just some random thoughts…
As I have consumed the news about the obscene MSG rally and the barrage of follow-up stories, including the somewhat muddled comments from President Biden, many thoughts have come to mind. On the “here we go again” side is the false equivalence used to support the horse-race narrative (see! they both said the word ‘garbage’!!). But on the positive side, I note a deft use of the President’s (very slight) misstatement by the Vice President and her campaign to highlight how her administration will represent a break from the current one, and a new beginning. And while she didn’t put it exactly this way, what she has demonstrated on the campaign trail gives me great hope that a win on Nov 5th will not just forestall or prevent another Trump presidency with all the real-world policy benefits that entails, but will begin to strike at what I think is the root cause of division.
While there have been some clear failures, I cannot argue against the overall policy success of the Biden administration—from COVID to jobs, infrastructure, GDP, inflation (yes a success story), individual rights, judicial nominations, the rule of law, etc., there have been many. I think President Biden himself is owed a huge debt of gratitude for taking on Trump and staunching, at least temporarily, the slide to authoritarianism by beating him soundly at the ballot box, and of course for stepping aside this summer to improve our chances of winning the current stage of the same battle.
However, the “garbage” story reminds me of what is perhaps the greatest failure of the last 4 years. We are still fighting an uphill battle against a false, manufactured worldview now inhabited by 40+% of our country. It is the persistence, hardening, and perhaps growth of this worldview that is our greatest enemy. Yes, it is BS, but it is not just a handful of lies that can be swatted one by one. While lie-swatting is necessary, it is nowhere near sufficient.
The manufacturers of this worldview are likely not susceptible to persuasion, as they benefit greatly from the assembly-line of filth and lies that they produce and cultivate; but many of the consumers—the 40%--are, I think, reachable with a sustained effort to break down the conspiracy-minded, anti-empirical mindset that has been constructed for them. These consumers may appear to be freely purchasing their ideas in the political marketplace, but they have been prepared for these purchasing decisions in a manner similar (but more insidious and encompassing) to the way corporations produce demand in the consumer marketplace through the psychological manipulation of advertising, enabled by the silo-ed experience information technology has allowed us to create for ourselves.
I think something resembling victory in this war for the soul of our country will require a constant, dedicated, and effective effort from the one individual that is capable of doing it—it requires support, but the central role cannot be outsourced. Effectiveness here requires clarity. We have had very active and effective communicators during what might later be called the “Trump Years”—Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsome, AOC, Jasmine Crockett, etc.; but none of them has occupied the most valuable piece of political real estate in the world—the Bully Pulpit of the Presidency of the United States. Only Joe Biden has, and it is only from this perch that I think the alternative worldview can be deconstructed effectively. It is not something that can be done in one speech, one press conference, or one “have you no sense of decency?” moment. Like a good campaign message, it will require repetition and constant adaptation because what is on the other side is constantly evolving. But eventually it can be defeated, if by “defeated” we mean reduced to its historical role as a backseat influence on the Right (where it has long lurked, from “Catholics will attempt a Papist takeover” to “fluoridation is a commie mind-control conspiracy”).
The Vice President has shown the potential and the willingness to take on this rhetorical role, and she has also demonstrated an understanding of the depth of the challenge. In so doing, she has given me great hope that this will be an actively-managed objective of a Harris administration.
Now, we need to make sure she gets the opportunity. LFG!