All interest is self-interest. If you think someone is voting against their self-interest, you can be sure that they’re not – you may just not understand their self-interest.
I grew up in rural Appalachia, the oldest of 4 children to a mother who genuinely worked a job and a half all my life. We were not “middle class,” we were poor. So poor that my mom refused to turn our heat on during the winter and instead told us to “get another blanket.” Now, we didn’t have it as bad as others, so I never felt poor. But looking back now – the only way my mom was able to afford the nice gifts she would give us from time to time was to go deeply into debt.
The world I grew up in was conservative, evangelical, and poor – so I was conservative, evangelical, and poor. Life was hard, and most folks felt in some way that they had been left behind. Jobs were few, and opportunities even fewer. Anybody that could get out did so, including me.
After I left my hometown I went to a conservative Christian college, was fervent in my evangelical zeal, lived with orphans in Russia for a year, and went on to be a pastor and leader in a large conservative denomination.
Now, I won’t go into detail about how I came to end up where I am – as the president of the progressive democrats here in NC, but you can imagine it was quite a metamorphosis. Along the way I founded multiple non-profits, served as a community organizer, picked up a Doctorate from Duke, and am now a police officer in Durham, NC. Yes, it’s a bizarre mix of experiences to say the least.
I say all of that to help you understand where I came from and things I’ve been involved with. I have spent a large portion of my life with conservative evangelicals. I know the way they think – how strong their culture is – and when their faith culture mixes with politics it’s a blend that is stronger than steel. And as I lived through this latest Democratic campaign it’s clear (at least to me) that we may not be focusing on what is going to get us to victory.
But first let me ask you this – have you ever tried to change someone’s mind? I mean, really tried to change their mind on some deep seated issue? Most people haven’t. Most people just get angry at one another when the other person doesn’t agree and leave the conversation – and maybe even cut them out of their life. As we know, a relationship between people who disagree on the fundamental ideals of life is very, very difficult.
And then what happens? Most of the time after we disagree with someone, we are quick to categorize both the person and their stance as idiotic, near-sighted, or otherwise “dangerous” to society, or democracy, or our way of life.
Psychologically, we may quickly turn a person from a three-dimensional being with a vast array of life experiences into a two-dimensional concept that is easier to hate. We do this to free ourselves of the responsibility of the relationship. This dehumanization allows the brain to turn someone into an enemy, making it much easier to dismiss them, or even hurt them, without a break in our own conscience. Almost everyone does this – it seems to be a evolutionary adapted behavior.
This is what politics is right now – dehumanizing, and scapegoating, from both sides to the other.
This is not just an unfortunate side effect of ideological division, it is a strategy that is strengthening Republicans and weakening Democrats. But why?
I think this began with the rise of the Tea Party Republicans in 2009 who took a unique pathway to get where they are today. They looked out upon the landscape of society and convinced the American people that we needed to fear “progress.” They planted the idea that progress was leading to the destruction of the most important element in their life – their culture. This strategy worked, leading to the rise of Donald Trump and to him becoming the Culture War’s greatest champion. Yes, Republicans before them dabbled in this idea but the Tea Party took it to its extreme.
Here’s why this is important: To most conservatives, their culture is the strongest force in their life. It’s what their life is built upon and built around. The tenets and ideals of the conservative Christian ideology do not simply represent a way of life, they are the bridge to which eternal salvation is reached. Do you understand this? The bridge to their eternal salvation. There’s absolutely nothing you can offer that’s stronger than that – no idea, no proof, no truth. Nothing. The brilliance of the Republicans was to take this culture, conservative Christianity, and to moralize social issues based on the precepts of this particular type of faith…to, in a sense, reverse engineer their ideology. Once a social issue is tied to the cross of Christian morality, it’s staying up there with Jesus. And you can be sure that you nor I can get it down.
Friends, this is a fight that the Democrats cannot, and will not, win.
The policies that Republicans support are representative of deeply-held cultural beliefs that align with a group of people whose entire identity is based on being in the “right” group – the one headed to Heaven. This is nothing new of course but the difference is that at this moment, this brand of Christianity is wounded and like an injured dog, it will attack anything it sees as a threat. When it comes to issues like women’s rights or public school funding, it often seems like Republican voters are voting against their own self-interest, right? Their women also need good care and their children need good schools. So why do they vote against these things? Against their self-interest? It’s because these “issues” pale in comparison to their true and deepest self-interest: preserving their way of life, their identity, their culture – and the culture of their community.
