Jim VandeHei: Advice for MAGA
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Axios CEO Jim VandeHei writes:
Confession: Most liberal readers who wrote in after my "Advice for Liberals" column didn't like it. They found it naive and disconnected from their reality.
- My advice, in keeping with our coverage, was clinical — like a doctor. But these are emotional times — traumatic for some readers. So they were understandably in no mood for survival strategies.
- We promised a companion regimen for the other side. So here it goes!
Why it matters: Some days, America feels ready to snap and break into conflict or payback we can't reverse. So it's worth reflecting on the uncomfortable truth at the heart of it: Many of the loudest voices, and lots of quiet ones, too, believe our differences are truly irreconcilable.
- It's tyranny vs. freedom.
- Autocracy vs. democracy.
- Traditional norms vs. twisted ideological changes.
- Us vs. them.
The big picture: My MAGA friends argue they were treated like strangers in their own land, forced to adopt language and cultural shifts they found odd or abhorrent, shunned or canceled if they didn't comply, and targeted by government if they protested too loudly.
- They lived under what they call the tyranny of liberalism across government, media, business and education. So they argue they have every right to do unto others what was done unto them.
Here's a different way for MAGA to think about the moment and what's ahead:
- You won! You took your argument to the American people, and they agreed. You control the presidency, the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court, and have full control of 23 state governments (Dems have just 15). If everyone's out to get you, why did voters rise up and vote you in? With victory comes responsibility: If you hated what they did to you, why would you think it's right to do the same to them? Over time, how can people of competing views coexist?
- They don't all hate you. So many in MAGA gripe about liberals living in media, social and cultural bubbles. Pop your own bubble. You'll discover lots of Democrats or former Democrats are quite sympathetic to arguments about moral decline or illegal immigration or persistent crime. Not every Democrat is the caricature you see on social media.
- Remember the Golden Rule. As we learn from Matthew 7:12: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. A good thought exercise as you cheer President Trump's unprecedented moves: How would you feel if a President AOC and a liberal Congress did this to you? You can right wrongs with vengeance, for sure. But putting an end to a cycle of payback and precedent-shattering is an option, too.
- Visit that strange land. You might find liberals an exotic, loathsome species, like many of them do you. But spend some time listening to Ezra Klein of The New York Times, or reading Derek Thompson's Substack or studying Bernie Sanders' speeches. You might be shocked by some areas of agreement. At minimum, you'll better understand the other side.
- Be truly patriotic. You live in a 50-50 nation and have for decades. You won't expel or convert half a nation. So think deeply about how two sides with wildly different views, red-hot emotions, big platforms, and a will to fight can do this the American way: peacefully, democratically and inspirationally. We pulled through an actual civil war and the Great Depression. So this isn't mission impossible.
- Clean your feed. The most provocative voices in MAGA media make their mark — and money — by capturing your attention. The easiest trick is to say nasty things or float into dark, conspiratorial places. If that's all you see and hear, it's natural to grow nasty and conspiratorial yourself. One solution: Clean up or broaden what you listen to. Another: Shut off your phone.
The bottom line: We're veering fast into bad places — hatred, assassinations, presidents without limits. It's the right time for everyone to reflect.
💬 Let Jim know what you think: [email protected].
- Go deeper ... Jim VandeHei: Your new social media policy.
