US filter: Seeking hope after tonight's debate

June 27, 2024 10:46 PM

So I didn't watch the Biden/Trump debate tonight but am now reading pretty much everywhere that it was a disaster for Biden. This is starting to send me into a very serious panic and despair spiral; can you offer any realistic hope?

I'm trying to tell myself that anybody ignorant enough to still be "undecided" was probably not paying attention to this debate (how can 34 felony convictions be irrelevant and one bad debate be decisive?), but every online source I've checked in on has been all about the doom spiral. Is there any reason to hold out hope?

Respectfully and with kindness, if you are reading this and formulating a response that confirms my worst fears, please do not post it here. I am gay and non-binary. I work hard to be actively anti-racist, anti-ableist, and otherwise as supportive of other marginalized communities as I am able. All of this terrifies me on so many levels, and I don't think I can handle further confirmation of my fears.

I don't know how to cope with the thought of another 4 years under trump. Where do we go from this apparently disastrous debate?

posted by DingoMutt to Law & Government (15 answers total)

The direction of public opinion is something you have very little ability to influence. Your best bet is to limit exposure and work on living in the present moment. This would be a great time for a big home improvement project, epic hike, or a masterpiece in knitting that keeps your hands away from your phone.
posted by shock muppet at 11:01 PM on June 27 [16 favorites]

CNN Flash poll: 95% of respondents said the debate didn't change their mind, and among the 5% who said it did, it was split evenly between the two candidates.

So Donald Trump and I agree on something about this debate: It was a complete waste of time.
posted by mmoncur at 11:10 PM on June 27 [44 favorites]

...but am now reading pretty much everywhere that it was a disaster for Biden.

Define “everywhere.” If you mean places like MeFi, it was always going to be seen as a disaster for Biden unless he trotted-out sparkly ponies for everyone and then had Trump frogmarched off to prison.

Just try to ignore media coverage. You know how you’re going to vote, so there’s really no reason to invest your time following the national trainwreck.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:00 AM on June 28 [15 favorites]

To go off what Thorzdad said above, the debate and who "won" is all you're going to see for the next 24-36 hours. By Monday, it will be forgotten and you won't hear about it again.
posted by kuanes at 4:01 AM on June 28 [9 favorites]

Clinton beat Trump at the debate. Trump won the election.

Romney beat Obama at the debate. Obama won the election.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:04 AM on June 28 [24 favorites]

Nobody really knows what moves votes, no matter how confidently they talk about it. A bad debate in June doesn't seem like the sort of thing to lose an election.

I would take a break from reading commentary for a day or three and wait for the dooming to die down, because yes, there's a lot of dooming out there today.
posted by BungaDunga at 6:35 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]

anyway the way I'm holding out hope is basically cultivating uncertainty. Sure, things look pretty crappy for Biden right now, but anything could happen. Everyone was dead certain that Hillary Clinton would win, and she didn't. Elections can be weird and unpredictable.
posted by BungaDunga at 6:41 AM on June 28 [8 favorites]

Similar to what BungaDunga wrote above, I'd say the main reason to not doom spiral right now is that it's still very early. This is the earliest presidential debate in history - so we can hope that Biden's dismal performance will be a wakeup call to the Democratic establishment, who seem to have been going on autopilot frankly. So my most hopeful spin is that this might actually be good if it gets them to take Trump's candidacy more seriously. And yeah, lots of time between now and November....Trump could slip-up and say something truly frightening for even Centrist Republicans, he could have a serious health event (even death), etc.
posted by coffeecat at 6:50 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]

I don't know why anyone would watch a televised debate between presidential candidates and I don't know why anyone would listen to commentary about it afterwards. It's honestly the worst way I can think to spend my time.

I feel for you and with you - this morning was a fucking grim headline-reading experience. I felt terrible and have moved on to other things. Everyone commenting to say that doing something pleasant and productive with your day is the way to deal with this is right, in my books. Make sure you do something small and grounded like spending time outdoors or with a friend.

(lol coffeecat, I also wish for Trump's death. it feels like it would solve one problem anyway! this decade has made me a measurably worse person)
posted by Lawn Beaver at 6:53 AM on June 28 [5 favorites]

Nth the suggestions to tune out the day-to-day election coverage, and focus on other things. (Especially things that you can do or make yourself.) Make sure you're registered to vote and have a plan to do that, of course.