They are not only fighting this culture war – they are winning it. When I hear people say the “evangelical church is dying,” I balk. This is not true. At all. The truth is the evangelical church is growing stronger, and will continue to grow stronger, as it now has become a refuge for white young men who feel pushed out by liberal culture – men who feel accused of racism, misogyny, and generally discarded by society.
The propaganda machine of the evangelical church is now openly and boldly married to Republican ideology (not to Republican policy) and is a force that Democrats cannot contend with. We have no alternative equivalent in our arsenal that can match a weekly well polished sermon that appeals to the deepest soul satisfaction with concert level worship music that creates deep emotional attachment – oh, that also comes with childcare, meal trains, mom to mom support, friend groups for both men and women, and care for the elderly – all designed to do one thing: change a person’s ideological worldview towards the church’s. And when the church’s ideology is the same as the Republican ideology – they form a welded together piece of steel.
Fighting this head on is like sending in ground troops to fight advanced air power.
It’s a losing battle. No, it’s worse than that – fighting this battle head on not only brings inevitable defeat, but the very act of our straight ahead resistance strengthens our opponent. Winning fuels the propaganda machine of their self-proclaimed manifest destiny, growing their ranks and deepening their resolve.
I know this culture. I grew up in it. Many of “my people” are still living in this. And I’ve spent much of my life working to change their minds.
The only way to win is to not to fight…this battle, at least. We must fight another battle all together – seeking to flank their ranks with the only self-interest more powerful than one’s faith – money. To present another idea altogether, not attached to culture or faith: the economy.
For the life of me, I could not understand why we didn’t talk about this more in the past election. While many Americans are doing great economically, the reality is that a lot more of us aren’t. Many can’t afford to buy groceries, buy a home, and financially could not survive the need for a major car repair or a broken HVAC system. That’s how delicate the life of the American worker is right now – a blown engine could lead to homelessness. It may sound like hyperbole, but that’s where half the nation is right now.
Poll after poll all show the same thing – democrats losing the American worker, losing the poor, and losing the lower middle class. Meanwhile, other polls show that the majority of Americans are in favor of:
- Expanding Medicare;
- Increasing the Minimum Wage;
- Raising the cap on Social Security;
- Eliminating tax loopholes for wealthy Americans;
- Prohibiting corporations from buying single family homes;
- Taxing corporations on the profits they report to their boards instead of “after deductions”
- Making college more affordable;
- Eliminating medical debt;
We could go on and on.
This is the fight we can and will win as Democrats. It is understandable that we may feel trepidation over upsetting our billionaire donors, but in all frankness: I don’t care, and neither should you. I will never make one single political decision for the benefit of a billionaire or ultra wealthy or a special interest group. Period. They are just fine. My whole political life is dedicated to the American worker who is barely surviving in this economy and needs help, and whose children need help. Their future is in doubt, and we must ensure their economic flourishing for both now and the future.
If we do this, we’ll win. Faced between voting to keep one’s culture, or voting to feeding their children – people will vote to feed their children. It would not even be close. Abortion vs someone’s culture – they’ll choose their culture. Immigration vs. culture – culture will win again. But voting for their own economic benefit vs. their culture – economics will win every time.
In framing the issues this way, we can change people’s minds. When we show people that we care about their economic future, they feel cared for. When we give them the tools to survive and thrive, they understand that they matter, that their future matters – and that opens people up to change.
So, here are my 3 suggestions:
- Stop calling people names. We have to stop putting people down. All of it. We have to stop calling the people “on the other side” anything derogatory. Stop calling them fascists, stop calling them racists, stop calling them “christian nationalists,” stop calling them stupid or garbage or degenerates, stop saying “America is not the nation we thought it was” in our self-righteous tone of voice or anything else like this. In the sports world we call this “bulletin board material” – it’s the stuff that our opponents cut out and put up in their locker room for their team’s motivation, an example of “you see – this is what they think of you.” Stop. All of it. It doesn’t help us one bit. Not one ounce. It only serves to give them more power, and strategically we need to stop giving them anything that they can use against us. Honestly, we need to go further than just changing our language – we need to change the way we view people who disagree with us. It is crucial that we begin to see them as fellow Americans who are trying to do the best that they can with limited resources, instead of being morally repugnant. We must not allow our emotions to get in the way of our strategy. Now this doesn’t mean we need to be soft. We can be strong and stand for what we stand for. We can fight for people who are being oppressed. Bernie was angry and grumpy and people loved him because he was fighting for the people. But he doesn’t call people names.
