We have a vigorous debate going in The Ink’s subscriber chat, about how Democrats should talk about the government shutdown. Are they right to make it all about healthcare, or, in centering an important but traditional policy disagreement, are they normalizing the abnormal and undermining their own argument that this administration is making a dangerous authoritarian attempt that must be stopped? Yesterday, the brilliant Anat Shenker-Osorio weighed in with this insightful comment:
You can only consider one message versus another in the context of what you’re trying to achieve.
Healthcare is essential, to state the obvious. But focusing in on negotiating over restoring subsidies is sending the message that this is a normal administration. That we have policy disagreements and not that we are confronting a regime hell bent on destroying us.
What we see in all of our focus groups and our quant is that viewing the regime as an existential threat not a right wing government you don’t like is THE precondition for activation. It is what separates the people engaged in civil resistance or amenable to it from those who disapprove of MAGA but say they’ll never act. So, if you believe as I do, and as scholars of authoritarianism counsel, that sustained widespread mobilizing is essential - you use every opportunity to say “we will not be complicit in MAGA’s attack on Americans.” If you wanna add stuff about them stealing our healthcare to hand to billionaires, great.
On the people don’t know what fascism is - having tested it over and over, the “don’t know” on it is around 8%, same as other terms we try. Could people pass AP Poli Sci defining it? Probably not! All they know and need to know is - bad thing I don’t like. And some even know that fascism is a thing Americans proudly fought in our past.
Next, what we also see from conflicted voters in every group is extended wondering if things ARE really that bad or they’re the ones who are nuts. If you’re saying, as Dems are some of the time, this is dangerous/authoritarianism/wanna be dictator etc, you cannot also say we’re going to negotiate about this one (very important!!!) thing but we will sign on to fund abductions and military occupation and turning DOJ into department of prosecuting enemies.
We want you to get in on the conversation. Tell us what you think. I can tell you for a fact that influential Democrats read The Ink. What would you want them to hear?
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Do not normalize the batshit crazy. If you listened to Trump’s speech to the military you must know he is deranged. We are being led by a wildly irrational person, backed up by an anti-democratic corps of fascists. Do not humor these people! Call them out at every turn! Turn up the volume! Turn up the heat! If you’re concerned with decorum, process and your safety, keep it civil, but speak truth to power! They are the power, but they are weak people. 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
I’m thinking we Dems and half of independents need to keep in mind what is important — health care of course. And free speech, respect for military, respect for leaders of other nations, respect for autonomy of other nations, respect for reading books and education, respect for decency for people who arrived here from other countries and the reasons they took that risk. I’m also thinking we are out of practice for countering the attacks on democracy that have accelerated during the past 9 months. When the question ‘what can I/we do?’ surfaces, rally’s, marches, voting, and self-care for the long haul are the answers. This is an in-your-face administration. It’s unrelenting.
The message I’m picking up from ASO is that we too must be unrelenting. I also recognize that I, along with the community of Dems I’m locally part of, lack the “push” needed to stand up to this admin with the same force we are experiencing. Last night I heard AOC articulate her position. I-we need her clarity. I-we need the sort of mentoring she received.
In spite of following Anand, ASO, and other fine people, I feel edges of loneliness and isolation. I want those feelings to stop. I want to feel effective in opposing the systematic threat coming from the Trump admin.