Thank you, Simon, for alerting us to these influential media venues. I was aware of The Meidas Touch Network and The Lincoln Project, but not the others.
And if you don't know her, check out Ruth BenGhiat's Lucid substack. If you join as a paying subscriber, you can also attend the weekly Friday Lucid Q & A, which is an incredible community.
Yes, I should have mentioned the other substacks I value. Will do so in a future post. Dr. Ben-Ghiat is great, and I was lucky enough to be a guest on her Friday Q & A a few months ago....
Dec 2, 2023·edited Dec 2, 2023Liked by Simon Rosenberg
I know, I was there (and wrote her months ago asking for you to be on)! Tomorrow eve. Victor Shi will be on Lucid's Q & A.. I am 78 but I LOVE seeing young people get so involved --and I loved seeing Anderson Clayton. I so ENJOY these Hopium presentations. I just want you to know that JOY is a big part of it--the democracy we LOVE needs us ALL. THANK YOU. (I also wonder if you have thoughts about Post.News--which I deeply value).
Said this before - but it bears repeating. It's refreshing to see someone with active optimism out there (while of course acknowledging the work cut out for us). Certain other publications (on Substack & elsewhere) seem to pump out nothing but gloom & doom pieces (The Bulwark comes to mind - don't get me wrong - I'm glad they sound the alarm - but they seem to do little else lately) that I fear are more debilitating than motivating. In my experience the more intense, stone faced and serious one is - the more it turns people off. Since I've been reading Hopium I actually feel more inspired & motivated & less inclined to hide under the covers. Keep up the good work !
Dec 2, 2023·edited Dec 8, 2023Liked by Simon Rosenberg
Agreed.
She's indeed very knowledgeable, but at this point -- I reserve my attention for folks who spend time on the actions needed to combat fascism, not simply raising the alarm about its steady creep and rise.
I get it, the battle is existential and for the future of ALL our freedoms; so let's talk about what we can, need to and must do -- not just analyze in painstaking detail (while ignoring how to redress through our own direct actions/agency as Americans) how extreme MAGA has become at the hands of a wealthy, well-connected few who put their narrow financial profits and desire for continued minority rule before literally everything else.
Agreed! The one that really left me feeling hopeless from that network was Jonathan V. Last. His latest piece is bleak bleak BLEAK. And again I get that sounding the alarm is what some do best, and there's a place for it BUT not once in his latest "we're asleep at the wheel " piece does he offer anything constructive. That's why I was so happy when I discovered Hopium.
I agree completely. Bring some joy into the world. I have a hunch people are ready for some joyous challenges. Maybe a little singing and dancing as well.
I agree -- I've been screaming from the roof-tops to let's "flood the zone" with ART -- a CALL TO ACTION FOR ARTISTS -- all kinds of art: visual, posters (in Democracy Cafes, for example), theater, poetry, music, dance -- let's get the PRO-DEMOCRACY & ANTI-DICTATORSHIP messaging out there, all around the country to help wake people up to what is happening to our democracy & threat to our freedoms; probably better than hitting people over the head - and time is running out.
I, like Simon, am relatively optimistic about 2024. However, I have significant concerns about the DNC's Reach program and Share Banking. (I have told the organizers of Reach training this). Here is my issue. Look at your contacts in your phone. Look at those you interact with on social media. We are all activists. We self-select to interact with people who hold our beliefs and support our causes. I could (and do) share information from the DNC. My closest contacts are already aware of the information I am sharing. I may get a few likes. I hardly ever get any "push back" because my social circle supports Biden/Harris and dem policies. I am concerned that we will only be talking to each other. In my opinion, the only people who will bother to attend the training and utilize the tools the DNC is putting out are exactly the people who don't need the training and don't need to share the information. I have been using Reach and sharing for over a month. These are my views. I am open to hearing other viewpoints! Be well. Tami
Not something to be concerned about IMHO. It's a new tool in our toolbox, but only a single tool. As I discuss in this post today we need to keep innovating, keep investing, keep being obsessive about being louder. Every step we take is a step forward, and don't be so certain that even activists are aware or understanding what is happening day to day. We can all keep learning. I get new information from all of you here every day. What I like is that we are having this conversation and more and more people are taking responsibility for closing the loudness gap with the other side.
I agree. Almost every day I have a conversation with someone I know well, who leans the way I lean, who is well informed and well intentioned YET is unaware of what Biden-Harris are doing and unable to articulate to THEIR friends why it is that we should be loud about the accomplishments and vision of our candidates. We do need to be louder, even within our own circles.
I hear you about "preaching to the choir". But I do have friends who I lnow share my views but are not nearly as big an activist as me. So I send them invitations to Zoom events that might interest them. I am trying to nudge them into participating in some activities that might stick with them rather than passively sitting on the sidelines. (I'm retired and many of my friends are too). For example, I introduced one friend to Red, Wine & Blue when they had an event with Heather Cox Richardson, since I know my friend is a big fan of Heather's substack.
