GUEST COLUMN, J. Basil Dannebohm, dannebohm.com
Last January, I published a commentary entitled, “Navigate through this election year with strategy, not emotion.” Since then, I have written subsequent commentaries pertaining to the election. You're welcome to revisit them at www.dannebohm.com. Incidentally, I’m honored to be published in online publications and in newspapers from as far away as Alaska.
In mid-October, I issued my endorsement for Kamala Harris. With that endorsement, however, came a disclaimer that I didn’t expect her to win. Readers who supported the Vice President didn’t appreciate my pessimism. Readers of conservative persuasion weren’t pleased with my rebuke of MAGA rhetoric. As an Independent, I was pleased to receive criticism from both sides: it meant I did my job.
In the days after the 2024 election, politicos and mainstream media pundits have been hypothesizing about what led to Donald Trump’s historic victory.
The answer is simple: We didn’t listen to each other.
Mainstream media interviewed individuals whom they labeled “experts” who offered nothing more than snake oil and surmising that catered almost exclusively to what the networks' target demographics wanted to hear. That’s hardly expertise by even the most rudimentary standards. Individuals who have no political credentials whatsoever, were given airtime and page space aimed at coddling the audience.
The day after the election, David Goldman, Executive Editor for CNN Business, penned an analysis entitled, “What just happened? It was the economy, stupid.” Frankly, the only stupid thing about Goldberg’s readers was that they trusted CNN as almost their exclusive source for election information.
In my endorsement of Harris, I told readers very plainly that the economy was going to determine the outcome of the election. Granted, I have no more credentials than anybody else. The only difference was that I was listening to my community.
In truth, Mr. Goldman over at CNN probably knew it was the economy long before he published his analysis. However, he was obliged to cater his message to a demographic that didn’t necessarily want to hear the truth. This raises an important point: mainstream media has spent the last few weeks aggressively calling out misinformation campaigns being waged on social media by the likes of Elon Musk and Russian operatives while ignoring the very campaigns they’ve been waging on their own biased networks and publications. Unless news is authentically fair and balanced, it hardly presents the entire story. Therefore, one can deduce that catering exclusively to a particular demographic is indeed a form of blatant and reckless misinformation.
Readers might be asking themselves, “Whom do we trust?”
Again, I’ve been saying this for quite some time now: you can trust local journalism, independent analysis, and boutique commentary. These journalists live in your community, they feel the pulse of the people, they listen to and understand the everyman far better than any number of mainstream talking heads. They’re far less inclined to show blatant bias because they know their neighbors will call them out. This doesn’t suggest that such journalists won’t express their opinions. Rather, they will likewise counter their views with opposing arguments. That's a balance you won’t often find on 24-hour news networks.
Similarly, we cannot exist in echo chambers. Thanks largely to social media, many of us hear only the information that we want to hear. We associate almost exclusively with like-minded people. Anything we find upsetting is blocked. Not only is such behavior mentally unhealthy, but it’s also downright cult-like. We must get back into the habit of talking and listening to people with opposing views – especially when it makes us uncomfortable. Communities aren’t built on conformity, communes are.
My words are by no means intended to rub wounds. However, if you’re shocked by the results of the 2024 Presidential Election, perhaps it’s time to rethink your social circle and where you get your news. Consider subscribing to a publication like those run by many of my esteemed colleagues who strive to present you with a balanced perspective even if it means upsetting you.
To those who are in pain: As a child who was bullied, I understand. As an adult who was falsely accused, I can relate. As a disgraced former legislator, I can empathize. In the end, however, not enough Americans have experienced what it's like to walk a mile in the shoes of somebody who has experienced judgement, persecution, or unfathomable pain. For those who can’t understand such experiences, the economy decided their vote – just as I told you it would. Over the next four years, we need to get out there and tell our stories. Perhaps our vulnerability will foster some new degree of understanding. Doing this requires us to step out of the comfort of our informational and social silos.
J. Basil Dannebohm is a writer, speaker, consultant, former legislator and intelligencer. His website is www.dannebohm.com. He writes from the Washington DC metro in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
