Democracy hinges on hope
After a long hiatus, I'm back on Substack to kick off this critical presidential election year with a dose of much needed hope.
It feels like I was just standing at my whiteboard breaking down the Democratic primary debates in 2020. Yet here we are, less than two weeks away from the Iowa caucuses, the official start of an even more tumultuous election cycle in 2024. And although the outcome of the primaries feels mostly pre-baked (yes, it’s going to be a Biden vs. Trump rematch), we have a way of making these affairs as anxiety producing as possible.
As the panic about a possible second Trump term creeps in, I am getting a standard question even more often than usual… “How do you stay hopeful?”. Whether it’s in my DM’s or on podcasts, people are desperately looking for a hack to maintain optimism in a noisy world that cuts down positivity wherever it can.
My answer now is the same as always: it’s my civic duty. Democracy hinges on hope. If you don’t have faith that the future can be better (even the slimmest, most stubborn belief in the back of your mind) then the great experiment of American democracy has failed. I, for one, will not let democracy die on my watch. So I march forward armed with stories of activists and leaders from previous generations and a fresh determination to overcome the mammoth challenges ahead and push democracy forward.
Hope is not gifted, it must be cultivated. We expand or diminish our capacity for hope with the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and how the world works. External systems like news businesses and social media algorithms provide an endless source of stories to feed your cynicism. It is the water we all swim in and it’s a tough current to fight against. I see much of my purpose as providing counter programming— tactical tips to break out of the cynicism trap and a philosophical perspective on how to better our world through optimistic activism.
This past week I took a swing at the former when I shared my top five tips to manage the stress that comes with an unpredictable and high stakes election year:
Don’t watch TV news. Read newsletters instead. It’s pretty obvious that the 24 hour news cycle is bad for our mental health. I strongly recommend subscribing to one or two newsletters which will give you more information in 4-5 minutes than an hour of cable news. My top recommendation is Axios (subscribe here).
Repeat after me: polls are not predictive. Polling is probably more accurate than most people think. For example, the NYT/Siena poll had its best performance in a generation in 2022. But somewhat accurately capturing public opinion at a particular moment in time does not correlate with predicting unforeseeable events like pandemics, wars, and economic swings. Leave the polls to the campaign strategists to deal with.
Unfollow tabloid-like accounts on social media. This is the one that could get me in trouble but I believe it wholeheartedly. If an account is posting consistently about the wild behavior of Marjorie Taylor Greene and the Trump family, that is someone looking for clicks - not engaging in intelligent discourse. Don’t let yourself get addicted to the drama. Politics should not feel like a Housewives franchise.
Watch elections in your state, not just the presidential. No matter where you live, you have important elections happening in your state this year. If you want to turn down the temperature and focus on the issues that matter, then those are the elections to watch. Look for close state legislative and school board races in your local papers.
When you’re feeling stressed, DO something. The best way to feel less helpless is by taking action. And there are no shortage of options - write postcards with Vote FWD, talk to your neighbors with Indivisible, join a local Democratic club, and of course you can always make a highly impactful donation through Oath.
My goal is to use this Substack throughout 2024 to share more of the stories that help me maintain my hope and lift up opportunities for you to take impactful action. I may also share updates on building Oath as the best platform for strategic giving. If there are political headlines or campaign developments that raise your stress levels, please write to me and I will do my best to add some commentary here or on my new podcast.
Being optimistic in our world is an act of rebellion. Make some good trouble today!