We Have To Talk About Authoritarianism
Make America Florida: State Legislatures Have Become Petri Dishes of White Christian Nationalism
QUICK READ: By validating extremists and normalizing lawlessness, Trump transformed the GOP into an illiberal, rightwing party opposed to democratic governing. Even worse, his authoritarian brand of politics has trickled down into their states throughout the nation. We must turn out a massive vote at the midterms to protect our democracy.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
BACKGROUND
According to historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, the “genius” of the Big Lie is that it allowed the cult of Trumpism to persist. Psychologically speaking, Donald Trump never left. Authoritarians do not leave office. They cannot.
By validating extremists and normalizing lawlessness, Trump transformed the GOP into a rightwing party. Trump Republicans mimic his authoritarian style of politics to win elections. Younger and smoother, understudies like Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis are turning statehouses and governor’s mansions into “laboratories of authoritarianism.”
Autocrats disenfranchise voters and manipulate elections. They permit no dissent and control the media. They divide people through fear.
A nation that once embraced gay marriage now floods statehouses with homophobic legislation. A country that elected Barack Obama now bans the study of our past, as if slavery and Jim Crow were mere “historical whoopsies.”
These dictatorial double-speakers proclaim Florida a refuge from the tyranny of mask mandates and vaccinations and declare new enemies daily: protesters, educators, parents, “groomers,” journalists, public health workers, and Biden, who must be impeached to complete this “autocratic capture.”
If we allow autocrats to convince us that our vote does not count, we lose.
We win when we flood the polls and convict the January 6th criminals.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump has turned the GOP into an authoritarian party and now it’s spreading to state legislatures all across the nation. I urge you to call out Trump-Republicans for their authoritarian agenda, and make sure that Americans know what Democrats have done and are trying to do to support and strengthen our freedom to vote, our freedom to be who we are, and demonstrate what Democrats and Biden have accomplished. We cannot lose this election to lies and thugs. Please help us protect the integrity of the vote and help us convict the criminals of January 6th.
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump has turned the GOP into an authoritarian party and now it’s spreading to state legislatures all across the nation. I urge you to call out Trump-Republicans for their authoritarian agenda, and make sure that Americans know what Democrats have done and are trying to do to support and strengthen our freedom to vote, our freedom to be who we are, and demonstrate what Democrats and Biden have accomplished. We cannot lose this election to lies and thugs. Please help us protect the integrity of the vote and help us convict the criminals of January 6th.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
Trump has turned the GOP into an authoritarian party and now it’s spreading to state legislatures all across the nation. I urge you to call out Trump-Republicans for their authoritarian agenda, and make sure that Americans know what Democrats have done and are trying to do to support and strengthen our freedom to vote, our freedom to be who we are, and demonstrate what Democrats and Biden have accomplished. We cannot lose this election to lies and thugs. Please help us protect the integrity of the vote and help us convict the criminals of January 6th.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump has turned the GOP into an authoritarian party and now it’s spreading to state legislatures all across the nation. I urge you to call out Trump-Republicans for their authoritarian agenda, and make sure that Americans know what Democrats have done and are trying to do to support and strengthen our freedom to vote, our freedom to be who we are, and demonstrate what Democrats and Biden have accomplished. We cannot lose this election to lies and thugs. Please help us protect the integrity of the vote and help us convict the criminals of January 6th.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump has turned the GOP into an authoritarian party and now it’s spreading to state legislatures all across the nation. I urge you to call out Trump-Republicans for their authoritarian agenda, and make sure that Americans know what Democrats have done and are trying to do to support and strengthen our freedom to vote, our freedom to be who we are, and demonstrate what Democrats and Biden have accomplished. We cannot lose this election to lies and thugs. Please help us protect the integrity of the vote and help us convict the criminals of January 6th.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump has turned the GOP into an authoritarian party and now it’s spreading to state legislatures all across the nation. I urge you to call out Trump-Republicans for their authoritarian agenda, and make sure that Americans know what Democrats have done and are trying to do to support and strengthen our freedom to vote, our freedom to be who we are, and demonstrate what Democrats and Biden have accomplished. We cannot lose this election to lies and thugs. Please help us protect the integrity of the vote and help us convict the criminals of January 6th.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump has turned the GOP into an authoritarian party and now it’s spreading to state legislatures all across the nation. I urge you to call out Trump-Republicans for their authoritarian agenda, and make sure that Americans know what Democrats have done and are trying to do to support and strengthen our freedom to vote, our freedom to be who we are, and demonstrate what Democrats and Biden have accomplished. We cannot lose this election to lies and thugs. Please help us protect the integrity of the vote and help us convict the criminals of January 6th.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump has turned the GOP into an authoritarian party and now it’s spreading to state legislatures all across the nation. I urge you to call out Trump-Republicans for their authoritarian agenda, and make sure that Americans know what Democrats have done and are trying to do to support and strengthen our freedom to vote, our freedom to be who we are, and demonstrate what Democrats and Biden have accomplished. We cannot lose this election to lies and thugs. Please help us protect the integrity of the vote and help us convict the criminals of January 6th.
ACTION 3: GOOD TROUBLE
GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.”
Find out more about Indivisible Oregon here.
TUESDAY 11:30am-12:30pm LETTER WRITING PARTY - INDIVISIBLE OREGON:
https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/442887/Fridays at 4 - Letter and Postcard Writing — Indivisible Oregon.
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday.
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by replacing retiring US Representative Peter DeFazio with another Democrat, replacing Democrat Kurt Schrader, the “Manchin of the House,” with a progressive, and electing a Democrat in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Demand that your primary news source stop creating false equivalencies and just report the truth.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
Rally inconsisent Democratic voters to vote in 2022 with Progressive Turnout Project | Feb, 2022 | Medium
FURTHER READING:
Ron DeSantis is turning Florida into his own mini-autocracy
The One Way History Shows Trump's Personality Cult Will End - POLITICO
Why is the 'Big Lie' proving so hard to dispel? : NPR
Jan. 6 Panel Wants Interviews With Brooks, Biggs, Jackson | HuffPost Latest News
Opinion | The new Republican statism - The Washington Post
Opinion | Jennifer Rubin live discussion - The Washington Post
heathercoxrichardson@substack.com “Letters from an American,” April 23, 2022.
