re-posted from this morning’s New Republic email. When you’re right, you’re right. Item one: Ever since Richard Nixon used the phrase, it’s been a Republican thing. But the Republicans are the extremists now, and the Silent Majority isn’t what it was in 1969.
You know what pisses me off, Tom? The Air Force veteran had only $7,000 to the $570,000 for the magat. What the hell, are the DCCC and DNC collecting millions of dollars for? Kool Aid? Why aren't they helping Democrats? I quit donating to them after the 2022 election when they gave a whole bunch of money to the MAGA candidate claiming he'd be easier to beat in November, guess who won in November? The MAGAt - and I think that was in Ohio too. Dissolve those damned committees and put in some people who actually WANT to elect Democrats.
Fay and Gail, agreed. The money is probably better spent sending directly to the candidates, especially the ones in your local down ballot races. But also check out Force Multiplier. https://www.forcemultiplierus.org/copy-of-about-fm They do the research and look for candidates to promote who a) could use the money and b) actually have a good chance of winning. They have a pretty good track record and include Simon Rosenberg among their fans.
I don't donate to any of the national Dem groups -- and six years as an officer in my local Dem group only doubled my determination not to donate to the national Dem groups, or my state party either. The local group was and is fine, but the more I learned about the hidebound party structure? Yecchh. I donate to candidates and to groups that are working effectively on the ground to elect good candidates. My mantra for years has been "All the stellar elected officials are Democrats -- but some Democrats are downright mediocre."
The DCCC and DNC send their money to 'consultants' who spend their time telling each other which polls to read. Like you, I donate to candidates and organizations like Blue Missouri who act as aggregators and distribute what they collect to state level Democratic legislative candidates who are running against normally unopposed Republicans.
This is brilliant: "They’re not all liberal. But they definitely support abortion rights. They’re not rushing to join trans rights groups. But they want people to be treated with empathy and tolerance. They’re not reading gender-bending young adult fiction. But they recoil against censorship. They’re not socialists. But they want the government to do more for working- and middle-class people. They’re not Earth Firsters. But they believe climate change is real. They may still tell pollsters they’re wary of "big government." But new interstates and bridges, and airport expansions, and new light-rail tracks, and expanded broadband access? They’re great with all that." I don't know if this is right, but it really does *feel* right.
Good piece. It is a reminder to me that there are serious/thoughtful voters out there, probably a lot more than we think. They may not spend as much time reading and writing our opinions and outrage as those of us here might and probably get their political information soley from MSM and conversations with people and sources they trust. They don't fit a binary or category in some polling. Probably don't fit some demographic or party choice either. They have wants, experiences, values, and issues that are deeply held and digest news for how those needs are addressed by institutions, local government, schools, churches, and the promises of aspiring candidates and, hopefully, results from all of the above. They vote in their own image, with their family or clan needs carried into the booth and, perhaps, some mix of hope, fear, anger, and a perspective about how government should serve them. Some may be deeply reflective and well versed, some shallower and more naive, and some just going with most recent flow or opinion or facts or breaking news stories. They inconveniently, for our political prognostications, don't fit some predictable behavioral class. They're doing the work of democracy, the best way they can, despite how confusing all this happens to be. Perhaps, we shouldn't underestimate the cultural intelligence of the American electorate.
This is an excellent concept. I live in NJ which is a blue state but I often feel that I am surrounded by MAGA Trumpers. A big reason is because they are so loud and quick to broadcast their political opinions. So they drown out everyone (like me) who does not feel it is appropriate to steer every conversation to politics and grievance or inject it into every setting. Just last night I was sitting in a sports bar and the guy at the next table started ranting aloud about Biden being unable to climb stairs. Engaging in that kind of unserious nonsense is not my style, so I end up simmering in silence. But it is not hard to despair at how numerous they appear to be, when in fact it is mostly just how loud they are.
It is heartening to remember that the pro-Trump coalition may be able to shout louder, but they can’t outnumber those of us who crave decency, humanity and tolerance in society and expect it from our politicians. Not sure if ‘silent’ is the right word, but quiet probably is. Powerfully quiet.
Nixon and another felon, Spiro Agnew, were using this term, back then. At the time, I was a young man in the Navy on my way to Vietnam. I was stupid to think that was correct then. However, unlike, George W Bush, you can't fool me twice!
