Power Outrage

I have a friend who tends to write me about political matters that make his head explode so that I can talk down from the ledge.  As he put it once after I wrote back in a more calming way, "I tend to react more emotionally to these outrages than you..."

My immediate response back was, “Ya think?!”  

Over the weekend, I got another head-exploding email from him.  It was a heart-felt stream of conscious rant about the almost unending list of outrages that Republicans have committed over the past four years, but especially recently, wondering when Democrats were going to call them out bluntly as the Nazis they are.  And then he followed that up with another list which he had forgotten to include in his previous note.

What I told him is that I didn't disagree with any of the outrages he felt, nor that attention should be put on Republicans -- as I thought was the case, though not at the high voltage level he understandably wanted..

I said that the best way I could conceptualize Democrats focusing unending, explosive outrage on Republicans daily is like trying to capture bees flying all around using a single net.  And the exterminator not only isn’t helping you, but is the one who incompetently knocked down the hive and caused the problem in the first place.  You might be victorious on a couple of your efforts, but everyone on the grounds is so busy swatting away all the other bees stinging them they likely won’t notice that you caught a few.  And to carry the metaphor further – the people getting stung won’t notice your efforts screaming about the bees until it comes time when the exterminator’s contract is up, and they have to decide whether they’ve had enough hell with the bees and that it’s time to hire an actual competent exterminator company to solve the problem.

Yes, that WAY oversimplifies it all.  But I think there’s a certain point where a political party can’t always be outraged (no matter how deserved) since that’s how you’ll be identified.  And people can shout back, “Fine, you’re outraged, and they’re awful, but do something about it, that’s why you’re in office!!”  (Which sadly always ignores reality that sometimes, especially if you’re in the minority, or the minority can block you, there’s a limit to what you can actually do.)

Also, the biggest hurdle is the reality that there’s a limit to what you can do until there is the next election.  When Mitch McConnell was Majority Leader controlling the Senate, he was going to be control the Senate until the next election.  Republicans were going to control all the committees until the next election.  That’s why I think the best thing to do is focus outrage on the things that are worst, always keep those in focus, keep voting the right way, don’t compromise your opposition even when it won’t have any impact, make sure the public knows you’re on their side, pass good bills if you can, let the other side dig their own graves by opposing what’s good, keep the public focused on the opposition trying to block what’s good, let the public build their own outrage, support them in that, and time everything so that the public’s growing outrage will explode at the polls for the next election – and you reinforce it at that time with all your pent-up outrage and all the videos you’ve been storing up for campaign ads and make a non-stop, blistering attack.

None of this is to ignore the outrage or mince words, but focus it all where it will do the most good and have the most impact.  Some of that is in building good grassroots organizations who focus on the outrages that most impact people on the local level, even if it gets little attention nationally.  Some is building national protests (as we’ve seen happen with the Women's Marches, Black Lives Matter protests and caging of immigrant children) when issues do reach that highest level demanding it.  Some is letting your opponents who have formed a circle and are shooting at themselves continue to do so.

I think the best thing that’s happened for Democrats for 2022 is that Republicans have unanimously voted against the COVID Relief Emergency Bill.  It’s near incomprehensible that Republicans did this.  Because the bill is necessary, good, will help, and it gives people actual money.  And is supported by 40-60% of their own party, depending on polls.  And ALL Republicans in Congress voted against it.  If Democrats did nothing but keep the focus on that until 2022, it would be horribly problematic for the GOP.  And the reality is that Democrats will not be "only" focusing on just that.  There will be a laundry list.  But I think that one issue alone, the COVID emergency relief bill, is going to be disastrous for Republicans.  So, Democrats should keep focusing as much attention on that for two years and not risk diluting outrage against Republicans by bringing up all manner of other issues to vie for the public’s attention – "and what about this and what about this and what about this and this and this and this -- just the other issues that complement and support the worst of the GOP.

(Years ago, I was at a Writers Guild town hall event that on a major vote that was would be coming up soon.  I tend to be quiet at these kinds of things, but after a while a nagging question occurred to me that I kept bothering me, so finally I asked it bluntly to one of the Guild members wrongly pushing the issue, I believed.  It was the kind of question that got a sort of "deer in the headlights" look from the guy and it was clear he didn't have an answer and was stumbling around.  The whole room was focused on him, waiting to see what would happen.  But before he could wave the white flag -- someone across the room stood up and yelled, "Right!  And what about..." -- and went off on his own rant about another issue.  I could see the moment being lost, as the entire focus was shifting.  Worse, this other person had the reputation of someone you didn't cross, and when he was making a point, you got out of his way.  Fortunately, I knew this person really well, we were good friends, so I knew I could do what few in that room could do.  And what I was reticent to do.  But I knew it had to be done -- and I almost immediately yelled back, "Joe!!  Sit down!" (That's not his real name.)  And there was an aghast hush across the room -- you didn't tell Joe to sit down and shut up.  But fortunately, he knew instantly what I was saying, and sat down.  And the attention was put right back on the person who had been stumbling at the podium.  Who lost his reprieve and continued again to stumble -- until he pretty much gave up, made clear he didn't have an answer, and eventually called for the next question.)

The point is -- you don't throw every "and what about...?!!!" at people.  You keep the focus on the few things that are critically important, which because those things are so bad they largely helps remind people of all the other outrages they caused.  And you build this outrage over time.

Until it's time to vote.