While the Democrats’ official campaign strategy focuses wholly on the economy, education and women’s rights, party leaders have charged into the August recess with a much broader message that paints Republicans as too tough on immigrants, too easy on corporate election donors and too focused on toppling President Obama in lieu of helping the middle class.

The wider emphasis could pay dividends in November’s midterms, as the Democrats are highlighting issues that tend to poll strongly in their favor. But the strategy is not without its perils, as calling attention to a spectrum of topics also risks muddling their message ahead of the elections.

“There is always a danger of throwing too many issues at the voters,” said Julian Zelizer, political historian at Princeton University. “If everything is a problem, it is hard for the voter to see how realistically the Democrats will resolve all of this — especially in an era of political gridlock.”