Friends, As I began writing today’s letter to you, I was overcome with a kind of dread. I didn’t want to write once again about Trump. I didn’t want to utter his name. I desperately wanted to forget him, put him firmly out of my mind. My mind was reeling from the coverage — the indictments, the legal and political maneuvers, Trump’s non-stop rants, his unremitting squalor.
Develop policies for Go To Work Americans. Employment, education, participation in shaping communities, environment and social responsibility. It's only a circus if you buy a ticket.
The media has a problem. It depends on income. The former president produces income. Climate change doesn't. Poverty doesn't. The causes and prevention of catastrophic fires doesn't, though the fire itself does until they finish counting the bodies. Trump is a self-fueled dumpster fire. To extinguish you have to deny publicity. Will the media do that if they are turning a profit? Fat chance.
I would note, were we everyday people excessively to follow the daily blow-by blow unfolding of the indictments, we would do so at our peril. I say this because, in my view, there’s no way forward except by winning enough races in 24 to retake the U.S. House, defend every Democratic U.S. Senate seat, despite a hostile map, add an additional seat to the Senate to render Manchin and Sinema irrelevant were either to remain in the Senate, and, of course, hold the White House. Note I haven’t even covered how we will have to defend democracy at the state and local levels, nor have I spoken of the threat posed by “No Labels,” whom I expect will run a candidate.
As the fourth entry in your reader poll states: "remind yourself of the stakes" involved if this gang of criminals is returned to power, because what is currently left of democracy in the U.S. will be utterly destroyed.
Earlier tonight Heather Cox Richardson wrote about Trump's "construction of a virtual political reality, " where the 2020 election lies are coming at viewers/readers at such acceleration that his cult will become even more indoctrinated in Trump's Bizzarro World; Rudy Giuliani's T.V. rant yesterday is a prime example of such virtual reality coordination, where he is not compelled to tell the truth, such as in a courtroom where he would place himself in danger of perjury.
On the other hand, as your newsletter observes, those of us fighting against Trump's psychopathy may tire of his constant, "squalid" presence, which is exactly what the gangsters in the Trump's dystopian universe want.
So, for those of us who genuinely believe that the our democracy is worth fighting for (and improving upon), while constantly reminding ourselves-and others-what is a stake (such as Trump's threat to suspend the U.S. Constitution), there is no more urgent time than now to counter Trump's fascist "construction of a virtual political reality."
I applaud your vigilance, Dr. Reich, as it is inspiring.
Keep your eyes focused on the goal of preserving democracy and do all those other things plus SPEAK OUT. Don’t cower in the corner. And when it gets overwhelming, take a break, take a walk, turn off the media and do something you enjoy. The battle will still be there when you get back.
I think the question is not so much how subscribers of this site can manage the constant coverage, as I'd be surprised if there are many people participating in these conversations who are not going to vote against what one friend calls "the bloated yam." The challenge is more how to prevent those annoying swing voters (I'm so sick of all the attention they get - how can you NOT know which side to support at this point) from falling for bad coverage and -- more importantly -- how to persuade those who are among the non-voters to recognize what is at stake.
I caught myself going down a slippery slope unable to keep grounded but regained courage to do what I can and let things go when fatigue started overwhelming me.
I have found a new place to be. It is to have the courage to take my life back and focus on the self-care and that of my 90 year old husband. I woke up to the fact that I need vibrancy of my life back. So many family and friends are traveling like crazy.It seems
a good short term perspective making strategy .
The resolve of the Fulton County persecutor in Georgia is asking that we let her set a course that knocks Donald off his perch. I think each of the prosecutors are playing different roles in this regard.
I am gaining confidence that the four or soon to be five avenues to justice are proceeding. We begged for this and now those in charge need us. Our job is to find our paths to walk with them. They represent sanity and a path forward.
A judge or two will finally be strong enough to do what would be done to other “average” Americans. He’s a spoiled mob bully who is finally getting what comes to crooks. He’ll be gagged soon enough and held in some sort of cushy prison or put on house arrest before the trials because he won’t be able to stop ranting, whining and harassing.
