Distraction, Echo Chambers, and Missing the Overall

The Devil's Fork of American Politics

Author’s Note: On Sunday, we lost President Jimmy Carter, aged 100. If you ever spent a day with Habitat for Humanity as part of a school trip or community program, you were part of his legacy. Jimmy Carter was the epitome of family, faith and country. We were better for having him. May his memory serve as a guide.

This coming Friday, the 119th Congress will open, returning full legislative control to the Republican Party. The following Monday, January 6th, Vice President Kamala Harris will preside over the official Electoral Vote count, providing the peaceful transfer of power she and President Joe Biden were denied four years ago. A short two weeks after that, on January 20th, Donald John Trump will be sworn in again; ushering in an uglier, more concentrated version of American Carnage.

Though Trump entered the political scene almost a decade ago, America’s political elite, media, and chattering class still haven’t learned the lessons of all those years. After all this time, too many people are still playing the game on Trump’s terms.

Swinging Gaetz

Former Congressman Matt Gaetz is a dirtbag. This isn’t a revelation after his time in office and in the public eye. The House Ethics Committee’s decision to release its report on his misdeeds served as a reminder of his amorality and potential illegal acts. The text messages are damning and disgusting. His predatory behavior toward underage girls is unconscionable. None of it is surprising.

However, Gaetz will not be the US Attorney General. He is no longer a congressman. He’s now simply an out of work creep, plotting his next move, perhaps as Florida’s governor. He no longer has any bearing on what happens in Washington, DC or within the Trump administration.

The ink and airtime spent on Gaetz only serves Trump and his cronies. He is a distraction. Click-bait, too. If screaming about him and his unacceptable behavior makes the online echochamber feel better, fine, but let’s not linger under the illusion that it matters.

It is easy, yes, to call out Matt Gaetz. To what end? Does anyone think he cares what the world thinks of him? The voters in Florida’s 1st Congressional District never seemed to. Given that 74 million Americans elected a man of similar depravity, Donald Trump, it’s unlikely many of them care about Gaetz, either.

H1-B or Not To Be

While most of the country was spending time with family, catching up with friends, or serving their community, Elon Musk and Vivek Rameswamy set social media alight with their support of H1-B visas; Musk vowing to “go to war” to support their continunace. For reference, here’s a definition:

“The H-1B visa program allows 65,000 highly skilled workers to immigrate to the US each year to fill specific jobs and grants another 20,000 visas to such workers who have received an advanced degree in the US.”

MAGA faithful were unhappy are unhappy with this stance, as they don’t want immigration of any kind, legal or otherwise. Trump, weighing in, voiced his support for the program. This should not surprise anyone who’s been paying attention.

The commentariat declared this the beginning of the MAGA self-immolation that a) very well may happen b) might derail some of Trump’s plans c) is to be expected with this roster of ugliness and amorality.

Reminder: The only people MAGA hates more than you and me, are each other.

While it is fun to see the MAGAs attack each other, remember that the #Project2025 goons are happy for the distraction. This is all noise. The people around Trump that will actually do the worst are well down the road on their planning.

Neither Musk nor Vivek will ever be government employees. The “Department of Government Efficiency” is a figment of Elon’s Ketamine-fired imagination. Trump is happy to have them on the outside, carrying on, scaring the hell out of people, while Russ Vought and the other true architects of American nationalism get about their business.

As far as Musk’s threats to primary disloyal members of the US House and Senate, Trump and his White House crew don’t care about that, either. First, Musk has to make good on the threats. Second, Project 2025 is predicated on a vast expansion and deployment of executive authority; Congressional approval is the cherry on top, not the sundae itself.

Wind Sprints Into A Brick Wall

The next four years haven’t started yet. The amount of empty anger and energy being unleashed is both unsustainable and exhausting. Just as you wouldn’t run an hour of wind sprints before running a marathon, it is important to save one’s batteries and sanity for the work to come.

There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of smart, dedicated activists, commentators, and creators that enjoy millions of followers, readers, and subscribers. Now isn’t the time to waste breath on things that won’t make a damned bit of difference, but preparing for the days to come. America’s problems won’t be solved inside the Beltway. The path back to sanity and a new American normal will start in cities, towns, and counties across the country.

A New Year and New Era Demand A New Perspective

“Reed, it sounds like you’re giving up.”

Not at all. I’ve been at this a long, long time. I’ve learned a lot, too.

First and foremost: What’s exciting people on social media (especially during vacation season) has little-to-no bearing on the lives of otherwise normal Americans. I’m not sure how many more times we have to learn the lessons of ignoring what voters care about before we’ve let the schoolhouse burn down.

Here is the prism by which I’m trying to judge the incoming Trump asylum: Does the average voter care one wit about what is happening on the front page of The New York Times, Politico or any cable news channel? Does the outrage have an effect; make a real difference, in how someone lives their life? If the answer is no, we’re talking about the wrong things to the wrong people.

A quick survey of several newspapers’ homepages bears this out.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is dominated by the Green Bay Packers and Jimmy Carter.

The Detroit Free-Press is focused on the Detroit Lions’ Week 18 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings and Carter’s passing.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is running with the Eagles, Jimmy Carter, and other local sports story. Will Bunch’s column on Trump’s Greenland insanity is 3/4 of the way down the page.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, not surprisingly, is completely dedicated to President Jimmy Carter’s life and legacy. Past that, the top links include a story about lottery winners, damage from a recent storm, and the fight over Georgia’s Medicaid contract (policy-wise, this one is important.)

“But Reed, aren’t you’re giving Trump a pass to do whatever he wants?”

Again, not at all. Most of what he has proposed as part of his program enjoys little support among the majority of the country. To impact policy and politics, talking to one another does nothing. Creating new conversations and communities out in the states, where trusted voices and peers can carry messages and news is crucial to defending the Repubic these next four years.

I’m under no illusion about what Donald Trump’s next presidency means for the US, for our fellow citizens, and for the world at large. Playing his game again, though, is not the answer. He’s built up a wall of sycophants, judges, and billionaires to feel invulnerable. Therefore we must begin our work at the other end of the spectrum: On the ground where Trump’s worst instincts will have the worst impact. If we’re not convincing citizens, all day, every day, we’re not doing our jobs.

News and Notes:

In the wake of President Jimmy Carter’s passing, I hope you’ll check out his book, Camelot’s End, about the 1980 Democratic primary fight (featuring upstart Ted Kennedy) by journalist (and terrific human) Jon Ward.