Under the section "Strong Ground Games Make the Difference"

Specific issue connection: The campaign connected workplace concerns like healthcare costs, scheduling stability, and wage protections directly to political choices. [p 36]

Under "Where Organizing Efforts Fell Short in 2024"

Messaging Misalignment. National Democratic messaging under the White House’s stewardship, created tensions with key constituencies. Climate change and green energy transition messaging created anxiety among workers in traditional industries worried about job losses. The focus on social issues over economic issues alienated socially conservative voters who prioritized kitchen- table concerns. The "Bidenomics" framing emphasized macro statistics rather than the micro realities voters experienced daily and specifically tied President Biden - by name - to actual economic anxiety. [p 36]

Organizational Decline in Key States. Shrinking investment in industrial states has reduced Democrats' organizing capacity. Ohio's organizing density dropped significantly as manufacturing declined. Younger members of organized groups show less partisan loyalty than previous generations. [p 36]

Abortion as a Crosscutting Issue

Brown hit Moreno hard on abortion in the final weeks, noting how 57% of Ohio voters had just enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution. Slotkin ran a multimillion-dollar ad campaign hammering Rogers on his abortion voting record. This issue allowed Democrats to peel off suburban women and moderate Republicans who might have been open to voting Republican down-ballot [p 37-38]

So clearly we at least dabbling in conversations about specific issues. But I think the more important counterpoint is you can't have a conversation about the loss of Kamala Harris without mentioning Genocide.