Why Talking Politics Is Good
Be the elephant you wish to see in the room
It’s always the elephant in the room. It’s on everyone’s mind, on the tip of all tongues, but no one wants to bring it up. The deadly topic of politics.
But I think we should talk about politics. To everyone you know, everyone you meet. Especially if there are young people in your house, or anywhere in your orbit. Never underestimate the power of your words.
I’m following election news with breathless attention, and I’m eager to talk about it. I’m excited about Kamala Harris, I want to tell everyone I meet. How about you? Great debate, huh? Have you heard about Project 2025?
But shhhh. Don’t bring up politics. Stay on safe and noncontroversial topics. Talk about the weather (but don’t mention climate change.)
Because, of course, if we talk about politics, we might just piss someone off. We could ruin a nice party, spoil a family get-together, irritate the neighbors. It’s true, I know—there’s a danger of turning people off, making them deaf to the message we want to convey. I tend to start ranting, and then wonder why people want to change the subject. No one wants to be backed into a corner and given a lecture.
But never underestimate the power of your words. In a poll conducted for the Economist, when asked who they trust for election information, Americans were much more likely to say “friends and family” than they were “poll results” or “news media.”
With the election looming only a few weeks away, there are still millions of Americans who aren’t paying attention. I get it, I remember the frantic days of being a working mom. People are busy paying bills and raising kids and holding down two jobs while trying to afford dog food. I’m so fortunate to have time these days to sit and read an article in the Washington Post and contemplate the nuances of policy. But most people get their political info in tiny bites: a remark from a family member or friend, an overheard conversation, a post on Instagram.
Being the introvert that I am, I do a lot of my talking on social media. You could say good grief, why bother, the Internet is overloaded with fearmongering idiots and angry kooks and dangerous misinformation. And you’d be right. But if I get completely off social media, I lose my chance to pipe up and get my two cents in. I leave it to the trolls to do all the talking.
Social media can connect fearmongering Nazis very effectively–but it can also connect reasonable people. I discovered the Environmental Voter Project on Facebook—they specialize in contacting people who are nature lovers but tend not to vote. I discovered Activate America’s amazing letter-writing campaign to swing states on Instagram.
And I post my own political opinions on social media. Not nasty cartoons and insults about orange Cheetos (tempting though that may be), but the good news, the positive stuff. Or something like Trump’s shameless exploitation of Arlington National Cemetery, that might resonate with more conservative voters. If friends and family see your posts on social media, there’s a possibility that they might listen. There’s a chance, however faint, that you could change some minds.
I’ve also decided to flaunt my colors, so to speak. I have a Harris for President sign in my yard. I live in an extremely red rural area, and there are an awful lot of Trump 2024 flags. One local house has a six-foot banner that says God, Guns, and Glory—I’m serious. My little sign is a lonely blue drop in a sea of red.
I also have a bumper sticker that says “Harris for President” on my car—I pasted it over the 2020 “Biden for President” sticker, which I pasted over the 2016 “Hillary for President” sticker. (I’ll really have to get a new car pretty soon.)
If by any chance you want to order a sign, here’s the link. (Twenty bucks, but it’s also a donation to the campaign.) And if you live in the Capital District of NYS, a great local organization called Progressive Schenectady is offering signs inexpensively: Email Schenectadydems@gmail.com.
It’s everyone’s personal decision, whether to talk politics or put up a yard sign or sport a bumper sticker or fly a rainbow flag or wear a T-shirt that says Cat Ladies for Harris. It can be scary in these angry times to let it be known where you stand, for sure. But I think there’s some safety in numbers. The more of us who fly our flags and post our signs, the more we normalize it, and the safer it will be.
Yes, sometimes it’s tempting to say, ah, it doesn’t matter, I can’t change anyone’s mind, we’re all so entrenched, what’s the point? But I think people of good will need to speak up. Speak up in any way we can. In today’s world, it can be an act of courage to click “like.” Or to wear a T-shirt or to ask a question.
Look that elephant in the eye.
Dear Friends,
Are you dreading the election of 2024 and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.
Every week I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.
Together, I think, we could really make a difference.
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”
--Noam Chomsky
