We’re not helpless! Here are 10 ways to defend democracy

The right played the long game and won big this year. We can play the long game too.

Like many of you, I’m struggling to be realistic and optimistic at the same time in the wake of the brutal election results and the steady march of fascism.

There’s a saying that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. popularized: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I hope that’s true, but right now I don’t know where justice is bending. I just know I’m bent out of shape.

Yet it’s vital not to give in to despair. The other side – the sexist, racist side – was on the run after the Roe vs. Wade ruling and the election of Barack Obama. Did they give up? No. They came back and won, through determination … and dark money and propaganda and corruption and … well, the point is, they came back. And we can do so too. 

Which is not to say the next few years will be easy. They may be ghastly. People on TV speculate about a big Democratic comeback in the 2026 midterms. But I’m not convinced there will even be 2026 midterms, at least not fair ones. The Republicans have shown us what they’re capable of. I’m scared. But I’m not paralyzed by my fear, and I hope you’re not either.

Here’s my advice for the pro-democracy public and media in these coming tough times. 

5 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC

1. Hold onto your outrage. 

Trump’s horrible picks for key government positions are an attempt to wear us down. They want us to surrender our standards and accept the idea of sexual predators and hucksters running our government. The Matt Gaetz nomination for attorney general was a test. The fact that he had to withdraw was an indication that decency is not dead, even if it is gravely wounded. 

2. Be loud.

A lie told often and loudly becomes the truth in many people’s minds. So it’s important to repeat the facts over and over again. Elon Musk’s Twitter/X has given people a bad impression of social media, but there are other options, such as Bluesky. People need to make their opinions heard. It’s good for democracy.

3. Choose an issue and get going.

Electoral politics isn’t everything. You can contribute to a healthy society by picking an issue you care about and making a difference. Groups that help immigrants are in particular need right now. The Republicans want you to tune out and hide in your home. Don't. 

4. Think local.

An important step in the right wing’s road to power was winning local races and taking control of legislatures so they could gerrymander election maps to win congressional races. They translated local power into national power. A lot of cultural issues such as book banning play out on the local level. If you’re disheartened by your inability to elect a pro-democracy president, try electing a qualified person to your town council.

5. Support quality journalism. 

Yes, there is some excellent journalism left. If you’ve canceled your subscription to the Washington Post or Los Angeles Times over their cowardice in avoiding a Kamala Harris endorsement, direct that money to a quality nonprofit news source like ProPublica.

5 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE MEDIA

1. Don’t let the government hide the cruelty.

Trump and his collaborators will do everything possible to conceal the human toll of their actions. This will be especially true if the Trump regime puts huge numbers of immigrants in camps, as it has promised to do. The media must find creative ways to reach the victims and tell their stories. 

2. Don’t normalize.

Susie Wiles, Trump’s campaign chief and incoming White House chief of staff, describes herself as “a moderate on the political spectrum.” And some news outlets are buying it as if it’s centrist to support would-be dictator Trump. Many media outlets, including the supposedly liberal MSNBC, have also cited the selection of Marco Rubio for secretary of state as a reasonable and even “traditional” pick. Rubio did vote to certify the 2020 results, but this year – when he wanted to be Trump’s running mate – he spread lies about election fraud, including a claim from the debunked film “2000 Mules.” And Rubio seemed to apologize for his certification of the 2020 results, saying he did so “because, at that stage in the process, you have no options.”

Wiles and Rubio are not moderates or traditionalists. They are fascist enablers.

3. Don’t be slaves to access.

Perhaps some of the friendly treatment of Wiles comes from news outlets’ hopes that she’ll read their texts, answer their phone calls, and green-light their interviews with Trump. This thirst for access and fear of being frozen out may have prompted the humiliating make-nice visit to Mar-a-Lago by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” 

4. Don’t soft-pedal fascism.

When Trump abuses power, the media must say so directly. Don’t give it a candy coating. After Trump won by lying constantly and getting judges he appointed to stall his criminal cases, the New York Times credited him with “remarkable political grit and resilience.” Similarly, when the media use the word “conservative,” they paper over the fact that today’s Republican Party is not conserving anything. In fact, it’s a repudiation of longtime American values. Call it “right-wing.”

Beware of certain terms disappearing from news coverage. When major news outlets stop using words like “authoritarian” and “extreme,” you’ll know that the authoritarians and extremists have prevailed. Legitimate journalists must fight against that.

5. Don’t contribute to public amnesia.

A damaging issue for Trump four years ago was his bungling of the Covid crisis, but that failure was hardly mentioned this year. The misery of 2020 was such a non-issue that the right wing dared to ask: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” – even though four years ago we had a pandemic and mile-long food lines and social unrest over the murder of George Floyd and huge job losses.

Voters didn’t remember how bad it was, and the media rarely reminded them. Trump’s record should have been front-and-center in media coverage. It wasn’t. Even an event of historic proportions like the Jan. 6 coup attempt got short shrift.

Giving people the big picture – not just events in isolation – is a key duty of journalism. Do it.

AND FINALLY

For me, the first Trump term was a nightmare of doom-scrolling social media to keep up with the latest White House abomination. For Season 2, I’ll keep paying attention to the news but will try not to be consumed by it. It’s important to detox – to preserve our physical and mental health. For me, that means walking along Lake Michigan, listening to the music of the Decemberists, and admiring the paintings of Remedios Varo.

Find your joy. Stay hydrated. We can win in the end.