These are turbulent, trying, and unprecedented times.
That being said, I’ve got a few thoughts and one related action item.
Thought 1:
There’s an ongoing CW that continues to get bounced around the progressive-sphere:
“We have no need to talk to or target Trump voters.”
I agree that there are not really many good reasons to engage Trump supporters / Hillary haters on social media which is what most people are, in fact, referring to.
First, as a pragmatic matter, if you don’t know who you are interacting with, you often have no idea if they are real. Second, very little productive ever comes of it.
If you absolutely have to, for example, respond to something on Facebook posted by a relative or friend, the best thing you can do is post a fact-based outbound link and tailor your response to informing anyone open-minded who might read it. Your Trump-supporting friend or relative is not only not persuadable, but is also very likely just getting entertainment from trolling you.
However, the notion that we should not talk to people who voted Trump/GOP in 2016 in a real life, work, canvassing, or a face-to-face environment is in my view, way off base.
For one, there are hundreds of political races and seats to flip that will need a combination of new voters, increased Democratic/Independent turnout and some number of Trump/GOP voters to vote our way in order to win. You can debate the mix of the above, but it would be foolish to leave any of it out.
Second, the Democratic Party can’t afford to get killed by GOP candidates running up the margins and converting formerly 60-40 advantage districts to 70-30, 80-20, or more. That’s how Trump won. That means talking to and targeting folks who, in hundreds of precincts and districts in 2016, did not vote our way...in addition to doing whatever else it takes to win.
Finally, to win the legislative battles of the next 17 months, we need to make our case to every last persuadable voter. If the AHCA only has 20% support then that means there are plenty of Trump voters in that other 80%. We would be fools if we wrote them off.
So, if you have an opportunity to break down some of the Blue/Red walls and do voter outreach in a district or precinct that Trump won, by all means, go! Do this! Talk about the AHCA. Talk about Flint. Talk about gerrymandering and voter suppression. Register new voters. Energize non-voters. There’s a ton of common ground. And, yes, when you are doing that kind of comprehensive on-the-ground outreach you will meet people who voted from Trump. Talk to them! Listen!
Thought 2:
There is currently a lasting and emerging rift in Democratic / Progressive politics. We need to heal it.
I am not going to go deep into this looking backwards, because I don’t think it is productive.
As a pragmatic point, the healthiest thing for the Democratic Party is for all reformers and progressives to take action locally to build the bench and win every possible victory for progressive Democrats.
If I were a Sanders supporter I would look to identify local candidates who closely reflect his views and work to elect them on the basis of the Sanders agenda applied to local issues. There is so much hope for Sanders’ powerful movement to result in hundreds of mayors, local electeds, and State and Congressional candidates. This will mean new voices, new leadership. new viewpoints and more diversity.
As a point of caution to Sanders supporters, I would be wary of candidates who want to enter political life running for office on Sanders platform without having done the normal local groundwork most politicians do. I would be especially cautious of any candidate who wants to run for local office without talking about specific local issues that will get people in the community engaged.
As a Clinton supporter and volunteer who came out of being a hardcore Obama supporter in 2008 and 2012, I am hopeful that the hundreds and thousands of brilliant volunteers who worked on 08, 12 and 16 will blossom into an amazing and diverse array of candidates and activists going forward. I would also hope these leaders would establish new, diverse, independent voices separate from the Obama or Clinton powerbase. I don’t feel that we have seen this come to fruition yet.
We have now all seen what’s at stake.
As Dailykos celebrates 15 years today, whomever we supported everything we’ve worked so hard to build and win is at risk.
Where we have real disagreements about policy and platforms, we should channel that energy into tireless work to elect progressive candidates and pass laws.
There are no guarantees that we will win back the house in 2018 and there is a huge risk in the rift that has emerged within Democratic politics.
We win when we elect more and better Democrats. It’s that simple. Instead of fighting over the past, we need to build our common future.
Thought 3:
These are troubling times.
Trump and the GOP Congress are a disaster for every last one of us. And the planet.
As I read my Twitter feed I sometimes get frightened to see familiar voices lose their focus and grounding out of frustration and anger.
My advice is simple. Take care of yourself. Be pragmatic. Remember your core values. Pay attention to local issues. Be wary of overly alarmist or dubious voices. We need to win majorities. We need to pass laws. We need to resist. We can disagree, where we have to, and still come together to win.
And, yes, none of us is imagining things. These truly are unprecedented times with a great deal of real danger and real opportunity. It’s okay for this to seem perilous, because it is. But that does not merit losing sight of the core values that make us progressive in the first place.
One action item:
Reflecting the above, please take this one step today.
In the spirit of Black Lives Matter and in the face of stepped up ICE deportations, please call your mayor or local elected officials and speak to them directly about the need for local law enforcement and local government to serve and protect everyone in your community equally.
Tell them your name, where you live, and why you value diversity and a community that has equal rights and safety for every last person.
Make it clear that you are expressing the importance and value of citizen oversight of our local government.
I did this, and I know it made a difference.
If you have not done this yet in this time of Trump, do it today.
(...or as inclusiveheart points out, mark your calendar to call next Tuesday after the holiday.)