Uncivil society: The divide between passion and practicality in U.S. politics now
People don't feel heard and want to fight back, says professor and Democrat supporter
People who are "fighting back for their lives" against the policies of the Trump administration shouldn't be asked to hold on politely for the next election, according to a political science professor.
"People don't feel heard, and I think you are asking them to wait," said Melissa Michelson, a Democrat supporter and professor at Menlo University, California.
"I think that's unreasonable given what is happening to our country," she told The Current's guest host Mike Finnerty. "I think people want to fight back."
Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and I politely left. Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so
—@PressSecOn Friday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Va. Its proprietor Stephanie Wilkinson took her aside and "politely" asked her to leave, because she worked for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Sanders left, but the incident caused uproar online, fuelling the debate over civility — or the lack thereof — in American politics.
Speaking at a rally at the weekend, Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters urged people to "push back" if they encountered representatives of the Trump administration in public. In response, Trump tweeted that Waters was "an extraordinarily low IQ person."
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an extraordinarily low IQ person, has become, together with Nancy Pelosi, the Face of the Democrat Party. She has just called for harm to supporters, of which there are many, of the Make America Great Again movement. Be careful what you wish for Max!
—@realDonaldTrumpThe use of incivility as a political tactic, however, has divided the Democratic opposition.
"When we engage in tactics that are personally just yelling at each other, that tactic — rather than the issue — becomes what is vivid to people," said Celinda Lake, a leading political strategist within the Democratic Party.
Lake told Finnerty that action like this could have an electoral impact.
"For swing voters, when we participate in tactics like this we become part of the problem, rather than part of the solution," she said.
Michelson disagreed, arguing that it will take passion to get people out to vote.
"Enough about reaching out to swing voters," she countered.
"That is not working. The way to victory is to fire up the base, and to fire up people who have not been voting in previous elections."
Midterm elections looming
With U.S. midterm elections in November, Lake argued that the tactic could deflect from issues.
"What we need to do is organize, get out the vote, and win these elections in four months because they have real consequence," she said.
"I'd rather have the Supreme Court in four months and have blockage on the Supreme Court than not have Sarah eat at a restaurant in Virginia," she added.
Michelson argued that it's easy to say that dissatisfied voters need to organize "when you go home and you live a life of relative privilege."
"Members of these marginalized communities — people who are seeing their friends and family members hurt by this administration — just don't think that that's enough," she said.
Listen to the full discussion near the top of this page.
This segment was produced by The Current's Willow Smith and Idella Sturino.