LET’S TURN THE TIDE TOGETHER

A unifying message for the Pro-Democracy Movement

By Susan D. Wagner

This article was written with optimism and though it conveys strong opinions with urgency, it is written with respect for those it critiques.

Can the current pro-democracy movement save democracy? That is a question everyone in the movement should be asking, everyone from Democratic office-holders to the pundits who act as mouthpieces for democracy. And yes, the Grassroots Movement as well. Are we each doing enough, not only to defend democracy, but to convince people that our movement is succeeding? In my opinion, we are somewhat handicapped by something we can easily correct. We are failing to tell our own stories of success. We have the stories. We have the platforms. But too often, our successes remain invisible.

You know who understands this better than anyone? Donald Trump. Trump understands people’s hunger for success, and he uses every platform to convince the world that he is successful at everything. His repeated claims of success—however detached from reality—have shaped public perception of him for years. He relentlessly portrays himself as winning (even at World Cup soccer; hey what about those shin splints?)—even when the facts say differently. Such repetition has become part of his political strength. We, by contrast, possess real accomplishments but all too often fail to tell those stories.

Sure, on a sporadic basis we hear a smattering of good news, but these are only drops in the bucket. If we are honest, the number of grassroots success stories that reach a national audience is pathetically small. Yet those are precisely the stories that exhausted, anxious, and discouraged volunteers need to hear, as do all potential voters in this country. People join winning teams.

So why aren’t we hearing these stories? Because, I am told by the pundits themselves or their bookers, grassroots organizations by and large do not have enough subscribers, followers, or influence to justify coverage. That attitude will not save democracy.

Over the past decade, billions of dollars have flowed into newsletters, Substacks, podcasts, webinars, conferences, advocacy organizations, and media platforms devoted to democracy. This work has real value and I don’t mean to diminish that. But with democracy at risk, success cannot be measured by subscribers, downloads, conference attendance, or revenue. It must be measured by building a larger, stronger, more resilient movement.

Building a movement requires more than passion. It requires structure. As my friend Micah Sifry observed when he and I discussed his most recent article, “the organizations that make up today’s pro-democracy ecosystem are doing remarkable work, but they are sustained largely by extraordinarily committed self-starters.” Sifrey continued, “we have also struggled, to build a shared culture across the pro-democracy movement—a sense that, despite our different organizations and missions, we are all part of something larger than ourselves.”

Structure and culture are essential. But there is a third ingredient that is just as important: success.

For recruitment, retention, and continuity, people must believe they are part of a movement that is making measurable progress. People stay engaged when they see that their time, energy, and sacrifice are producing real results. Success is not simply the outcome of a movement—it is one of the conditions that sustains it.

For the past 2.5 years, The Grassroots Connector has highlighted volunteers, organizers, election workers, local officials, candidates, and everyday citizens doing extraordinary work. These activists remain committed—but increasingly we hear the them express burnout, exhaustion, and uncertainty. They often feel alone in the world of activism, frustrated that too many of their fellow citizens are not actively engaged in pro-democracy work on a weekly or even a monthly basis.

In addition to publicizing our successes, pundits should acknowledge that Grassroots activists are often the first to detect changing public attitudes, volunteer fatigue, organizational weaknesses, and emerging opportunities. Ignoring those voices is like ignoring reconnaissance before a battle. The response to these warnings cannot be to tell volunteers: “Stop criticizing, work harder, donate more money (preferably through my Substack so I get credit for raising the money and the access that it brings), upgrade your subscription, and stop raising difficult topics.”

Ellen Bender, co-founder of Markers for Democracy and one of the country’s smartest and most respected grassroots organizers, captured this sentiment perfectly when she canceled her subscription to The Contrarian, after it accused volunteers of being “hysterical” when they raised concerns about the lack of fight in our Congressional leaders:

“For nearly a decade,” Bender wrote, “I have worked virtually around the clock as a volunteer activist. I organize, protest, write postcards, recruit volunteers, donate, and devote countless hours to electing candidates and defending democratic institutions. Like thousands of grassroots activists across the country, I do this because I believe our democracy is worth fighting for and I am angry at our phlegmatic Democratic leaders who have been relatively flatfooted since Trump took office again… We can walk and chew gum at the same time which means we can oppose Trump, and also want and demand better from our Democratic representatives. And I resent being told that I am ‘hysterical’ for wanting more from my elected officials.”

There is something that can help in general, get to know the movement, recognize our value and tell our stories of success. Success is contagious—but only if people know it exists.

Too many of America’s most effective organizers remain invisible simply because they lack large social media followings; thus featuring them on podcasts and livestreams we are told, won’t “bring in the numbers.” If your goal is to Save Democracy, you want to bring more people into the fight. The endless stream of “here’s the problem” and “Trump is getting away with it” focuses on what is going wrong, while the stories of registering voters, recruiting candidates, protecting election workers, strengthening civic organizations, and building resilient communities remain largely untold. Simply put, the pundit class has little communication with volunteer activists and do not, as a result, appreciate stories emerging from the grassroots that are compelling and energizing.

The pro-democracy media ecosystem now reaches millions every week. Newsletters, podcasts, webinars, and conferences are valuable, but they are not enough. Information is not organization. Promoting each other’s books, an ever-increasing array by those in the pro-democracy media system, does not make a movement. A movement becomes a movement only when people are connected to meaningful work they can relate to. If we have learned one lesson it is: Democracy is not a spectator sport.

Imagine if each of these provided interviews and stories about successful organizers across the country. Maybe just a small start: dedicating a weekly segment to covering grassroots organizations and their leaders? This would not cut dramatically into revenue (maybe it would increase your subscription numbers- who knows?) but it should get people out of the doldrums, off their sofas, and inspire them to help. Imagine if every podcast, livestream or Youtube ended not with a plea to up your subscription level but by telling listeners exactly where they could volunteer. Imagine if every newsletter connected readers with organizations represented by people they would feel comfortable working along.

Thus, to the pundits, hosts, commentators, producers, and others whose shows are a lifeline to millions …

You are all clearly great at programming, maybe you can come up with a programming structure that enhances the activist prodemocracy movement. The pro-democaracy movement needs and appreciates all the assistance you can offer.

The media infrastructure already exists. The grassroots talent already exists. The commitment already exists. What we need is the connective tissue that brings those strengths together. Again and again, ordinary Americans have demonstrated an extraordinary willingness to organize, donate, protest, recruit candidates, staff polling places, and defend democracy. They have done so because they believe this country is worth fighting for. And there are many success stories. Please help us to get these stories out there.

Susan D. Wagner is a political activist, co-founder of Markers For Democracy and The Grassroots Connector. She hosts, ”It Needs to Be Said”, the livestream of the Grassroots Connector. She writes about grassroots engagement, voter engagement, and strengthening democratic institutions. She cares deeply about the pro-democracy movement.

Bruce Watson and Martha Merson, members of the Editorial Board, contributed to this article.

ChatGPT-generated the cheerleader image and the table of subscriber estimates.