Besides whining, ranting and threatening of pardons and the dismantling of our DOJ, what plan does this guy have moving forward for the good of the country - NOTHING! Just wait till we all see how he sold our soul with those classifieds and how much money he and his family raked in because of it.
As Biden continues to work and do good for the people, people will realize and see it.
Not only will people start to appreciate Bidens quiet grace they will welcome it.
Trump is imploding.
Yay!
For me I’m enjoying watching it all unravel, cause these last two and 1/2 years where it seemed like he was getting away with it, was nauseating.
Meanwhile everything the gross Republican Party stands for will continue to eat them alive. They are pissing everyone off! Unfortunately we will see more mass shootings and daily shootings in general. Many more woman will suffer and die from lack of female health care. (Texas was supposed to release its maternal death numbers before the primary’s and conveniently didn’t till just recently and the numbers are up by 13%, imagine the numbers of maternal mortality in all the other red states with these barbaric laws, we will all start to see and feel it). Hospitals will continue to crumble in areas where politicians refuse to use the money that is there for them. People will get so sick of this circus to ban books, and art suppressing teachers. How about Tommy Tuberville holding the military hostage with not appointing the over 300 top military officials to their positions? They are pissing the military off now too. The “in control” house that can’t even get it’s work done. People are finally seeing these almost all white GOP supermajority’s doing nothing while raking in blood money. The barrage of negativity and hate geared towards trans and LGBTQ with new laws left and right that are downright mean, degrading and unlawful will get to be too much.
The republicans failed and continue to fail this country and it’s now all laid out on the table like a book to see.
I keep saying the ugly was always there we needed to it to puss and blister wide open so we can get in there to clean it up and make right! Like Biden says let’s get the job done!
I have faith in justice and the overall good that is there in most of us. I can’t wait for the the blue wave that is sure to come where we will finally have control with Biden in office as well as have the house and the senate. Then we can take all these lessons and start healing and reforming! Starting with the media and getting back to responsible journalism which as Hilary noted the other day is where it all festers from.
Adopt the attitude of John Paul Jones, aboard the Bonhomme Richard while it was in flames, with all hope apparently lost. His answer to the British commander demanding surrender was, “I have not yet begun to fight.” Or in other words, keep up the fight. It is simply a matter of resolve.
I don't have to remind myself of the stakes ; I will avoid any sensationalist coverage, because it does not have to be 'ramped up'. "Just the facts" is all I want to hear; No B.S. I have no patience with embellishment and the need to add any more drama! I will avoid news sites that use those tactics. If I hear 'both sides ism" I'm out of that screen!
We could study the good news about what has worked and what is working and amplify those strategies and tactics. For example:
Working America enlisted non-college voters as members, followed by ongoing trust-building and education. We estimate the WA programs we supported produced an amazing 360,000 net Democratic votes in our target states and congressional districts. WA produced 6 times as many votes per dollar spent as programs of average effectiveness. We recommended the majority of our contributions go to Working America, which turned out to be a good bet, given that two-thirds of the total votes shown above came from their programs.
Movement Labs deployed innovative texting programs to increase voter turnout by 3 times as much as typical texting programs. The programs we supported produced about 74,000 net votes at a rate that was about 9 times as effective as a typical donation.
The Center for Voter Information’s Voter Education Program mailed voters objective information about candidates’ contrasting positions on selected issues. This tactic, which we supported, produced about 95,000 net Democratic votes in key races at a rate that was about 9 times as effective as a typical donation.
Accelerate Change used a social media-sharing approach that is inherently difficult to assess with precision. Our best estimate is that these efforts produced about 27,000 net Democratic votes at a rate that was about 3.5 times as effective as a typical donation.
