Go Ahead, Fly That Democracy Flag
MAGA relies on a real-world echo chamber to maintain support in much of the country. We have a responsibility to break that.
Good morning from Memphis International - though I have long believed you don’t get to call yourself an international airport if the only place you fly to is Toronto. I’m flying into D.C. today for ISMA’s Liberalism for the 21st Century conference.
One of the challenges of resisting popular authoritarianism is comprehending what an average person can do within their community to combat it. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by either state force (and it’s not lost on me that I’m writing this in a city currently occupied by federal forces) or, more subtly, by what feels like the sheer force of popular support for much of what Trump and his allies are doing. This doesn’t necessarily mean numerical support - Trump and his policies are deeply unpopular - but rather the rabid and vocal support from a significant minority of Americans.
That rabid and vocal support has created a force multiplier for Trump’s red-hatted minority of MAGA supporters across the country. There has been much discussion about major institutions complying with the Trump administration’s wishes, whether legally required or not. Some of this is due to the coercive nature of the state’s regulatory authority and its potential for abuse (another topic on which libertarians have long argued and are now being proven right). However, a significant portion of the reduction in widespread institutional resistance between the first and second terms can be attributed to an acceptance that this is what the American people want. Trump won the popular vote, media outlets that were previously Trump-friendly have become mainstream, and there is an idea that those who have consistently resisted Trump are now the outcasts, the odd ones out.
In vast areas of the country, this feeling is amplified by the fact that most people simply don’t encounter individuals who express different political opinions. I’ve long argued that the American tradition of “polite conversation,” avoiding topics like religion or politics with people who might hold different views, has hindered our ability to form well-informed opinions and comprehend diverse perspectives. This has been paired a long-standing trend of people living in communities that align with their political beliefs, further isolating themselves.
I’ll share a story from my time working on campaigns. In 2016, I was a door-to-door campaigner for a super PAC supporting a Republican presidential candidate. I was canvassing a suburban Des Moines street when I met an older lady, likely in her 70s or 80s. She was nice enough, but she told me quite bluntly that Barack Obama had stolen the 2012 election. Now my job was to gather voter intentions, not persuade people, but I found this conversation amusing so I decided to ask her more about it. She began pointing to every house on the street and claimed that all of them had voted for Mitt Romney, so there was no way there were enough votes across Iowa to elect Obama.
In her mind, this street represented a diverse and representative sample of Iowa voters. However, in reality, I had canvassed almost every door, which meant that almost all of them were active Republican voters who were likely to caucus. Therefore, they had voted for Romney. Of course, there were probably Obama voters on her street, but I’m willing to bet they didn’t advertise their support with signs or engage in political conversations. Consequently, she assumed they simply didn’t exist and that support for her political side was overwhelming.
Trump supporters have no issue with making sure you and everyone else is aware of their political beliefs. They wear MAGA hats, Trump t-shirts, and even put “I DID THAT” stickers on private property, despite Trump’s apparent opposition to graffiti. While their actions may be obnoxious, they seem to be effective. Low-information voters perceived a significant surge in support for Trump and opposition to Biden in their communities, leading them to believe that this represents the public sentiment.
On the other hand, liberals and libertarians often struggle to be as vocal about their messaging. During the No Kings protest in June, I was pleasantly surprised to see many familiar faces from around town. I proudly display my opinions and libertarianism, and no one seemed surprised to see me. However, I’ve also been repeatedly told by people I know from my job, the city I’ve come to know, and other sources that I’m one of the few anti-Trump voices they encounter regularly and trust. While that’s a kind thing to say, these individuals interact with people daily in their communities who oppose Trump and popular authoritarianism, but those people choose to keep their opinions private.
There are numerous reasons for this, all of which are understandable. You’re not going to see most pro-democracy activists with the level of obnoxious political messaging as you see on the MAGA side, and that’s okay. There are more effective and positive ways. The key lies in the significance of our presence. Pro-democracy activists should actively participate in city council meetings, zoning meetings (a lesson learned by YIMBYs over the years), school board and library meetings, and community events, farmers markets, and fairs.
Instead of solely focusing on flyering or persuasion, our primary objective should be to offer assistance and support. During my time working with a presidential primary campaign in 2012, the state leadership spent a lot of time mobilizing volunteers to various events. They provided opportunities to assist in tasks such as cleaning up, setting up tables, and generally being helpful. Churches that had members involved in the campaign extended their invitation for us to help at fairs. We did this not to hold up signs or talk about the candidate, but to raise visibility and make awareness that involved, positive people in the community supported this person. It encourages people to pay more attention to our message. It makes it more challenging for MAGA attacks on democracy and democratic activists to gain traction, since the public knows the people they are attacking instead of them being a faceless, nameless enemy. Additionally, it helps low-information voters recognize the genuine choices available in their communities. It also serves as an excellent recruitment strategy for individuals disillusioned with politics, demonstrating that it is not solely about shouting and chasing down voters.
This will necessitate a few things. Without a primary opposition leader in the U.S., our messaging needs to be clearer and more concise. Democrats and anti-Trump activists are struggling to find messaging that rivals MAGA’s “I did that” campaign, and I don’t have a solution for that. I’m an on-the-ground guy, not a marketer. Individuals can contribute, and I encourage everyone to get involved in their communities, but it’s more effective for organizations. If I were to run a county Democratic or Libertarian Party right now, I’d be actively participating in events and ensuring my logo is prominently displayed. Currently, the GOP holds a monopoly on local political discussions in huge swaths of the country, and the local parties that are active primarily focus on political events and campaigns. However, simply showing up every election and hoping for the best doesn’t work when you’re a minority ideology, as liberalism and libertarianism unfortunately are in most of the country.