As seismic as the first debate was in the presidential race, Monday’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity is far more impactful — in both the short term and long term — for American democracy.
It opens up a new opportunity for Democrats right when they need it most. That’s because it speaks to a central idea at the heart of our nation. Between now and Election Day, Democrats should be working to hammer this home: No Kings in America.
This is the case whether the top of the Democratic presidential ticket is ultimately President Biden or not.
Having grown up in England, moved to the United States and become a citizen here, I’ve long seen clearly that by far most Americans have an intense revulsion for the idea of monarchies. They think of “all powerful” figures as the stuff of kingdoms that American revolutionaries left behind. In fact, they consider the rejection of royal powers a key factor of what makes America the nation it is — perhaps the most central factor of all. (Even many of Donald Trump’s fans don’t want a Democratic president to have the same immunity that the Supreme Court has now given the presidency.)
The more that Democrats associate Trump and his team with a plan for autocracy, the more Americans will reject Trump. That may mean they vote for the Democratic ticket, choose a third party candidate, or don’t vote at all.
This is one of the two chief messages that Democrats need to hammer home. The other: Stop the War on Women.
What began as a battle over abortion has quickly become a much broader fight for women’s freedom. Access to contraceptives and IVF are in danger. Senate Republicans recently blocked a vote to ensure women’s access to in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments. And the dangers go beyond reproductive issues. Some Republicans are pushing for an end to no-fault divorce, which has been essential for helping women escape abusive marriages.
Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, Democrats have had electoral successes across the country — even in so-called “deep red” states like Alabama. Conservative women have said openly how fed up they are with the GOP.
Democrats need to hammer this message home between now and election day, as Vice President Kamala Harris did recently on the anniversary of the Supreme Court abortion decision.
Both of these messages flip the usual narrative. They show that Democrats are the party of freedom, a concept most Americans stand for, while Republicans are the party of control. Democrats represent what more Americans stand for. To emphasize this, they need to avoid intricate talk of policy and legislation, and instead focus on these two simple messages that connect directly with hearts and minds.
Can Biden still be the messenger? As of now, I believe he can. Democrats can show that what’s at stake has nothing at all to do with age. These ideals of freedom and democracy are far bigger than any one man.
They can show that Biden is and will be a crusader for freedom and democracy up until his last day on Earth. They can show how admirable that is. They can also show that they have a big stable of talent ready to carry out this commitment, come what may.
And they can show that this makes Biden and the Democrats the exact opposite of Trump and his team of fellow snake oil salesmen who want to control your lives while enriching themselves.
Getting this message across means presenting the American public with a choice between two futures: a dystopian, disastrous one if Trump and the GOP wins; and a future based on freedom and democracy if Biden (or whoever else tops the ticket) and the Democrats win.
In marketing, repetition is key. Biden and all Democrats in all races must reiterate this messaging every day. They must make clear that they will deliver a nation in which no one is above the law and all women are free to make their own life choices. That’s a winning vision to take into November.
Emsley is a generational marketing expert and consultant. He was previously an executive president and global leader at Saatchi & Saatchi, and now runs his own practice.