BTW, the DNC's new program sounds similar to RW&B's "Rally Your Squad".
I guess I am a smorgasborg kind of gal and like to sample a variety of activities. I'm involved with my local Democratic party here in NC for local and state stuff (Go Clayton!), but I also write postcards and letters to GOTV and help with Voter Protection activities. This year I focused on OH and VA with postcards to WI thrown in. I also discovered Field Team 6 and plan to continue with my postcard writing through the winter to register voters - I currently have a batch for House district NC-01.
To stay motivated I have joined a couple of activist groups that host Zoom parties to write letters and postcards. From them I have found other groups not quite as well known as Vote Forward or Postcards to Voters to which to donate time and a little $$. I only found Hopium recently, but it is already part of my daily routine.
I disagree for several reasons. 1. Many people might "hold our beliefs" but if these beliefs include that Biden should be tougher on Israel for example they might be saying that they will not vote for him, or not vote at all. These people need to be persuaded not to vote third party. 2. There are a lot of people on our side, who will be voting for Biden but not do much activism. They might be persuaded to do more. 3. You might personally know some low propensity voters without even knowing it, and your contacts are almost certain to. By expanding contacts we can eventually reach people even if we do not directly know them.
Just skimmed it but he's essentially making the same argument I've been making here since day 1 of Hopium, and what this whole post is about today. We have to get louder.
Yes but I think that in addition to amplifying stats and facts as we have been doing, "The vibes war must be fought on the battlefied of vibes. That means thinking seriously about where people get their information/views/mood & *getting in there*. It means consistent, long-term party branding: Dems good; Rs bad. It means telling emotional stories." I think we are doing this well already in the area of reproductive freedom. Thinking about that great ad that Andy Beshear ran in KY. But maybe we need more.
Note that how my With Dems presentation is exactly the kind of thing he is talking about; and that the concept of "Hopium" is all about winning the vibes war.
Thanks for all you do.Sorry if my post is tangential. I have been focused on the 16 day Nov 25 to Dec 10 sixteen day Canadian Campaign to raise awareness of how bad violence against women is for our collective health, happiness and wealth.
This Thursday I hosted a tiny local Lets Wage Peace event to honour Vivian Silver. I have admired and studied the work of all those who teach non violence for decades. I joined Canadian Friends of Peace Now after the last war in Gaza. Sadly I discovered Vivian Silver after her murder.
I feel that she was an amazing leader. The more I discover about her the more I feel that she was on the the truly great. I am now trying to share information about extraordinary people whose work are NOT given the attention they so richly deserve.
My passions include champions of democracy, ecological literacy and restoration, democracy, diversity, inclusion, non-violence, tolerance and trauma healing.
So now I am following the work of the staff at the Pocket Project who provide support to those attending COPS28. I find their approach deeply healing and refreshing.
I have cried often since October 8 2023. Clearly as one very ordinary elderly woman there is not all that much that I can do to Be the Change we so desperately need to see in our times. What I can do is to use my considerable life experience, medical and research knowledge to seek out and amplify voices of hope.
It takes wisdom to balance facing extremely painful suffering of human beings , animals and entire ecosystems and to also fight for hope and a path forward. I subscribe to the work of Heather Cox Richardson since July 2022 for this very reason.
This year I discovered your Hopium Chronicles and I am grateful.
The Pocket Project was recommended to me some years ago , when I was expressing my deep distress that Canadian politicians all members of the Liberal party which I have supported for decades were travelling to COPS with the message that "Our oil is clean. "
I understand that transitioning from a colonial extractive economy that has made some Canadians extremely wealthy and that for a time provided many Canadians, including myself and my family with a great quality of life is NOT easy.
You and some readers may enjoy checking into The Pocket Project.
Ten ways everyone helps stop disinformation in its tracks are in Chapter 6 "How to Win the War on Truth" as long as we all do everything we can.
Confront the liars. Be a truth teller. Resist polarization. Realize the zombie foot soldiers are victims too. Tune out the BS that there's nothing you can do. Don't fall for false solutions that take 30 years to do. It's false to claim good information stops bad information, it does not. Engage in political activism. Know you are not alone. Keep learning more how disinformation works.
