Are We Just Preaching to the Converted?
A fair question
When it comes to communities like Steady, where we dedicate a lot of time and energy to detailing and discussing the outrages of the former president, his enablers, and the threats to American democracy, are we just preaching to the converted?
It’s a fair question and one we get from time to time in the comments section and reader emails.
Of course, it isn’t just this newsletter. There are many popular writers on Substack dedicated to documenting the danger Trump poses to the nation. When it comes to reinforcing beliefs around the perils of this moment in our nation’s history, there is also no shortage of cable talk shows, online forums, and activist groups. Are they all just preaching to the converted, too?
What about the news organizations that expend resources reporting on the long litany of abuses committed by the previous administration?
We are entering a presidential election that could very possibly threaten the fundamental tenets of the country. There are tens of millions of voters who see the dangers clearly, but that total is not enough to be confident that Trump won’t return to power. No one really believes that if it comes down to Trump vs. Biden, as seems likely, a Trump defeat is a given. Far from it.
With this in mind, it is reasonable to wonder whether those who already know how disastrous a Trump victory would be should spend their time engaged in what critics might deride as “echo chambers.”
“You already know how bad Trump is,” the thinking goes. “Why do you need to keep saying it, especially to people who probably already agree?”
We believe there are several good answers to this question. And a lot of them have come from you, the members of the Steady community.
First, when you put something out into the world, you never really know whom you might reach. Sure, the people who tend to comment the most might be ones in agreement and a few contrarians who come either for good faith debate or just to provoke a response. But we know from looking at the numbers that the people who comment on our posts are but a very small fraction of the people who read them. And it’s also a small fraction of the people who share our posts with others, either via email or social media. We hope our reach is farther than even our list of subscribers and that we are sparking conversation between people who might not agree on all the issues.
There is also the matter of fighting despair. Autocrats have long understood that their rise to power can be fueled by hopelessness. They try to convince enough people that the current state of affairs is so broken that only a strongman can fix it. And then they try to get the opposition to either cower in fear or just give up. We see the Steady community as a place where we can fight despair together. We can learn from each other, hear each other’s stories, and realize the fight against autocracy in America can be found in every corner of the country. You are not alone. None of us are. And in this broad movement, we can find communal strength.
Finally, it is essential that there is an accounting of what is taking place. Future generations must know what Trump and his allies did and tried to do. They must see contemporaneous resistance and fighting back. There should be a public record of a diverse and determined set of voices who stood up and declared in unison that “this is not what the United States is, or should be.”
Trump lost the popular vote in 2020 by more than 7 million votes. Democrats running on a platform of protecting abortion rights and democracy have outperformed expectations in almost every election since then. While Trump could plausibly win in November 2024, he likely does so only if enough of the voters who don’t want him to be president stay home.
Support for Trump and what he represents is not a majority viewpoint in this country. Not by a long shot. Yes, it would be great if more Trump voters became disillusioned by him. It is possible that his allure might wear thin as his rantings attract more scrutiny. Perhaps a criminal conviction would dampen enthusiasm among some of his supporters.
But the surest path to defeating Trump and Trumpism lies in fighting for representative democracy, a determination to preserve the United States of America as a constitutional republic based on the principles of freedom and democracy. That is not an echo chamber. It’s a rallying cry.
It’s like a coach telling players at halftime that they can do it. It’s like a military leader encouraging the troops, a director inspiring actors, a conductor filling an orchestra with energy. We need spaces where we can lean on each other, where we can receive and share messages of hope and resolve.
Even the converted must sometimes be reminded why they believe what they believe, and why it’s important. From that nucleus of community, action can radiate outward. And beliefs can become reality.
Steady.
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We also need Democrats in Congress and this administration steering every media conversation. Their messaging must be strong and consistent. President Biden has accomplished so many positive things, but the media focuses on his rare stumbles while letting Republicans spew bullshit unchallenged. Democrats on these shows need to forcefully push back on all of that, every single time from now until election day.. They cannot and should not let our media to get away with this lazy, irresponsible reporting.
Thanks. Please add that if there are third. Fourth, fifth and more candidates dividing the anti-fascist vote, Trump May win without a majority. Netherland’s election is a warning.
It needs to be Vote Blue For Freedom.
Anything else is risky. , divided we fall.