I like the way he ended this: "I would love to see the Democrats run with this idea that they are the new Silent Majority. It would infuriate the Republicans, who have assumed for 50 years that it is they who represent "regular America." But with their slavish embrace of a sexual assaulting, classified document stealing, insurrection leading, twice impeached, quadruply indicted, and once (so far) convicted felon, they have waved goodbye to all that. They’re a noisy minority, and they’re alienating Americans by the millions."
I realize that I live in my own little "bubble," so my perspective is biased. I have eliminated or blocked the one or two (literally one or two) persons that I still allow in my FB world whose allegiance to MAGA sometimes spills over into my universe. I don't respond. I simply block their post or "snooze" them for 30 days. They get no coverage from me or my friends. All this is to say, I KNOW that I am part of a silent - I hope MAJORITY - because I am a subscriber to six substacks, all of which have hundreds if not thousands of like-minded individuals. On each of those substacks are many individuals who are active in various grassroots organizations. I can't put a Steve K. number to this grassroots effort, but I feel its power, energy, and hope. And it is, for the most part "silent." I am hoping that this massive resistance to a felonious convicted criminal and his cult followers will indeed prove to be that blue tsunami we long for in November. We're like water. We're pretty quiet for the most part, but when push comes to shove, you do NOT want to be standing near the dam when it breaks.
Thanks for this, TC. It is an interesting thought about the Silent Majority…. I do wonder how my cop cohort (who I thought would be the “Silent Majority”) are instead flaming MAGAts. I guess that propaganda Kool-Ade is mighty tasty.
Could be the reason we got Trump to begin with was neither party really gave a shit about the “silent majority”, and that left an opening for someone perceived as an “outsider.”
For sure. That’s a parallel problem of doing what the donors, who “pay” you millions, want you to do. We only fool ourselves by thinking these are not bipartisan issues.
Good for you. This is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach voters. When we used it 50 years ago as "Dear Friend," studies had shown that people were70% more likely to read a personally-written card than than they were a mailer.
a very old friend of mine was editing the then-new "New York Observer" around 1990 and started to publish the very young, very talented Mike Tomasky around then. I spoke to him a few times about doing an investigative story on the Medicaid Mill in which I was working. he made a few calls, but it developed that the clinic was sort of unofficially "protected." Mike was very impressive then and has only gotten better. and better.
his most recent stuff is very passionate and has been completely uncompromising in its systematic take-down of TFF.
I read Tomasky's column earlier and liked it, but I'm not wild about the attempt to reclaim "silent majority." "Silent majority" was a brilliant, brilliant turn of phrase: They're silent, so you can't prove or disprove anything said about them -- and as soon as they open their mouths, they're not silent anymore. But it's so deeply associated with Nixon, Agnew, and their sorry ilk that we really need a better way to describe what's going on now.
I think of them as "roadsiders", those who aren't in the band or the parade but watch it, often in feigned jollity because everything is spectacle and pulled out of a world that's not theirs. Sure, they know the usual marching songs and see the pretty local girls with batons and riding on the floats, and they wave at the lines of older folks in vet group uniforms bearing flags and marching (sort of) , but all roadsiders can do is hoist the grandkids up to see things, hold their dripping ice cream cones for them while they retie their sneakers, and load the folding chairs back in the SUV when the final festooned old Continental carrying their city treasurer rolls by. Then they return to their lives which will continue on their same weary trajectories, and they'll think of not bothering next year. Better to just stay home and clean the gutters because being a roadsider means you're not included, and while the parade moves on, you don't.
I think that's part of it, but I suspect that quite a few of them aren't even watching the parade. Politics is distant thunder to them, sort of like a TV series that they're not all that interested in -- the characters are interchangeable and they can't figure out the plot if there is one. At most it's on in the background. Then an issue comes flying out of the background that connects to them in some way, often because some clever politicians or interest groups are laying the connection out A->B->C. The Civil Rights & Voting Rights Acts of the mid-60s woke up white racists. Roe v. Wade woke up Catholics, evangelicals, and everyone freaked out about women's liberation. In the late 70s Wayne LaPierre woke up the NRA and pretty soon everyone knew that "they" were coming to get your guns.
Notice how in all those cases it was the right that was waking people -- generally conservative white people -- up?? And look how all those awakenings fed into the election of Ronald Reagan? Finally it's the white liberals who are waking up (I hope!) and going "Wow! These right-wingers are serious!" About effing time. I hope it's not too late.
