The choice facing voters in November 2022 is not between democracy v autocracy, but democracy v. violence

  The choice facing voters in November 2022 is not between democracy v autocracy but democracy v. violence. The attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband by a politically motivated man is just another example of what we can expect if voters do not slap down those who inspire violence to gain political power.  For much of the midterms cycle, the issue of keeping democracy as our form of governance has been expressed as democracy v autocracy. Ho hum. ...... the consequence of Trumpism and the Trump base was not autocracy but more violence to determine the outcome of an election in th future.  The question should be reframed as a choice of who will govern us, not as democracy v autocracy, but as democracy v violence, of the vote in fair and free elections or be government by threats of terrorism and violence.  Last night, Rachel Maddow framed the choice in those stark terms of how we are to be governed in the future: democracy v violence.  To bring this concept down to November midterms, a vote for an election denier to oversee elections, from Secretaries of State, State Attorney generals, to county clerks, is where that choice will be made.  

Stark terms expressed in simple words and repeated is what works, per David Fenton's new book: Activists' Media Handbook.  Opponent messages are not to be ignored, but met head-on, as well.  Fenton's advice is sound, but I should add it is not just a choice between two roads. The potholes of the bad choice and how to patch them should be part of the "keep it simple" messaging. 

 It is likely too late to reframe messaging by November 8 in simple terms like Maddow's words exemplified, but it is not too late for 2024. The election of November 8, 2022, provides a learning experience for those who still want to preserve democracy as we have known it. The attack on Paul Pelosi presents an opportunity to illustrate the point that the alternative to democracy is violence to decide elections and at least to get the ball rolling on messaging for 2024. If more political violence erupts in the wake of the midterms, the opportunities to make the same point will only become more dramatic and heard.  

From my October 10, 2022 blog posting  on the subject. We have already seen what happened on January 6:  violence and riots. We have seen what happened to the free and fair election process with an attempt to count only certain votes and ignore the popular votes. We have seen the death threats and intimidation of poll workers and election administrators who refused to lie or to violate rules and laws to tip the election results to the loser.  Your vote may assume to be for "the other side" and may not be fairly counted. Is the use of violence, threats, intimidation, and chaos to determine who won and who lost what you want to see happen in the future.? That uncertainty, that fear of violence, that failure of trust in the election system means a destabilized country. That distrust was the creation of Trump backers in the last four years, The exhortation and acceptance of violence and threats of violence as a political tool is a recent development and new in the experience of those alive today.   

The ability to go to the polls and be certain the process will be fair, your vote will be counted as reported correctly, and you will not be harassed and intimidated, or unnecessarily inconvenienced is a fundamental key to democracy. . The ability to be certain your vote still gives you the power to voice the direction of governance is your fundamental right in a democracy that has been taken for granted until now. Keeping that trust depends on more than just faith, it now requires assurance no one "fixed" the computers or no election officials gave access to the cast ballots solely to the supporters of candidates they favor. 

David Fenton's Activists' Media Handbook is available on Amazon and sold by Simon and Schuster.