Hi Robert, I just listened to a tiny bit on NPR to Dante Stewart which brought me to tears. In part, what was said is that being in a constant state of grief numbs us so that we can't move and that we give up. And, also, that living in fear is paralyzing. I thought of your worry that Democrats aren't rising in indignation and anger at all that goes on around us. I think this is the answer. Four years of daily pummeling by trump and the murder of all our values by his toadies has beat us into a state of grief for our country, our democracy, our countrymen and women. Grief can be paralyzing. Give us something to do with each of your missives that we can gain a small amount of control over our paralysis. Exhort us to live our values. Continue your mission. Thank you. PS--Dante Stewart's book is on Amazon. I just bought it, hoping it will move me to action.
I feel like a fighter in a ring that has been pummeled by the opponent, and is barely standing, bloodied, bowed, and booed. One more punch and it's all over. I cannot muster the energy to show my outrage. It's all psychological, of course, aided and abetted by the MSM who would much rather blather about clickbait than what is truly going on. If they aren't outraged, who will lead this charge? And, where is our leadership? Biden, Harris, Jaime Harrison????
I am constantly outraged by skewed reporting as are many others. The media drives the narrative - unfortunately. Dems need to fight back with their messaging. Give people catchy phrases that stick and repeat and repeat and repeat. Get out there, make comments go viral. What are they waiting for?
I can’t speak for the tactics of the press (I only listen to NPR and read the NYT and WAPO) but I find the GOP messaging to be extraordinary - short, tight, always repeated phrases regardless of who in the country is saying it. I presume nationwide, members of the GOP get the same email every morning @ 5am with their talking points. Their ability to shut down the Democrats via criticism, diversion, lies or plain ignoring them is the reason their message or rebuttal prevails. It’s always simple, repetitive and punchy - just what their constituents can repeat. And the press is basically the same. Simpler is better. The Democrats are throwing everything out there but it’s complicated, nuanced and requires prior knowledge of past events or history, something the press doesn’t want to spend time with since it isn’t easy for their viewers to consume. The GOP know this and work with it and manipulate it to their ends. They know Americans can’t handle a fire hose, they will drink cyanide laced Koolaid.
I'd respectfully like to suggest a different way. It's time we all consider investing in Democracy rather than making one-time donations to a single candidate's campaigns. Donations are not the most effective way to fight voter suppression and disinformation and turn the tide the way we must right now.
First, realize that most of the money donated to candidates' campaigns is used for TV or digital ads and flyers -- outreach designed to change swing voters minds with soundbites and slogans --usually an impossible task. (See this from Vox: Experiments Show that this is the best way to win campaigns. But is anyone actually doing it? https://www.vox.com/2014/11/13/7214339/campaign-ground-game)
Also make sure you are donating to a winnable race. In the days following Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, Americans donated over $70 million to Amy McGrath's campaign or the Get Mitch or Die Trying Fund. At one point ActBlue was logging $100K a minute. Amy McGrath ended up with a war chest of $90+ million but Mitch McConnell still won his Senate seat resoundingly with his "paltry" $60 million war chest.
Another more impactful way to donate is to support grassroots organizations working to register and activate voters in critical districts of swing states. Remember that even though Biden won the popular vote by more than 7 million, he eeked out his razor-thin electoral college victory with 43,809 votes across Wisconsin, Georgia and Arizona. Grassroots organizations are THE most effective at GOTV because they practice relational voter turnout. They have multiple conversations about the election and spend more time educating new voters (who are their own neighbors) on local, state and national issues, what sorts of documents they will need to vote, how to get a mail-in ballot or even provide PPE. They never close shop after elections, they work year round holding listening sessions, building political power and turning out the vote in local and state elections. Here are some great articles if you're interested in learning more about how grassroots organizations are so successful:
This inspirational op-ed from LUCHA in Arizona explains beautifully the important role grassroots organizations play in relational GOTV and the long game of building enough power to swing a state like Arizona to the left.
Here are two organizations that offer very impactful ways to invest in grassroots organizations.
Flip the Vote 2022 - They provide a slate of vetted BIPOC-led grassroots orgs in 7 critical Swing States. You can easily donate through FTV’s platform - 100% of your donations go directly to the orgs. You can also host an in-person or Zoom house party with FTV which is a very effective way to get people engaged and invested in the elections. Read FTV's strategy here: https://www.flipthevote.org/strategy.
