The Messina Group

Crypto’s political bet may be coming due. In a new piece on The Messina Memo, Abram Smith, who leads our blockchain practice and has spent more than a decade advising crypto and fintech clients, argues that the industry’s hard turn toward Republican politics could become a serious liability when Democrats regain power in Congress. Abram’s take: the race back to the middle should have started yesterday. The path forward is not complicated, but it does require discipline: return to first principles, rebuild bipartisan credibility, distance the industry from meme coins and other unsavory actors, and engage seriously with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The opportunity is still open, but the window is narrowing fast. Read the full piece: https://lnkd.in/ekmC_9qB

Democrats have momentum heading into the midterms. But momentum doesn’t win elections—the right message does. In Part II of his Mythbusting Before the Midterms series, Jim Messina outlines four messaging myths that still shape Democratic campaigns—and why they need to go. From overestimating how closely voters follow politics to underestimating the importance of the economy, the piece makes a clear case: even the best-run campaigns will lose if their message doesn’t resonate. 👉 https://lnkd.in/ei8qmPkx

Jim Messina joined Bloomberg’s Balance of Power today to discuss why 2026 is shaping up to be more competitive than anyone expected: → A new generation of Democratic leaders is proving themselves, with Leader Hakeem Jeffries chief among them. He’s being praised as the “silent assassin” who “went to war” on redistricting. → Democrats are suddenly on offense in Senate races they had no business competing in. → The White House has lost control of the Iran narrative. → The real political risk isn’t November. It’s summer vacation gas prices. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eVPbq-Nz

After the global backlash against incumbents in 2024, a familiar narrative took hold: populism was inevitable, and establishment campaigns were running out of road. That’s not what we’re seeing. Across competitive elections around the world, candidates who defined the race early, disciplined their message, and drew a clear contrast with populist opponents didn’t just hold on—they won. In a new piece for The Messina Memo, our COO Tara Corrigan draws out three lessons from recent campaigns—and what they show about how democracy-minded leaders can still win. She writes from a vantage point few have: helping shape political campaign strategy in the U.S. and across global democracies for nearly two decades. Read the piece here: https://lnkd.in/eaj4RApa

What if the biggest problem in Democratic politics right now…is what we think we know? Too many campaigns are still operating on outdated assumptions: “Turnout is everything.” “Ads don’t matter.” “Digital beats TV.” “We can wait until the fall.” In a new series on The Messina Memo, Jim Messina takes on these myths head-on. The takeaway: persuasion still matters. Strategy still matters. And timing matters more than most campaigns think. Part One is live now: https://lnkd.in/eyhViS_9 #Elections #Politics #Midterms2026 #Democrats

Last Friday, I went live on Substack with Rachel Janfaza, one of the sharpest voices covering Gen Z voters, to talk about a topic we’re both focused on: young men in the Democratic party. We talked about young men being “Obama-pilled”—a term I'm still learning but a concept I fully believe in, and my recent op-ed on why Democrats are struggling to connect with young men. My take: it's not about finding a Joe Rogan of the left. It's about actually inviting young men into the party and having real conversations about the things they care about. Watch our conversation, and subscribe to The Messina Memo for more. https://lnkd.in/eYQ63YC9

Who does the SAVE America Act actually save? In a new piece for The Messina Memo, TMG Partner Lindsey Kerr, who previously served as Chief of Staff to Senator Amy Klobuchar and Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the Senate Rules Committee, examines the legislation moving through Congress in the name of protecting elections. Drawing on years of work on election security policy, she explains why the evidence shows that non-citizen voting is vanishingly rare and why the SAVE America Act misses the real threats to election integrity. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eFjv8Ttn

Democrats have a young men problem—and it's bigger than messaging. In 2024, young women backed Harris by 17 points. Young men backed Trump by 14. That's a 31-point gap among voters ages 18–29. Too often, Democrats are seen as saying "no" to the platforms and spaces young men spend time in–from TikTok and gaming communities to crypto, sports betting, and prediction markets. When it looks like we're opposing new and innovative things, we don't just seem cautious; we look stuck in the past, without a vision for the future. Politics is relational. If one party celebrates and the other critiques, don't be surprised who winds up earning their audience's trust. In his latest op-ed in The Messina Memo, Jim Messina lays out what Democrats are getting wrong with young men (and how to fix it). Read more here: https://lnkd.in/egphA36A

Jim Messina joined MS NOW’s Chris Jansing Reports to discuss today’s Supreme Court ruling on tariffs—and why, regardless of the legal outcome, the politics of affordability remain unchanged. For voters, trade policy isn’t abstract. It shows up in store prices, small-business costs, paychecks, and overall confidence in the economy. Across battleground states, voters consistently say they want leaders focused on affordability and economic stability—and many feel the economy is getting worse, not better. The candidates who can demonstrate a clear focus on lowering costs and putting money back into the American people’s pockets will have an advantage with voters who are seeking real relief. 🎥: https://lnkd.in/e3UA9bsC