Thank you ! You see that's what's missing from a lot of the other publications & posts out there. When all of the "dire warning" pieces do nothing but paint apocalyptic pictures it just makes me feel despair. I think more entities / publications are needed with a constructive bent to them! This book you're reading sounds like one of them ! May have to check it out 😎
Also worth mentioning The New Evangelicals who are a progressive Christian media project effectively countering the Christian Nationalist media machine. Probably the only one so far with the reach needed, doing excellent work. They are scaling up this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1wjdDqEHO0&t=784s
Hi Simon, Longtime reader & twitter follower, first time commenter. Thank you for your grounded optimism. I admit, things like the Robert Kagan piece (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/30/trump-dictator-2024-election-robert-kagan/) have me scared at times. I know it's worst case (and it's important to face & recognize the worst case) but I wonder what you think about the right way to get louder as it seems like the good guys keep winning, and also the paths for the bad guys to win keep getting clearer & more prominent? Keep giving to voter registration orgs & independent media? Meet more neighbors & form more friendships? It's hard to believe that it's enough sometimes.
A friend forwarded the Robert Kagan piece to me yesterday. Here's how I responded:
No doubt we have work to do, but as Simon Rosenberg says, I’d much rather be us than them. We have actual election results in 2020, 2022, and 2023 to prove the case against the so-called “red wave.” And they have Trump.
All of us (especially our Democratic elected officials) should transfer our collective angst into loudly praising President Biden’s and the Democratic party's extraordinary achievements against all odds:
-14 million new jobs, the most of ANY President in a 4 year term in American history. And Biden still has over a year left in his first term.
-Higher job growth under Biden than under the last 3 GOP Presidents combined.
-Unemployment below 4% for longest stretch in 50 years.
-Highest growth in manufacturing in over 15 years.
-Lower deficits than under Republicans (who blew up the deficit under the last guy)
-Best post-pandemic economic recovery in the G7.
-Lower prescription drug prices for the 1st time in history. Insulin now capped at $35/month for Medicare recipients..
-Falling gas prices. Inflation down 5% in the past year.
-Stock market is now over 36,000.
-Corporate profits remain at an all-time high. (Maybe there’s a correlation between record corporate profits and price-gouging consumers?)
-Historic and bipartisan investments in our future prosperity. (Reminder, the pundits said bipartisan couldn’t be done.)
-Infrastructure investment & Jobs Act passed. (Reminder, the orange one made “infrastructure week” a running joke; Biden got it passed.)
-CHIPS & Science Act.
-PACT Act to help sick veterans.
-Largest climate investments in U.S. history.
-Expanded gun safety laws.
-Student debt loan forgiveness programs enacted (in spite of a hostile Supreme Court)
-NATO expansion to Sweden and Finland.
-Contrast all this with the fascistic anti-democratic toxicity of MAGA - and the GOP's dysfunction and complete inability to govern.
-And Trump proudly brags, “I’m the guy who got rid of Roe v Wade."
We have the tools and tangible successes to go on offense against MAGA in the fight for freedom and democracy. Loud and proud!
Cyd, all we can do is do what we can, and I generally believe that there is no right way to contribute, just do what you like best for then hopefully you will do more of it. I will be making some recommendations about we can do together in 2024, like North Carolina, that will give people a variety of ways to meaningfully contribute next year. Thanks for being part of our plucky community!
I agree the Kagan piece was tough to read. It is a worse-case scenario kind of thing that he paints - and it is scary. Important to remember that WE TOGETHER can shape the future. WE TOGETHER can prevent that worse case. My two cents.
Dec 2, 2023·edited Dec 3, 2023Liked by Simon Rosenberg
On your recommendation, Simon -- I made time in my busy schedule to watch the MeidasTouch video.
My favorite Biden lines came about 6:10 minutes into a 7:40 second clip:
"...the idea that someone making a billion dollars a year pays 8, 8 1/2 percent -- it's outrageous, and they're defending these things.
We are the most prosperous nation in the world; our economy is stronger than any other nation in the world AND we have more freedom -- until this group [MAGA Republicans] came along.
What's at stake now is freedom, not just freedom of choice...we've got to stand up for our freedoms."
But, and this is a BIG 'but' -- given the opportunity to interview Biden on how he's delivering for the American people in a 7:40 minute clip, a total of 3(!) minutes -- nearly a half of the clip -- was spent highlighting/repeating/amplifying/platforming the MAGA Repub who happens to represent the district where the world's LARGEST wind turbine factory is now sited. No mention of how many direct jobs, construction jobs, or how much each turbine will reduce in GHG emission to fight climate change, or to free us from dependence on fossil fuels, and oil state dictators like Putin.
In a nutshell, this is one of the biggest issues we have as a family -- we spend FAR, far too much time talking about them. As a very, very wise woman once said: "If Democrats had written the origin story of David, it would have been a biography of Goliath."
Here's some sound advice on how we can ALL be better about telling our story.
1) First, by talking about our shared democratic values
2) Then by calling out the villains and their motivation, and...
3) Finally, we must always, always end with how together, we have and can (again) realize those shared values!
i.e., we have to spend more time talking about us, rather than our MAGA opposition -- the media does that enough already, both their own networks and the so-called 'liberal, MSM' ones.
