Post-Election Reflections
Why Organizing Is The Only Thing That Matters After a Trump Landslide
“The world is held together, really it is, held together, by the love and passion of a very few people. Otherwise, of course you can despair. Walk down the street of any city…and look around you. What you’ve got to remember is what you’re looking at is also you.” - James Baldwin
The election results are in, and Trump won by a landslide. It’s a tough reality for many of us who hoped for a different outcome, and the reasons for this result are complicated. Yes, the Democratic Party’s neoliberal stance, their allegiance to capitalism, their disgusting support for war, and their pandering to conservative ideals all contributed to their failure to resonate with working-class voters. But if you ask any organizer who’s been out there, knocking on doors and speaking with people, it’s clear the reasons go much deeper.
First, let’s get this straight: it’s not because America is overwhelmingly right-wing or fascist. I’d argue many people who voted for Trump didn’t even think about other voters, they were thinking solely about themselves. Is that selfish? Absolutely & we can talk about how the individualistic attitude of so many Americans leads to the majority of our problems. Are there some nutjobs who are racist and fascist that support Trump? Yes, absolutely, but we know the majority are not. That’s a truth we must come to terms with or risk making the same mistakes.
The truth is that many people will look after themselves especially when they feel that they are struggling to stay afloat. It’s not the fault of third-party voters, nor is it because Americans are majority single-issue voters. The truth is, that people are struggling under the crushing weight of capitalism. Life has become so unlivable that many workers are willing to overlook blatant racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and antisemitism if it means they’ll see even the smallest improvement in their own lives—like the belief that they’ll get lower gas prices or more affordable groceries.
When Material Needs Go Unmet, People Reach for What's in Front of Them
The reality is, that life is hard, and people are looking for something—anything—that promises to make things easier. Before we rush to judgment and label people as ignorant or “voting against their interests,” we need to recognize the desperation that’s fueling these choices. The idea that people are foolish for voting the way they did is both shortsighted and dismissive.
One of the right’s greatest strengths has been its’ ability to agitate frustration. They don’t even need a plan—they need anger, and they know how to direct it toward other vulnerable groups. As an experienced organizer I spoke with in Arizona said, “the right just agitates. They rile people up and tell them where to place their anger: at immigrants, at low-income workers, at anyone they can label as “the problem.”
Organizing Is the Only Thing I Know That Works
I’ll be honest: seeing a jump in Latino and majority Latino men voting for Trump has made me furious. It’s easy to do what I did back in 2016—cuss everyone out, write people off, and say, “You can all go to hell and fuck off” But that anger, that urge to bully people into “seeing the light,” didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. What I’ve learned since then by unionizing is that organizing works. Talking to people, understanding their struggles, and working toward a shared vision of dignity and respect—that’s what makes a difference.
Direct your frustration toward the bosses and the rich, the ones who are truly exploiting us. Bullying family members or friends who are just trying to get by, however, only fuels the right’s strategy of dividing us. That’s exactly how they keep winning. They thrive on us tearing each other down, especially within our own families and communities.
Building Working-Class Unity Means Leading with Patience and Love
This election was a wake-up call to those of us on the left. Yes, be pissed. Vent to a trusted friend if you need to. But cutting people off or belittling them won’t build the working-class movement we need to combat Trump and the rise of the fascist right. Most working people don’t care about political labels or theoretical debates—they care about having a life of dignity and respect. And we can show them that this life is possible, but only through organizing ALL our workplaces.
When we organize our workplaces, build strong communities, and support each other, we can create real change. It’s not easy, and it takes time. But as organizers, we have to lead with patience, meet people where they are, and resist the urge to let anger divide us. We’re not going to build a united working class by yelling or cutting each other off. We’re going to build it by standing together, having hard conversations, and remembering that we all deserve better.
In the end, I’m reminded that organizing is about fighting for a life of dignity, not just for ourselves but for everyone even if not everyone is fighting along with us (yet). As the incredible James Baldwin taught us, “Life is held together by the love and passion of a very few people.” And the working class needs you & me to be part of that very few people.
Solidarity with the working class para siempre.
-Alex