Ezra Klein wrote today of “a more-important-than-it-might-look controversy that has burst out over the leftist streamer Hasan Piker.”
I wrote, then deleted, two thousand words on the topic. Instead, I want to share this:
There is a debate on what messages can best repair a Democratic brand that’s gone toxic with too many swing voters: communicate popular mainstream messages to voters, especially swing voters (“popularism”) or go to ideological extremes to fire up the base.
But this argument, unfolding in upscale media outlets and online, is relatively low stakes because Democratic message discipline is not available at the party level.
If message discipline were possible at the party level — if there were a Board Chair for The Democrats, Inc. who could approve a multi-year strategic plan enforceable for a range of party actors (from candidates to advocacy groups to media outlets) — then this debate might be worthwhile. But no such structure exists.
…
While enforcing message discipline on high-profile far-left leaders is impossible, the good news is that pragmatic Democrats focused on winning swing districts can achieve message discipline (focused on popular issues) at the faction level.
The “popularism debate” is a waste of time. Even if it is possible to win, there is no payoff — the benefits accrue to those who organize.
We don’t need better facts, we just need to organize.
We wrote this exactly four years ago, in our April 10, 2022 newsletter.
318 people got it by email. It gained 52 more subscribers, a record at the time (thanks to a laudatory tweet from Matthew Yglesias).
Two years later, more than 318 people were gathered *together in person* for the first WelcomeFest. And then it doubled in year two.
My natural instinct is to write 2,000 words about Hasan Piker. To argue on the internet.
There is some value there. We can’t have zero people explaining how “going on a show” is different than “campaigning with” someone. It would be bad if no one pointed out that hyping the nasty in your own base is different than bridge-building into the opposite tent.
But as an individual1, and as a faction, every 1 unit of energy spent arguing should be paired with 10 units of organizing. Party-level message discipline is not available - there is no “Democrats should do X” button to push.
But faction-level community building is available, and it can get things moving. But only when you get involved!
Here are a few things you can do:
Join us on June 3 for WelcomeFest III: Building to Win - registration now open for our readers
We have more fellowship-type opportunities than ever before, so drop a line with interest or recommendations
Spread the word on Investing to Win to make sure dollars go where they’re needed most
For anyone who needs the 101 on how Democrats can win again, it’s always a good time to share Deciding to Win
And please, share this newsletter to get likeminded people in the game
It is so tempting to debate for the sake of it.
We are four years into preaching organizing. And we still have to repeat it to ourselves because, like most worthwhile things, it takes more effort to build community than to get sucked into a screen (there is someone in your pocket right now saying something outrageous on the internet, and you could be arguing with them!).
But if you must debate, then debate as a tactic for organizing. And do 10 things to build community.
Full piece below for a refresher.
Hope to see you soon.
It always feels better in the long run to connect with people and grow a community than it does to go into the 17th round of a Twitter fight with some lunatic. But it is even more true when it comes to the dark stuff this guy says. There’s great people out there who agree with you - find them, and build stuff with them. It has 10x more impact and feels 100x better.
This is so good, so important, thank you.
This sounds like a pretty tempting “break” from my statewide campaign as a Democratic candidate in the only statewide race in a ruby-red Missouri.