Checking in.

December 9, 2024

Concluding Thoughts

I am beginning (and ending) today’s newsletter with Concluding Thoughts as a way of “checking in” with the reader community. To state the obvious, the news at the national level has been various shades of bad, worrisome, and alarming—with little relief in sight. Consistent with the mission of this newsletter, I continue to analyze the news in a way that attempts to identify reasons for hope.

There have been small but important successes in the effort to push back against the MAGA 2025 agenda—the withdrawals of nominees Matt Gaetz (DOJ) and Chad Chronister (DEA). Democrats have undermined and may defeat the nominations of Pete Hegseth, and Tulsi Gabbard, and possibly others (Robert Kennedy, Linda McMahon). And as the last votes of 2024 were counted, Democrats narrowed the GOP majority in the House to 3 votes.

Last week, I said that the reality of Trump's proposals will begin to turn his supporters against the MAGA agenda as they experience the effects of Trump's outrageous proposals. For example, Trump finally acknowledged over the weekend that his tariffs might lead to higher prices. See HuffPo, Donald Trump 'Can't Guarantee' Tariffs Won't Increase Prices.

To similar effect is a report over the weekend by the Congressional Budget Office warning that the cost of healthcare premiums will increase for many Americans unless Republicans extend subsidies passed by Joe Biden. If the past is prologue, Speaker Johnson and Majority Leader Thune will not extend those subsidies—resulting in a nearly immediate increase in healthcare premiums for millions of Americans. See HuffPo, Health Care Premiums Could Go Up Fast If Republicans Don't Act.

And Trump threatened over the weekend to deny birthright citizenship on “Day One” of his presidency—extinguishing a right guaranteed by the 14^th Amendment to all persons born in the United States. Trump's pledge is unconstitutional but will nonetheless disrupt and unsettle the lives of tens of millions of Americans. See NBC News, Trump aims to end birthright citizenship, says American citizens with family here illegally may be deported.

As a result of the above (and more), I asserted last week that a backlash against Trump's policies will give Democrats openings in 2026 and 2028 to take back Congress and the presidency. Many readers were apparently not ready to hear about a path to success.

I received a dozen or so responses that said, in effect, “There won’t be any elections in 2026 or 2028.” Many more readers wrote to say that Trump's supporters will not change their minds no matter how badly they suffer under Trump's policies.

I understand how many readers feel, and I won’t argue that they should feel differently. Objectively, there are reasons to feel disappointed and anxious about the future. That said, I believe some of those readers spoke from exhaustion or anger. Indeed, a few readers acknowledged as much when I responded to their emails.

Where does the above leave us?

First, to the extent that it is helpful to hear how others are feeling, you now know what I am seeing in my inbox. Similar feelings were expressed in the Comment section over the weekend.

Second, like it or not—and ready or not—we have no option but to resist Trump’s agenda and begin our efforts to take back Congress and the presidency. We have no choice but to resist even if we feel pessimistic. The other options are surrender and withdrawal—which will make things worse over the long term, a result no one wants.

Other readers are ready to pick up the fight where they left off on Election Day. If that includes you, I urge you to lead by example—with due respect for others who may not be in the same place as you.

But the period of resistance has begun. We have the opportunity to change the course of history in the forty-two days before Trump assumes office. We cannot lose that opportunity because we are working through a difficult period.

Expressing feelings of futility or anger may be a healthy way--for some, for a reasonable period--to deal with the disappointment of the loss on November 5. However, we must also recognize that everyone is looking for social cues about to navigate this difficult period.

Each of us has a choice: we can tell others that resistance is futile and that we should give up, or we can say that we aren’t giving up, no matter what.

I am not giving up, no matter what.

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Daily Dose of Perspective

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