In 2016, nobody, including Trump, expected him to win. This time, we know the election is a coin flip, and we might lose. In addition, we have no illusions about the quality of the man who will be our next president. The next four years will be awful; the only question is whether it will be first term awful, or fascist awful.
Here is how we need to respond:
- DON’T BLAME THE ELECTORATE: About half of the GOP, and a quarter of the electorate, genuinely wants to burn down American liberal democracy. The rest is voting for the economy of 2019. They may be deluded, but they’re not evil. They will turn on Trump when he fails.
- PICK YOUR BATTLES CAREFULLY: There are some things we won’t be able to change. For example, support for Ukraine will be over, and the criminal cases against Trump will disappear. Don’t waste energy on these issues; just prepare to pick up the pieces when the nightmare ends.
- MAKE TRUMP WEAR HIS FAILURES: Trump will probably start his term as the most unpopular president in American history. His tariffs and his deportation scheme will make matters worse with the element of the population that just wants him to wave his imaginary magic wand and make inflation disappear. Give his failures the maximum degree of publicity and drive his numbers down even further. The rest of the GOP will take notice.
- BE COMPLETELY PEACEFUL: The fascist element of the GOP will be looking for a Reichstag fire. Don’t give them what they want. Discipline is essential.
- BE BRAVE WHEN NECESSARY: It is possible that Trump will order troops to fire on peaceful protesters, and that the military will follow those orders. If it happens, don’t be deterred. Freedom comes with a price tag, after all.