Goal in sight, Democrats confront need to sell agenda

WASHINGTON — Polls show that a strong majority of Democrats — and a majority of the American public — support the broad priorities of the roughly $2 trillion social and environmental spending bill that the House approved Friday. “We do need to turn a corner,” says Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, a former chairwoman of House Democrats’ campaign arm who decided not to run for re-election next year. Still, Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged Thursday that what Democrats do on the inside “can only get us so far.” They will also need Biden’s “bully pulpit” and the support of outside grassroots organizers. “The problem Democrats had in their last rough midterm election, in 2010, was that we were passing a blizzard of legislation but people didn’t feel the benefits until after 2012,” says former Democratic Rep. Steve Israel, who led the party’s House campaign arm at the time. “So the strategic imperative for Democrats isn’t just getting stuff done, it’s getting stuff done that has demonstrable positive impact for voters.” Bustos, who held the same campaign post a few years later, said Democrats have to strike a balance by telling people what the legislation will mean to their lives while also managing expectations.