Why This is the Way
Smart Politics asks us to do the one thing most of us avoid: Talk with Trump supporters.
When we write these pieces, we often try to keep them “evergreen” – that is, someone can read them months or years from now and they’ll still feel relevant to the moment.
Unfortunately, I fear I can use this lead now and it will likely still feel horribly fresh in six months or a year:
I know everything feels chaotic and terrifying right now, and many of us progressives, liberals, and Democrats are feeling scared, angry, and unsure what we can do. We despair that nothing can stop Trump and Musk from destroying American democracy.
But I promise there’s good news; one action that can help:
Having empathetic and respectful conversations with friends, family, and even strangers who voted for Trump can be the most effective and persuasive path to real, lasting change.
Not only can this work help others change their minds, but doing it—taking any small steps in the face of despair—can go a long way to alleviating our own feelings of fear and helplessness.
You may have questions and doubts about whether personal conversations are effective or if they’re the best course of action right now. You may not feel you could or even should do it. You may support the notion in theory but feel far too emotionally strung out and angry right now to try it. You may want to be a better, bigger person when it comes to talking with Trump supporters but aren’t sure how.
I get all that, but I also believe those are all starting points from which each of us can take small, steady steps forward. I do believe this is the best way to save American democracy in the long-term, and I believe many of us can do more than we think we can (or want) to do. Smart Politics teaches us how.
For specifics on HOW we have these conversations, see The Smart Politics Toolbox
When I share what Smart Politics does and why I believe in it, I usually fall back on one of three “Elevator Pitches,” each of them hopefully appealing to different folks with different goals and mindsets. All you need to do is pick the one that resonates deepest and appeals most to your personal beliefs and resources:
THE PRAGMATIC POLITICAL PITCH
One-to-one conversations with folks on the other side of the vote are the most effective way to advance our progressive political agenda.
We’re all-too familiar with how elections have gone for and against us in the past decade—even when we win, it’s by narrow margins that don’t allow much transformative policy change and are easily reversed a few years later by backlash movements. If we want to enact long-term and long-lasting progressive policies, we not only need a progressive-minded president, progressive majorities in Congress, and progressive-friendly governors, state legislatures, local school boards, and county commissions, but we also need a lowering of negative partisanship and political polarization that allows all officials on all sides to work together.
To do that, to get those votes and win those elections and legislative battles, we need an American populace that is overall at least more open to hearing about progressive beliefs and initiatives. And the best way to persuade non-progressive voters to hear out or support our ideas, candidates, and progressive legislation is through conversational connection, not condemnation. Cutting them out, blocking them, calling them names, and banishing them from our lives only pushes them further in non-progressive directions. If we want to win more and achieve more, we need to listen more and speak more productively.
And yes, this approach works in the specific as well. Want to convince “price of eggs” Trump voters of the constitutional dangers of Musk and DOGE? Want to talk to MAGA folks turned off by Trump’s crazed imperial foreign-policy whims? Want Republicans to urge their congress people to oppose unqualified cabinet nominations? Smart Politics conversations help you achieve all those persuasive goals more effectively.
THE BROKEN RELATIONSHIP PITCH
Politics have hurt many personal relationships with friends or family members, but more compassionate and empathetic conversations can help repair some of the damage and reconnect people.
Maybe your deep and genuine fears and anger about what’s happening in our country have led you to give up on and ostracize friends and family who voted for Trump. Maybe you feel that’s the only way you can protect yourself and your mental health.
That’s understandable, and everyone’s dynamic is different, but if you want to change your situation and rebuild relationships with parents, children, siblings, or friends, Smart Politics can help. Plus, as a bonus, talking with friends and family is one of the most effective ways to lower the temp and encourage real progressive change.
And finally, the loftiest of my Elevator Pitches:
THE IDEALISTIC “BETTER HUMANS” PITCH
Specific policies and political parties aside, we all want to live in a more compassionate, caring, and safer world.
Yes, this is the “Kumbaya, hold hands and sing in a circle” part of the pitch. But whatever our politics, spirituality, morality, or civic creeds, most of us are working along the moral universe’s long arc toward greater justice, peace, and happiness. We do this not just because it’s politically effective or personally beneficial, but because we believe in building a better, more compassionate future for our shared society and humanity.
That means reaching out and connecting with all people, not just those on our side. We must try, as reformed white-supremist gang leader Christian Picciolini says, to offer compassion to those we feel are least deserving of it.
If any of those three pitches resonate with you, welcome aboard Smart Politics--we’re thrilled to have you!
All that said, I know you probably have questions and even objections to all this, and in coming pieces we hope to address some of those, including:
Are we expected to have conversations with people who claim to hate or even want to hurt us for who we are?
Does having conversations mean capitulating, surrendering our progressive values, or having to agree with policies and beliefs we oppose?
Isn’t it impossible to do this work when we’re so scared and angry with Trump, Musk, and the GOP leadership and pundit class?
Isn’t it pointless trying to talk with Trump voters? After three elections, aren’t they too uninformed, misinformed, and way too far gone in the cult?
(Spoilers: The answer to all those questions is a hearty “No!”)
In the meantime, any of these links will give you more information about our organization and its work:
Sign up for our weekly Zoom calls where we learn, support, encourage, motivate, and practice: https://forms.gle/XB9uw5rtzub5RF3e9
Have questions? Thoughts?
Locke Peterseim is the Smart Politics Content Manager.
Maybe we should stop thinking of them as Trump voters, or MAGA voters, and think about them as our fellow Americans who have a shared set of problems to solve.
Finding those problems ("common ground") might be considered part of the "work."
I had created a pdf about this many years ago, uploaded it to the files section in the FB group, but it looks like someone took it upon themselves to prune the many useful files that had been in the FB group, including that one, but not that one alone.
Here's some common problems... and right now, I'm starting a #DOTDHarmsRedStates hashtag on my timeline. I include in those posts how we (those of us in blue states) do not wish red states harm. (I guess I could amplify that to, harm to them is harm to our Great country, and we're in this together! )
Not to mention the Buddhist (I think) idea -- that we are all connected.
Thank you for addressing these issues. I look forward to more help and tips.