Zach Beecham

Right.

Is don't do that.

Right.

You should be vocally talking about there being a threat to democracy and you should be openly tying it not to just sort of like some general vague concept of democracy.

I think that's where the critics have a point.

Right.

If you just sort of generally talk about democracy.

some kind of democratic principle.

It might not register with people as much.

But when you tie it to a specific abuse by the government or a specific policy, that resonates with people.

And now here we have concrete proof of that happening, right?

Look at what's happening in Minneapolis.

There it is this idea of ICE going after people indiscriminately and basically imposing a form of martial law on the city.

I don't think that's too strong given the events that's going on there.

And the brutality and the lawlessness of ICE people has mobilized one of the most extraordinary resistance movements in American history.

And, you know, a lot of the rhetoric they use about it is about neighborliness, you know, protecting your neighbor, but it's also about freedom.

and standing for American democracy as we understand it, the vision of the founders.

This kind of stuff is really connected with normies.

And that, I mean, that resistance seems to be incredibly effective.

And that to me shows why standing up, even if it's not the issue that seems like optimally primed for campaign rhetoric by a politician in a purple state, standing up matters.