod, a former top adviser to President \u2064Barack Obama. &#8220;And Democrats or anyone running for public office needs to be able \u2062to speak to that.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Both parties have been trying to control the narrative, but Democrats have the\u2062 added \u200cburden of balancing\u200b their statements with their more progressive counterparts, who are in the minority \u2063but extremely vocal. They want to make over the entire system instead of \u2063handing out stiffer prison sentences. But refusing to budge on criminal justice isn&#8217;t a winning strategy and could put other Democrats in jeopardy, experts \u200csaid.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I do think that Democrats and Republicans both have to figure out a\u2063 way to talk \u200bsmartly about crime,&#8221; Michael\u200c Hardaway, managing director of Mercury, a high-stakes public \u2064relations firm, told \u2063the Washington Examiner. &#8220;Democrats are right. You need reforms. Republicans are right. You have to arrest\u2062 people who have committed crimes. The answer is both. We&#8217;ve got to get out of this business of saying\u200c it&#8217;s one or the other. It&#8217;s never\u2064 been one or the other. You have to arrest people, and you have\u200d to fix the broken system.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A Gallup poll released in November found that 77% of people believe crime has gotten worse. In reality, the crime \u2063rates released by the FBI \u2063showed most violent crimes fell.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI data, which compare crime\u2063 rates\u200d in the\u2062 third quarter of 2023 to the same period last year, found that violent crime dropped 8%, while property crime fell \u20646.3% to \u2063its lowest level since\u200b 1961. Murder was down more than\u200b 15%.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg told\u2064 the Washington Examiner it may be\u200b time for the \u200cparty to start leaning \u2064into the crime conversation.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Crime rates have come \u200ddown all across the country this year, and \u2063obviously, that&#8217;s going to be an important part of the conversation [in 2024],&#8221; he\u2064 said. \u200c&#8221;Crime went up during COVID, and it&#8217;s come down, \u2064and that&#8217;s good news, and we should be honest with the\u2064 American people about \u200bthe progress we are making. Yes, there is anxiety about crime &#8230; but I think all this new data and the \u2062reality \u200cthat it&#8217;s getting better in all likelihood is going to make this argument [that Democrats are soft on crime] a little tougher \u2062for Republicans.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Georgia-based political strategist David McLaughlin agrees.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I think if the positive \u2063news\u2062 on crime \u2063gets out to the \u200bmasses, it won&#8217;t\u200b be as big an issue for either party to run\u200b on,&#8221;\u200b he told the Washington Examiner, but he cautioned it\u2064 would be difficult to rely solely on updated \u200cstatistics to make the message stick. &#8220;I think Fox News has\u200c a much bigger megaphone to give anecdotal evidence to keep their \u2062viewers angry and watching more Fox \u200cNews.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Criminologist Jeff Asher, \u200cwho analyzed the \u200bFBI numbers, \u2064said\u200d people\u2062 have been &#8220;conditioned, and we have no way of countering \u200bthe idea that\u200b crime is rising.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s just an\u200d overwhelming \u2062number of news media stories and viral videos \u2014 I have to believe that\u2064 social media is playing a role,&#8221; he \u2062added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Hardaway called crime &#8220;a matter of \u200cfeeling, not a matter of statistics.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The FBI says that assaults are down, rapes are down, murders are down \u2063across the country,&#8221; he said. &#8220;However, people\u200c don&#8217;t\u200b feel \u2062safe.\u2064 I think that&#8217;s a function of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-pays-6-1m-for-jan-6-evidence-database\/\" title=\"DOJ pays .1M for Jan. 6 evidence database\">social media videos<\/a> that are out there, and \u200cI think people just don&#8217;t feel safe, which is a problem for any elected official.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A September NBC poll showed that voters overwhelmingly said they trusted Republicans to do a better job than Democrats on crime. To change minds that translate to \u200cwins at the ballot box, Democrats will have to get tougher on the topic, Rosenberg said.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Democrats should be on the front\u200d foot\u200b of\u2063 this, playing offense, not playing defense,&#8221; Rosenberg \u2064said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That has, to some extent, already started to take shape.<\/p>\n<p>Several Democratic senators facing competitive \u200braces this year \u2014 including Sens.\u2064 Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), \u200dBob Casey Jr. (D-PA), and\u2062 Jon \u2064Tester (D-MT) \u2014 voted with Republicans in\u2062 2023\u200d to overturn a Washington bill that \u200bwould have overhauled the district&#8217;s criminal code and relaxed sentencing requirements for certain crimes. In all, 33 Democrats sided with Republicans, a move that underscored the\u2064 effect that looking tough on crime has on voters.<\/p>\n<p>Even President Joe Biden bucked the party line with his decision on the \u200clocal crime\u2063 law. His action \u2062sent a strong message\u200b to Democrats that they needed to get tougher on crime and address\u200b the GOP&#8217;s criticism head-on.<\/p>\n<p>For its part, the White House has been planning a full-throated effort to rebrand Biden and chip away \u2063at GOP complaints that he&#8217;s too soft on the \u2063subject\u200d and, in turn, give Democrats an opportunity to pivot.<\/p>\n<p>For Republicans,\u200b who\u2064 have relied\u200d on taking a tough stance\u200d on crime to give them the edge \u200cin\u200c general elections, staying the course may\u200b not be enough\u200d this time.