IdeaLog
The anthropology of MAGA
Posted on June 25, 2025
The MAGA worldview isn’t just political—it’s emotional, symbolic, and tribal. If we want to defend democracy, we need to understand what we’re really up against. That is a direct quote from “Understanding MAGA: A...
Trump’s Razor—it’s always money and power
Posted on June 12, 2025
Like Occam’s Razor (the simplest explanation is usually best), we should recognize Trump’s Razor—that the truest motive for any of his actions is personal power and/or money. A corollary is that his actions are...
Despite right-wing lies, crime is down
Posted on May 28, 2025
Trump and his allies rely on fear to advance their authoritarian agenda. A favorite tactic is to spread fear about crime, with the explicit or implicit message that they are talking about immigrants and...
Will SCOTUS uphold the rule of law?
Posted on May 13, 2025
Right now, the federal judicial system is keeping our government from sliding into a dictatorship, but just barely. With six aggressively right-wing Justices, the Supreme Court will side with Trump as much as it...
A blitzkrieg of lawlessness
Posted on May 1, 2025
We are missing the forest for the trees. Nearly everything Trump and his administration have done is illegal, and that is the whole point. It is an all-out attack on the rule of law...
Push back on the media’s normalizing of Trump
Posted on April 16, 2025
The media has been normalizing Trump for the past decade. They do this, in part, by inventing semi-rational policy explanations for irrational proposals. We should push back. Here are three examples: Tariffs and other...
MAGA’s Musk mistake
Posted on April 2, 2025
Tuesday’s elections brought good news. MAGA candidates ran at least 10 points behind 2024 Trump votes and, perhaps best of all, Elon Musk dragged them all down. How should you use this in messaging?...
How to deal with a bully in the White House
Posted on March 18, 2025
Trump is doing horrible things. But, like any bully, much of his perceived power is based on threats that he doesn’t carry out. By reacting to every threat, no matter how absurd, Democrats are...
Trump is pushing us toward a Republican recession
Posted on March 5, 2025
“It seems almost unavoidable that we are headed for a deep, deep recession,” says Jesse Rothstein, former Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor. Whether or not the situation is that bad, it’s time...
To respond to Trump, simplify your messages
Posted on February 18, 2025
There is too much going on and people are overwhelmed by it. If you want to have any impact at all, don’t try to answer everything. Group issues together and respond broadly. Keep in...