CHIENG: Democrats might know
 how to rally their base,
 but when they reach out
 to Middle America,
 -they say things like... 
-(majestic music playing)
For working families
to get a share
of that prosperity
that they're creating,
-we need some serious
enforcement -(music fizzles)
of competition laws.
 You're boring.
Single-payer, single-payer...
(laughs): single-payer.
 It's like you don't even care
 about what you're saying.
Can you hear me now?!
-It's not working.
-It's not working?
 No, it's not.
 And it's no surprise,
 last election,
 people in swing states went for
 a guy who said things like...
Who's gonna pay for the wall?!
ALL:
Mexico!
I'd like to punch him
in the face, I'll tell ya.
 Trump honed his trademark
 oratorical style--
 where else--
 in professional wrestling.
 And if Democrats
 were gonna fight back,
 they needed someone
 who could go head-to-head
 with a WWE Hall of Famer
 like Trump.
 And in the heart
 of coal country, we found him.
Shut your ignorant mouths,
'cause the Progressive Liberal
has something to say!
 Finally, a Democrat
 who doesn't make me want
 to change the channel.
 Dan Richards has been making
 headlines wrestling
 as the Progressive Liberal
 and riling up
 small-town audiences
 all over Trump country.
Hillary!
I should have done this
a long time ago!
(shouting)
How hard is it to pretend
to have these liberal values?
Oh, I'm not pretending.
 But even if the crowd
 hates him,
 the Progressive Liberal could
 teach swing state Democrats
 some classic
 wrestling techniques
 for getting voters' attention.
You want to stick to broad,
brushstroke talking points.
Right. So, Middle America would
rather learn about politics
through a mostly naked man
-than by reading a book?
-Yeah.
 But Dan assured me that,
 besides wearing shirts,
 politicians and wrestlers
 had one key difference.
People in politics will say
anything to get elected,
whereas a good wrestler--
they're only gonna say things
that they truly believe in.
So what you're saying is that
the level of political discourse
-in wrestling is actually higher
than in politics? -Oh, yeah.
CHIENG: 
 But with Congress immobilized
 by partisan politics,
 what advise did a progressive
 liberal have for Democrats?
Let's say you're Chuck Schumer,
and Mitch McConnell puts you
in a headlock.
What do you do?
Um, I would reverse it
into a top wrist lock,
and then I would stomp on his
elbow, breaking his wrist.
-And then the issue would be
resolved? -Without a doubt.
CHIENG: The progressive liberal
 had some great ideas
 for updating
 Democrats' messaging,
 but could he take on
 the heavyweight champion
 of The White House?
 Unfortunately,
 he was busy golfing,
 so we cast someone else
 to approximate Trump's
 rhetorical style.
(indistinct shouting)
Shut up! Yeah!
MAN (over P.A.): Introducing
The Commander-in-Briefs!
Is it just me,
or is it getting cold in here?
-(indistinct shouting)
-'Cause there's...
Because there's a snowflake
in the ring!
-I am not a snowflake!
-Snowflake!
-I am not
a snowflake! -Snowflake!
-(audience members chanting)
-RICHARDS: Quit pandering!
I'm not pandering.
I'm one of them.
 My pandering was working!
 Time to take this
 to the next level.
Do you know what this man wants?
Let me guess what you want to do
with the guns in this country.
Just let me guess.
-You want to take them away!
-(indistinct shouting)
I don't want to take away guns.
I'm just for
really strict background checks.
CHIENG: Okay, that wasn't
 too hard to understand,
 and the audience was into it.
Okay, fine. Whatever about guns.
Let me guess
what you want
to do about marijuana!
-(cheering)
-RICHARDS: I think what
people want to do behind closed
doors should be their business.
-MAN: Yeah.
-Like hell you do.
That is my position
as the progressive liberal!
-(cheers and applause)
-CHIENG: Looks like
 broad-brush
 talking points work,
 especially that
 marijuana one, Democrats.
 So maybe let wrestlers craft
 slogans for your next campaign,
 like "Lock Guns Up,"
 or "Make America Greatest,"
 or just "420 4 2020."
 But let's face it.
 What really turns on
 swing-state crowds isn't words.
 It's action.
I don't care about your
positions 'cause you suck!
 Middle America wants a strong
 hero who won't back down
 from a fight, so Democrats,
 if you want to beat
 a wrestler president,
 keep it simple
 and go on the offensive.
Fakes news! Ow!
Fake news! Ouch! Fake...
(groaning)
 Welcome to the future
 of American politics.