You and I agree on this Natalie - we need to be spending most of our time talking about us and not about them; and when we talk about us it needs to be mostly about the progress we are making. We've internalized too many of their attacks on us, and the fear and doubt they want us to have has IMHO been accepted by too many.
Currently Lauren Boebert represents that district, but in November, 2024, Democrat Adam Frisch is going to beat her. Ms. Boebert only won re-election by 512 votes over Adam in 2022. Next year, Adam WILL Beat her. https://adamforcolorado.com/ Let’s not forget that both of the U.S. Senators for Colorado are Democrats, and this plant helps their electoral prospects as well as provides good paying jobs for people living there. President Biden is doing some important down-ballot politicking, less than a year away from that election. Good for him!
Thanks for sharing the video from earlier this year with Ben, Tara, Joe and David - it's fantastic. Would love to see you do more of them in the coming year and air across all your platforms!
Dinner-table observation: celebratory takes on the economy -- which might be helpful for suburban GenXers -- can seem tone-deaf to young voters who see much of their cohort with low-paying work, high rents, and no prospects of home ownership. So maybe combine "good news" about GNP, inflation, and employment stats with clarity about why things still aren't great for these folks, what Dems specifically want to do about it, and why Republicans are in the way.
Economic conditions for young people not as dire as you represent: 1) job market best since 1960s 2) fewest uninsured young people since records were kept 3) median wealth for 18-34 year olds doubled from 2020-2022 4) more new businesses are being started in this era than ever before, particularly for black and Hispanic Americans, creating more opportunities across the board 5) wage increases for all workers have been significant in the last few years, and the minimun wage has been raised by many dollars in most urban areas in recent years, creating a higher wage floor for young people 6) as of April 2023 home ownership rates for Gen Z were actually tracking above both Millennials and Gen X at this point - https://www.redfin.com/news/gen-z-millennial-homeownership-rate-home-purchases/ 7) no question COVID represented massive disruption to the economic lives of young people, and that interest rates are too high, as is rents in some cities. But by many measures the economy for young people today is better than it's been for comparable groups of young people in recent generations. 8) Biden has taken significant steps to increase housing supply in American cities 9) Don't believe in the tone deaf argument - our obligation is to be truthful, and the truth is by many measures things are better and young people have more opportunities than comparable generations. Just a fact.
10) in the investments Biden is making through his infrastructure, climate and CHIPs bills are the most significant investments in age cohort of workers since the 1960s, and will guarantee far greater opportunities for Gen Z than would have been the case otherwise. 11) He has also done more to combat climate change than any leader in American history, something of enormous concern to young people, and something too that will impact their work lives over their life times. No reason to duck from this record or these conditions.
Thanks for the helpful, awesomely detailed reply. All great info to ponder and, as you say, to be loud about (which is compatible with also being loud about how voting Dem will contribute to specific further progress).
After Trump was elected I kept flailing about for groups and organizations doing good political work. Here are several I found outside of the Substack community. Mom’s Rising. Faithful America. Friends Committee on National Legislation. Mormon Women for Ethical Government. The Humanist Society. Lots more out there I’m sure.
Thank you for this -- also, I'm in an activist group, which I love, called "The Atelier at Gaia" run by lawyer/activist/author Elizabeth Cronise Mclaughlin (ECM), who is very passionate. There is a fee, but they do not "scrape" your data. It's extremely supportive, can be as personal as you want, with lots of opportunity for learning & collaboration. Elizabeth also has daily broadcasts called Resistance Live with updates of big issues, election-related news & legal issues; it's on Patreon & on YouTube. I get lots of marching orders here. :-)
It is very helpful and encouraging to see the several ways in which people are being engaged. It is extremely important, but it leaves me with a burning question: how are communities of color being engaged in this? There is concern that the coalition put together for Biden's 2020 victory relied upon communities of color, but to a degree it has come apart. High expectations have possibly rendered Biden's accomplishments less meaningful, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is also a problem. Seeing 4 white media innovators was inspiring, but it is essential that we understand what is being experienced among the diverse groups within Black and Brown communities.
You might want to look into the Center for Common Ground and its program Reclaim our Vote. It focuses on engaging the BIPOC community. I wrote postcards for reclaim out vote in VA this summer. They focus on VA, NC, SC, GA, and AL.
Thank you for sharing this video Simon and introducing us to these Democracy Warriors! Just regular citizens wanting to get information out to other regular citizens! They are getting it done!!
Thank you, Simon, for alerting us to these influential media venues. I was aware of The Meidas Touch Network and The Lincoln Project, but not the others.
And if you don't know her, check out Ruth BenGhiat's Lucid substack. If you join as a paying subscriber, you can also attend the weekly Friday Lucid Q & A, which is an incredible community.
Yes, I should have mentioned the other substacks I value. Will do so in a future post. Dr. Ben-Ghiat is great, and I was lucky enough to be a guest on her Friday Q & A a few months ago....
