4 things progressives can do to get ready for November midterm elections

I've been deeply concerned about the direction the county was going ever since Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. And, in part, I blamed myself for the state of the nation. I took for granted the progress the nation had made on issues like women's, minority and human rights.

It was a grave mistake that I was determined to remedy.

As a progressive, that got me thinking about what I and other progressives can do to get ready for the upcoming midterm elections and keep Americans leaning toward democracy, and away from this contemporary brand of semifascism so proudly worn by MAGA Republicans.

So I reached out to Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left, to talk about specific steps that progressives and even more centrist Democrats can do in the coming weeks to connect with non-MAGA Republicans and independent voters on important issues that we share common ground on – like abortion, the climate crisis and sensible gun control.

Here's what she had to say:

Listen, brag, don't make assumptions and focus on swing races

►"The biggest thing progressives need to do is to brag and take credit for the really big groundbreaking progress that we've made in the Biden administration and in this Congress."

►"Listen. If you're out there listening to voters when you are knocking on their doors – and you are listening to the issues that matter to them and why they care about them – then we can brag about the things that Democrats have done on those issues and what we're committed to doing."

►"Rather than assume that Republican and independent voters agree with Republicans and independents in Congress, we should go out and talk to them about what the majority of Americans agree on, which is sensible gun reform, access to abortion, an economy that provides people with dignified wages and jobs with a pathway to a career. Those are things that people agree on."

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►In a follow-up email, Radjy pointed out: "Progressives also need to continue to get involved in the swing races that will determine the balance of power in the House and Senate. We have a narrow path to maintaining control of Congress (and maybe even expanding control of the Senate) but it's only possible if we focus our volunteering and donation efforts on the most competitive races."

Take credit where credit is deserved

While detractors might point to rising inflation and the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates, it's important to point out why that isn't the Democrats fault. Inflation is a problem around the world right now because of the way people behaved during the pandemic (lots and lots of demand and supply-chain disruptions around the globe) and Russia's war on Ukraine.

And no, the Inflation Reduction Act won't reduce inflation in the short term; the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates will (which it has done). But the Biden administration is working with what they have, and they've gotten a lot done. That's what progressives need to highlight when faced with the "but what about" criticism.

There are, however, a lot of wins, which I have been talking about for a while. We have a strong job market, Biden canceled between $10,000 and $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers, the PACT Act passed to help veterans exposed to toxic burn sites, and then there's the ​​​​​historic Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest investment in climate action in U.S. history.

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"The greatest divide in this country is actually not between conservatives and progressives," Radjy explained, "it's between people who pay attention to politics and the people who don't."

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And it's not all about focusing on the positive: 60% of Americans will have an election denier on the ballot for the midterm elections, when Americans will be asked to make a fundamental choice between democracy and populism. It is a choice that could affect the trajectory of this country for decades to come.

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With so much at stake, it's important to focus on what Democrats and progressives can do to bring non-MAGA Republicans and independents into the fold as we inch closer to November elections.

Oh, and don't forget to vote.

More from Carli Pierson:

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Carli Pierson, a New York licensed attorney, is an opinion writer with USA TODAY, and a member of the USA TODAY Editorial Board. Follow her on Twitter: @CarliPiersonEsq. 

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Midterm elections: Beyond voting, here's what Democrats can do now