THE PERSUADERS is here!
Dear friends,
Since we built this newsletter community together, its overriding concern has been the question of whether democracy can be redeemed in this moment. I have tried to probe that in 100 different ways, and I’ve learned so much from your thoughts and comments and interventions over Zoom.
Today, my first new book in four years comes out. It’s called “THE PERSUADERS: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy.” I am nervous and excited and full of hope. You have given me a lot of that hope. I’ve already shared some of the early press and some of the early ideas and glimpses. Today the book is out in the world, and it can be yours. I am so eager to invite you into this set of ideas and human stories that have been swirling in my head for these last years. Very simply, if you can and haven’t already, will you get this book today and join me in this conversation and cause?
And below, my early morning Twitter thread sharing more about the book.
Anand, I so admire you and your work, but I must comment on your idea of Deep Canvassing. I doubt you went to people's doors alone or even with just one other person who was guiding the visit. I would never do this, and I don't know anyone who would because (1) we have more firearms in private hands than we have adult citizens, right? Am I going to knock on the door of a stranger who has guns at home and a temper?? And (2) a little thing that is still among us called Covid. I was infected ten days ago for the first time, after having all the shots including three boosters. I know exactly who brought it to me, and she has post-grad degrees in Public Administration and Public Health! Alas, she assumed her cold was just a cold. Your advice is curiously missing consideration of these two important facts of contemporary life! I think you need to issue a footnote in your newsletter. Oh, one more thing. I recently finished researching an article on diversity in public gardens and was shocked to discover a CDC study stating that one in six Americans is disabled. That includes much more than "just" wheelchair-bound: it covers people who are deaf, blind, mentally impaired, paralyzed, and on and on. Mobility is the number one qualifying condition. I haven't read your book yet, but do you address the important difficulties people who are disabled have just getting to a polling center? How many votes might correcting this problem bring to the total? I wonder if anyone has even studied that. I did read recently that the three countries with the largest gaps in income between abled and disabled are, in order, Russia, Peru, and the US. We do keep finding ourselves in bad company, do we not? Most of the one in six disabled people will not be canvassing, deeply or otherwise. I hope you will address such matters one day. Actually—this is perverse—maybe showing up at someone's door in a wheelchair would discourage an outraged believer in Q from shooting the occupant. Lorraine
I just received my preordered copy yesterday. Can’t wait to get my chores done to sink into an afternoon of reading