Your vote is your voice; it matters more than ever.
A little while ago, I became so frustrated by the need for an effective media campaign on the part of the Democratic administration and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, to ensure Donald Trump isnât elected again, that I wrote to the White House communications director and the chief of staff. I pointed out there is a difference between political messaging and behavior-change communication grounded in a methodology proven to be successful. As a communications professional (see bio line), I knew from my training and experience that a media advocacy and social marketing campaign aimed at persuasion was called for.
Thatâs when I decided to mount my own campaign on social media, various blogs and my listserv, asking anyone who saw my posts to share them widely.
My idea was grounded in some essential elements of a successful behavior-change strategy, which could be easily replicated as bumper stickers, lawn posters, T-shirts, whatever, in the attempt to make the message simple, succinct, relevant, repetitive, actionable, and targeted to various audiences â all components of a behavior-change effort. I also used the essential elements of a consistent visual and a tagline which would vary slightly each time I released another banner.
I began posting the banners recently; the first two are included in this essay. Each month between now and the election, I will be posting variations on the overall theme of the importance of voting in November. The idea is, we must maintain our democratic form of government and defeat the insanity of a second Trump term, irrespective of our personal politics â so please share.
To that end, I researched the Republican document, Project 2025, because so few people realize its horrific implications should Trump be elected.
Project 2025 proposes overhauls to every federal agency and office. These project plans circumvent Congress and the courts. Prepared by 34 authors, including Ken Cuccinelli, Peter Navarro and Ben Carson, along with 31 other hard-right Trump devotees, the âMandateâ has 30 chapters and is over 900 pages. The introduction offers a âConservative Promiseâ as the opening salvo of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, launched by The Heritage Foundation and their many partners in 2022. Its chapters lay out copious clear, concrete, terrifying policies and rules for White House offices, Cabinet departments, Congress, agencies, commissions and boards.
Here are the four guiding principles of the plan articulated in the introduction:
â Family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.
â Dismantle the administrative state and return self-governance to the American people.
â Defend our nationâs sovereignty, borders and bounty against global threats.
â Secure our God-given individual rights to live freely â what our Constitution calls âthe Blessings of Liberty,â the principles that, by consensus, guide the crafting of this document.
Numerous sections go on to share the mandateâs ambitions, goals and specific objectives. These include âTaking the Reins of Government,â beginning with pages and pages of details, including how the executive branch of government, i.e., the White House staff and offices, and various commissions and councils would be established, staffed and run.
Some of the agencies subject to terrifying changes, if not total obliteration, include the National Security Council, the National Economic Council, the Office of Science and Technology and the National Space Council. Other sections pontificate on Gender Policy in ways that demean and diminish women and girls; Civil Rights and Liberties that are severely limiting and racist; Cybersecurity and Intelligence agencies in which career civil servants with necessary expertise would be replaced by political appointees. FEMA, Department of Defense, along with departments that establish public health, immigration and education policies, would be dangerously revamped, while the media, foreign policy and the climate crisis would be severely curtailed.
Weâve already seen signs of threatening changes in all sectors. Each of these sections and more, including the âGeneral Welfareâ section, offer shocking visions that should alarm every American.
As a BBC News report revealed in June, âProject 2025 calls for firing thousands of civil servants, expanding the power of the president, and dismantling (several) federal agencies.â Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., who is launching a counter-project to stop Project 2025, said in the report, âProject 2025 is more than an idea, itâs a dystopian plot thatâs already in motion to dismantle our democratic institutions, abolish checks and balances, chip away at church-state separation, and impose a far-right agenda that infringes on basic liberties and violates âpublic will.ââ
The threat to our democracy doesnât get clearer than that. So, although no one can be expected to plow through this deranged and dangerous document, itâs important to be aware of its specific plans and the impacts each American will be subjected to should Donald Trump win this election.
Our fundamental freedoms, our ability to live in a country free of restrictions designed by the lunatic fringe, our safety â indeed, our lives â our respect in the global community, and our hopes for peaceful resolution of conflicts that could avoid an unimaginable third world war, are on the ballot this year. Our future, and that of our progeny, depends on each of us being fully informed and voting for a future of safety, sanity and sustainability irrespective of party affiliation.
Please take the time to become familiar with what is at stake and share it widely.
Elayne Clift has a masterâs degree in communication, was deputy director of a global health communication project for five years, and taught health communications at the Yale School of Public Health. She writes from Brattleboro.
