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Let’s get a little meta here and dig into the Epstein fallout from a political perspective.
Is this weird conspiracy theory really what we should be focusing on?
I am a student of the Dan Pfeiffer philosophy that we exploit issues that unite our party and divide the other party. Democrats are united in their desire to see the Epstein files released. Most Republicans also want to see the Epstein files released, other than a small faction of the most hardcore MAGA supporters. A YouGov poll from July 15 revealed as much:
It is political malpractice not to exploit an issue that unites 85% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 75% of Republicans— leaving Donald Trump and his sycophants appealing to a pathetic four percent of Americans.
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Elevating independent or rightwing voices
Trump’s position has earned him bipartisan criticism. He’s being assailed by the likes of Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Andrew Schulz, Dave Smith, Shane Gillis, and many others. We should highlight their voices for two reasons: first, if you’re a Democrat, you may not have much credibility with Independents or Republicans. I certainly have far less credibility with Trump supporters than Joe Rogan - who helped Trump get elected - has with those same people. Which means that while my criticism may not carry much weight, his does. If I can help share effective criticism, why wouldn’t I jump at the opportunity? This is not about validating rightwing platforms or endorsing all of their opinions; this is about amplifying a message that will be particularly persuasive among the broader universe of voters. Period. Remember: the goal of politics is not purity; it’s winning elections, gaining power, and enacting our agenda.
Second, we need to create an incentive structure for those flirting with anti-Trump messaging to speak out. For example, Theo Von weighed in on this issue:
If we attack Theo Von as he’s criticizing the Trump administration (“You voted for this!”), what incentive is there for him to criticize them further? None. So throw him a like and retweet, and welcome his voice into the chorus of other voices speaking out. Our response cannot be to scold those who can be our allies - effective allies! - in this fight.
The right is very good is offering positive reinforcement to those who promote their agenda, and as a result, those people do it over and over until they’re fully red-pilled. We can’t let our pride or egos get in the way of smart politics. We win by adopting a strategy of addition, not subtraction.
Aren’t there more important issues to focus on?
Yes and no. There are no shortage of people who would say that the ICE raids, cuts to healthcare and food assistance, the dismantling of the ACA, the abandonment of our climate goals, and the sustained attack on the judiciary are more important than the files related to the wrongdoing of a dead pedophile. Other people would say that holding the other people involved in the crimes of that dead pedophile accountable for their behavior is also extraordinarily important. The reality is that we shouldn’t dismiss either one. But let’s consider the reality of our media environment. It is very, very rare for a political issue to break through in a way that the Epstein story has (on Thursday night, it was even mentioned [ [link removed] ] at the ESPYs). It’s even more rare that it redounds to the political benefit of Democrats and to the detriment of Trump and Republicans. In moments like these, it’s not only impossible but unwise to try and swim against the tide. The country is united in its opposition to Trump and Republicans on this issue. There will be many, many opportunities to discuss healthcare and immigration and the courts and everything else this administration is doing. But in this moment, take the win and join the chorus of voices - left, right, and center - in giving this White House its much deserved derision.
How should we talk about this?
The questions write themselves. Why did Trump lie to his supporters about releasing the Epstein files? What is he hiding? Is he in the files? Who is he protecting? Whatever he’s trying to keep under wraps must be bad enough to warrant his insistence that he would rather lose the support of his own voters than humor their demands for the information (that he himself promised them) to be released. Trump’s supporters voted for him because they believed that - his own warts notwithstanding - he would be the one who could expose the systemic corruption that allows powerful, wealthy elites to get away with heinous crimes. Instead, they’re learning that not only does Trump have no intention of exposing that systemic corruption, he’s actually entrenching it. Put simply, if you plan on staking your reputation on exposing criminals, don’t act surprised when your reputation craters once you opt to protect them instead.
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