The Resistance has a Missing Link

And it's right in front of us...

Our democracy is on the brink, and it will take an extraordinary effort to reclaim it. Many of us are certainly already fighting back—through marches, community organizing, town halls, art, independent journalism, and social media campaigns. We’re working hard to make every voice and every action matter.

But unexpected barriers stand in our way. Our institutions have been neutered. Elected Democrats act like it’s still 2010. Mainstream media has traded both-sidesism for lawsuit avoidance. And too many of us are trapped in echo chambers of our own making.

Pro-democracy forces may enjoy the occasional victory, but the far right’s planning, lawlessness, corruption, intimidation, propaganda, and divisiveness tear through our democracy like a well-oiled and well-funded machine. Our efforts haven’t come close to matching theirs.

We all feel it: the ground is slipping beneath us. We wonder what more we can do. The truth is, the most powerful tool we have is one we already know—our voice. Conversations with our Trump-supporting friends and family, done differently, can change everything. And that’s where the missing link comes in.

But before getting to the missing link, we first need to look at the propaganda and divisiveness that put the right in a position to dismantle our country in the first place. They poured unlimited resources into reshaping us, turning us into tools for their agenda and weapons against each other, tearing apart millions of relationships in the process. We didn’t realize it, but we were their front line in their war against democracy.

They pulled our friends and family away from reality, and seemingly, away from us. But they didn’t really change who our loved ones are, only what they believe - there’s a big difference. The right was lucky in that we convinced ourselves we could no longer talk with our captured friends and family, when in fact, the only thing they changed was how we now need to do it..

It’s no longer about talking with those we disagree with; we’ve always known how to do that. It’s about talking with those who exist in an alternate reality, something most of us have never faced before. And while old conversation habits are almost certain to fail, better approaches exist - and they work

Conversation experts have already shown how to reach those caught in an alternate reality, using proven and surprisingly straightforward techniques. Unfortunately, their insight hasn’t yet reached the broader resistance, as very few of us are even thinking about having these conversations, let alone searching for ways to improve them.

So here we are. The Trump supporters are trapped in their disinformation bubble, and we’re stuck in our own echo chamber, having largely given up on them. Meanwhile, on the sidelines, the conversation experts are wringing their hands, trying to figure out how to get their techniques widely used. The components of a successful resistance are right in front of us.

This is exactly where the missing link comes in. The missing link is the group of resistance leaders who can connect the resistance, at scale, with the conversation experts eager to help. It’s the people whom those in the resistance already trust—pro-democracy podcasters, independent journalists, and other influencers.

Many resisters turn to these voices because they see them as more honest, aligned with their values, and free from institutional agendas. They have been vetted. Their followers have invested in them. This trust puts them in a unique position to inspire these conversations.

Imagine if just a few dozen resistance leaders began urging their audiences to have these conversations. Each week, they could simply share small reminders about their importance to democracy, the need to do them effectively, and connect people to the experts and resources already in place to guide the way. This could be started immediately without impacting their platform, message, or resources.

Having conversations with our Trump-supporting friends and family, when done correctly, isn’t just important for rescuing our democracy. They also rebuild relationships, pull people out of the right-wing disinformation bubble, and move us toward a more civil society. Conversations do that.

We and our loved ones were on the front line when we lost our democracy. It was a war of propaganda and misinformation. They took advantage of our ability to change (our neuroplasticity), but that ability is still there, and now it’s our turn to take advantage of it and unwind what was done to us. Perhaps we should look at these new conversations that we drive, not as part of a resistance, but as an all-out counteroffensive.

These conversations will only succeed if they’re done right, and that doesn’t happen without guidance from the experts. The most effective way for enough of us to get that help is if the journalists, podcasters, and influencers we follow use their reach to connect us with those experts and continually motivate and support us.

If this concept resonates, please share this article with the resistance leaders you follow.

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A sampling of conversation experts

Here’s a small sampling of conversation experts who focus specifically on helping folks talk with their Trump-supporting friends and family:

Smart Politics, led by

Karin Tamerius

, is loaded with resources: quick-reads, videos, in-depth discussions, etc.

Leaving MAGA shares the stories of those who have left MAGA as well as advice for these conversations. Founder Rich Logis is dedicated to getting this information out to as many people as possible.

The Listen First Project has a 10 Tips reminder sheet

Braver Angles has a set of resources, including a 40-minute lesson for talking to your family.

Reunited States will walk you interactively through the basics

This Substack publication, Reclaiming The We provides the rationale and motivation for these conversations along with guidelines and external links to help us improve them.

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