Fighting Trump: What Do I Do Next?

This past weekend, I was proud to take part in the NYC Women’s March. Had I been alive at the time, I know I would have wanted to join the 1963 March on Washington, and I suspect we’ll look back on this weekend’s event similarly from decades in the future.

Because I fell behind on podcast listening over the weekend, I got to hear, in a single day, several politically-focused shows covering the inauguration, some recorded before the march, and others recorded after. From that juxtaposition, the power of the protest was immediately clear: before, anyone opposing Trump sounded despondent, somewhat in shock, unable to do anything but mope; after, anti-Trump’ers seemed buoyed up with hope and enthusiasm, ready to make change happen.

But while the march clearly rallied the troops, I don’t think it will make change in and of itself. We now need to channel that renewed energy into concrete action, in ways that are likely to create real and meaningful change.

To that end, I was heartened to discover recently two excellent websites that provide specific guidance moving forward.

The first is Swing Left, which seeks to shift control of the House in 2018 by focusing national Democratic attention on a handful of swing districts, where the last election was decided by a thin margin. Put in your zip code, and the site will point you towards your nearest swing district – in my case, New Jersey's 5th, just across the Hudson River. Then pop in your email address, and you’ll be intermittently pinged (not more than once weekly) with opportunities to fundraise / donate, spread the word on social media, phone bank, canvas, etc., in ways that will help take that district in 2018.

Even nearer-term is 10 Actions / 100 Days, which comes from the organizers of the Women’s March. Each ten days, the site posts a new action you can take right now (the first: “Write a postcard to your Senators about what matters most to you – and how you’re going to continue to fight for it in the days, weeks and months ahead.”), along with step-by-step instructions and tools. For the first week, for example, they provide printable postcards, senators’ addresses, and inspiration for what issues you might want to address.

And finally, a bonus site that’s not directly about action, but is still a hugely valuable way to say well-informed: Track Trump, which summarizes daily the Trump administration’s actual political actions (ignoring crazy tweets / distractions / media circus / etc.), and tracks the degree to which Trump fulfills his “Contract with the American Voter” promises for his first 100 days.

From just the past week, it’s already clear that any hopes of Trump surprising us all positively when he actually got into office were badly misplaced. Things are getting ugly already, and we need to move quickly in response.

Swing Left, 10 Actions / 100 Days, and Track Trump. Visit all three, and get to work.