5 Ways YOU Can Defeat Trump in 2018
It’s important to remember: we’ve been here before.
Okay, maybe not here here, with such a lying, petulant, and overtly racist Tweeter in Chief commanding a spineless majority of ‘party-first’ Republicans to precisely nowhere — but believe it or not, our great democracy has been on greater brinks before.
In 1861, for example, then-President and noted asshole James Buchanan pushed the Supreme Court’s decision in the infamous Dred Scott v. Sanford case that paved the way for an expansion of slavery at a time when the country was voraciously divided by it. Then, Buchanan’s indifference to Southern secession divided the Democratic party, sparked a massive recession, and led to the Civil War that claimed 620,000 lives and multiplied the nation’s debt by 4,100% — the ramifications of which, in many ways, we’re still paying for.
So, we’re not quite there yet. In fact, for all you activists and optimists out there, we’re just one year into a disastrous Trumpian term that’s been stifled at every turn by resistance. The marching, the protesting, the calling, the organizing… ‘People power’ proved itself time and again in 2017, both with efforts squashed (ie. travel bans and ACA repeals) and grounds gained (ie. Virginia Governor’s race/state legislature and Doug Jones).
Now it’s 2018 and we’re ten months away from the best opportunity we’ll have to take our country back: the almighty Midterms.
As anyone reading a political op-ed will surely know, midterm elections are usually a who’s snooze of American politics. Our embarrassingly-low 60% turnout in Presidential years drops to a depressingly-low 40% in midterms. Whether it’s the result of ideology shifts (possible), voter fatigue (probable), or a general lack of education as to the importance of state and Congressional powers (ding-ding-ding!), we are — historically — our own defeatists.
But there are few things worth considering as we enter this cycle, like how it is usually the party in power that loses seats during midterms (yay!), how that party’s current majority is pretty slim (thank God), how its leader’s popularity is historically low (38%) and how that is sparking qualifiable momentum (see: last week’s special election win in Wisconsin).
Bottom line: we can’t let off the gas. Getting a blue majority in Congress this year is the surefirest way to stop Trump’s ‘legislative agenda’ (if we believe he has one) and curb his power. So whether you’ve been in this fight yet or not, here they are: 5 Ways YOU Can Defeat Trump in 2018, broken down by the ways that suit you best.
1. FOR THE PASSIONATE: VOLUNTEER!
Whether you like to make calls, knock on doors, or apply your specific skillset to the cause, Swing Left is amassing an army of volunteers to engage voters in over 70 ‘swing’ districts and get them, you know, voting (we only need to win 28). This is a particularly worthwhile way to spend some free time if you live in a ‘safe’ district. Plus you’ll meet other cute volunteers who share your worldviews. Win-win. (Visit SwingLeft.org to sign up and get started.)
2. FOR THE BUSY: DONATE!
It’s okay if you work a job, raise kids, or generally don’t like to ‘do’ things… there are plenty of progressive candidates who want to do things for you. But they need help. If it’s too early to know who you want to support in 2018, consider making modest, monthly donations to It Starts Today — which splits all donations evenly amongst all of this year’s democratic candidates. Or, if that seems a bit broad and you want to support someone specific, do a bit more research using Ballotpedia — which tracks all primary races and candidates — to find the races and candidates most worthy of your hard-earned moolah. (Visit Contribute.ItStarts.Today to donate and/or Ballotpedia.org to do some research.)
3. FOR THE CONNECTED: RECRUIT!
Did you know that only 50% of young people voted in 2016? Ok, smarty pants, but do you know why? The biggest reason: they’re not registered. Then even if they are, they’re often not dialed-in to the process. Well, the good pioneers at TurboVote have taken a big step toward solving that problem. Their 60-second signup helps register new voters (or confirm current ones), then remind them of election deets as the day draws near (ie. who/what is on the ballot and when/where they’ll cast it). If you haven’t done it yourself, use this link and try it! Then text, email, or post that link to your socials, where all your young friends can find it. Empowering young, new voters fuels democracy. And here’s a fun fact: most of them vote blue when they do. (TurboVote.org)
4. FOR THE ANGRY: PROTEST!
Protests — when done well — work. Before Black Lives Matter started shouting and shutting freeways in 2014, how much media attention was being paid to police brutality? Before millions showed up for last year’s Women’s March, how many felt safe enough to share their #metoo and start working together to topple the patriarchy? Beyond the truly big movements, protest can also be an effective tool in the fights against poor policy — as was evidenced when stormed airports stopped a racist travel ban — and candidates — like that time a bunch of Handmaids took over a Roy Moore rally. There is inarguable strength in numbers — and the good folks behind the Resistance Calendar make it easy for you to find the big, upcoming protests in your area. Just type in your zip code and see what’s being organized. Keep tabs on Twitter and Facebook, too, and keep showing up! (ResistanceCalendar.org)
5. FOR THE ORGANIZED: ORGANIZE!
Are you a motivated self-starter who wants to fight in your own way — or better yet, one who wants to organize your community to join you? Check out Indivisible, which has become so many things since it was launched just over a year ago by a bunch of smart D.C.-staffers who want to empower you. You can find a group in your area already working on the problems you care about or learn how to start your own group with their guidance and resources. (Indivisible.org)
Of course, nothing is stopping anyone from tackling more than one of these strategies at once. After all, a democracy is at its strongest when its people claim it. So by all means, go nuts and do everything you can to make 2018 the tipping point. A grateful nation awaits you!
Have other suggestions or want to share your stories? Leave a comment below and let us hear them!