I know, I was there (and wrote her months ago asking for you to be on)! Tomorrow eve. Victor Shi will be on Lucid's Q & A.. I am 78 but I LOVE seeing young people get so involved --and I loved seeing Anderson Clayton. I so ENJOY these Hopium presentations. I just want you to know that JOY is a big part of it--the democracy we LOVE needs us ALL. THANK YOU. (I also wonder if you have thoughts about Post.News--which I deeply value).
I have heard her several times on podcasts; I will definitely check out her substack.
Said this before - but it bears repeating. It's refreshing to see someone with active optimism out there (while of course acknowledging the work cut out for us). Certain other publications (on Substack & elsewhere) seem to pump out nothing but gloom & doom pieces (The Bulwark comes to mind - don't get me wrong - I'm glad they sound the alarm - but they seem to do little else lately) that I fear are more debilitating than motivating. In my experience the more intense, stone faced and serious one is - the more it turns people off. Since I've been reading Hopium I actually feel more inspired & motivated & less inclined to hide under the covers. Keep up the good work !
Agreed.
She's indeed very knowledgeable, but at this point -- I reserve my attention for folks who spend time on the actions needed to combat fascism, not simply raising the alarm about its steady creep and rise.
I get it, the battle is existential and for the future of ALL our freedoms; so let's talk about what we can, need to and must do -- not just analyze in painstaking detail (while ignoring how to redress through our own direct actions/agency as Americans) how extreme MAGA has become at the hands of a wealthy, well-connected few who put their narrow financial profits and desire for continued minority rule before literally everything else.
Agreed! The one that really left me feeling hopeless from that network was Jonathan V. Last. His latest piece is bleak bleak BLEAK. And again I get that sounding the alarm is what some do best, and there's a place for it BUT not once in his latest "we're asleep at the wheel " piece does he offer anything constructive. That's why I was so happy when I discovered Hopium.
Agree - I often end up stopping listening before the episode comes to a close.
I agree completely. Bring some joy into the world. I have a hunch people are ready for some joyous challenges. Maybe a little singing and dancing as well.
I agree -- I've been screaming from the roof-tops to let's "flood the zone" with ART -- a CALL TO ACTION FOR ARTISTS -- all kinds of art: visual, posters (in Democracy Cafes, for example), theater, poetry, music, dance -- let's get the PRO-DEMOCRACY & ANTI-DICTATORSHIP messaging out there, all around the country to help wake people up to what is happening to our democracy & threat to our freedoms; probably better than hitting people over the head - and time is running out.
Very much agree with your take, Jarrod
Sounds like the campaign is listening to you and they should!
I, like Simon, am relatively optimistic about 2024. However, I have significant concerns about the DNC's Reach program and Share Banking. (I have told the organizers of Reach training this). Here is my issue. Look at your contacts in your phone. Look at those you interact with on social media. We are all activists. We self-select to interact with people who hold our beliefs and support our causes. I could (and do) share information from the DNC. My closest contacts are already aware of the information I am sharing. I may get a few likes. I hardly ever get any "push back" because my social circle supports Biden/Harris and dem policies. I am concerned that we will only be talking to each other. In my opinion, the only people who will bother to attend the training and utilize the tools the DNC is putting out are exactly the people who don't need the training and don't need to share the information. I have been using Reach and sharing for over a month. These are my views. I am open to hearing other viewpoints! Be well. Tami
Not something to be concerned about IMHO. It's a new tool in our toolbox, but only a single tool. As I discuss in this post today we need to keep innovating, keep investing, keep being obsessive about being louder. Every step we take is a step forward, and don't be so certain that even activists are aware or understanding what is happening day to day. We can all keep learning. I get new information from all of you here every day. What I like is that we are having this conversation and more and more people are taking responsibility for closing the loudness gap with the other side.
I agree. Almost every day I have a conversation with someone I know well, who leans the way I lean, who is well informed and well intentioned YET is unaware of what Biden-Harris are doing and unable to articulate to THEIR friends why it is that we should be loud about the accomplishments and vision of our candidates. We do need to be louder, even within our own circles.
I hear you about "preaching to the choir". But I do have friends who I lnow share my views but are not nearly as big an activist as me. So I send them invitations to Zoom events that might interest them. I am trying to nudge them into participating in some activities that might stick with them rather than passively sitting on the sidelines. (I'm retired and many of my friends are too). For example, I introduced one friend to Red, Wine & Blue when they had an event with Heather Cox Richardson, since I know my friend is a big fan of Heather's substack.
BTW, the DNC's new program sounds similar to RW&B's "Rally Your Squad".
I guess I am a smorgasborg kind of gal and like to sample a variety of activities. I'm involved with my local Democratic party here in NC for local and state stuff (Go Clayton!), but I also write postcards and letters to GOTV and help with Voter Protection activities. This year I focused on OH and VA with postcards to WI thrown in. I also discovered Field Team 6 and plan to continue with my postcard writing through the winter to register voters - I currently have a batch for House district NC-01.
