At this point it's time to prepare for a Trump presidency.
Turn off MSNBC and think about a post-election plan to shift the discourse.
In 2016, I took a news writing gig at the website Raw Story, scheduled for the morning after the election. I thought it’d be the chillest work shift ever. “Heh heh. 'I’ll just write an easy post or two about Hillary Clinton’s Inevitable “Historic victory” and go home. “Easy money!”
….
***
I went to see my friends in Baltimore this week. The first thing I noticed on the train heading into the city was a giant “Free Palestine” mural. Not janky graffiti, like you see in New York here and there, but a big, city-sanctioned “Free Palestine!” sign.
In 2017, the city took down a statue of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. But they kept the base—a reminder that it’s also unwise to bury and forget history. So “A purpose … So Great!” remains inscribed in the stone. The statue is covered in Free Gaza signs. A large Palestinian flag sits at the base.
Baltimore is 60 percent Black. I have no proof that the display was created by dependable Black voters and not some college kids cracked-out on TikTok.1 But the fact that it’s been allowed to stay there, in this historic space, must mean something about sentiments in the city. I also saw a giant Palestinian flag and free Gaza signs hanging in a working-class Black neighborhood.
Joe Biden is not just losing young people. He’s not just losing Arab and Muslim voters (anecdotally, Muslims I know say that they do not have a single family member that will vote for Biden, like they did in 2020). He’s losing Black voters.
There’s always a lack of certainty about how how influential young voters are since they don’t show up to vote in numbers that match their passion for online posting. And Muslims are a minority as a voting bloc. But he’s losing Black voters. And not just young ACAB types. Churchgoers. Churchgoers skew older so they’re reliable on election day. Church is an institution that roots people in a sense of community and shared purpose and has the organizational capacity to mobilize voters.
A few days ago the New York Times reported:
Black Pastors Pressure Biden to Call for a Cease-Fire in Gaza
More than 1,000 Black pastors representing hundreds of thousands of congregants nationwide have issued the demand. In sit-down meetings with White House officials, and through open letters and advertisements, ministers have made a moral case for President Biden and his administration to press Israel to stop its offensive operations in Gaza, which have killed thousands of civilians. They are also calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas and an end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.
The effort at persuasion also carries a political warning, detailed in interviews with a dozen Black faith leaders and their allies. Many of their parishioners, these pastors said, are so dismayed by the president’s posture toward the war that their support for his re-election bid could be imperiled.
Any cracks in the ordinarily rock-solid foundation of Black support for Mr. Biden, and for Democrats nationally, could be of enormous significance in November.
Yes, that “enormous significance” is that the world will be subjected to another Trump Hell term. I don’t ever hope that someone just drop dead, but …
Last time, only Michael Moore predicted a Trump victory. This time, we all know it’s possible, and, at this point probable. So what’s the plan?
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Substance to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.