No doubt you're correct in your assessment, especially about issues"coming flying out of the background." A flying fish in the face usually does get folks' attention. And that's all about messaging, something the libs have not been good at. We need new media of types that are unexpected. Notes in fortune cookies, skywriters, blimps, town criers, dog walkers for Dems (sandwich board beagles-- because cats just won't go for it), etc. In October put out that big basket of Halloween candy with a sign that says "HELP YOURSELF and US children by voting for Democrats." Conventional media has already been captured by the CEOs.
"They’re not all liberal. But they definitely support abortion rights. They’re not rushing to join trans rights groups. But they want people to be treated with empathy and tolerance. They’re not reading gender-bending young adult fiction. But they recoil against censorship. They’re not socialists. But they want the government to do more for working- and middle-class people. They’re not Earth Firsters. But they believe climate change is real. They may still tell pollsters they’re wary of "big government." But new interstates and bridges, and airport expansions, and new light-rail tracks, and expanded broadband access? They’re great with all that."
I hope Mr. Tomasky is correct. But no one can wait for someone or something to miraculously save our democracy, imperfect as it is, from the predation of magat and all the organizations shouting their plans from the shadows. They won't need the orange cheato. It will take millions voting for every Democrat including President Biden to hold this crowd of criminals back. Day by day we must all do our best to keep building and strengthening democracy despite our own or other's silence. Never give up. That's what the right wing aka fascist crowd is counting on....that and civic stupidity in the form of 3rd party candidates and political cynicism.
A really good view of the actual average American that tallies with mine and keeps me from the despair so many people find in the polls and the hatemongering.
You know what pisses me off, Tom? The Air Force veteran had only $7,000 to the $570,000 for the magat. What the hell, are the DCCC and DNC collecting millions of dollars for? Kool Aid? Why aren't they helping Democrats? I quit donating to them after the 2022 election when they gave a whole bunch of money to the MAGA candidate claiming he'd be easier to beat in November, guess who won in November? The MAGAt - and I think that was in Ohio too. Dissolve those damned committees and put in some people who actually WANT to elect Democrats.
Fay, after years of contributing to Emily’s List I stopped. My dollars do more to support my local candidates, regardless of sex.
Agreed.
Fay and Gail, agreed. The money is probably better spent sending directly to the candidates, especially the ones in your local down ballot races. But also check out Force Multiplier. https://www.forcemultiplierus.org/copy-of-about-fm They do the research and look for candidates to promote who a) could use the money and b) actually have a good chance of winning. They have a pretty good track record and include Simon Rosenberg among their fans.
I admire Force Multiplier but they seem to be targeting people who have a lot more $$$ than I do. I wish them well!
I don't donate to any of the national Dem groups -- and six years as an officer in my local Dem group only doubled my determination not to donate to the national Dem groups, or my state party either. The local group was and is fine, but the more I learned about the hidebound party structure? Yecchh. I donate to candidates and to groups that are working effectively on the ground to elect good candidates. My mantra for years has been "All the stellar elected officials are Democrats -- but some Democrats are downright mediocre."
We are in agreement Susanna
The DCCC and DNC send their money to 'consultants' who spend their time telling each other which polls to read. Like you, I donate to candidates and organizations like Blue Missouri who act as aggregators and distribute what they collect to state level Democratic legislative candidates who are running against normally unopposed Republicans.
Thank you, Dave. I agree with you all the way
Thanks Fay.
This is brilliant: "They’re not all liberal. But they definitely support abortion rights. They’re not rushing to join trans rights groups. But they want people to be treated with empathy and tolerance. They’re not reading gender-bending young adult fiction. But they recoil against censorship. They’re not socialists. But they want the government to do more for working- and middle-class people. They’re not Earth Firsters. But they believe climate change is real. They may still tell pollsters they’re wary of "big government." But new interstates and bridges, and airport expansions, and new light-rail tracks, and expanded broadband access? They’re great with all that." I don't know if this is right, but it really does *feel* right.
Good piece. It is a reminder to me that there are serious/thoughtful voters out there, probably a lot more than we think. They may not spend as much time reading and writing our opinions and outrage as those of us here might and probably get their political information soley from MSM and conversations with people and sources they trust. They don't fit a binary or category in some polling. Probably don't fit some demographic or party choice either. They have wants, experiences, values, and issues that are deeply held and digest news for how those needs are addressed by institutions, local government, schools, churches, and the promises of aspiring candidates and, hopefully, results from all of the above. They vote in their own image, with their family or clan needs carried into the booth and, perhaps, some mix of hope, fear, anger, and a perspective about how government should serve them. Some may be deeply reflective and well versed, some shallower and more naive, and some just going with most recent flow or opinion or facts or breaking news stories. They inconveniently, for our political prognostications, don't fit some predictable behavioral class. They're doing the work of democracy, the best way they can, despite how confusing all this happens to be. Perhaps, we shouldn't underestimate the cultural intelligence of the American electorate.
