Democrats Don't Have a Tactics Problem. We Have a Strategy Problem. With Murshed Zaheed

Democrats Don't Have a Tactics Problem. We Have a Strategy Problem. With Murshed Zaheed

From Hello Merge Tag: Where Social Media and Politics Intersect by Reverbal Communications

April 22, 2026 · 1h 5m · Episode 52

About this episode

Murshed Zaheed discusses the need for a strategic approach in the Democratic Party rather than just focusing on tactics.

"It doesn't matter if Democratic senators or members of Congress put out TikTok videos or bring influencers for special hearings. Ultimately, if it's not in their bones that they want to fight with everything they have, the people will see right through it." Murshed Zaheed has more than 30 years of experience as a leader, organizer, and advocate in a career stretching from D.C. to San Francisco. He’s the founder of Pacifica Strategies, a boutique public affairs firm working with prominent organizations engaged in policy and politics. He served as the Political Director of CREDO Mobile, empowering its over five million members to fight for progressive change in Washington, D.C., and in state capitols across the country. He also served as Director of New Media for then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a senior leadership role and was a member of Gov. Howard Dean’s groundbreaking digital team during Dean’s presidential campaign. He has watched the Democratic Party cycle through the same conversations about tactics — from blogs in 2006 to TikTok in 2026 — and he's tired of it. Not because tactics don't matter. But because tactics without strategy are just noise. We covered a lot…

People in this episode

Guest: Murshed Zaheed

Topics covered

  • Democratic Party strategy
  • political tactics
  • social media influence
  • progressive change
  • campaign history

Keywords

  • Democrats
  • strategy
  • tactics
  • social media
  • politics
  • campaigns
  • progressive

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pacifica Strategies, CREDO Mobile

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