“It’s not just politics. It’s personal.”
My novel Christina’s Portrait will be published by Wordhaven Press in November. I will describe my book in this series of posts. You can read other posts in the Christina’s Portrait category on my website. Also subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok to learn more about the book.
A great editor doesn’t just show you how to improve your manuscript. They can help you see things from a new perspective. In this case, it’s politics.
In her developmental edit of Christina’s Portrait, Kathy Bosman made this comment: “Maybe mention here or later why [this character] hates Trump so much. Esp. for non-US readers.” As an American who gets bombarded by the president’s follies every day on the news and social media, I assumed that everyone knows what he does and how it affects us. But Kathy lives in South Africa, so US news is more in the background. But readers years from now (or even today) might forget what happened during the pandemic and how Trump’s actions would anger someone like my character. That anger couldn’t come from some detailed analysis of his policies. It had to be personal.
As I developed the character’s personal aversion to Trump, it made me realize that all politics is personal.
I think back to 1980 when I voted for Ronald Reagan in my first presidential election. When his policies started affecting me and my family, not only did I turn against Reagan, I never voted for a Republican candidate for president ever again. And if you look at how Trump’s policies have hurt so many people—immigrant families who have had loved ones unjustly detained, truckers who can’t afford diesel, young people who are forced to decide between food or rent, and so many others—Republicans not only stand to lose the midterms, they may be unelectable for generations to come.
It also shows why people who voted for Trump in three elections are finally turning away from him. Some may sneer, “You voted for him even though he launched an insurrection, was found guilty as an adjudicated rapist, and sold out our country to our enemies. But you only turned away when gas started costing you $4.50 a gallon?” Even people with functioning empathies and glimpses past their chosen media echo chamber comfort themselves with denial, the belief they still did the right thing, and the hope things will work out eventually. That’s until reality becomes too great to brush aside.
It also shows why people cling to him until the very end. They’ve invested so much of their identity in him. They see him as a religious figure. They depleted their bank accounts buying his merch and traveling to his rallies. They broke relationships, estranged family members, and faced community rejection for mimicking his hateful acts. And when he’s gone (and he will go someday), they won’t know what to do with themselves. Their fear of not having Donald Trump as a foundation of their lives is greater than any personal losses they’ll suffer from his policies.
Understanding that politics is personal also helps those who want to make positive changes in society.
The reason why Major Zohran Mamdani is so successful is he makes immediate improvements that benefit ordinary New Yorkers. Abdul El-Sayed connects with Michigan voters because he addresses the issues they care about the most. When people are suffering, they don’t care about ideological labels or a person’s name. They just want someone who can make their lives better.
We need to meet people where they are, whether we’re a politician running for office or an author with a book to sell. When it comes to politics, it isn’t about detailed position papers and ideological stances. It’s about people’s real hopes and fears. All politics is personal.
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