To stay motivated I have joined a couple of activist groups that host Zoom parties to write letters and postcards. From them I have found other groups not quite as well known as Vote Forward or Postcards to Voters to which to donate time and a little $$. I only found Hopium recently, but it is already part of my daily routine.
I disagree for several reasons. 1. Many people might "hold our beliefs" but if these beliefs include that Biden should be tougher on Israel for example they might be saying that they will not vote for him, or not vote at all. These people need to be persuaded not to vote third party. 2. There are a lot of people on our side, who will be voting for Biden but not do much activism. They might be persuaded to do more. 3. You might personally know some low propensity voters without even knowing it, and your contacts are almost certain to. By expanding contacts we can eventually reach people even if we do not directly know them.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Hi Simon: I thought this thread by David Roberts at Volts about the "vibes war" was interesting and worth thinking about: https://x.com/drvolts/status/1730721498900652332?s=20 Will Bunch at the Philly Inquirer thought so too: https://x.com/Will_Bunch/status/1730937207970463795?s=20
Just skimmed it but he's essentially making the same argument I've been making here since day 1 of Hopium, and what this whole post is about today. We have to get louder.
Yes but I think that in addition to amplifying stats and facts as we have been doing, "The vibes war must be fought on the battlefied of vibes. That means thinking seriously about where people get their information/views/mood & *getting in there*. It means consistent, long-term party branding: Dems good; Rs bad. It means telling emotional stories." I think we are doing this well already in the area of reproductive freedom. Thinking about that great ad that Andy Beshear ran in KY. But maybe we need more.
Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Note that how my With Dems presentation is exactly the kind of thing he is talking about; and that the concept of "Hopium" is all about winning the vibes war.
Pat Bagley captures it well:
https://i0.wp.com/politicalcharge.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Capture.png?w=1200&ssl=1
Dear Friends,
Thanks for all you do.Sorry if my post is tangential. I have been focused on the 16 day Nov 25 to Dec 10 sixteen day Canadian Campaign to raise awareness of how bad violence against women is for our collective health, happiness and wealth.
This Thursday I hosted a tiny local Lets Wage Peace event to honour Vivian Silver. I have admired and studied the work of all those who teach non violence for decades. I joined Canadian Friends of Peace Now after the last war in Gaza. Sadly I discovered Vivian Silver after her murder.
I feel that she was an amazing leader. The more I discover about her the more I feel that she was on the the truly great. I am now trying to share information about extraordinary people whose work are NOT given the attention they so richly deserve.
My passions include champions of democracy, ecological literacy and restoration, democracy, diversity, inclusion, non-violence, tolerance and trauma healing.
So now I am following the work of the staff at the Pocket Project who provide support to those attending COPS28. I find their approach deeply healing and refreshing.
I have cried often since October 8 2023. Clearly as one very ordinary elderly woman there is not all that much that I can do to Be the Change we so desperately need to see in our times. What I can do is to use my considerable life experience, medical and research knowledge to seek out and amplify voices of hope.
It takes wisdom to balance facing extremely painful suffering of human beings , animals and entire ecosystems and to also fight for hope and a path forward. I subscribe to the work of Heather Cox Richardson since July 2022 for this very reason.
This year I discovered your Hopium Chronicles and I am grateful.
The Pocket Project was recommended to me some years ago , when I was expressing my deep distress that Canadian politicians all members of the Liberal party which I have supported for decades were travelling to COPS with the message that "Our oil is clean. "
I understand that transitioning from a colonial extractive economy that has made some Canadians extremely wealthy and that for a time provided many Canadians, including myself and my family with a great quality of life is NOT easy.
You and some readers may enjoy checking into The Pocket Project.
https://summit.pocketproject.org/
https://summit.pocketproject.org/
I'm reading
"On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth
and Protect Democracy" by Lee McIntyre
Ten ways everyone helps stop disinformation in its tracks are in Chapter 6 "How to Win the War on Truth" as long as we all do everything we can.
Confront the liars. Be a truth teller. Resist polarization. Realize the zombie foot soldiers are victims too. Tune out the BS that there's nothing you can do. Don't fall for false solutions that take 30 years to do. It's false to claim good information stops bad information, it does not. Engage in political activism. Know you are not alone. Keep learning more how disinformation works.
