Democratic Politics

This is a post i started putting together a few weeks ago, but then never posted.  It’s from Dan Pfeiifer, and I think it’s as true today as it was when I put it together.

After Trump won, a raft of “whither the Resistance” pieces were published suggesting Democrats simply didn’t have the energy to oppose Trump with the same ferocity as the last time around. Those articles may have overstated the case, but they were fundamentally true. From the party leadership down to neighborhood activists, Democrats were depressed and disillusioned by the election result. Nothing we did seemed to matter. In Trump’s first week, Congressional Democrats remained bizarrely silent and compliant as Trump unleashed a barrage of dangerous executive orders. Some Senate Democrats even felt compelled to support Trump’s nominees out of a demented desire to adhere to norms.

But in the last ten days, Democrats have gotten up off the mat. Trump and Elon Musk’s legally and constitutionally dubious attempt to tear down the federal government agency by agency reinvigorated the Democratic base. We can (and will) debate whether our party leaders have the chops to drive a compelling message about the dangers of Trump, but to their credit, they are out there fighting.

This is about more than what happens at the top. As my old boss used to say, “Change comes from the bottom up.” Anecdotally, it’s clear the Democratic grassroots are ready to fight. My friends, family, Message Box subscribers, and Pod Save America listeners are asking for specific ideas on how they can fight back.

There are no silver bullets that will make Trump disappear tomorrow. This fight will be long and challenging, but you are not powerless; and you do not need to wait for the upper echelons of the Democratic Party to get their shit together.

Here are some things you can do right now to channel your anxiety and anger into action.

1. Send a Political Message by Winning Key Elections This Year

There are two types of accountability for people like Donald Trump: legal and political. Over the last several years, it has become clear that our legal system is not set up to hold rich, powerful, and politically connected people accountable. The relatively open and shut federal cases against him collapsed before the election. Now, Trump has complete control of the Department of Justice and the FBI. He and his friends can commit crimes without fear of prosecution.

While Trump won this election, he has been unskillful at eluding political accountability. Since winning in 2016, Trump and his party lost the 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023 elections. Winning elections — or even outperforming expectations in a tough race — are an opportunity to send a message that there is a political price to pay for what Trump is doing to the country.

The first key race will happen in Wisconsin on April 1st. Liberals currently have a 4-3 advantage on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, a liberal, is retiring, so the balance of the court is once again up for grabs. This is technically a non-partisan election, but Jan Crawford is a liberal running against yet another MAGA extremist. Control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court is essential. The Liberal majority finally undid the horrific gerrymandering that gave the GOP a stranglehold on the legislature in this quintessentially 50-50 state.

If you want to contribute to or volunteer for Crawford’s campaign, you can do so HERE.

If you want to help the Wisconsin Democratic Party with their efforts in this race, you can do so HERE.

A few Congressional special elections are happening later this spring to replace House members who are retiring to go into the Trump Administration. All of these are in Republican districts — and even Trump is not dumb enough to nominate someone in a swing district with such narrow margins.

There is one race that I will be taking a close look at — the election in NY-21 to replace Elise Stefanik. The date of the election has not been set yet because Stefanik won’t resign from Congress until she is confirmed. This is an R+9 district in a state where Trump improved his performance by nearly 6 points over 2020. While special election results are hardly predictive, if Democrats can make this a real race, it will frighten the many vulnerable House Republicans who are being asked to take tough votes on unpopular Trump proposals.

Finally, later this year, there will be gubernatorial and legislative elections in New Jersey and Virginia. There are primaries in those races, so the candidates are still unknown. Once again, a Republican victory in these Blue(ish) states would be seen as a MASSIVE validation of Trump’s moves and give even the most vulnerable Republicans permission to vote for extreme policies.

As we wait for candidates, you can contribute or donate to the Virginia Democratic Party HERE; the New Jersey Democratic Party HERE; the Democratic Governors Association HERE; and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee HERE.

2. Call Congress

Does calling Congress really work? Do they care?

Well, let’s delve into how a typical Congressional office works. Once a week — sometimes once a night — the staff sends around a report on the calls and emails received — their content and the sentiment of the messages. If there is a surge in calls about a topic, it is noticed by the staff and reported to a member. A bunch of calls won’t force a member to do something that they totally disagree with or runs counter to their political self-interest, but it doesn’t go unnoticed either.

So, if you are represented by a Republican who is blindly supporting Trump, call them and yell at them. If your Democratic member isn’t fighting hard enough against Trump — call them and let them know. Conversely, if your Democratic member is doing the right thing, call them and thank them — especially if they are looking down the barrel of a tough race. These ‘thank you’ calls may be the most impactful.

Make your voice heard. The main switchboard for Congress is (202) 224-3121.

Channeling our Anger Into ActionPost + Comments (93)