- Focus on the economy. That’s it. Focus on helping the average American worker and the working poor economically. In every situation and at every question, as Bernie responds, “I believe the American people want to talk about Medicare for All.” Yes. At every turn and every question we turn everything back to how our economic policy benefits the American worker. $25,000 for buying a home was a nice gesture but it isn’t enough when people are faced with mortgages that are twice what they can afford. $25k is not enough when the whole system is broken. We need substantial economic reform in America – the American economy is designed to make the wealthy wealthier and the poor poorer. Let’s fight that battle. Let’s go after the fundamental aspects of economic life in America and turn the tide toward the American worker. Let’s take their side. Let’s show up at their events and respect their struggles, and fight both with them and for them. Let’s stop thinking that we are entitled to people’s votes or fundraising money, and get our asses out on the street with people who are hurting. Let’s fight the forces of economics that are standing in the way of most Americans, ensuring that they are able to live a life of flourishing with a sure economic future.
- Frame everything else in terms of Freedom. Let’s become the party of freedom. I can’t understand why we are shy about this, because we already are the party of freedom. Let’s not be ashamed of being Americans. This is the greatest nation on earth and can be even better. We are fighting for women to have freedom over their bodies, for the LGBTQ community to have freedom over their bodies and protection for their liberty and happiness, for the Palestinians in Gaza to have the freedom to live and not be murdered, for all to live in an environment that doesn’t heat up to the point of ending human life altogether. America is the nation of freedom, and we should represent exactly that. Fly the flag, wear the flag pins, let’s be the party of American Freedom. Yes, this will mean we need to step back from some other restrictions we have historically stood for (like guns) and that’s ok – because what we win in the trenches empowers us for wins in Congress. And at least for me, stopping genocide, providing healthcare for women, protecting the environment, and ensuring protection for oppressed people groups is more important than legislating guns. If we go for the latter we’ll have no chance at getting any of the former, and legislating guns is an unwinnable battle at this point – that ship has sailed. It may return one day but, for now, its sunk costs. It’s a strategic move to let it be for now – even if that’s hard to swallow.
This is how we win. This is how we bypass the faith based ideological machine the Republicans currently hold. It’s presenting another parallel idea, a stronger idea – the only stronger idea to them. Time after time, by moving the conversation to economics I found an opening for long time conservative evangelicals. It’s how I changed people’s minds. I opened them up to something that conservatives refused to apply to their faith – the Bible’s economic commands to help the poor. If evangelicals took Jesus’ teachings on economics seriously then they’d have to abandon their whole way of doing church – so they can’t and won’t. And because they won’t incorporate economics in their faith – it’s the side door that is unprotected that we can enter through.
However, this is about more than winning – this is the right thing to do. This is justice. This is fighting for equality. History has shown us time and time again: when large amounts of working class people are struggling economically and desperate this lays the foundation for a rise in violence, hatred, and exclusion. Fascism rose in Europe exactly because people were hurting and desperate economically. Working for economic peace for the working class is peace for us all.
Fighting for a better economy will not only usher in peace but will leave us in charge of cultural policy – removing the power of our opponents. In war terms, this strategy cuts off our opponent’s water supply from within.
As Luke Bretherton says, “Politics is the public negotiation of how we care for a society.” And public negotiation is not just at the legislative table – it starts in the hearts and minds of society. What we want is to show the people a new possibility – a new way to move forward – of how we can change people’s lives for the better. Not for just the few, but for all. That progress does not mean losing their culture but it means a better economic situation for them. We want to cast the vision of a world where their economic flourishing is not only possible, but probable. In the end, the possibility of economic flourishing is more powerful than any culture war could ever be and in the self-interest of us all.
NC Progressives 