Behavioral biologists have long been fascinated by the nature of dominance hierarchies in animals. There is a direct correlation, they posit, between the increased probability of winning at a given time and victories proximate to that time. In other words, if an animal perceives that it has a superior ability to win an all-out fight, it considers itself to be dominant and continues winning. It is this phenomena that accounts for what’s commonly referred to as the “winner” and “loser” effects.
Never have those effects been more on display in the human species than this past weekend, embodied by the national Republican and Democratic parties respectively.
As the Republican Party celebrated a victory over Roe v. Wade 50 years in the making—a culture war carefully mapped out and methodically executed—Democrats forced a smile and extolled the virtue of accepting breadcrumbs in the wake of another mass shooting of school children.
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Republicans stripped women of a fundamental right believed to be enshrined in our nation’s most sovereign document; Democrats got funding for incentives for Red Flag Laws and marginally expanded background checks.
Republicans sent a tidal wave around the globe as world leaders reacted with shock, and disbelief, managing to stun even Britain’s right-wing populist Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Democrats held a ceremonial bill signing, hailed by President Joe Biden as “historic” for its bipartisan support—and got the rail on page 3 of the Daily News.
Let’s face it, in modern-day American politics, Republicans have mastered the art of dominance.
Democrats have been taken over by the woke Twitter mob and paralyzed by infighting, while disciplined Republicans have fallen in line and single-mindedly got to work. They lie, cheat and steal to produce for the people who elect them. Democrats say please and thank you and point to process arguments to explain their inability to produce so much as a ham sandwich.
And as Republicans won—starting with Bush v. Gore, on through Merrick Garland, Brett Kavanaugh, and the largest restructuring of the tax code in generations—they became more aggressive, and they kept winning: Amy Coney Barrett, overturning conceal/carry, and now Roe v Wade.
Conversely, Democratic leadership adopted a strategy of preemptive capitulation. For evidence, look no further than the Senate Judiciary’s reaction, announcing that the Committee will “hold a hearing next month to explore the grim reality of a post-Roe America”. Hearings. Next. Month.
It’s easy to forget that the party used to be led by bareknuckled fighters like LBJ and FDR. Today, even when Democrats theoretically win—elections, policy debates, the high ground—we lose.
What’s worse: With democracy and fundamental civil rights at stake, it’s not that Democrats aren’t winning—it doesn’t even feel like we’re fighting.
But the reality is that the Democratic party is the only thing standing in the way of the United States devolving into fascism.
So how do we reverse this paradigm and motivate our voters this November?
We get up off the mat, and we fight back.
Scientists have found that the “winners effect” can be disrupted when aggressive challenges arise. If an animal wins an encounter, then its perception of its own ability to win increases and allows for the dynamic to be altered.
Let’s bear down and get in the game. It’s past time we start playing by the same rules Republicans have for decades and do it as, if not more, aggressively than they do. Democratic leadership must be more creative tactically, take risks and think outside the box. If they can’t or won’t, then they must step aside and hand the reins over to someone who will.
As a basic principle, start by showing that the Constitution is more than a meaningless piece of paper and that there are consequences for those who betray their sworn duty to uphold democracy.
Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney have done a masterful job of prosecuting the case against Trump and some closest to him, using hard evidence and first-person testimony. But it’s not enough to produce captivating television. Make the criminal referral. Do it tomorrow, and demand the Justice Department do their job.
If Ginni Thomas was conspiring with those behind the attempted insurrection, Congress must subpoena her, publicly cross-examine her, and if warranted, punish her. If there’s even a hint Justice Clarence Thomas was involved in any way, do the same with him.
In the meantime, Merrick Garland should immediately and publicly begin proceedings against Trump and his co-conspirators at the highest levels. Charge them with obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy against the United States and sedition.
Democrats maintaining the majority is this country’s last best hope—but beleaguered Americans who have turned out to vote in years past are rightly disaffected. They need to see that the the party is using every tool in the arsenal and is unified in fighting for them.
A donkey may be smaller than an elephant, but research suggests that, regardless of size, if we started hitting back aggressively enough, we will land a punch. And another one after after that.
Who knows?
The winners could be the American people.
