Third Way, a prominent center-left think tank, is encouraging Democrats to change the way they speak to voters as they try to counter President Trump’s agenda, including avoiding words such as “birthing person,” “cisgender,” “the unhoused” and “Latinx.”
“In reality, most Democrats do not run or govern on wildly out-of-touch social positions,” the group wrote in a new memo identifying dozens of phrases that Democrats should avoid. “But voters would be excused to believe we do because of the words that come out of our mouths — words which sound like we are hiding behind unfamiliar phrases to mask extreme intent.”
“When policymakers are public-facing, the language we use must invite, not repel; start a conversation, not end it; provide clarity, not confusion,” it added.
The memo, directed to “All Who Wish to Stop Donald Trump and MAGA,” focus heavily on words and phrases that Democrats have used as politically correct ways to signal inclusivity and diversity, particularly encompassing race and sexual orientation and identity.
The organizers write in the memo that Democrats should “think about conversations with persuadable voters in your own life — especially friends, family, and co-workers — and consider whether the use of the language above would help or hurt your case.”
“Recognize that much of the language above is a red flag for a sizable segment of the American public,” they wrote. “It is not because they are bigots, but because they fear cancellation, doxing, or trouble with HR if they make a mistake. Or they simply don’t understand what these terms mean and become distrustful of those who use them.”
Democrats have been struggling to find the right messaging to connect with voters in the Trump era.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) earlier this year called on Democrats to stop using the word “oligarchy” to attack Trump and his allies, because she said the term wouldn’t resonate beyond lefty coastal audiences. She advised that they should instead say the party opposes “kings.”
Slotkin also said the party needed to shed its image of being “weak and woke.”
Third Way’s advisory to Democrats reflects the sentiment.
“These are words that people simply do not say, yet they hear them from Democrats,” the group wrote. “Over the years we’ve conducted, read, and analyzed hours upon hours of focus groups, and we’ve yet to hear a voter volunteer any of the phrases below except as a form of derision or parody of Democrats.”
The advisory comes as Republicans have sought to call out left-speak and stop its encroachment. Trump earlier this year signed executive orders recognizing only two sexes — male and female — and gutting “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) initiatives at the federal level.
The New York Times reported in March that the Trump administration identified dozens of words that agencies should avoid using as the president pushed for a reversal from “woke” narratives.