I agree.
This is an excellent concept. I live in NJ which is a blue state but I often feel that I am surrounded by MAGA Trumpers. A big reason is because they are so loud and quick to broadcast their political opinions. So they drown out everyone (like me) who does not feel it is appropriate to steer every conversation to politics and grievance or inject it into every setting. Just last night I was sitting in a sports bar and the guy at the next table started ranting aloud about Biden being unable to climb stairs. Engaging in that kind of unserious nonsense is not my style, so I end up simmering in silence. But it is not hard to despair at how numerous they appear to be, when in fact it is mostly just how loud they are.
It is heartening to remember that the pro-Trump coalition may be able to shout louder, but they can’t outnumber those of us who crave decency, humanity and tolerance in society and expect it from our politicians. Not sure if ‘silent’ is the right word, but quiet probably is. Powerfully quiet.
Nixon and another felon, Spiro Agnew, were using this term, back then. At the time, I was a young man in the Navy on my way to Vietnam. I was stupid to think that was correct then. However, unlike, George W Bush, you can't fool me twice!
Welcome, fellow squid!
Shipmate, Thank you for the greetings. However, I was not a squid, I was a Gator, served on five[5] different Gator Freighters!
Yeah I knew you guys back in the day.
I like the way he ended this: "I would love to see the Democrats run with this idea that they are the new Silent Majority. It would infuriate the Republicans, who have assumed for 50 years that it is they who represent "regular America." But with their slavish embrace of a sexual assaulting, classified document stealing, insurrection leading, twice impeached, quadruply indicted, and once (so far) convicted felon, they have waved goodbye to all that. They’re a noisy minority, and they’re alienating Americans by the millions."
I realize that I live in my own little "bubble," so my perspective is biased. I have eliminated or blocked the one or two (literally one or two) persons that I still allow in my FB world whose allegiance to MAGA sometimes spills over into my universe. I don't respond. I simply block their post or "snooze" them for 30 days. They get no coverage from me or my friends. All this is to say, I KNOW that I am part of a silent - I hope MAJORITY - because I am a subscriber to six substacks, all of which have hundreds if not thousands of like-minded individuals. On each of those substacks are many individuals who are active in various grassroots organizations. I can't put a Steve K. number to this grassroots effort, but I feel its power, energy, and hope. And it is, for the most part "silent." I am hoping that this massive resistance to a felonious convicted criminal and his cult followers will indeed prove to be that blue tsunami we long for in November. We're like water. We're pretty quiet for the most part, but when push comes to shove, you do NOT want to be standing near the dam when it breaks.
Love the dam break, reminds me of the Dylan song "The Levee's gonna break." We are the rain.
Thanks for this, TC. It is an interesting thought about the Silent Majority…. I do wonder how my cop cohort (who I thought would be the “Silent Majority”) are instead flaming MAGAts. I guess that propaganda Kool-Ade is mighty tasty.
Could be the reason we got Trump to begin with was neither party really gave a shit about the “silent majority”, and that left an opening for someone perceived as an “outsider.”
There's certainly a strong likelihood.
One hopes that the President's team will wake up and figure this out.
It’s would take a philosophical sea change on their part. Unfortunately however, they are intent on sailing the complete opposite direction.
And there is a certain strong tendency, if one is paying millions of dollars to a consultant, to do what they say you should.
For sure. That’s a parallel problem of doing what the donors, who “pay” you millions, want you to do. We only fool ourselves by thinking these are not bipartisan issues.
Absolutely true.
Bravo, TC!
Sign me up for the new Silent Majority.
But don't be "silent." Take action. You don't have to say anything to write postcards. :-)
Okay, sir! I signed up to write postcards.
Good for you. This is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach voters. When we used it 50 years ago as "Dear Friend," studies had shown that people were70% more likely to read a personally-written card than than they were a mailer.