The States Project focused on making state legislative campaigns better funded and more effective, with technical support and evidence-based tactics. We’re certain that even as the votes it gained were not quantifiable, its work was key to flipping control of legislative chambers in Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
Our community additionally made direct contributions to Democratic candidates in select state races, including state Supreme Court judges and Secretaries of State, that are vital to the continued functioning of our democracy.
Winning at the margins
Political power in America often pivots on elections decided by very small margins. And it’s working at those margins where we made an impact.
Despite predictions of a red wave, Democrats in crucial, highly contested races outperformed expectations. While these victories certainly are owed to many organizations’ efforts and many factors beyond anyone’s control, we have strong evidence that Focus for Democracy’s strategy of focusing in on supporting the most effective programs, based on the best possible evidence, in the most consequential races, made a significant difference.
The additional votes produced by the programs we funded actually exceeded the margins by which the candidates won their elections in:
The US Senate race in Nevada, which gave Democrats a one-seat majority in that chamber;
Georgia’s US Senate race, in which the programs we supported produced more votes than the margin by which US Senator Raphael Warnock surpassed Herschel Walker in the November General Election.
The governor and attorney general elections in Arizona (defeating the GOP election deniers Kari Lake and Abe Hamadeh)
A total of four US House races; and
State legislative races that enabled Democrats to gain control of the legislatures in Michigan and Minnesota, and of the State House in Pennsylvania.
The media we pay attention to will be key. Far too many Americans, even those who know how flawed their chosen media outlets are, still scan, read, listen to and watch their chosen propaganda, not real news. Just one viewing of something like Democracy Now vs. CNN or Fox can be shocking to someone used to the sensationalist, talking-head, soundbite and unnecessary graphic-driven sensory assault that passes for mainstream "news" these days.
If we exert some self control, stay away from the outlets that have failed so miserably to inform and protect our nation, and reward and turn to the real journalists who will dispassionately help us see why every stage of these legal processes are essential for our democracy, I believe our will and attention can remain focused. If not, we will still benefit the world by serving as an example of just how easily an empire can still fall when its people refuse to learn and remain willfully distracted by bread and circuses.
All of the above. And find time to get outside and enjoy our beautiful world.
Develop policies for Go To Work Americans. Employment, education, participation in shaping communities, environment and social responsibility. It's only a circus if you buy a ticket.
The media has a problem. It depends on income. The former president produces income. Climate change doesn't. Poverty doesn't. The causes and prevention of catastrophic fires doesn't, though the fire itself does until they finish counting the bodies. Trump is a self-fueled dumpster fire. To extinguish you have to deny publicity. Will the media do that if they are turning a profit? Fat chance.
I would note, were we everyday people excessively to follow the daily blow-by blow unfolding of the indictments, we would do so at our peril. I say this because, in my view, there’s no way forward except by winning enough races in 24 to retake the U.S. House, defend every Democratic U.S. Senate seat, despite a hostile map, add an additional seat to the Senate to render Manchin and Sinema irrelevant were either to remain in the Senate, and, of course, hold the White House. Note I haven’t even covered how we will have to defend democracy at the state and local levels, nor have I spoken of the threat posed by “No Labels,” whom I expect will run a candidate.
As the fourth entry in your reader poll states: "remind yourself of the stakes" involved if this gang of criminals is returned to power, because what is currently left of democracy in the U.S. will be utterly destroyed.
Earlier tonight Heather Cox Richardson wrote about Trump's "construction of a virtual political reality, " where the 2020 election lies are coming at viewers/readers at such acceleration that his cult will become even more indoctrinated in Trump's Bizzarro World; Rudy Giuliani's T.V. rant yesterday is a prime example of such virtual reality coordination, where he is not compelled to tell the truth, such as in a courtroom where he would place himself in danger of perjury.
On the other hand, as your newsletter observes, those of us fighting against Trump's psychopathy may tire of his constant, "squalid" presence, which is exactly what the gangsters in the Trump's dystopian universe want.
