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Resistance is NOT Futile*

Why is there resistance to President Trump, and what is driving it?

There is still tremendous shock that Trump won. The election outcome was completely unexpected. Many, including the Trump campaign itself judging from the transition, were unprepared. To the opposition, the Trump Presidency represents a fundamental threat to the things they believe in, including:
– the rights of women (including reproductive rights)
– the advances in rights and acceptance of LGBTQ citizens
– the progress made towards protecting the environment
– the increases in health care protection covering more and more citizens
– the future peace and prosperity of the world
– the vision of America as a diverse and welcoming nation to the world.

Each of these will be the topic of future blogs, but added together they represent the weight of concern that drives many to want to find a way to “save” these issues. It makes it a time of Resistance (much like the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements of fifty years ago). So how should the Resistance proceed?

In Trump world, while the “facts” may be malleable, getting “the cover, the lead, above the fold, breaking news” is ALWAYS important. During the election, it was a fundamental truth of the Trump campaign that any publicity is better than no publicity. The Trump use of Twitter reinforces that truth, and continues today. Here’s the list from Sunday morning (2/12).
live joint statement with Prime Minister Abe
– crackdown on illegal criminals
– 72% of refugees
– FAKE NEWS on CNN
– Two days of productive talks
– I know Mark Cuban
– Congratulations Stephen Miller.

He dominates the medium, and uses it to force mainstream media to respond. You might not like the topics or the results, but the strategy works.

So How Does The Resistance Respond?

First it is important to compete. Competition in the media means to consistently find a way to fight for coverage. Marches, protests, pressing Congress for responses (even if it’s from the Republicans) puts the Resistance in the news. But it’s not only the coverage that matters. It’s also the message – that there are a MAJORITY of Americans who are NOT represented by the current President (sorry Trump-World, but even in the lost election almost 3 million more folks voted against Trump and for Clinton). Not only does that demand attention, but it also may prove to be a modifying force. President Trump needs legislative, judicial, state and executive branch cooperation to get things done, and all of those individuals will be impacted by what goes on outside “Trump-World”.

Second, it is important to discuss what the future will look like. It is not just resistance to the current administration, it is planning to achieve the next administration. It is also planning to rebuild the Democratic party, moving it from its current inability to win state and local elections to a party that can compete at every level of the process. Rebuilding the Democratic Party is a better choice than starting over. The Democratic Party is a vessel – a structure that already exists. It’s difficult to get a “third party” on the ballot, the legal structures are designed for the two-party system. And, as the Trump campaign proved, parties can be taken over and changed!

While there will be a lot more to say about how to rebuild the Democratic Party, here’s just one example: Ohio is a “purple” state, it has supported Democratic Presidential candidates often. Even in the last election, it was very close. Yet almost every statewide office is controlled by the Republican Party (the two exceptions: Justice William O’Neil and Senator Sherrod Brown). The Democratic Party has ceded all power in the state and remains only a feeble opposition.

One difficult question that will arise will be: how will the remaining Democrats in power respond to the Trump Administration? Should they follow the Republican playbook of opposition at all costs, a strategy that proved to be very effective politically, but kept the country from progressing. Or should they cooperate when it benefits all interests, such as infrastructure, or even the Republican re-write of the Affordable Care Act (if they ever get around to doing it!)? What will the “Resistance” demand – and what price will they force “cooperative” Democrats to pay?

The McConnell led Republicans did a huge disservice to the Nation by refusing any cooperation with the Obama Administration. While it seems to have worked politically, it failed the basic test of Government – to serve the people. I hope the price of Resistance will not be that Democrats are forced into the same role.

Third, Resistance needs to be inclusive. It must include both Clinton Democrats and Sanders Democrats, and also those that could not support either. Soon there will be a lot of folks who voted for Trump disappointed in his Presidency: the Resistance needs to be open to them. They must not be excluded, they must be welcomed as they join in.

Fourth, Resistance must be sustained. This is not a short-term project, Resistance will be required through the 2020 election or even longer. This requires organization, and commitment. Will it work?

In 1964 Texas Democrat President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, breaking the Democratic Southern coalition. That move was a direct result of the civil rights movement. In the early 1970’s, Republican President Nixon began a slow process of moving out of Vietnam, a direct result of the pressure brought about by the anti-war movement. So movements of this kind work – Resistance is NOT Futile!!!!!

*(yes, besides being a snowflake, I’m a Trekkie as well!!!!!)