Thank you ! You see that's what's missing from a lot of the other publications & posts out there. When all of the "dire warning" pieces do nothing but paint apocalyptic pictures it just makes me feel despair. I think more entities / publications are needed with a constructive bent to them! This book you're reading sounds like one of them ! May have to check it out 😎
Also worth mentioning The New Evangelicals who are a progressive Christian media project effectively countering the Christian Nationalist media machine. Probably the only one so far with the reach needed, doing excellent work. They are scaling up this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1wjdDqEHO0&t=784s
Hi Simon, Longtime reader & twitter follower, first time commenter. Thank you for your grounded optimism. I admit, things like the Robert Kagan piece (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/30/trump-dictator-2024-election-robert-kagan/) have me scared at times. I know it's worst case (and it's important to face & recognize the worst case) but I wonder what you think about the right way to get louder as it seems like the good guys keep winning, and also the paths for the bad guys to win keep getting clearer & more prominent? Keep giving to voter registration orgs & independent media? Meet more neighbors & form more friendships? It's hard to believe that it's enough sometimes.
A friend forwarded the Robert Kagan piece to me yesterday. Here's how I responded:
No doubt we have work to do, but as Simon Rosenberg says, I’d much rather be us than them. We have actual election results in 2020, 2022, and 2023 to prove the case against the so-called “red wave.” And they have Trump.
All of us (especially our Democratic elected officials) should transfer our collective angst into loudly praising President Biden’s and the Democratic party's extraordinary achievements against all odds:
-14 million new jobs, the most of ANY President in a 4 year term in American history. And Biden still has over a year left in his first term.
-Higher job growth under Biden than under the last 3 GOP Presidents combined.
-Unemployment below 4% for longest stretch in 50 years.
-Highest growth in manufacturing in over 15 years.
-Lower deficits than under Republicans (who blew up the deficit under the last guy)
-Best post-pandemic economic recovery in the G7.
-Lower prescription drug prices for the 1st time in history. Insulin now capped at $35/month for Medicare recipients..
-Falling gas prices. Inflation down 5% in the past year.
-Stock market is now over 36,000.
-Corporate profits remain at an all-time high. (Maybe there’s a correlation between record corporate profits and price-gouging consumers?)
-Historic and bipartisan investments in our future prosperity. (Reminder, the pundits said bipartisan couldn’t be done.)
-Infrastructure investment & Jobs Act passed. (Reminder, the orange one made “infrastructure week” a running joke; Biden got it passed.)
-CHIPS & Science Act.
-PACT Act to help sick veterans.
-Largest climate investments in U.S. history.
-Expanded gun safety laws.
-Student debt loan forgiveness programs enacted (in spite of a hostile Supreme Court)
-NATO expansion to Sweden and Finland.
-Contrast all this with the fascistic anti-democratic toxicity of MAGA - and the GOP's dysfunction and complete inability to govern.
-And Trump proudly brags, “I’m the guy who got rid of Roe v Wade."
We have the tools and tangible successes to go on offense against MAGA in the fight for freedom and democracy. Loud and proud!
love this!
Cyd, all we can do is do what we can, and I generally believe that there is no right way to contribute, just do what you like best for then hopefully you will do more of it. I will be making some recommendations about we can do together in 2024, like North Carolina, that will give people a variety of ways to meaningfully contribute next year. Thanks for being part of our plucky community!
I agree the Kagan piece was tough to read. It is a worse-case scenario kind of thing that he paints - and it is scary. Important to remember that WE TOGETHER can shape the future. WE TOGETHER can prevent that worse case. My two cents.
On your recommendation, Simon -- I made time in my busy schedule to watch the MeidasTouch video.
My favorite Biden lines came about 6:10 minutes into a 7:40 second clip:
"...the idea that someone making a billion dollars a year pays 8, 8 1/2 percent -- it's outrageous, and they're defending these things.
We are the most prosperous nation in the world; our economy is stronger than any other nation in the world AND we have more freedom -- until this group [MAGA Republicans] came along.
What's at stake now is freedom, not just freedom of choice...we've got to stand up for our freedoms."
But, and this is a BIG 'but' -- given the opportunity to interview Biden on how he's delivering for the American people in a 7:40 minute clip, a total of 3(!) minutes -- nearly a half of the clip -- was spent highlighting/repeating/amplifying/platforming the MAGA Repub who happens to represent the district where the world's LARGEST wind turbine factory is now sited. No mention of how many direct jobs, construction jobs, or how much each turbine will reduce in GHG emission to fight climate change, or to free us from dependence on fossil fuels, and oil state dictators like Putin.
In a nutshell, this is one of the biggest issues we have as a family -- we spend FAR, far too much time talking about them. As a very, very wise woman once said: "If Democrats had written the origin story of David, it would have been a biography of Goliath."
Here's some sound advice on how we can ALL be better about telling our story.
1) First, by talking about our shared democratic values
2) Then by calling out the villains and their motivation, and...
