What I will do in "these troubled times."

And what I will not.

Hey. How you doin’? Been quite a week here in these United States of America, leading up to our 248th “birthday.”

I wasn’t planning to write a newsletter this week, given the holiday, but after the 2024 Presidential “debate” last week, and the Supreme Court’s decisions this week, I decided I’d try to write one quickly.

What you should know about me:

1. I follow politics, probably more closely than most people, but I am not in politics. I may even know some people in politics, but I do not have in any way, shape or form influence over people in high places.

2. My personal circle is a big ol’ blue bubble. I live in a blue city in a blue county in a blue state, AND I’m lucky enough that my immediate family is on the same page. Most of the time I’m accessing the perspectives of people less liberal than I by going online.

3. I like to research things. I’m an old school “where’s your cite?” kind of Internet debater. I’m wonky. I don’t take things at face value, and I don’t interpret conversations with a friend or two to be even directionally relevant. not when it’s me and my friends and not when it’s you and yours.

4. My personal guiding principle has been, especially and explicitly since 2015: I’m here to be helpful, not to argue with strangers on the Internet.

So when I say here’s what I’m going to do, I truly mean it’s what I’m going to do. When I talk about what’s helping me stay sane, positive, or focused, that’s also exactly what I mean. Take what works for you, leave the rest, YMMV, and all that jazz.

What I’m going to do:

1. Accept the fact that I have the most (and perhaps only) control and agency over what I do. I am not involved in what Biden does or in what the Democratic Party decides to do. It’s a stretch to even believe I have any influence over those powers that be other than by my actions at the ballot box. 🗳️

2. I can have some influence over people I talk to or call or text or mail postcards to. But I’m not going to influence anyone by berating them or by flooding them with info (a common approach of the most left and most right factions). I’m not going to influence anyone by being super depressing and hopeless either. I’m not even sure we influence folks by terrifying them…sure, their response to being terrified might be to fight. but the response also might be to freeze or take flight. I’m not going to take that chance. 📩

3. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to make me either a) Not vote or b) Not vote for the Democratic party up and down the ballot. So nothing I consume, read, watch, or listen to is going to move me/induce me to change how or whether I vote. That means I don’t need to watch a bunch of stuff or read a bunch of stuff or listen to a bunch of stuff that’s going to upset me, depress me, enrage me, or otherwise be bad for my mental health. I have to ask myself (and urge you to ask yourself): Why are you watching/reading/listening if it’s not to help you decide what to think or do? Because there are lots of ways for me to look up info (like, say, what the President’s “core constitutional duties” are or what the data say about how Democrats actually feel about our current highly competent and qualified Vice President) without reading one more think piece by, in all likelihood, a white dude who isn’t actually more qualified to have a perspective than I am in way too many cases. It’s called “doomscrolling” for a reason. And it’s sort of like reading reviews of your performance. If you’re going to believe any opiner who agrees with you, why aren’t you believing those that don’t? Random thinkers and writers can’t give you the assurance and validation you are looking for. Don’t chase that high. 🤓

4. When I have helpful information (see guiding principle above) I will share it. I’m not going to invade random online spaces to share it. I will share it when it’s organic to a conversation where non-strangers are involved. I’m here to be helpful. My wonky deep dives into data can be helpful sometimes 🤷🏻‍♀️

5. Most of all, the one thing I think is worth pointing out on the regular is what I learned from the intro to

   Anand Giridharadas
   most recent book, The Persuaders. (And the intro is available as a sample.) It’s not that the Russian psyops efforts around the 2016 election were focused on electing P45* as their primary objective (although he was preferred to Clinton). Their primary objective was a) Sowing the seeds of divisiveness amongst the American people and b) What I call “voter depression” of key Democratic Party constituencies. In 2016 they focused on Black voters. Not necessarily getting them to vote for P45*, but getting them to not vote or to vote third party. I believe they will focus on the youth vote this year. Contrary to what you might be led to believe the young voters have been turning out very nicely ever since 2016…they are part of the recurring Blue Wave (or as I also like to point out the Blue Dykes that have held back a Red Wave). And they are the target this year. 👶🏻🌊

What I’m not going to do:

1. Per above, I’m not going to argue with strangers on the Internet. That doesn’t mean I will never engage…I am open to giving people the benefit of the doubt…once. But I’m not going to get pulled in to any lengthy argument between a bunch of people, including me, who aren’t experts and aren’t going to be able to DO anything about the topic of discussion. 😤

2. I’m not going to re-litigate the past. We all lived it. If you blame Hillary or RBG or Reagan (🙋🏻‍♀️) or Bernie or Ralph Nader or John Roberts today, no one is changing your mind, and more to the point…I don’t care. I don’t want to discuss.

3. I may feel down, but I’m not out. I am not giving up. Not on Biden, not on Harris, not on the Dems, not on the people. And my circle of regular blue/lean blue voters from across the country seems to be feeling the same. The one-two punch of the catastrophizing post-debate and the SCOTUS rulings seems to have riled people UP. (and gotten them to donate.) You love to see it. 🤑

To reiterate: More than anything, I will mos def VOTE. 🇺🇸

What are you going to do and not do?

That’s it for today. Until next time, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on any or all of the above. This is basically my blog now! And as always, I appreciate a share of Optionality and this newsletter.

Thanks for reading!

-E