How I think about 2020 | Film recommendations
“Who do you think the Democrats should go with in 2020?”
As a political journalist, I get asked that question a fair bit. It’s really a few questions packed into one: Which potential candidate are you most impressed by? Which candidate is most capable of beating Trump? Which candidate would be an exceptional president?
My answer to this question is, invariably, that I have no idea. If Bernie Sanders was much younger and more agile, then I think he’d be the most promising of the lot in many respects. But he’s not, and everyone else is relatively untested, so it’s too early for me to have a meaningful opinion on the matter.
But sometimes the very impulse to ask this question when we’re still two years away from the next election worries me. It strikes me as a kind of relinquishment of power: It should be citizens’ preferences and demands, not speculation over campaign roll-outs, that occupies most of our attention at this point in the political calendar.
This is prime time for the ideas primary. People on the left need to be asking themselves what policies they’re most interested in, and what a 2020 candidate should prioritize the most. Is Medicare-for-all a top 3 priority or is it a quixotic distraction? What’s the best progressive immigration policy? Is there a way to make sure climate change isn’t swept under the rug again?
This isn’t just a matter of introspection and discussion, it’s also one of action. Consider how young activists with the Sunrise movement and Justice Democrats have used alliances with democratic socialist pols and civil disobedience targeted at Democratic leaders to begin making the radical Green New Deal a mainstream 2020 Democrat position. Michael Bloomberg, who’s touring the nation as he considers a run for the White House, has been targeted by protesters drawing attention to his reactionary record on criminal justice and treatment of women. There’s a limited window for ordinary citizens to use their voices, their bodies, and their dollars to show Democratic presidential hopefuls where the energy of the base is. If direct action and protests aren't your scene, you can always join organizations lobbying for policies you believe in, and/or donate money to them.
Good politicians aren’t just strong leaders, they’re also attentive followers. They should have demonstrable convictions and compelling visions for the future, but they must also harness the will of the people. The louder the pulse of the body politic, the easier it is to inspire politicians to act on it.
But it can also easily be drowned out. Charisma is perhaps the most powerful tool with which a politician can eclipse the voice of voters. Style usurps substance, voters are reduced to spectators. Consider this remark from Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke — by far the biggest rising star among the 2020 contenders due to his ability to electrify crowds — at a recent town hall: “I am who I am. I laid out my vision for Texas and this country over the last two years without taking a single poll to find out where people were on the issues or how popular it was or how it would track in this community.”
Beto’s clearly saying this in order to bolster his reputation for “authenticity,” and he’s making the case that if voters don’t like who he is they’re free to ignore him. But it’s also hubristic and anti-democratic — it’s important to understand what your constituents want, even if you choose not to pander to them or are unafraid to challenge them on some issues.
A good politician is a vessel, not a messiah. If you find yourself charmed by any candidate, I’d say the best thing you can do is try to find a way to force them to prove that they're listening to you.
Housekeeping
Two quick notes:
1) I'll be taking a break from the newsletter next week for the holidays, so I'll see you all in 2019!
2) If you've been enjoying the newsletter, please consider recommending it to people you think might be interested in it or sharing it on social media! I've been so excited by its growth, and the only way that will continue is through word of mouth. Here's the sign-up link: https://tinyletter.com/zeeshanaleem
Film recommendations
I figured I'd share recommendations for a few movies that I saw and really loved this year —some are new, some aren't.
Free solo: A breath-taking documentary about Alex Honnold's attempt at a free solo climb (no harnesses or ropes) up El Capitan, the largest granite monolith in the world. I thought this would be a film about a reckless thrill-seeker. But it's actually about a precision-obsessed athlete seeking perfection. There's also a fascinating psychological dimension to the film that lies in the tension between Honnold's paradoxical tendencies toward self-involvement and self-sacrifice. [Trailer]
Raw: A French horror film about a veterinarian student's surprising craving of human flesh with interesting things to say about the female body, sexuality, and the harrowing process of becoming an adult. There's a dream-like quality to many of its sequences, beautiful use of color, and an edgy soundtrack. It's a feminist enterprise, but more because of the force and nuance with which it centers on the female experience than any kind of paint-by-numbers revenge fantasy. [Trailer]
The Florida Project: An enchanting Sean Baker film centered on the summer adventures of a group of children living precarious lives in a motel on the outskirts of Disney World. Brooklynn Prince, the child actress who plays the mischievous pack leader, is a total natural, and Willem Dafoe is, unsurprisingly, a steady, gripping presence in the movie in his supporting role. But I was most struck by the range and versatility of Bria Vinaite, who plays the free-wheeling mother of Prince's character. Astonishingly, it turns out Baker discovered her on Instagram, where she was selling cannabis merchandise, and she received just three weeks of acting classes before filming. Also just note that it's far less saccharine than the trailer might lead you to believe. [Trailer]
Paterson: This is a meditative movie about a bus-driving poet in New Jersey and it's a real gem. I think a lot of people would find this movie to be slow and pointless; I don't necessarily love all the poetry that's recited in it; and some of the visual transitions between scenes are cheesy. But Adam Driver is, as always, a force of nature, and I found myself riveted by his tiny world full of magic and hidden meaning. I'm always excited by explorations of bohemianism and artistic ambition outside metropolises, especially at a time when cultural capitals like New York are in decline. The rhythm, repetition and motifs of the movie make it clear that Paterson isn't just a movie about crafting poetry — it's also an attempt at creating a cinematic equivalent of a poem. [Trailer]
Roma: Alfonso Cuarón's semi-autobiographical story of life in Mexico City in the early 1970s is one of the most memorable film experiences I've had in a long, long time. Despite the fact that it just came out, it's already on Netflix, which is so puzzling because this is a movie that's hugely ambitious in terms of cinematography and audio editing, and is specifically designed to create a sense of immersion; watching it on Netflix is like watching a 2-D version of a movie made for 3-D viewing. The fact that the story centers on the life of a domestic worker is (sadly) inherently radical, I think, although there's room for critique of the depiction of her inner life. Cuarón has said that he hopes the movie makes people think about their own childhood, and it achieved that for me, especially my visits to Pakistan growing up. I felt transported. [Trailer]
What I'm reading
The case against billionaire philanthropy.
It's worse than we thought: "Facebook allowed Microsoft’s Bing search engine to see the names of virtually all Facebook users’ friends without consent, the records show, and gave Netflix and Spotify the ability to read Facebook users' private messages.
The criminal justice reform bill that just passed the Senate isn't as big as everyone's making it seem.
How did things get so bad for Macron?
A paper argues that politicians have caused a collapse in pay for the bottom 90 percent.
Hospital and insurance lobbies are preparing to go to war against Medicare-for-all.
Is the left leading us toward green imperialism?
In which the longest-serving member of Congress in history calls for abolishing the Senate.
The difference between bird-watching and birding.
A newly discovered amphibian known for putting its head in the sand has been named after Donald Trump.
Long read
He helped build an artists’ utopia. Now he faces trial for 36 deaths there.
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