The one tiny bit of comfort I take in the horrors that are to come, is that hardly any of them are based on popular policy. How can you take away health care from 20 million people and not suffer a political consequence? How can you voucherize and cheapen Medicare, to the point that we’ll be paying for our parents’ health care in order to afford a tax cut for the rich? Even Trump ran against that. How can you cripple clean energy (popular) and pollute clean air and water (also popular), without political cost?
You can’t. People don’t like that stuff, and they didn’t think they were voting for it. “We” haven’t gone away. And “we” are most of us.
I have to appreciate the words of Charles Blow, furious and comforting at the same time:
… Angry yet? Yes. Good!
And understand this: You are not alone; you aren’t even in the minority …
… I know that it can feel like we are all drowning in a deluge of compounding outrages, with every headline about this impending administration appearing to one-up the last, but take heart.
You may have been on the losing side of this year’s election, but you are on the right side of history. In the final tally, courage will always defeat fear; love will always conquer hate; the beautiful diversity of America, and indeed all of humanity, will always outshine the darkness of racial enmity.
This is the reason I write, to remind people of honor and courage; to tell them that their cause isn’t lost, that their destiny is victory.
And with that … you may have seen this circulating social media: A note from former Congressional staffers on how the left can take up the tactics of the Tea Party circa 2009-10. Of course we should do so! It’s also known as politics, or showing up, or witnessing, if you’re fancy about it. And even in Massachusetts, our electeds need to know to stand firm in opposition. Even the “good” ones in “safe” districts need to hear it:
Help, My MoC [Member of Congress – ed] is in a Safe District!
If your MoC is in a heavily Democratic or Republican district, you may assume that they have a safe seat and there’s nothing you can do to influence them. This is not true! The reality is that no MoC ever considers themselves to be safe from all threats. MoCs who have nothing to fear from a general election still worry about primary challenges.
More broadly, no one stays an MoC without being borderline compulsive about protecting their image. Even the safest MoC will be deeply alarmed by signs of organized opposition, because these actions create the impression that they’re not connected to their district and not listening to their constituents.
Help, my MoCs are actually pretty good!
Congratulations! Your Senators and Representative are doing what they should to fight racism, authoritarianism, and corruption. They’re making the right public statements, co-sponsoring the right bills, and voting the right way. So how does this change your strategy? Two key things to keep in mind:
Do NOT switch to targeting other Members of Congress who don’t represent you. They don’t represent you, and they don’t care what you have to say. Stick with your own local MoCs.
DO use this guide to engage with your MoCs locally. Instead of pressuring them to do the right thing, praise them for doing the right thing. This is important because it will help ensure that they continue to do the right thing. Congressional staff are rarely contacted when the MoC does something good — your efforts locally will provide highly valuable positive reinforcement.
There may be some other things we can do to influence beyond Massachusetts, but bucking up our own Reps’ taste for the fight is one of them. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Remember: We’re the majority.
fredrichlariccia says
at 202-224-3121 and give them a piece of your mind.
As a former legislative aide I can confirm that praising them when they are on the right side of the issue is every bit as important as criticizing them when they are wrong.
Great post, Charley !
Fred Rich LaRiccia
gregd says
What about the people that lost their plans when Obamacare was enacted? They don’t count? What about the people that lost their doctors under Obamacare? Remember that lie from Obama? What about those folks with the so-called ‘cadillac’ plans that lost them under Obamacare? What about the continuing lines at emergency rooms that Obamacare was supposed to eliminate? All of this is supposed to be forgotten? None of this matters because more people were given free rides? The chickens have come home t roost ‘folks’.
Charley on the MTA says
When the GOP ruins the insurance markets, closes hospitals and kicks people off their health care — and voucherizes Medicare — it won’t be chickens, it’ll be angry Hawks coming home to roost. Even Mike Pence didn’t dare. Good luck with that.
merrimackguy says
It’s politics more than policy. Some stuff will get enacted, some will be window dressing, some things won’t change. One analysis in 2000 showed that programs the Contract indicated would be ended were actually up 13% by that year.
They’ll finally pass “repeal ACA” but then delay changes until 2019. They’ll reform taxes but not end up cutting much. They’ll spend on infrastructure but deficit spend to do it.
It’s very hard to change things dramatically in this country, especially when people want stuff and they aren’t getting it elsewhere. How many <26 year olds are on their parents' insurance (I got one) and how many people's relatives needed that pre-existing condition clause (I got a couple)?
AmberPaw says
In failing to care about [at least to all appearances] things like foster care, indigent defense, the rights of assembly and free speech [remember the coordinated crack down on Occupy by a ‘Democratic’ administration] really the stage was set for the messy, dirty primary and election and its results. Yes. We can and must do better and learning from what I consider the sad past as to a ‘Democratic’ legislature that dismantled both state mental hospitals and the community mental health system and shows no apparent interest in anyone who is not at least middle class is what truly does need to change. What calls itself “The Democratic Party” today would have been moderate Republicans, at best, in my youth. I do not feel represented by either party at the present time.