I'm in total agreement with you on "Strong Floor, No Ceiling" In fact I was in the process of drafting a post about it for the Substack I just launched -- What Is To Be Done. Here's the draft I've done up:The Failure of D Messaging in 4 Words:
Strong Floor No Ceiling
The slogan Leader Jefferies is promoting, “Strong Floor, No Ceiling” sends the message that Ds don’t care about the middle class and would apply better to the Reagan Revolution than what Ds should stand for.
Rs have spent decades accumulating middle-class and lower middle-class support by portraying the Democratic Party as caring only about the poor and their rich donors. So, we’re doing their job by embracing a slogan that says exactly that in four short words.
Proponents of the Strong Floor No Ceiling movement, including the venture capitalist who’s book with that title kicked this off, include in their definition of “floor” strong labor movements and educational opportunities.
But that isn’t what come to mind when people hear the word “floor.” Floor brings to mind the “social safety net” that prevents you from falling into abject destitution keeping you from starving and becoming homeless. If we’re reaching for a metaphor for education and labor unions, they’d be more ladders than floors but then we’re beyond the 4 word limit to compete with Make America Great Again.
If you must explain that the words in a slogan mean things other than what they usually mean, it is not a slogan but a messaging problem.
“No Ceiling” is even worse than “Strong Floor.” The definition on strongfloornoceiling.us “There should be No Ceiling to our aspirations, whether for a new immigrant, a small business owner, or, yes, a billionaire.” Makes clear this is not what Democrats should be standing for.
There needs to be a ceiling that prevents Elon Must from becoming the first trillionaire and there should a ceiling that prevents Starbuck’s CEO from getting paid 6,666 times the average his employees earn. We should not be disavowing ceilings that would include taxes on accumulated wealth, inheritance of mega fortunes and ending the monopolies that allow this unlimited accumulation of wealth and power.
A slogan summarizing the Reagan Revolution is not a slogan Democratic slogan.
Ronald Reagan introduced the concept of the “Social Safety Net” in his first speech to Congress in which he promoted his agenda gutting government support.
Yes, I agree!! These are the issues which will inspire people to vote: Health care for all; tax billionaires; a sound, strong public educational system; affordable housing; steady food supply l
Really well said. I don't like some of Marie Glusenkamp Perez's stands, the Democratic Congresswoman from a red-leaning district in Southwest Washington State. But she's done a great job of separating herself from the national party enough to win, and that's the most part and the part that makes her a model. It was also why I was saddened by Jared Golden choosing not to run again in Maine. Until the national Democratic brand improves, some of these folks are just going to have to keep some distance without betraying their values. And I think Mike's framing gives a sense of how to do it.
Opportunities for hard working people of all races and backgrounds; a workable immigration plan. Let's lead the way to the values that count.
Mike,
I'm in total agreement with you on "Strong Floor, No Ceiling" In fact I was in the process of drafting a post about it for the Substack I just launched -- What Is To Be Done. Here's the draft I've done up:The Failure of D Messaging in 4 Words:
Strong Floor No Ceiling
The slogan Leader Jefferies is promoting, “Strong Floor, No Ceiling” sends the message that Ds don’t care about the middle class and would apply better to the Reagan Revolution than what Ds should stand for.
Rs have spent decades accumulating middle-class and lower middle-class support by portraying the Democratic Party as caring only about the poor and their rich donors. So, we’re doing their job by embracing a slogan that says exactly that in four short words.
Proponents of the Strong Floor No Ceiling movement, including the venture capitalist who’s book with that title kicked this off, include in their definition of “floor” strong labor movements and educational opportunities.
But that isn’t what come to mind when people hear the word “floor.” Floor brings to mind the “social safety net” that prevents you from falling into abject destitution keeping you from starving and becoming homeless. If we’re reaching for a metaphor for education and labor unions, they’d be more ladders than floors but then we’re beyond the 4 word limit to compete with Make America Great Again.
If you must explain that the words in a slogan mean things other than what they usually mean, it is not a slogan but a messaging problem.
“No Ceiling” is even worse than “Strong Floor.” The definition on strongfloornoceiling.us “There should be No Ceiling to our aspirations, whether for a new immigrant, a small business owner, or, yes, a billionaire.” Makes clear this is not what Democrats should be standing for.
There needs to be a ceiling that prevents Elon Must from becoming the first trillionaire and there should a ceiling that prevents Starbuck’s CEO from getting paid 6,666 times the average his employees earn. We should not be disavowing ceilings that would include taxes on accumulated wealth, inheritance of mega fortunes and ending the monopolies that allow this unlimited accumulation of wealth and power.
A slogan summarizing the Reagan Revolution is not a slogan Democratic slogan.
Ronald Reagan introduced the concept of the “Social Safety Net” in his first speech to Congress in which he promoted his agenda gutting government support.
Yes, I agree!! These are the issues which will inspire people to vote: Health care for all; tax billionaires; a sound, strong public educational system; affordable housing; steady food supply l
Really well said. I don't like some of Marie Glusenkamp Perez's stands, the Democratic Congresswoman from a red-leaning district in Southwest Washington State. But she's done a great job of separating herself from the national party enough to win, and that's the most part and the part that makes her a model. It was also why I was saddened by Jared Golden choosing not to run again in Maine. Until the national Democratic brand improves, some of these folks are just going to have to keep some distance without betraying their values. And I think Mike's framing gives a sense of how to do it.