So, for those of us who genuinely believe that the our democracy is worth fighting for (and improving upon), while constantly reminding ourselves-and others-what is a stake (such as Trump's threat to suspend the U.S. Constitution), there is no more urgent time than now to counter Trump's fascist "construction of a virtual political reality."
I applaud your vigilance, Dr. Reich, as it is inspiring.
Keep your eyes focused on the goal of preserving democracy and do all those other things plus SPEAK OUT. Don’t cower in the corner. And when it gets overwhelming, take a break, take a walk, turn off the media and do something you enjoy. The battle will still be there when you get back.
I think the question is not so much how subscribers of this site can manage the constant coverage, as I'd be surprised if there are many people participating in these conversations who are not going to vote against what one friend calls "the bloated yam." The challenge is more how to prevent those annoying swing voters (I'm so sick of all the attention they get - how can you NOT know which side to support at this point) from falling for bad coverage and -- more importantly -- how to persuade those who are among the non-voters to recognize what is at stake.
It takes self-discipline to keep perspective.
I caught myself going down a slippery slope unable to keep grounded but regained courage to do what I can and let things go when fatigue started overwhelming me.
I have found a new place to be. It is to have the courage to take my life back and focus on the self-care and that of my 90 year old husband. I woke up to the fact that I need vibrancy of my life back. So many family and friends are traveling like crazy.It seems
a good short term perspective making strategy .
The resolve of the Fulton County persecutor in Georgia is asking that we let her set a course that knocks Donald off his perch. I think each of the prosecutors are playing different roles in this regard.
I am gaining confidence that the four or soon to be five avenues to justice are proceeding. We begged for this and now those in charge need us. Our job is to find our paths to walk with them. They represent sanity and a path forward.
A judge or two will finally be strong enough to do what would be done to other “average” Americans. He’s a spoiled mob bully who is finally getting what comes to crooks. He’ll be gagged soon enough and held in some sort of cushy prison or put on house arrest before the trials because he won’t be able to stop ranting, whining and harassing.
Besides whining, ranting and threatening of pardons and the dismantling of our DOJ, what plan does this guy have moving forward for the good of the country - NOTHING! Just wait till we all see how he sold our soul with those classifieds and how much money he and his family raked in because of it.
As Biden continues to work and do good for the people, people will realize and see it.
Not only will people start to appreciate Bidens quiet grace they will welcome it.
Trump is imploding.
Yay!
For me I’m enjoying watching it all unravel, cause these last two and 1/2 years where it seemed like he was getting away with it, was nauseating.
Meanwhile everything the gross Republican Party stands for will continue to eat them alive. They are pissing everyone off! Unfortunately we will see more mass shootings and daily shootings in general. Many more woman will suffer and die from lack of female health care. (Texas was supposed to release its maternal death numbers before the primary’s and conveniently didn’t till just recently and the numbers are up by 13%, imagine the numbers of maternal mortality in all the other red states with these barbaric laws, we will all start to see and feel it). Hospitals will continue to crumble in areas where politicians refuse to use the money that is there for them. People will get so sick of this circus to ban books, and art suppressing teachers. How about Tommy Tuberville holding the military hostage with not appointing the over 300 top military officials to their positions? They are pissing the military off now too. The “in control” house that can’t even get it’s work done. People are finally seeing these almost all white GOP supermajority’s doing nothing while raking in blood money. The barrage of negativity and hate geared towards trans and LGBTQ with new laws left and right that are downright mean, degrading and unlawful will get to be too much.
The republicans failed and continue to fail this country and it’s now all laid out on the table like a book to see.
I keep saying the ugly was always there we needed to it to puss and blister wide open so we can get in there to clean it up and make right! Like Biden says let’s get the job done!
I have faith in justice and the overall good that is there in most of us. I can’t wait for the the blue wave that is sure to come where we will finally have control with Biden in office as well as have the house and the senate. Then we can take all these lessons and start healing and reforming! Starting with the media and getting back to responsible journalism which as Hilary noted the other day is where it all festers from.
Stay positive!
Cameras in the courtroom.