That’s very encouraging. I’m engaged in it now.
a very old friend of mine was editing the then-new "New York Observer" around 1990 and started to publish the very young, very talented Mike Tomasky around then. I spoke to him a few times about doing an investigative story on the Medicaid Mill in which I was working. he made a few calls, but it developed that the clinic was sort of unofficially "protected." Mike was very impressive then and has only gotten better. and better.
his most recent stuff is very passionate and has been completely uncompromising in its systematic take-down of TFF.
Great contribution this morning from Michael Tomasky that I would have missed. Thank you for sharing TC!
Encouraging. Thanks.
I read Tomasky's column earlier and liked it, but I'm not wild about the attempt to reclaim "silent majority." "Silent majority" was a brilliant, brilliant turn of phrase: They're silent, so you can't prove or disprove anything said about them -- and as soon as they open their mouths, they're not silent anymore. But it's so deeply associated with Nixon, Agnew, and their sorry ilk that we really need a better way to describe what's going on now.
I think of them as "roadsiders", those who aren't in the band or the parade but watch it, often in feigned jollity because everything is spectacle and pulled out of a world that's not theirs. Sure, they know the usual marching songs and see the pretty local girls with batons and riding on the floats, and they wave at the lines of older folks in vet group uniforms bearing flags and marching (sort of) , but all roadsiders can do is hoist the grandkids up to see things, hold their dripping ice cream cones for them while they retie their sneakers, and load the folding chairs back in the SUV when the final festooned old Continental carrying their city treasurer rolls by. Then they return to their lives which will continue on their same weary trajectories, and they'll think of not bothering next year. Better to just stay home and clean the gutters because being a roadsider means you're not included, and while the parade moves on, you don't.
I think that's part of it, but I suspect that quite a few of them aren't even watching the parade. Politics is distant thunder to them, sort of like a TV series that they're not all that interested in -- the characters are interchangeable and they can't figure out the plot if there is one. At most it's on in the background. Then an issue comes flying out of the background that connects to them in some way, often because some clever politicians or interest groups are laying the connection out A->B->C. The Civil Rights & Voting Rights Acts of the mid-60s woke up white racists. Roe v. Wade woke up Catholics, evangelicals, and everyone freaked out about women's liberation. In the late 70s Wayne LaPierre woke up the NRA and pretty soon everyone knew that "they" were coming to get your guns.
Notice how in all those cases it was the right that was waking people -- generally conservative white people -- up?? And look how all those awakenings fed into the election of Ronald Reagan? Finally it's the white liberals who are waking up (I hope!) and going "Wow! These right-wingers are serious!" About effing time. I hope it's not too late.
No doubt you're correct in your assessment, especially about issues"coming flying out of the background." A flying fish in the face usually does get folks' attention. And that's all about messaging, something the libs have not been good at. We need new media of types that are unexpected. Notes in fortune cookies, skywriters, blimps, town criers, dog walkers for Dems (sandwich board beagles-- because cats just won't go for it), etc. In October put out that big basket of Halloween candy with a sign that says "HELP YOURSELF and US children by voting for Democrats." Conventional media has already been captured by the CEOs.
I'm gonna try to talk my malamute into wearing a sign. It's not all that different from a harness or a dog backpack!
Love it and I think he’s exactly right!
"They’re not all liberal. But they definitely support abortion rights. They’re not rushing to join trans rights groups. But they want people to be treated with empathy and tolerance. They’re not reading gender-bending young adult fiction. But they recoil against censorship. They’re not socialists. But they want the government to do more for working- and middle-class people. They’re not Earth Firsters. But they believe climate change is real. They may still tell pollsters they’re wary of "big government." But new interstates and bridges, and airport expansions, and new light-rail tracks, and expanded broadband access? They’re great with all that."
I hope Mr. Tomasky is correct. But no one can wait for someone or something to miraculously save our democracy, imperfect as it is, from the predation of magat and all the organizations shouting their plans from the shadows. They won't need the orange cheato. It will take millions voting for every Democrat including President Biden to hold this crowd of criminals back. Day by day we must all do our best to keep building and strengthening democracy despite our own or other's silence. Never give up. That's what the right wing aka fascist crowd is counting on....that and civic stupidity in the form of 3rd party candidates and political cynicism.
Here's to the Quiet Americans, who get on with what needs doing. Building, repairing, and voting for everything the noisy ones are trying to break.
Fabulous, Tom! Thanks so much.
A really good view of the actual average American that tallies with mine and keeps me from the despair so many people find in the polls and the hatemongering.