If you find planning comforting, it might help to brainstorm what you want to do and focus on personally for the next 4-5 years? (But only if you enjoy planning.)
posted by mersen at 7:56 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]

Here's some context for you, if it helps:

Gallop poll June 1992

Perot 39%

Bush 31%

Clinton 25%

There was, in fact, a lot of calls for Clinton to drop out in favor of a stronger candidate.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:19 AM on June 28 [3 favorites]

Action cures despair. Find a candidate you support strongly (if that’s not Biden, then maybe there’s a competitive senate or house race where you are, or better yet something more local: school board, city council). Write postcards, volunteer time, work an extra shift so you can donate to that candidate.
posted by nat at 9:27 AM on June 28 [4 favorites]

You might appreciate Heather Cox Richardson’s most recent post on the debate.

I like Nat’s suggestion about taking action - and for me it doesn’t necessarily have to be action in the same arena that’s triggering the despair. Volunteering for a local food pantry is helping me a lot right now. Every week I am part of making sure people get fed. I can’t do much to change the U.S. political situation, but action reminds me that I am not powerless and not alone. It also helps me that this is actual physical action, which helps my body regulate.
posted by bunderful at 10:08 AM on June 28 [4 favorites]

I agree with nat -- try to focus locally. As individuals, we have almost no control over federal politics, but there's so much you can do at a local level, and it's way less overwhelming to think about.

If you want to take action to improve the world and also get a break from electoral politics, you could also do some anti-racism or other social justice work. What can you do on the ground in your community to help Black people, Indigenous folks, the trans community, etc.? I've been doing Indigenous land justice volunteer work for the last several years, and it's super fulfilling and tangible and hopeful.
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 10:10 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]

A response I found excellent: Joe Biden is going to win. Buck up! (Robert B. Hubbell, Substack)

Our job is made all the more difficult because the few remaining Democratic allies in the media panicked on Thursday evening. They took phone calls from their friends (allegedly) inside the campaign and suggested that even campaign members have lost confidence in Joe Biden. That is false. Three MSNBC reporters are mainlining their political connections and confusing the chatter from those inside the beltway pundits for the views of the American people.

A month ago, I posted several links about how seriously off the polls are these days. Specifically, several polls taken the day before recent elections (special elections and primaries) have been WAY off, and when the votes were tallied the Democrats did way better than the polls suggested.

On the other hand, in a completely informal anecdata poll, Joyce Vance reports,

I’ll let the political analysts and the pollsters assess the debate's impact and leave you with an encouraging conversation I had tonight. I asked some young people if they and their friends were paying attention to the debate. The bottom line was that while some of them wanted to watch it, most people weren’t paying attention—the election is still too far away. But when I asked whether they were going to vote for Biden, the response was clear: “Of course.” Sure, they think Biden is old. They don’t like all of his policies. But, “We’re not stupid,” they told me. “We understand what’s at stake.” These young people, who get that they have the most to lose if Trump wins, are prepared to do what’s necessary in November.

As Hubbell concludes,

We are made of stronger stuff than the panicked reactions exhibited by some this evening. For Joe Biden to win, we need to be resolute, hopeful, and tireless—just like the heroes on whose shoulders we stand. We would not be at this moment but for their abiding courage and faith despite setbacks and losses. We don’t need to win every battle, just most of them—including the battle on November 5, 2024.

I mean this with the utmost sincerity: We have every reason to be hopeful but no reason to be complacent. It is always so—and is true tonight, just like all other nights.

Anger and fear over the loss of abortion rights are driving significant new voter registration and voting patterns. The 2022 "red wave" never materialized, in significant part due to abortion rights voters.

November is four months and a billion years worth of news cycles away.

One thing you can do to keep up your strength for the fight to win this election is to keep informed about the stunning amount of really good news we never hear about. Please check out my comment from earlier today about the Extra Extra newsletter and/or go straight to Jessica Craven's substack and read the weekly Extra Extra entries. The Biden administration and other Democrats are doing a TON of good, and we should mainline that news right into our brains ... and spread the word to other likeminded voters.
posted by kristi at 1:22 PM on June 28 [14 favorites]