The circular firing squad illustrates the kind of behavior between Democrats that will end up killing everyone’s chances to elect a Democratic president in 2020. The shooting goes on at every level, even in publications that are making an attempt to be honest and fair. Now that most people are connected by media, people can carry insults around in their pockets and share them in an instant.
We have all seen and heard of shots from Democrats like this: he/she is dumb, old, lacks experience, ugly to women, disrespectful, bitchy, lies, cheats, lazy, is too smart for his/her own good, exaggerates, is against progress, against climate science, against diversity, against choice. Think I’m exaggerating? Check your Facebook pages each day for a month. You will get the idea.
Before, and since the election of 2016, Russian agents (the Internet Research Agency) were able to sow discord via inflammatory posts that reached 126 million people on Facebook, countless more on Twitter, and well over 1,000 videos to YouTube. Hapless Americans liked, posted and shared the unfortunate posts, or created some of their own, that fostered particular negative beliefs about Democrats and Democratic candidates, (the Mueller report details these and other efforts in Volume 1, Section C. “The IRA Targets US Elections”).
And it continues. A POLITICO review of recent data from Twitter and other platforms, as well as interviews with data scientists and digital campaign specialists, suggests that the coordinated barrage of negativity continues via memes, hashtags, misinformation and distortions of candidate “interviews” and candidate positions. Not all the activity is organized. Much of it appears to be “organic,” which is perhaps a reflection of the highly polarized election positions, especially between distinctive rival positions. (https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/20/2020-candidates-social-media-attack-1176018) Someone once said that being a Democrat was like “herding cats”.
I am asking all voters, but especially Democrats, to recognize that even one nasty post can influence voters and could destroy any chance to achieve any goals. A single post can wind up being seen by thousands. Meanwhile the Republicans are gleefully watching and commenting on the “crazy” Democrats. The many accomplishments of the Democrats get lost when some are determined to kill the messengers.
Why not just post the stance of your favorite? You do not need to loudly remind the public that an opposing candidate is all WRONG on the issues. My mother, a quiet political thinker, would have said, “If you can’t say something nice about a person, say nothing at all.” Don’t think that your comments are too small to cause a problem. The nasties have been shown to spread as easily as the common cold in a schoolroom.
Demanding ideological perfection of everyone is hardly helpful. A few months ago, Barack Obama, (who is surely no stranger to Facebook shots) warned us all not to get bound up in over-defending ideological positions. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/04/08/2020-election-barack-obama-warns-democrats-circular-firing-squad/3398051002) A campaign for ideological purity tends to be completely unaccepting of any other views. Unfortunately some Democrats, even leaders, would rather lose an election than acknowledge that creditable differences are out there.
Let’s join Mr. Obama in asking that Democrats acknowledge differences without damning anyone. We can remind each other that the goal is to nominate and elect one of several promising Democrats to the Presidency. We all want a person that believes in progress, justice, science, peace, and opportunity. We can recognize that no single candidate will ever be totally perfect. Focus on the part that is. Leave the name calling and exaggerated criticism to Trump. HOLSTER YOUR WEAPONS.
Ann Melby Shenkle, June 14, 2019
(image used with permission by Abigail Shenkle Allison — uppercaseelephant.wordpress.com)