A DEMOCRATIC DILEMMA

By Ruth A. Sheets

Robert Reich, Economist and former Labor Secretary in the Clinton Administration wrote recently about the power of “The Big Lie.”  He said that over a hundred candidates for critical offices around the country are “Big Lie” supporters and most have threatened to rework our political structure once they get elected.  They plan to do it in a variety of ways from forcing every voter in the state to re-register, to massively purging voter rolls, changing state constitutions, choosing the electors for president no matter who the state’s voters actually vote for, setting up “election police” as Gov. DeSantis in Florida is already doing (and you can guess who will be policed). 

Reading through Dr. Reich’s truths, it could be easy to just give up.  After all, our nation’s system of government is being attacked from many different directions at many levels and hope for the future seems pretty scarce. 

Who are the attackers of our system, our Constitution?  They are people who have chosen to follow a man whose only noticeable skills, are lying, insulting, bullying, blaming others for what he is doing, and inciting insurrection.  Oh yes, he is very skilled at escaping accountability too.  As for governing, he has absolutely no clue and surrounds himself with the most pathetic clutch of cheats, liars, plotters, cowards, and sycophants he can find, and we the people continue to pay for that. 

One set of attacks involves Our Congress where Republican senators and representatives have decided that acting for the good of the people no longer applies.  They get more attention by latching onto a series of lies, talking points they don’t have to think about.  The media ask them only fluff questions that are answered with a smile (sneer or smirk) and no substance in the response.  Republican leaders interrupt, insult, and otherwise deflect when a reporter actually asks a serious question.  They are all being well-trained in this.  Their sneer/smirk is supposed to show their base that it is the media who are trying to bring down our nation, not them.  It is working!  Gov. DeSantis of Florida is especially good at this deflection and rudeness in general and shines with it when questioned by a female journalist.  His base loves it. 

Republicans want all of us to be overwhelmed by their multi-directional assaults.  The Republican candidates all know they are lying through their teeth, but it's like a bratty little kid who tells his mommy or daddy a lie and gets away with it.  He keeps on lying, bigger and bigger lies until an adult finally stops him.  The problem, there have been few adults in the Republican Party for a long time.  Liz Cheyney and Adam Kinzinger of the January 6th Committee are trying to get some of the lying under control, but there are just too many kids and too many lies.

 Another arrow aimed at our Constitution, although sometimes unintentionally, is the media's obsession with "balance" (or what they call balance).  Giving equal time to the truth and the lies let the lies become bigger and seem true or “why would my newscasters report it if there weren’t something to it?” :  we're winning in Iraq/Afghanistan; Obama wasn't born in America; the 2008 Great Recession was Obama's fault; there are givers and takers and we (rich white Republicans) are the givers; A good guy with a gun will stop a bad guy with a gun; Trump is a good businessman; there are banks too big to fail; climate change is a hoax; Trump won the 2020 election; and so many more lies upon lies.  After a while, life-long Republicans who are feeling the strains of life give up and absorb the lies convincing themselves they must be true.  They are now the possessors of the "real" knowledge of what is going on and Trump is a good champion for them as he is a regular practitioner of the lying art. 

 Say anything loud enough and long enough and a significant portion of the population will believe it (particularly if it is a rich white male speaking).  Donald Trump and those like him are loud, and keep repeating the same lies over and over, evidence totally unnecessary.  Their followers not only believe it but figure out how to use the "knowledge" against those they feel are their enemy, the unbelievers.  They spew the lies at schoolboard meetings, town halls, and other gatherings, bullying others into passing local regulations based on the lies.  And, boy are they proud of their efforts!

 Cracking the shell of lies is our challenge.  The more it is pointed out, with evidence,  that a person’s cherished belief isn't true, the tighter it is grasped and the more lies are told  to "prove" it.  I SAW fraud being done (no you didn’t; you just didn’t know what was happening because you were ignorant of the process.  “Yes I did.  I saw the fraud; it was fraud, I know it” and so on. 

 Lies led to insurrection on January 6, 2021 with the Capitol attack by followers of Trump and his lies.  The Congressional Committee looking into this event have demonstrated it was planned and supported by members of the Republican elite, but prosecutions so far, have been few, and of the insurrectionist rank and file.  The higher-level folks have remained mostly untouched.  They don’t even feel they have to respond to subpoenas from the Committee for which they have faced no penalty.  Our Constitution has a remedy for some of this bad behavior.  It clearly states that insurrectionists and a list of others who have stood against our Constitution cannot hold public office after their insurrectionist actions.  I know it takes time, but, the pace of indictment and trial needs to be increased so that the "Big Lie" candidates can be stopped BEFORE the 2022 election.  Then, the honest media need to try different approaches to inform the public about the kind of people these insurrectionists are and what they stand for and plan to do.

 So, what can we the people who care about our country, its history, and maintaining the best parts of our incredible diverse society do? 

First, we need to keep from being discouraged.  We know we are being pursued on all sides by people with arguments, strategies, lies, and actions that have been cultivated for 50 years and more.  This process didn’t begin with Trump.  He was just the next step in Republican evolution.  Meanwhile, Democratic attention was elsewhere, building diversity, stopping pandemics, following science, expanding human rights, funding education, providing healthcare for everyone, etc.  Dems need to know what our goal is; I think it’s “to become a more perfect union.”

  Talk with friends and relatives, even acquaintances about voting and pointing out the goal and how we all will benefit from working toward that goal.  Help them to see that voting at every election counts, not just something you get around to when you can.

 Select a few organizations or candidates that reflect your most important positions, and support them with donations and/or volunteer time when you can. 

 Keep up with what is happening in the world.  Follow a mainstream media source you trust as well as one that fits your political leanings more closely.  If you can stand the insults and lying, check out Fox “News” or some other right-wing media to see their slant on events.  Don’t be shocked, just more determined to counter their efforts.

 Rebut but don’t repeat the lies when communicating with others on social media or in person.  Instead of saying “There was no fraud in the 2020 election,” say “It has been proven across the board that the 2020 election was the best-run, most secure election, probably ever.”  

Ask folks for evidence when they make claims that are clearly untrue.  Ask that they cite sources.  Be prepared to cite sources yourself.

Immerse yourself in other things besides politics or, get enough sleep that you have the energy to jump into the politics pool every day without feeling the negativity that current politics can bring.  Think of yourself as an explorer who is seeking new ways to counter and break down the lies, misdirection, gaslighting, and more that come with Republican lack of positive ideas and desperate need (or probably desire) to be in power.

 Sign petitions, write letters, make phone calls, and when possible, attend rallies to keep you sharp and able to generate new ideas and energy. 

 Our movement against the Big Lies is ongoing and will not be solved today or tomorrow.  After all, the Republican program has been in the works for 50 years and more.   Richard Nixon cheated in both of his presidential elections and won both times.  He was never held accountable, so is now the poster boy for committing crimes and getting elected anyway.

 We have a big challenge because Republicans have posted big lies and their base is on board.  We don’t have to stand by and watch the trainwreck!  We can stop the train.   

 Dems have let Republicans control the conversation about this country for too long.  Republican “anger” toward everyone but themselves makes progress difficult in a time when we are facing massive challenges, global warming being the most pressing.  Republicans for the most part can’t even admit it is happening, even as they evacuate ahead of massive wildfires, floods, and extreme storms.  We can’t count on them for anything but more attacks.  We need to give Americans positive ideas and possible solutions that include rather than exclude, that take into account the future rather than planning to move back to a nonexistent past.  We’re on and we need to succeed.