“It is undeniable that Trump stokes the fury of voters who support him; less recognized is his clear hope to induce despair in those who do not. The imperative for Democrats is to defeat not only Trump but also the cynicism that abides him.”
The above quote comes from Jelani Cobb in this week’s New Yorker. As one challenging week follows another, and as the media floods us with endless details about every candidate in every state, and endless tales of impending disaster, even we activists are at risk of giving in to our own cynicism and despair. Many of us are mourning the poor showing to date of a favored candidate and/or worried that the candidate we see as most likely to win the nomination won’t be able to win, and may even damage the reelection chances of other Dems.
Before you do indeed despair, however, please consider this: We humans hate uncertainty. We hate it so much that we are likely to assume the worst possible outcome in frightening situations. This is because the awfulness, miserable as it is, feels more under our control and thus easier to bear than tolerating simply not knowing. The current reality is that no one knows who will win the next election, but the thought of another Trump win is so horrifying to so many of us that we’d almost rather decide he’s sure to be re-elected, bemoan that supposed fact, and then fail to take action to reduce the likelihood of this actually happening. This is an example of the despair and cynicism that Jelani Cobb warns us against.
Please don’t let this happen to you. Mourn your favorite candidate if you must, remember that we don’t yet know who the nominee will be, put your worry about whoever that nominee turns out to be on a shelf, and focus on what is within your power: Doing what you can to get the outcome you want.
Unify or Die Fund
And, good news, here’s something you and your volunteers can do right now.
Donate to Swing Left’s Unify or Die Fund. The very name reminds us of the goal – pull together to defeat Donald Trump. We want our nominee to have lots of money available as soon as that person is named. At the moment, the opposition has a much larger war chest than we do, and THIS is something that is within our power to fix. We are suggesting that each of us give $25 right now, and that we encourage our volunteers to do the same. Here’s the link: https://swingleft.org/fundraise/unifyordie.
Also, one final tip: Don’t overexpose yourself to the media. If you’re continually consuming the same anxiety-producing stories time after time, it’s time for a break.
Yours in activism and hope,
Swing Left New England
(Concord Indivisible collaborates with Swing Left.)
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