Steven BeschlossIf you think we can relax now because democracy survived the midterms, then you’re not paying attention.
Dave Johnson@StevenBeschloss Yes. We have to start reaching the public with pro-democracy information to counter the 24/7 blast of "business does everything better than government" and "markets are the answer" to everything. !
Chris Pirillo@StevenBeschloss ...absolutely. Democracy is very much a living thing. I wish more people understood this.
Steve In Ashland@StevenBeschloss we need to think of maintaining democracy like any other regular task. There are daily/weekly requirements, like staying informed, and annual/biannual requirements like voting. “Eternal vigilance” and all that.
TC Won't Give In To Lies@steveinashland @StevenBeschloss strongly agree.
But you forgot one of the most important. Contact your representatives regularly - about everything. Let them know you’re watching.
If they only hear from you when you vote, they’re never listening to you.
@TCatInReality @StevenBeschloss agreed! that’s one of those regular tasks, not as often as daily or even monthly, but a few times a year. “Take as needed”
@steveinashland @StevenBeschloss
For me, I write or call every 2-4 weeks for my main representatives. It’s also extra powerful to write to your local paper.
For me, I write or call every 2-4 weeks for my main representatives. It’s also extra powerful to write to your local paper.
@TCatInReality @StevenBeschloss I would feel pushy with that rep rate, to the point where the staff might think “oh THAT guy again”. But that may be a generational bias and not reality.
@steveinashland @StevenBeschloss why? You don’t think their major donors talk to them that often?
Major donors probably have someone on their staff!
Be “that guy”, bc then they’ll think you’re talking to other voters too
@TCatInReality @StevenBeschloss Major donors get access because they are major donors. But they also know to call when it’s a key issue, and not just a weekly call.
If a random person calls too often, and “too often” is set by the office staff, yeah, the office staff will remember them. If it’s a call that’s pleasant to take, it will be a good memory. If it’s constant complaining, yeah, they’ll be labeled as a crank.
@TCatInReality @StevenBeschloss do the math.
An average Congressional district has 400k adult constituents. At one one-minute engagement per constituent per month, that’s 333 man-hours per day of staff time. If you were successful and got 10% of constituents to engage this way, you’d need about 6 staffers per office to do nothing but. That’s a huge drain on resources.
@TCatInReality @StevenBeschloss
I’m fine with calling when it’s crunch time, and letting them know about major issues, and if there’s a particular issue I’m worried about I’ll call. I’ve done that with sidewalks at a local level and SCOTUS appointments at a higher level. But I’m not going to urge voters to be calling their legislators just to be someone who calls regularly. That’s not engagement, it’s just pestering.
@steveinashland @StevenBeschloss
If you can’t think of something your government is doing that impacts your life every 2 weeks or so, then don’t call. That would be pestering.
I have no trouble.
@TCatInReality @StevenBeschloss I can think of things government at various levels is doing that impacts me and mine daily.
That’s not a reason to be calling every time.
Choose your moments.
grenra_solarium@steveinashland @StevenBeschloss this makes sense
Laffy@StevenBeschloss My mantra for the past 24 hours. Thank you.
@StevenBeschloss
Exactly! There are still 25 (maybe 26 soon) states led by Republican governors who will continue to attack elections and voters. Dems need to expand voting in their 24 states and make efforts to protect those in Rep states.
Then there’s the House, where the far right will have complete control over McCarthy - and will attempt to break the government and economy.
RavenDragon@StevenBeschloss Agree, but we can at least exhale for a few minutes.
Dustin [BusySignal-KE2EFX]@StevenBeschloss people saying the "red wave that wasnt" werent paying attention to the numbers... it barely survived and there was a red wave and just because the red wave didnt win doesnt mean its not something very serious... NY did not really survive all around and the dem gov barely won.
peter4Cindy@dustinfinn @StevenBeschloss here in South Texas my county voted every Democrat out and replaced with right wing extremists, very troubling!!
InterstelarLA@StevenBeschloss we had a congressional seat in Ohio stolen by the fascists
Brian Grinter“To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
— Louis L'Amour
Adam G.@StevenBeschloss there can be no relaxing because the anti-democratic forces will not relent. I do not understand why a segment of our society wants an authoritarian government.
Patricia Abraham@adamgluckman @StevenBeschloss it’s baffling to sane people
YoungChillionaire🐙TSC1912
Μιχάλης 🇺🇸 🇬🇷 🇺🇦 ⚛@StevenBeschloss I live in Georgia, so there is more work to do in the immediate future. No rest for us.
@StevenBeschloss thank you for stating this! A lot of people think this over!
Janis@StevenBeschloss There's a self-special set of voters meeting at least weekly, with the carrot of moral superiority baiting the trap. There is no "secular" counterbalance. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/tnyradiohour/episodes/russell-moore-christian-nationalism
Nicola Leifker 🏳️⚧️@StevenBeschloss I once won a bet made in 1998 that W would be the next President of the US. If the prospects didn't horrify me so much, I would be making the same bet about DeSantis - because the circumstances feel similar, with a smarting defeat for Republicans, with Texas and Florida as their main bright spots. That is so very much a bad thing.
J🍩hn Fünk@StevenBeschloss I miss the days when it seemed like elections didn't matter as much, before LITERALLY EVERY election was the most important election of our lives, and DEMOCRACY ITSELF was existentially at stake.
But those days never really existed, did they?
LZVolk@StevenBeschloss @gregggonsalves Absolutely true. I heard too many “I’m so relieved!”s after midterms. The only reason NY state didn’t lose a Dem governor was NYC votes. Nearly all the state was red, voting for a Trump clone. This is not the time to let the guard down. And the Dem party needs to do a better job of connecting with people!
Will Robinson