ON MESSAGE: How to talk to people losing faith in democracy and getting tired of fighting

Do you have friends and relatives who are talking about sitting 2024 out or voting third party or just being burned out? Anat Shenker-Osorio is back with words of advice for reaching the dejected

Voters are already tired, and it isn’t because they’re waiting in line.

It may only be February, but it’s no surprise that we’re reading about voters who are already supposedly exhausted by the 2024 elections. Facing another long campaign against the forces of authoritarianism, with the country still dealing with many of the crises of 2020 and a steady stream of bad news from the courts and the red states, some are already reporting burnout — or, worse, a lack of enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket.

Our in-house messaging guru, Anat Shenker-Osorio, is back with some advice for those who find their focus wavering, who haven’t been swayed by the gravity of the moment, or who have simply had it with lesser-of-two-evils thinking and are ready to perform a protest vote or support a third party.

Want to hear more about Anat’s fascinating work? Check out the third season of Words to Win By, her excellent podcast exploring the role of political messaging in the fight for change. All episodes of the third season are now available via your favorite podcast app.

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What do you say to people who are burned out on the idea that we have to fight fascism again this November? How can you keep them focused despite an unending sense of crisis, through another election cycle that looks a whole lot like the last one?

Keep your eye on what really matters — making room for progressive change

Here's what I say. When you look at the actual progressive gains that we have had in our society, when you look at the landmark civil rights legislation — the de jure, not de facto, end of segregation — when you look at women finally having their inherent right to vote be recognized — by the way, I refuse to say that women were given the right to vote or Black folks were given the right to vote. We had the right all along. Some people had some trouble understanding that, because that's what it means to be endowed by a creator — whether you believe in one or not — with inalienable rights. Like no one's giving those out. That's just by virtue of being human…

But I digress. The Americans with Disabilities Act, marriage equality, the eight-hour workday, child labor laws — all of the gains that I think any real progressive person would point to as What are the things that have actually moved society along? — none of those, none, have happened because we elected the right person. None of those have happened by ballot. Even if some of marriage equality happened by ballot initiative, all of those things have happened because there has been pressure — sustained, smart, strategic pressure from outside of the electoral system. 

Elections aren’t everything — they’re just part of the struggle