Staff Reports
Senator Chris Murphy this week used a national TV spot to do two things at once: hawk his new book and slap a big label on millions of Americans. On ABC’s The View, Murphy called MAGA “a divisive, hateful community” while pitching Crisis of the Common Good as the Democrats’ answer to loneliness, economic pain, and the lure of populist politics. It was equal parts fundraising tour and moral indictment — a speech meant to appeal to coastal wonks and national media, not the folks he says he wants to win back.
Murphy’s Book Pitch: Fix Feelings, Then Fix the Economy
Murphy’s book, Crisis of the Common Good, argues that technology, corporate power, and a changing economy have hollowed out communities. His message is that Democrats must stop just being “against Trump” and offer a plan that talks to voters’ sense of loneliness and powerlessness. He talks about “unrigging” the economy and democracy as the cure — a neat slogan if you’re selling a book, and a tempting sound bite on morning TV.
Calling MAGA “Divisive, Hateful Community” — A Political Shortcut
That line — “MAGA is a divisive, hateful community” — will play well for sympathetic audiences and conservative outlets will chew on it for days. But it’s also the sort of broad-brush denunciation that tells people on the other side to tune out. If your goal is to “pry people away” from Trump’s base, starting by calling their movement hateful is hardly a clever first move. It’s like telling someone their dog is vicious before asking why the dog barks — not exactly relationship-building.
Is This Strategy Serious or Just Signal-Boosting?
There’s a split between message and method here. Murphy says Democrats need to reach people who feel forgotten. Fine. But then he paints those same people with a single, disparaging adjective on national TV. That signals either a lack of political discipline or a deliberate choice to please the left-of-center echo chamber while pretending to want outreach. If the Democrats truly want to talk about rebuilding community or “unrigging” systems, they’ll need more than moralizing — they’ll need real policies and humility.
Democrats can either keep lecturing and labeling, or they can roll up their sleeves and offer concrete ideas that matter where people live: better jobs, school choice, mental-health access, and safer communities. If Crisis of the Common Good is more than a book tour line, show us the plan beyond the slogan. Otherwise, expect more TV moments that make headlines and fewer votes that change minds. Call it polite advice from the side that still believes you win arguments by convincing people — not by insulting them on morning television.