I’m Marty Dahlman. I spent most of my career teaching government, and a lot of my spare time working on politics (from local to national campaigns). In this age of “identification”, you can put my ideology in the Liberal column (I hate the new-speak “Progressive”) and politically in the Democratic party. Now you’ve got me categorized, it might be time to “turn me off”.   That’s what we do in this new political world: “turn off” any ideas that might conflict with our own: ideas that might pierce our little bubble.

But if you’re still here, I’d like to talk about the new world we live in: Trump-World.

As a Democrat I closely identify with what President Obama said during the campaign: that in the near past, both candidates for president might disagree, but both were actually qualified for the job. Is Donald Trump qualified for the job he holds now? And if not, then what might happen to us all?

Chaos Theory – the science of non-linear surprise events that are inter-connected and create unforeseen consequences.   Sounds like the first week of the Trump administration. From the travel ban (which sounds a lot like the promised “Muslim ban”) to the executive order to end the Affordable Care Act (more symbolic than real) to the now rumored executive order to “insure religious freedom” (and deny civil rights to those whose lives don’t pass the religious right’s litmus tests); the Trump administration seems to bump from one chaotic moment to another. It’s the same way the Trump campaign operated, and while it seems impossible, it’s the strategy that won the White House. I don’t think it’s an accident, there is intent to the constant “new issue”, the next “tweet” or pronouncement. And whether it’s factual or actual, it doesn’t even matter: it can be addressed by new “alternate facts” or constant modification of what was said or meant.

It’s a clear strategy – how many times can the New York Times say falsehood or dis-credited or even call a lie a lie, before we stop listening or stop believing anything. And when we do stop listening, the only “facts” we will hear are those from the administration. Besides, a large minority (those that voted for Trump) already believe that “alternative facts” are true, and aren’t interested in hearing anything else.

I’d say it’s time to take the camper and head up to Montana to hide out – wait, isn’t that where the “Breitbart” guys are??

So what happens next?

Spheres of influence – like orbits of planets around a sun, the Trump administration has set up, intentionally or not, spheres of influence. And while from my ideologic/political standpoint none of these guys comes close to representing me, there still may be some that are better than others.

Clearly the first sphere of influence (over Presidential decisions) is the Bannon/Flynn sphere. They have the President’s ear now, and Bannon represents the current instigator of Chaos Theory in Politics.   The “shock and awe” of the past ten days is thanks to his influence. Certainly the removal of the Director of Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff and their replacement by Bannon was a move to consolidate power. So to was the removal of the Presidential Daily Briefing authorship from Central Intelligence to the While House National Security office. As long as they hold sway, we can expect this constant drip of adrenalin and anxiety to continue (and the cheering of our “alt-right” friends.

The second sphere, and one that might offer some hope for a future that doesn’t feel “on the brink” at every tweet, is the “old GOP” sphere, represented by the Pence-Priebus-Ryan-McConnell constellation. They are the remainders of the conservative wing, with the same old tired conservative ideas of less government in business, more government in private lives, and let the rich get richer.

They have their own agenda, and as Trump’s administration moves to actually trying to pass legislation (as opposed to governing by executive order – say – isn’t that what they were so angry at Obama for?) they will gain more influence over the President.

The third sphere is the cabinet secretaries, particularly State, Defense and Homeland Security. General Mattis seems to be a consensus pick at Defense as does Kelly at Homeland Security, and while Tillerson doesn’t come from a background that thrills an old liberal Democrat, he does seem to have an air of competence and leadership that feels steadier than the current direction. As this administration ages, it will be interesting to see if it matures through the counsel of these secretaries, or if their influence is ignored. If that happens, expect that these men will make an early exit from the fray.

The fourth sphere is the Executive Branch of the United States. We’ve already seen some stand up: the firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates and ICE Director Daniel Ragsdale and the letter of dissent by the career State Department employees. These represent the top of the pyramid, but there are thousands (maybe millions) of employees, many of whom have a clear idea of what a “lawful” order is. This could be the “dark hole”, a constant force that is unrecognized and unseen.

And the final sphere: the Courts, with over eight hundred Obama appointees scattered throughout the country. They have been nurtured in an era of civil rights applying to all forms of human differences: they will not easily be persuaded to curtail those rights. And while a battle looms for the control of the Supreme Court (not this appointment as much as the next one); those judges stand as a counter-force to the loss of freedom and human dignity.

