Political messaging that touts positive macroeconomic indicators like GDP growth is ineffective when citizens feel financial pressure. People vote based on their personal budgets and daily costs, making abstract economic reports a "terrible bumper sticker" and a losing campaign strategy.

Democratic candidate Jasmine Crockett's Senate launch video focuses entirely on Donald Trump as a national foil. This strategy, while boosting her national profile, risks backfiring in Texas by neglecting local issues like affordability. It could allow opponents to frame her as a "left-wing caricature" disconnected from the state's specific concerns.

Recent elections show a clear pattern: politicians win by focusing on groceries, rent, and healthcare. These three categories, dubbed the "unholy trinity," represent the biggest inflation pain points and make up 55% of the average American's cost of living, making them the decisive political issue.

Political success hinges on a simple formula: ensure voters can afford their lives, feel safe from crime and border issues, and are not alienated by extreme social stances. Mastering these three pillars is the key to creating a broad, winning coalition.

A stark divide exists between insider political stories (like the Fed Chair controversy) and visceral events (like the Renee Good shooting). Pundits and politicians often focus on the former, which matters to elites, while average voters are moved by the latter.

The debate over the Texas Senate race highlights a crucial lesson for Democrats: winning requires selecting the "right person for the right race." This prioritizes candidates whose profiles fit the local electorate over nationally recognized figures who might energize the base but alienate crucial swing voters in a general election.

A mayoral candidate secured a key victory moment in a debate by stating his first trip would be to a local borough, not a foreign country. This demonstrated that focusing on immediate constituent needs resonates more with voters than the performative, global virtue signaling often adopted by opponents.

The success of progressive candidate Momdani in New York stems from his singular focus on the city's unaffordability crisis. While other candidates emphasized crime, Momdani tapped into the core anxiety of voters who feel they can no longer afford to live there, signaling a shift in urban voter priorities.

Covering politics by only looking at politicians is like staring at the sun—it blinds you. A smarter approach is to cover surrounding issues like housing affordability, consumer confidence, and economic trends, as these are the underlying forces that ultimately shape political outcomes.