Adopt the attitude of John Paul Jones, aboard the Bonhomme Richard while it was in flames, with all hope apparently lost. His answer to the British commander demanding surrender was, “I have not yet begun to fight.” Or in other words, keep up the fight. It is simply a matter of resolve.
I don't have to remind myself of the stakes ; I will avoid any sensationalist coverage, because it does not have to be 'ramped up'. "Just the facts" is all I want to hear; No B.S. I have no patience with embellishment and the need to add any more drama! I will avoid news sites that use those tactics. If I hear 'both sides ism" I'm out of that screen!
We could study the good news about what has worked and what is working and amplify those strategies and tactics. For example:
Working America enlisted non-college voters as members, followed by ongoing trust-building and education. We estimate the WA programs we supported produced an amazing 360,000 net Democratic votes in our target states and congressional districts. WA produced 6 times as many votes per dollar spent as programs of average effectiveness. We recommended the majority of our contributions go to Working America, which turned out to be a good bet, given that two-thirds of the total votes shown above came from their programs.
Movement Labs deployed innovative texting programs to increase voter turnout by 3 times as much as typical texting programs. The programs we supported produced about 74,000 net votes at a rate that was about 9 times as effective as a typical donation.
The Center for Voter Information’s Voter Education Program mailed voters objective information about candidates’ contrasting positions on selected issues. This tactic, which we supported, produced about 95,000 net Democratic votes in key races at a rate that was about 9 times as effective as a typical donation.
Accelerate Change used a social media-sharing approach that is inherently difficult to assess with precision. Our best estimate is that these efforts produced about 27,000 net Democratic votes at a rate that was about 3.5 times as effective as a typical donation.
The States Project focused on making state legislative campaigns better funded and more effective, with technical support and evidence-based tactics. We’re certain that even as the votes it gained were not quantifiable, its work was key to flipping control of legislative chambers in Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
Our community additionally made direct contributions to Democratic candidates in select state races, including state Supreme Court judges and Secretaries of State, that are vital to the continued functioning of our democracy.
Winning at the margins
Political power in America often pivots on elections decided by very small margins. And it’s working at those margins where we made an impact.
Despite predictions of a red wave, Democrats in crucial, highly contested races outperformed expectations. While these victories certainly are owed to many organizations’ efforts and many factors beyond anyone’s control, we have strong evidence that Focus for Democracy’s strategy of focusing in on supporting the most effective programs, based on the best possible evidence, in the most consequential races, made a significant difference.
The additional votes produced by the programs we funded actually exceeded the margins by which the candidates won their elections in:
The US Senate race in Nevada, which gave Democrats a one-seat majority in that chamber;
Georgia’s US Senate race, in which the programs we supported produced more votes than the margin by which US Senator Raphael Warnock surpassed Herschel Walker in the November General Election.
The governor and attorney general elections in Arizona (defeating the GOP election deniers Kari Lake and Abe Hamadeh)
A total of four US House races; and
State legislative races that enabled Democrats to gain control of the legislatures in Michigan and Minnesota, and of the State House in Pennsylvania.
Ignore it. It's where it should be - in the hands of the courts. The twitter tidbits and TV dish are not worth the bandwidth.
The media we pay attention to will be key. Far too many Americans, even those who know how flawed their chosen media outlets are, still scan, read, listen to and watch their chosen propaganda, not real news. Just one viewing of something like Democracy Now vs. CNN or Fox can be shocking to someone used to the sensationalist, talking-head, soundbite and unnecessary graphic-driven sensory assault that passes for mainstream "news" these days.
If we exert some self control, stay away from the outlets that have failed so miserably to inform and protect our nation, and reward and turn to the real journalists who will dispassionately help us see why every stage of these legal processes are essential for our democracy, I believe our will and attention can remain focused. If not, we will still benefit the world by serving as an example of just how easily an empire can still fall when its people refuse to learn and remain willfully distracted by bread and circuses.
Fast track all the trials.