Dems and MAGA have to look within the media mirror: op-ed

Nobody likes to be informed to look within the mirror, as in, “This is at least partly your fault.” We prefer it even much less when it comes from somebody we don’t know. However that doesn’t imply it isn’t true. Killing messengers ensures solely that you simply’ll get much less info.

We’re now at a weird second in historical past after I discover myself agreeing with Marjorie Taylor Greene (on knowledge facilities and struggle funding) and when, alongside related however extra vital strains, Democrats and MAGA have to look in the identical mirror.

I’ll yell at Democrats first, partly as a result of that’s safer right here in Alabama, the place MAGA means majority and could be “even more MAGA” than somewhere else, and the place the state Democratic social gathering isn’t precisely a ruthless juggernaut.

For the reason that 2024 elections, I’ve misplaced rely of the interviews, articles, and armchair quarterbacks dissecting what the Dems did improper. “Their messaging was ineffective.” “They didn’t get the word out about their achievements.” “They’ve forgotten how to connect with working people.” “They’re too liberal” (look that phrase up, by the way in which), or the alternative, “They tacked too hard to the center and lost their fire.” “They brought spoons to gunfights and lost redistricting battles.” “They chose their presidential ticket without input from voters.”

A lot of that’s true. However right here’s the purpose so many consultants miss:

It doesn’t matter.

Positive, Democrats ought to handle these points. However they may’ve had one of the best messaging or the worst messaging, enormous coverage wins or no coverage wins, and for a tragically giant portion of the inhabitants, it wouldn’t have mattered.

I’m not saying that I’ve the magic system to burst the bubble, simply that as a longtime (aka “old”) wide-spectrum media observer who talks with all kinds of individuals, I acknowledge that it’s key. I’ve often seen it executed by billboards, candidates with stunning cross-demographic enchantment, progressives expert in education vacuous speaking heads, and reasonable Democrats who win in deep pink states like Alabama.

And earlier than anybody screams, “What about liberal media bias?” … One: sure, I already know that exists. Two: keep in mind I’m yelling at Democrats proper now for not greedy a central cause for his or her failures. Three: please search for the logical fallacy referred to as false equivalence. Simply because two shops are roughly equal in diploma of bias – let’s say Fox and MSNBC – that might not imply they’re equal in each different means, together with attain, accuracy, or total journalistic high quality. Bias and reliability will be measured and even displayed on the identical graph, which has two axes. Lastly, if you happen to truly screamed, I perceive nobody likes to be informed they’re bubble-wrapped, however please remember the fact that consuming media doesn’t make you an professional any greater than consuming bread makes you a baker.

Once more, there are outright hateful individuals amongst Trump supporters. There are even a couple of super-wealthy psychos who care solely about their taxes and portfolios, even when the whole lot outdoors their belongings goes to hell. These wealthy rationalizers are few in quantity however disproportionately influential on our media and politics. However all that being stated, strictly when it comes to numbers of voters, an admittedly inexact pie chart of Trump supporters – wherein the slices ought to in all probability overlap – appears one thing like this:

Dan Carsen’s interpretation of Trump help.Dan Carsen

Now that some anti-Trumpers are offended (as a result of I’m saying all Trumpers should not evil), and now that that essentially the most concrete-headed Trumpers who ignore even a sex-trafficking scandal that enraged MAGA for years are offended (as a result of I’m saying they’re misinformed, although I’m giving them the good thing about the doubt about not being innately hateful), let’s take one other onerous have a look at that media mirror and get much more offended:

If, primarily based on Trump’s sketchy reversal on the Epstein recordsdata and his clear makes an attempt at distraction, you’ve lastly realized that he appreciated ‘em young and constantly lies, even to you … Welcome to what more than half the country already knew. But far more importantly, think about how and why you ever believed him, despite so much evidence that you shouldn’t. That wasn’t by chance. It’s at the very least partly as a result of the very actual causes individuals detest and worry Trump, or would possibly even help his opponents, weren’t reported in your bubble.

If that also appears out-of-left-field and offensive, the media partitions round you could be extra like thick bolstered concrete and fewer like skinny, soapy, fleeting movie. And there’s one thing else you must know:

The very first thing cults and propagandists let you know is that everybody else is mendacity to you. And affirmation bias – after we discover and keep in mind what confirms our beliefs and ignore or neglect what contradicts them – is a strong, human factor. All of us do it, so all of us want to think twice about our media diets. Simply as with actual meals over a lifetime, we want high quality and we want selection. The consequences of homogenous junk meals and platform-spanning poison are all too actual. They’ve already acquired our democracy wobbling like a 250-year-old tree half-cut on the base with at the very least two weakened fundamental branches. We are able to nonetheless struggle to guard it, if we glance within the mirror and watch our diets.

Dan Carsen is a author, editor, trainer, and former journalist who needs us to agree on primary info so we are able to at the very least have clever arguments over what to do about them.