---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's hurting Democrats if you do really…"
description: "\"It's hurting Democrats if you do really go profoundly negative in the primary. Most of them don't. They actually realize the most effective use of thei..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/ted-lieu-4499_democracy_it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really_1590099.jpg"
---

#  It's hurting Democrats if you do really go profoundly…

![“It's hurting Democrats if you do really go profoundly negative in the primary. Most of them don't. They actually realize the most effective use of their money is to make sure they stand out in front of the voters and the voters understand their story.” quote by Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/ted-lieu-4499_democracy_it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really_1590099.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/ted-lieu-4499_democracy_it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really_1590099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/ted-lieu-4499_democracy_it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really_1590099.jpg)

> “It's hurting Democrats if you do really go profoundly negative in the primary. Most of them don't. They actually realize the most effective use of their money is to make sure they stand out in front of the voters and the voters understand their story.”

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Democrats benefit from staying positive; negative tactics waste resources and alienate voters.

**In simple terms:** Positive messaging works better for Democrats.

Key Takeaway

Focus on clear, uplifting messaging.

Themes

politics campaign strategy communication

Mood

strategic analytical

Type

political advisory

When to use this quote

- primary campaigns
- media outreach
- grassroots events
- debates

Key Concepts

voter perception resource allocation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can candidates balance honesty with optimism?
- When does positivity become complacency?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on positivity may ignore legitimate criticisms.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/)

## Related quotes

> [What we are going to do as Democrats is put together a really strong platform that focuses on jobs and economic issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/what-we-are-going-to-do-as-democrats-is-put-together-a-really-strong/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

> [The Democrats are incapable of even being accused of violating political correctness, so they don't even worry about it. The Democrats have really grown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-democrats-are-incapable-of-even-being-accused-of-violating/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [“Taxes occupy a strange position in the emotional landscape, oscillating between moments of great passion (April 15 and election days) and near-lethal boredom (every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/taxes-occupy-a-strange-position-in-the-emotional-landscape/)

[Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/)

> [And American voters understand that if we want to keep fighting to move in the new - in a new direction, we've got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/and-american-voters-understand-that-if-we-want-to-keep-fighting-to/)

[Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/)

> [If the country is to survive as a democracy it will depend on voters who understand how our political institutions have evolved and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bullock/if-the-country-is-to-survive-as-a-democracy-it-will-depend-on-voters/)

[Alan Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bullock/)

> [American voters should understand that Congress will always find a way to spend every last dollar sent to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/american-voters-should-understand-that-congress-will-always-find-a-2/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Voters seem to understand what a big waste of time trying to change Washington is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/voters-seem-to-understand-what-a-big-waste-of-time-trying-to-change/)

[Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/)

> [I get along with Democrats really well, and I think that's something that's unreported. I think it's partly my libertarian tendencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-labrador/i-get-along-with-democrats-really-well-and-i-think-that-s-something/)

[Raul Labrador](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-labrador/)

> [“Most Americans do not have a college education. Do the Democrats really expect them to have a clear understanding of what a stimulus bill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-americans-do-not-have-a-college-education-do-the-democrats/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [As conservatives, we cannot just concede education over to the Democrats. We really need to be actively involved. And that's why I've been such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-glenn/as-conservatives-we-cannot-just-concede-education-over-to-the/)

[Darryl Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-glenn/)

> [ I used to think most Democrats in Congress who voted for \[ObamaCare\] really believed they were doing something good for the poor and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kelly/i-used-to-think-most-democrats-in-congress-who-voted-for-obamacare/)

[Jack Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kelly/)

> [I would say that the people, largely, who I met were Democrats. But really it's what - people want to change the country. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tasini/i-would-say-that-the-people-largely-who-i-met-were-democrats-but/)

[Jonathan Tasini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tasini/)

> [The Democrats really are not interested in keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists. They're interested in keeping you from being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-democrats-really-are-not-interested-in-keeping-guns-out-of-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Most people do surprisingly poorly when dealing with a relative who is hurting, depressed, or anxious - we get defensive and try to solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/most-people-do-surprisingly-poorly-when-dealing-with-a-relative-who/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

> [“If it makes you feel any better, he’s been all sad doll lately too.” “What are you talking about, Chels?” Chelsea stopped walking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-derting/if-it-makes-you-feel-any-better-he-s-been-all-sad-doll-lately-too/)

[Kimberly Derting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-derting/)

## More by Ted Lieu

> [The United States represents hope, freedom and opportunities to those who are born here and to those who are not. Those values are part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/the-united-states-represents-hope-freedom-and-opportunities-to-those/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [In a nation as dynamic and diverse as the United States, what makes us great is that our founding principles are rooted in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/in-a-nation-as-dynamic-and-diverse-as-the-united-states-what-makes-us/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [You cannot have 300-some million Americans - and really, right, the global citizenry be at risk of having their phone conversations intercepted with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/you-cannot-have-300-some-million-americans-and-really-right-the/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [What you want in foreign policy is clear, well-defined goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/what-you-want-in-foreign-policy-is-clear-well-defined-goals/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [Yes, I am not well-behaved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/yes-i-am-not-well-behaved/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [I am a supporter of Medicare for All.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/i-am-a-supporter-of-medicare-for-all/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [Donald Trump himself actually said during his campaign that he essentially thinks being unpredictable is a good thing. Maybe that's a good thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/donald-trump-himself-actually-said-during-his-campaign-that-he/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [By the time Congress is even authorized to act after the President has launched nuclear weapons, there may no longer be a civilized world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/by-the-time-congress-is-even-authorized-to-act-after-the-president/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [Indeed, President Trump seems to have a pretty good idea how to enrich oneself at taxpayer expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/indeed-president-trump-seems-to-have-a-pretty-good-idea-how-to-enrich/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [We are not and will never be an authoritarian regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/we-are-not-and-will-never-be-an-authoritarian-regime/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [It is important to show up. Showing up at marches and rallies and town halls and protests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-is-important-to-show-up-showing-up-at-marches-and-rallies-and-town/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [The suspicion that immigrants are not to be trusted or are unpatriotic is not just wrong; it is un-American. And dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/the-suspicion-that-immigrants-are-not-to-be-trusted-or-are/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [It is clear to me that creating a pathway for decryption only for good guys is technologically stupid. You just can't do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-is-clear-to-me-that-creating-a-pathway-for-decryption-only-for/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [When tragedy strikes, feeling helpless is understandable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/when-tragedy-strikes-feeling-helpless-is-understandable/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [If we turn our back on the world's most vulnerable people, we're eschewing the values our country was founded on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/if-we-turn-our-back-on-the-world-s-most-vulnerable-people-we-re/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

[Explore all 110 Ted Lieu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

## More Democracy quotes

> [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/)

[Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/)

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/)

[Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/)

> [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/)

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

> [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/)

[Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/)

> [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

[Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's hurting Democrats if you do really go profoundly negative in the primary. Most of them don't. They actually realize the most effective use of their money is to make sure they stand out in front of the voters and the voters understand their story.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ted Lieu"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really-go-profoundly-negative-in-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Democracy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really-go-profoundly-negative-in-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/ted-lieu-4499_democracy_it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really_1590099.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/ted-lieu-4499_democracy_it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really_1590099.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/ted-lieu-4499_democracy_it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really_1590099.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's hurting Democrats if you do really go profoundly negative in the primary. Most of them don't. They…” — Ted Lieu",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ted Lieu",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's hurting Democrats if you do...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really-go-profoundly-negative-in-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/it-s-hurting-democrats-if-you-do-really-go-profoundly-negative-in-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