3) Finally, we must always, always end with how together, we have and can (again) realize those shared values!
i.e., we have to spend more time talking about us, rather than our MAGA opposition -- the media does that enough already, both their own networks and the so-called 'liberal, MSM' ones.
https://www.volts.wtf/p/volts-podcast-how-the-left-can-suck#details
You and I agree on this Natalie - we need to be spending most of our time talking about us and not about them; and when we talk about us it needs to be mostly about the progress we are making. We've internalized too many of their attacks on us, and the fear and doubt they want us to have has IMHO been accepted by too many.
Currently Lauren Boebert represents that district, but in November, 2024, Democrat Adam Frisch is going to beat her. Ms. Boebert only won re-election by 512 votes over Adam in 2022. Next year, Adam WILL Beat her. https://adamforcolorado.com/ Let’s not forget that both of the U.S. Senators for Colorado are Democrats, and this plant helps their electoral prospects as well as provides good paying jobs for people living there. President Biden is doing some important down-ballot politicking, less than a year away from that election. Good for him!
Thanks for sharing the video from earlier this year with Ben, Tara, Joe and David - it's fantastic. Would love to see you do more of them in the coming year and air across all your platforms!
Dinner-table observation: celebratory takes on the economy -- which might be helpful for suburban GenXers -- can seem tone-deaf to young voters who see much of their cohort with low-paying work, high rents, and no prospects of home ownership. So maybe combine "good news" about GNP, inflation, and employment stats with clarity about why things still aren't great for these folks, what Dems specifically want to do about it, and why Republicans are in the way.
Economic conditions for young people not as dire as you represent: 1) job market best since 1960s 2) fewest uninsured young people since records were kept 3) median wealth for 18-34 year olds doubled from 2020-2022 4) more new businesses are being started in this era than ever before, particularly for black and Hispanic Americans, creating more opportunities across the board 5) wage increases for all workers have been significant in the last few years, and the minimun wage has been raised by many dollars in most urban areas in recent years, creating a higher wage floor for young people 6) as of April 2023 home ownership rates for Gen Z were actually tracking above both Millennials and Gen X at this point - https://www.redfin.com/news/gen-z-millennial-homeownership-rate-home-purchases/ 7) no question COVID represented massive disruption to the economic lives of young people, and that interest rates are too high, as is rents in some cities. But by many measures the economy for young people today is better than it's been for comparable groups of young people in recent generations. 8) Biden has taken significant steps to increase housing supply in American cities 9) Don't believe in the tone deaf argument - our obligation is to be truthful, and the truth is by many measures things are better and young people have more opportunities than comparable generations. Just a fact.
10) in the investments Biden is making through his infrastructure, climate and CHIPs bills are the most significant investments in age cohort of workers since the 1960s, and will guarantee far greater opportunities for Gen Z than would have been the case otherwise. 11) He has also done more to combat climate change than any leader in American history, something of enormous concern to young people, and something too that will impact their work lives over their life times. No reason to duck from this record or these conditions.
Thanks for the helpful, awesomely detailed reply. All great info to ponder and, as you say, to be loud about (which is compatible with also being loud about how voting Dem will contribute to specific further progress).
Remember - if people we angry and down, we would not have had the strong electoral performance we had in 2022 and 2023.
After Trump was elected I kept flailing about for groups and organizations doing good political work. Here are several I found outside of the Substack community. Mom’s Rising. Faithful America. Friends Committee on National Legislation. Mormon Women for Ethical Government. The Humanist Society. Lots more out there I’m sure.
Indivisible ! Swing Left !
Thank you for this -- also, I'm in an activist group, which I love, called "The Atelier at Gaia" run by lawyer/activist/author Elizabeth Cronise Mclaughlin (ECM), who is very passionate. There is a fee, but they do not "scrape" your data. It's extremely supportive, can be as personal as you want, with lots of opportunity for learning & collaboration. Elizabeth also has daily broadcasts called Resistance Live with updates of big issues, election-related news & legal issues; it's on Patreon & on YouTube. I get lots of marching orders here. :-)
It is very helpful and encouraging to see the several ways in which people are being engaged. It is extremely important, but it leaves me with a burning question: how are communities of color being engaged in this? There is concern that the coalition put together for Biden's 2020 victory relied upon communities of color, but to a degree it has come apart. High expectations have possibly rendered Biden's accomplishments less meaningful, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is also a problem. Seeing 4 white media innovators was inspiring, but it is essential that we understand what is being experienced among the diverse groups within Black and Brown communities.
You might want to look into the Center for Common Ground and its program Reclaim our Vote. It focuses on engaging the BIPOC community. I wrote postcards for reclaim out vote in VA this summer. They focus on VA, NC, SC, GA, and AL.
https://www.centerforcommonground.org/
Thank you.
You're Welcome!
I got the Biden- Harris invite but sorry to say I deleted it without reading so will dig it out of my trash folder NOW😄
Thank you for sharing this video Simon and introducing us to these Democracy Warriors! Just regular citizens wanting to get information out to other regular citizens! They are getting it done!!