Blueprint by Swing Left offers a portfolio “investing” strategy that is also targeted and data driven. It also encourages “giving circles” for people who want to invest together. Read more about that here:
Gather your friends and see how you can maximize your investment in Democracy! You will feel more hopeful and have a much bigger impact on the midterms and the 2024 election.
I know how those days are taking care of grandchildren. I have 11. My middle daughter needed me to take care of her newborn daughter 18 years ago and her other three children. She only had one week of maternity leave and the baby was not eating well. I ended up staying for 45 days!
I'm making a pitch for Tim Ryan for Senator from Ohio. He has a long history as a progressive moderate, AND he's opposed by that Hillbilly Elegy moron, whose name doesn't merit the expenditure of good electrons.
I believe that this generation of reporters may be generally plagued with the same bias. I see it in AP and USA articles as well. I don't recall blatant editorial statements in news articles back in the day. Perhaps the onset of bylines goes to some reporters heads. Shut up and scribble, for God's sake.
Our diminishing ability to be outraged is a direct result of the mind-numbing noise and chaos that began with Trump's campaign against Secretary Clinton. It never let up and it is a classic early technique in authoritarian takeovers. The human psyche simply cannot sustain the level of outrage and shock with which we first responded to the truly outrageous and shocking behavior we saw. A kind of deadness set in. It has been periodically punctuated by recovery into something like normal human reactions, like in the recently leaked draft of the Supreme Court ruling, but already we have drifted back into a safe place of largely ignoring it.
We have also learned, over these past years when the norm is beyond the limits of anything acceptable, that outrage without strategy and action has no effect at all.
Our outrage has been neutralized, and we don't seem to have anything to replace it. Also, the field of conflict is just too big--on every front, in every news cycle, is at least one unthinkable thing.
All those 'somethings' add up to another version of the loud chaos of the unspeakable.
Why do i have to sign in when for years I have been a paid subscriber (and never miss reading Hubbell every weekday night!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks,
robert (Bob) Herman
Hi Robert, I just listened to a tiny bit on NPR to Dante Stewart which brought me to tears. In part, what was said is that being in a constant state of grief numbs us so that we can't move and that we give up. And, also, that living in fear is paralyzing. I thought of your worry that Democrats aren't rising in indignation and anger at all that goes on around us. I think this is the answer. Four years of daily pummeling by trump and the murder of all our values by his toadies has beat us into a state of grief for our country, our democracy, our countrymen and women. Grief can be paralyzing. Give us something to do with each of your missives that we can gain a small amount of control over our paralysis. Exhort us to live our values. Continue your mission. Thank you. PS--Dante Stewart's book is on Amazon. I just bought it, hoping it will move me to action.
I feel like a fighter in a ring that has been pummeled by the opponent, and is barely standing, bloodied, bowed, and booed. One more punch and it's all over. I cannot muster the energy to show my outrage. It's all psychological, of course, aided and abetted by the MSM who would much rather blather about clickbait than what is truly going on. If they aren't outraged, who will lead this charge? And, where is our leadership? Biden, Harris, Jaime Harrison????
I am constantly outraged by skewed reporting as are many others. The media drives the narrative - unfortunately. Dems need to fight back with their messaging. Give people catchy phrases that stick and repeat and repeat and repeat. Get out there, make comments go viral. What are they waiting for?
I can’t speak for the tactics of the press (I only listen to NPR and read the NYT and WAPO) but I find the GOP messaging to be extraordinary - short, tight, always repeated phrases regardless of who in the country is saying it. I presume nationwide, members of the GOP get the same email every morning @ 5am with their talking points. Their ability to shut down the Democrats via criticism, diversion, lies or plain ignoring them is the reason their message or rebuttal prevails. It’s always simple, repetitive and punchy - just what their constituents can repeat. And the press is basically the same. Simpler is better. The Democrats are throwing everything out there but it’s complicated, nuanced and requires prior knowledge of past events or history, something the press doesn’t want to spend time with since it isn’t easy for their viewers to consume. The GOP know this and work with it and manipulate it to their ends. They know Americans can’t handle a fire hose, they will drink cyanide laced Koolaid.
I'd respectfully like to suggest a different way. It's time we all consider investing in Democracy rather than making one-time donations to a single candidate's campaigns. Donations are not the most effective way to fight voter suppression and disinformation and turn the tide the way we must right now.
