Repurposing our strategies after the 2024 presidential election
Retreat
I know exactly how you feel after the 2024 presidential election. I’m feeling it, too, and so is half the nation. If you live in a red state, you probably feel even bluer than the rest of us. What makes things even worse is realizing that at the exact moment we felt the most powerful and right, you were actually the most confused and powerless. That’s gotta hurt.
But don’t take it too hard. Many studies have revealed that injuries are caused more by our rigidity than by the impact. Relax. Drunks suffer less injury in car crashes. Let things play out for now, and try to have a good time and have more wine.
There is a sense you’ve been abandoned, and the future looks bleak. We also realize that a cocktail Molotov is about to be thrown into our environment, and the radical right-wing politics already on the rise will bulldoze the world, creating a domino effect. I feel for all the innocent people who will die under regimes like Russia and Israel after being helped with our tax dollars. That’s gotta hurt. But we must come to our senses.
Realizing that nothing is entirely good or evil is a start. What is perceived for now to be most vile and evil, is also the beginning of its end, you just can’t see it yet. The very beginning of a bad thing contains the small seed of its demise. Time moves very fast and everything gets old, this situation will be sooner than you think.
But here is how you can use this amazing burst of shock energy to your advantage. The first thing you need to do is to retreat.
Retreat here does not in any way means defeat. It means regroup and acknowledge that the times are not in our favor and instead promote introspection and focus your energies on new strategies and ways (more on that later). Also, I realize that nothing we did was wrong or not enough. We could not have tried harder. We just have to accept; times have changed in ways beyond our immediate control. Ride with it.
Retreating from the world of media
To improve your sanity, you must focus on what is real, and there is nothing real about our social media world as well as the mainstream media. Social media can in great part be blamed for Trump’s epic success. Our undivided attention to this circus character that is Trump has solidified a lie transforming it into truth. And we all play a part in this, as we gave him our precious attention which translates into energy.
The fixation and character construction of DJT were unprecedented. Many YouTube vloggers have made fortunes talking nonstop 24/7 about Trump. Late-night show comedians have hammered day in and day out and made Trump their bread and butter. We could not get enough of it, and now we all look butt faced and feeling ridiculous. Kick out your media addiction.
We have underestimated how savvy Trump was manipulating the media backstage. We became completely enamored and amused, laughing at the clown. Meanwhile, he was conquering the hearts and minds of millions. We are all guilty of electing Donald Trump.
If we had to learn one thing only, it would be that we can’t consume media in the same way we have been doing—social media has consumed us.
My viewing of MSNBC went from 100% to 0%. I blocked all political content from my browser, and I hope you will do the same. But why? Because that is the only way to focus on what is real. Washington politics, Donald Trump, and all this garbage are not real. Or rather, they are as real as you make them. Test it for yourself and see how much Washington politics are affecting you daily - for real. Stop giving it power! Haven’t we had enough?
It’s over, folks. This somber and humbling moment deserves deep introspection, and social media and mainstream media didn’t give you anything. It is time to wake up to reality.
Letting Nature Take its Course
If you zero in on real-time politics and how the real world works, you’ll see that the radical right is the one who is in real trouble. Think about this for a moment.
The proposal for this new, just-bought regime is as big as Donald Trump believes he is. He was elected in great part on the promise of bringing significant change. However, the change he is about to bring is uncertain or untested. More importantly, it is a monumental challenge.
Donald Trump is old, showing signs of cognitive decline, and clearly not up to the task force he sold to the American people; his behavior has changed; take note. The idea that he can just surround himself with loyalists and delegate this larger-than-life political transformation and go play golf might not work as he planned. I believe that he already accomplished his goal, which was to stay out of jail. He wants to play golf now.
This, in turn, could spell disaster for his newly formed Reich. Why? Because he is the commander in chief bully pulpit, and without strong leadership, nothing will be possible. Delegating it to several individuals could spell doom because of internal fighting for power, a complete lack of cohesion, and infighting, a common problem in extreme right-wing groups.
Remember that even though the American people elected a president with a mandate for change, coordinating and making intelligent decisions requires great coordination. Donald Trump remains a convicted criminal, a man with little political experience and savvy, a man who does not listen to his advisers, and a president who does not trust the United States intelligence. What could possibly go wrong?
Politics and successful campaign strategies are not the same. Politics plays out every day in real life. The ones who opposed autocracy are still there; our body of laws still here; and most importantly we are a nation of many states with different laws and powers. For now, there is nothing we can do but wait and comfortably let things run its course. Let’s see how well things go for him. I don’t think all these changes will end up well for Trump.
Staying the course is already difficult enough. To accomplish sweeping changes is a much harder task, with many opportunities for things going wrong.
Local Politics
Now there is a great opportunity to change our focus by engaging in local politics. Let me try to explain. Your state and your city are the home of local politics. Your actions will be more far-reaching and effective at this time, and particularly at this time. Follow the money.
State opposition is one of the most powerful tools we currently have. State autonomy in the United States is not an accident but a planned and crafted part of our checks and balances.
The term "trias politica" or "separation of powers" was coined by Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, an 18th century French social and political philosopher. His publication, Spirit of the Laws, is considered one of the great works in the history of political theory and jurisprudence, and it inspired the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Constitution of the United States. Under his model, the political authority of the state is divided into legislative, executive, and judicial powers. He asserted that, to most effectively promote liberty, these three powers must be separate and acting independently. Source: NCSL
Empowering and engaging in local politics could have a tremendous impact on how things play out. In fact, if any significant resistance is to be had, it would come from the states refusing to adopt federal rulings. Indeed, as a bastion of Democratic party strength in California in a country moving sharply to the right, Governor Gavin Newsom has been preparing for this moment for a long time.
As times become more perilous and pressing under the Trump regime, this initiative could spread to other blue states, posing a significant barrier to the federal government rules trying to deny disaster relief, impose anti-abortion laws, and block environmental protection.
California is both the most populous US state and its most powerful economy, making it an unusual counterweight to the federal government's power. It has, for example, negotiated directly with car manufacturers over tailpipe emission standards, thus circumventing Trump’s allies' avowed desire to end a long-established rule that allows the state to set its own standards.
Looking Forward
You have more power than you think. To make things clear in your head, stop viewing mainstream media and begin reading good and intelligent articles. The New York Times, The Guardian, and Huff Post publish excellent articles that will make you possibly more knowledgeable about what is happening. Relax, we just must dig deeper and be patient. Nothing will change by being stressed. Don't let the 2024 presidential election results get you down. OK, do you feel better now?
Comentários