This is the “night sky” we see: all trying to gain influence over the actions of the nation. Whether there are “winners and losers”, or much more complicated interactions among the forces: this is the “chaos” that represents the Trump Administration.

“The Bowling Green Massacre”
“Hundreds of Terrorists Acts not covered”
only…”109 people were effected by the travel ban”
“If you were a Muslim, you could come in, if you were Christian, it was impossible”
“That was the largest audience to witness an Inauguration, period”
“Those were alternative facts”
For a more inclusive list – try here:
(http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/statements/)

LIAR LIAR LIAR

The Trump administration has taken “political spinning” to a whole new level. No longer is it about changing the subject, the famous “Kellyanne Pivot.” No, it’s different: if the Trump administration doesn’t like reality, they simply create a new reality, a new set of “alternate” facts. Some are arguable, most are outrageous, and a few are laughable (especially if you sell pizza in Bowling Green, Kentucky where the “massacre” pizza sales were on record pace!!).
As a believer in the American Republic, and a student of American History, this blatant alteration of reality is beyond belief. Why would any serious political organization determine that it’s “OK” to lie to the American people?

Why LIE?

Donald Trump’s most successful undertaking prior to running for President was the reality show, “the Apprentice.” In a reality show, producers create an artificial set of circumstances, and have “real” people interact within the fake situation. It made for successful television, and the principals have been applied to American politics where Trump (and his political producers) drove the narrative just as they did on the show. From “Tired Jeb” to “Lying Ted” to “Little Mario”, and finally “Crooked Hillary,” he was able to bring the political debate to territory where he could be successful. In the same way, he is trying to shape the current narrative by creating “facts” that aren’t factual.

Who BELIEVES?

In order to “fact-check” the Trump administration, you have to have something to measure against. The “media” (the fourth estate) is the main way that facts are checked. Rather than debate “facts,” the Trump administration simply changes reality. The media becomes “the dishonest media” who have their own agenda and cannot be trusted. To many who voted for Trump this is exactly what they want to hear: that the beliefs they have are backed by “facts,” and that those who say different are “liars” and “dishonest.” A reasonable political debate is based on a shared set of “facts,” abolish that basis, and reasonable debate simply turns into “I’m right, you’re wrong” Reality TV brought to Reality Politics. Trump maintains his political base (and his hold on the Republican legislators through the threat of that base to their survival) and reasoned discussion stops.
In addition, the Trump administration constantly puts out different versions of its own narrative. The Navy Seal Operation in Yemen is a good example: at first, a success with the gathering of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula intelligence with the unfortunate loss of an American Seal’s life, then a huge operation to capture on of Al Qaeda’s top leaders, then back to gathering information. All of this information (including that which was “leaked” to the media) comes from “inside” sources. Is the Trump administration so full of holes, or is this a concerted effort to confuse the issue in order to make all “facts” suspect? Which version to believe, if any?
If no one trusts the facts, then it’s impossible to have a debate, and that’s just what the “Reality Presidency” wants. No debate, just the insults and innuendo, where the Trump team excels. It puts them in charge.
The lies create chaos and confusion: who and what to believe. Confusion not just by the civilian observer, but also by the news media, who clearly are struggling to determine how to cover the chaos; what’s important, and what to believe among their myriad of White House sources. And as the Trump Administration leaks one thing then disavows it the next day, they further undermine the credibility of those trying to find “the truth.” The “chattering classes of New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC and San Francisco,” as (WH Deputy Ass’t and Breitbart alumni) Sebastian Gorka puts it, are made to look confused and foolish. This plays to the base of Trump supporters, and further divides the country: all to Trump’s advantage.

So what is the rest of the country supposed to do?

1. Hold fast to the “facts” that are actual facts. Don’t fall into the trap of allowing “alternate facts” to take hold as reality. Remember, the formula for Trumpian success is to establish the “rules” for his reality – pressing REAL reality onto that forces the administration to defend their “alternative.”

2. Chaos creates “the fog of war.” It is within the false reality of that “fog” that the Trump Administration operates. Don’t get distracted by the “alternate fact” of the day (whether it’s Ivanka’s clothing line or Trump’s latest “SEE YOU IN COURT” tweet). Cut to the important decisions and news that is underneath: Trump losing in court (and working on another plan), Trump talking to China (and agreeing to the “One China” policy).

3. Recognize the “Trump Plan” – and begin to counter-plan!!!

Next time – the beginning of the counter-plan