First, realize that most of the money donated to candidates' campaigns is used for TV or digital ads and flyers -- outreach designed to change swing voters minds with soundbites and slogans --usually an impossible task. (See this from Vox: Experiments Show that this is the best way to win campaigns. But is anyone actually doing it? https://www.vox.com/2014/11/13/7214339/campaign-ground-game)
Also make sure you are donating to a winnable race. In the days following Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, Americans donated over $70 million to Amy McGrath's campaign or the Get Mitch or Die Trying Fund. At one point ActBlue was logging $100K a minute. Amy McGrath ended up with a war chest of $90+ million but Mitch McConnell still won his Senate seat resoundingly with his "paltry" $60 million war chest.
Another more impactful way to donate is to support grassroots organizations working to register and activate voters in critical districts of swing states. Remember that even though Biden won the popular vote by more than 7 million, he eeked out his razor-thin electoral college victory with 43,809 votes across Wisconsin, Georgia and Arizona. Grassroots organizations are THE most effective at GOTV because they practice relational voter turnout. They have multiple conversations about the election and spend more time educating new voters (who are their own neighbors) on local, state and national issues, what sorts of documents they will need to vote, how to get a mail-in ballot or even provide PPE. They never close shop after elections, they work year round holding listening sessions, building political power and turning out the vote in local and state elections. Here are some great articles if you're interested in learning more about how grassroots organizations are so successful:
This inspirational op-ed from LUCHA in Arizona explains beautifully the important role grassroots organizations play in relational GOTV and the long game of building enough power to swing a state like Arizona to the left.
How to Turn Fear and Anger into Political Power.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/21/opinion/sunday/latinos-arizona-battleground.html
This article from Mother Jones explains relational organizing:
The Secret to Beating Trump Lies with You and Your Friends
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/10/relational-organizing/
Here are two organizations that offer very impactful ways to invest in grassroots organizations.
Flip the Vote 2022 - They provide a slate of vetted BIPOC-led grassroots orgs in 7 critical Swing States. You can easily donate through FTV’s platform - 100% of your donations go directly to the orgs. You can also host an in-person or Zoom house party with FTV which is a very effective way to get people engaged and invested in the elections. Read FTV's strategy here: https://www.flipthevote.org/strategy.
Blueprint by Swing Left offers a portfolio “investing” strategy that is also targeted and data driven. It also encourages “giving circles” for people who want to invest together. Read more about that here:
https://blueprint.swingleft.org/
Gather your friends and see how you can maximize your investment in Democracy! You will feel more hopeful and have a much bigger impact on the midterms and the 2024 election.
Thanks, Cindy ! This makes so much sense ! If possible, I would post earlier on another day so Robert and others view.
I have a whole lot of outrage! I am taking it to the voting booth with me!
I know how those days are taking care of grandchildren. I have 11. My middle daughter needed me to take care of her newborn daughter 18 years ago and her other three children. She only had one week of maternity leave and the baby was not eating well. I ended up staying for 45 days!
There must be no room in America for the media's discrepancy in reporting. I am outraged!
I'm making a pitch for Tim Ryan for Senator from Ohio. He has a long history as a progressive moderate, AND he's opposed by that Hillbilly Elegy moron, whose name doesn't merit the expenditure of good electrons.
I believe that this generation of reporters may be generally plagued with the same bias. I see it in AP and USA articles as well. I don't recall blatant editorial statements in news articles back in the day. Perhaps the onset of bylines goes to some reporters heads. Shut up and scribble, for God's sake.
Your electrons are not wasted! "Flame On!" as ol' The Human Torch would say!
I think I’m confused. Carolyn Bourdeaux is a GA Democrat but today’s column makes her sound to me like a Republican
Our diminishing ability to be outraged is a direct result of the mind-numbing noise and chaos that began with Trump's campaign against Secretary Clinton. It never let up and it is a classic early technique in authoritarian takeovers. The human psyche simply cannot sustain the level of outrage and shock with which we first responded to the truly outrageous and shocking behavior we saw. A kind of deadness set in. It has been periodically punctuated by recovery into something like normal human reactions, like in the recently leaked draft of the Supreme Court ruling, but already we have drifted back into a safe place of largely ignoring it.
We have also learned, over these past years when the norm is beyond the limits of anything acceptable, that outrage without strategy and action has no effect at all.
Our outrage has been neutralized, and we don't seem to have anything to replace it. Also, the field of conflict is just too big--on every front, in every news cycle, is at least one unthinkable thing.
All those 'somethings' add up to another version of the loud chaos of the unspeakable.
We have been out-maneuvered.
Texans surely would appreciate your adding @BetoORourke to the excellent list Ellie Kona provided us!
Looks like Cassidy may have been quoted out of context: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/19/why-louisianas-maternal-mortality-rates-are-so-high-00033832