Hi, friends! I’m back in sunny Pittsburgh! AND I’m back doing research into how the average citizen can Be Most Democratically Helpful in 2024. (There’s…not a ton out there, which, I guess, indicates the importance of our work here!)

Unsurprisingly, my first couple of action steps are basically “prepare your brain and heart.” First, it was “get ready for a new care project.” If you haven’t read that, I hope you do.

Next up: find your motivation. Now, I think I’ve identified a pretty straightforward way for each of us to find and articulate a powerful, personal, and positive motivator for political involvement this year. Something better than hyperventilation.

Cathy saying ACK! ACK!!! ACK! AAACK!
(not politically or personally generative)

But. I realized today that my “how to find your motivation” essay rests on a series of assumptions.

It’s—bear with me!—kind of like one of those middle-school geometry proofs, where you have to accept a few assumptions in order for the conclusion to make sense. And I don’t want to whip out step 6 if we’re not all on the same page for steps 1 through 5.

If this were a mass-market pop-psychology book, I would spend five fluffy chapters Getting Us On the Same Page. But this is an action-oriented little group, so I want to skip any essay we don’t need.

SO.

Would you take a look at this lil set of assumptions? If any of these points doesn’t seem right or clear to you—if you don't say "YEP" to any of them—please let me know which (in the comments or IRL). My guess is that most of us are roughly on the same page. But you know what they say about assumptions!

Moira Rose gif: "Never assume, dear; it makes an ass out of both of us"

The Assumptions

  1. Most of us are feeling some amount of dread—i.e., fear—about the 2024 election. (Yes?)
  2. This fear is not unfounded; the MAGA movement is making detailed plans to override many democratic norms with autocratic norms, should it win major offices in November. Its leader is promising retribution for his opponents. (Are we together on the legitimacy of the threat? This is one I really don’t want to assume if we're not.)
  3. But. Fear—even legitimate fear—might be an effective short-term motivator but is not a healthy, pleasant, or effective long-term motivator. Having something to fight for is better than merely having something to fight against. (Right?)
  4. The healthy, pleasant, and effective alternative to fear-as-motivator is love-as-motivator. [This is extremely dorky, but we’re all confirmed dorks here.] (Yes?—even though it’s dorky and oh-so-earnest?)
  5. Not many of us feel love (or excitement, or hope, or what we felt in 2008, for example) for this year’s non-MAGA candidates…at least not enough to get us excitedly knockin’ on doors. (Right? Or are you Ridin’ for Biden?)

Let me know below whether you’re on board with all of these assumptions, or whether there’s one or more that need to be (ew, sorry) fleshed out.

(And then, a sneak peek. I think the actionable upshot of all of these assumptions is: We need to identify what we love about democracy, so we can work this year and beyond to protect and build it. More earnestness! Then our action will be framed and motivated by what we love about democracy, not what we hate or fear about MAGA. And I think I’ve got a tidy little way to find and articulate this motivation.)

K, let’s not make an ass out of both of us. Are 1 through 5 givens for you???

xoxo