<\/p>\n<p>However, most of the ramped-up rhetoric over\u2064 crime and punishment will likely play out in the primaries, Republican consultant David Kochel told the Economic Times.<\/p>\n<p>Several \u2064of the GOP White House\u200c contenders have\u2064 gotten more outrageous with \u200btheir proposed policies, including \u2063killing on \u2062sight to curb crime, a message that isn&#8217;t likely to fly in the general election.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime-and-the-2024-elections-democrats-face-uphill-battle\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE \u2064FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> In the face of media outlets like Fox News amplifying anecdotal evidence to fuel anger and fear among viewers, how \u2062can Democrats shape the crime narrative and dispel the\u200d perception that they are soft on crime<\/h2>\n<p><span>  With crime and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-touts-police-funding-border-security-in-rebuke-to-democrats\/\" title=\"Biden Touts Police Funding, Border Security in Rebuke to Democrats\">keeping communities safe<\/a>. This presents a significant challenge for \u200bDemocrats as they navigate their\u2064 messaging on \u200bcrime \u200bduring the upcoming 2024 elections.<\/p>\n<p>The Democratic Party&#8217;s progressive wing has been criticized for favoring \u200dreform over punishment when \u200dit comes to addressing crime. This stance has faced opposition from voters at the local level, who have \u200bshown their \u200cdissatisfaction by siding with law enforcement\u2063 officials advocating\u2064 for harsher penalties. This internal tug\u2062 of war within the Democratic Party \u2062has created a dilemma for Democrats\u200c as they try to balance their statements with the demands \u2062of their \u2063more progressive counterparts.<\/p>\n<p>Experts argue that\u2063 both Democrats and Republicans\u2063 need to find a smart way to address the issue of crime. While Democrats \u200dacknowledge\u200d the need for \u2062criminal justice reforms, Republicans emphasize the importance of arresting individuals \u200dwho have committed crimes. The reality is that both approaches are necessary;\u200b however, the current discourse often\u200b portrays it as an either\/or situation. Finding a middle ground and\u200b acknowledging the need for\u200b both reforms and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/far-left-cheers-as-homeless-group-seizes-hotel-near-tacoma-city-leaders-negotiating-with-group-as-police-refuse-to-intervene\/\" title=\"Far Left Cheers As Homeless Group Seizes Hotel Near Tacoma; City Leaders Negotiating With Group As Police Refuse To Intervene\">law enforcement action<\/a> is crucial.<\/p>\n<p>Public perception of crime also plays a role in shaping \u2063the election\u2063 narrative. Despite statistics showing \u200ba decrease in crime rates, a Gallup poll revealed that 77% of people believe that crime has gotten worse. This disconnect between perception\u2062 and reality presents a challenge for \u2062Democrats, as they strive to effectively communicate the progress made in reducing crime rates.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg \u200bsuggests that it may be time for the party to lean into the crime conversation. \u2063Acknowledging the positive developments in crime\u2063 rates and being honest with the\u2062 American people about the progress\u200c being\u2064 made can help dispel the perception that Democrats are soft \u2062on crime.\u200c However,\u200b the \u2064influence of media\u2062 outlets \u200clike Fox News, which often amplify anecdotal evidence to fuel \u2062anger and fear among viewers, poses \u2062a significant obstacle for \u200dDemocrats in shaping the narrative.<\/p>\n<p>Criminologist Jeff Asher points out the role of \u2062social media in shaping public perception of crime. The prevalence of news media stories and viral videos showcasing crime incidents \u200bcontributes to the feeling that crime is on the rise, despite statistics indicating otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the issue of crime boils down to a matter of feeling rather \u2064than statistics. While the FBI reports a decrease in various\u200d crime rates, the public&#8217;s perception of safety often contradicts these statistics. This \u200ddiscrepancy \u200cpresents a challenge for elected officials who must address the concerns of their constituents and\u200b ensure their sense of\u200c security.<\/p>\n<p>In \u200bconclusion, crime will play\u2062 a significant role\u2063 in the 2024 elections. Democrats face an uphill battle\u200c as they grapple with\u200c internal divisions over their messaging on crime\u2062 and the perception that \u200dthey are soft on the issue. Effectively communicating \u2063the progress made in reducing crime rates, finding\u200d a middle ground between reforms \u2064and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elderly-owner-of-small-town-kansas-newspaper-dies-from-stress-after-police-raid-report\/\" title=\"Elderly Kansas Newspaper Owner Dies Due to Stress After Police Raid: Report\">law \u200denforcement action<\/a>, and countering the\u200d influence of\u200d media narratives\u200b will be essential for Democrats to \u2062navigate the challenging terrain of crime and secure voter support in \u200bthe upcoming elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Washington Examiner has pinpointed 12 key issues that will shape 2024 and beyond. These in-depth analyses cover a range of topics, including the Biden family&#8217;s clash with the House Oversight Committee, the rise of a &#8220;new world order,&#8221; and contentious battles over redistricting and election maps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2133556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2133555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2133555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2133555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2133555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2133556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2133555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2133555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2133555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}