"Encouraging News"

My Representative in Congress, Tammy Baldwin, is running for Senate. She is doing a great job, and I support her for Senate.

She sent out an e-mail today that listed some problems for the middle class and some approaches Congress has taken, which she calls "encouraging news".

Stated Problems:

• People's jobs have been "shipped overseas".
  
• Financial companies' abuses have caused middle-class people to lose money.
• Powerful interests manipulate "the system" to their benefit.
  

Stated Solutions:

• Gov't worked out a settlement with banks regarding a technicality that will result in about 1% of their customers receiving about $20,000 in loan forgiveness of some sort.
  
• Make sure the rich are playing as much in taxes as the middle class.
• Make Congressmen disclose if they're going to trade stocks they have inside info on.
• Help people winterize people's homes.

I cannot understand this approach. Suppose you're someone who believes in the stated problems. Your job is being "shipped overseas", and financial institutions are hitting you while you're down. Congress will winterize your home.

My point is not whether I agree with the problems and solutions. I agree with some and not others. I don't get this marketing approach though. If you start out with these large problems, it seems lame to say the actions Congress has taken are things like loan forgiveness (perhaps for people who couldn't pay anyway) and winterizing homes.

It seems to me that Republicans have a clearer marketing strategy: Evildoers are threatening you. We'll lock them up or kill them (without regard for the cost). That makes logical sense. I don't get this Democratic argument: Structural problems in the economy prevent you from succeeding. We'll winterize your home.

If you must pick a simple threat and solution to be elected, it seems like Democrats should work out a better narrative.