They’re not hiding who they are. We’re just not paying attention.
By now you’ve seen plenty of articles and profiles of House Speaker Mike Johnson. Up until the moment he ascended to the speakership last fall (via a path so implausible that I’m certain he describes it as divine intervention), nobody seemed to know much about him.
Now that he’s two heartbeats away from the presidency, we do.
And boy, was that a learning curve. MAGA Mike’s as extreme as they come. He’s spent his life proudly fighting against same-sex marriage and for criminalizing abortion. He was called the “most important architect” for the electoral college objections. He voted against certifying the 2020 election.
Last week he made news by promoting two hard-right MAGA Republicans to the House Intelligence Committee – effectively polarizing one of the only committees that still prides itself on doing real work. When asked why he did so, his answer was something along the lines of “mumble mumble Trump made me do it.”
He flies the Appeal to Heaven flag in front of the Speaker’s office door. Like Supreme Court Justice and fellow flag-waver Samuel Alito, he tries to brush off controversy about the flag by reaching his claws back into history, claiming he appreciates it because it was Washington’s flag – as if our understanding of symbols doesn’t evolve over time. (A concept anyone with a pre-WWII quilt with the Battle X of Thor swastika pattern in their attic could easily explain.)
Image credit: Meidastouch on Twitter
We know now, of course, that the Appeal to Heaven flag is not flown primarily by history buffs, but by Christian nationalists who believe they are on a sacred mission to “restore” America. The flag was a relatively unknown symbol until a decade or so ago, when Dutch Sheets, one of the most important leaders in the New Apostolic Reformation, started elevating it. The New Apostolic Reformation has been described as “key Christian instigators of January 6.” They believe, in essence, that Christians have a mandate to take over society, including government.
As the story goes, after receiving an Appeal to Heaven flag during a graduation ceremony, Sheets believes he also received a prophecy that the flag would be a symbol of their campaign to take over government. And then he set out to make it so – giving the flag to prominent Republicans and asking them to fly it proudly.
Republicans obliged. (At least 10 Congressional Republicans are flying that flag, right now, in the halls of Congress.)
And now, with the sudden ascension of Mike Johnson, we have the sudden ascension of the Appeal to Heaven flag and everything it represents.
Mild-mannered MAGA Mike took everyone by surprise – not because he’s ever hidden who he is or what he stands for. He took us by surprise because we weren’t looking for him.
Johnson hails from super-red Louisiana – not exactly a battleground state. He used to brag on his website that he “was elected to the state legislature twice without opposition.” (He’s since scrubbed that part from his website. I suppose boasting that you win elections that are forfeited isn’t the flex that he thought it was.) Uncontested districts are not uncommon in red states, and certainly not in Louisiana. In 2023, over half of Louisiana’s state house seats were uncontested by Democrats.
Then Johnson ran for Congress. He didn’t face much opposition there, either.
In 2018, his opponent raised less than $30k.
In 2020, his opponent raised less than $25k.
In 2022, he didn’t have an opponent at all.
The 2022 election was officially “cancelled,” and Johnson won by default.
He’s the perfect example of how by not running and supporting nominees in every district, Democrats are allowing people like him to coast to the highest levels of power without facing a real election.
And so here we are, with a card-carrying, flag-flying Christian nationalist as the Speaker of the U.S. House.
Mike Johnson is the poster child of the current generation of GOP leaders and members who face no accountability because they face no meaningful opposition. All of their incentives encourage them to keep being extreme.
The man who is just a few heartbeats away from the presidency holds incredibly extreme world views. He hasn’t hidden them. But he’s flown under the radar for so long because we’ve given him the runway to do so.
Does that sound harsh? I don’t mean it to be.
But imagine what would have happened had Mike Johnson been meaningfully contested at every step of his political career. Would he have been such an unknown? Would his radical, extreme positions have been more out in the open? Would his fellow Republicans have voted for him for Speaker if they had been able to see in a quick Google search what took the mainstream press months to dig up?
Maybe. Maybe not.
We’ll never know.
And that’s the problem.
See, there are thousands of Mike Johnsons in state legislatures all over the country. They’re in Idaho, and Utah, Montana and Missouri. They’re in Indiana, and North Dakota, and West Virginia.
And yes, they’re in Louisiana.
They’re in the states that Democrats don’t invest in because they’re not “flippable.” But that doesn’t mean they don’t matter.
They’re the training grounds and finishing schools for folks like Mike Johnson.
If we want to make headway, we have to fight everywhere.
And we have to stop giving them an open runway.
Let’s get to work.
Small Deeds to Do for June 18, 2024
Here’s the part where – if you are so inclined – we roll up our sleeves and engage in what I like to call Action Therapy. Each Tuesday I share three “small things” – usually a Small Thing to Read, a Small Event to Attend, and a Small Call to Make or Action to Take. You can tuck these actions into your week with ease – and know that you’re doing something today to make tomorrow better.
But first, if you want to join my efforts to fight everywhere, I hope you’ll check out Every State Blue. It’s a labor of love, and truly the most effective thing I think I’ve done in trying to right this ship. https://everystateblue.org/
This week I’m sharing one Small Thing to Read, two Small Events to Attend, and an excellent reader-suggested Small Action.
Small Thing to Read: The Foreward from Project 2025
Speaking of not giving Republicans runway…
You’ve heard of Project 2025, no doubt. But at nearly 1,000 pages, its size is intimidating and its breadth can be overwhelming. That is both a bug and a feature, in my opinion.
But this is one of the most important documents you can read to understand what is happening in this election. You’ll get an insider’s view of the conservative mindset – and probably recognize quite a bit of messaging.
They’ve literally given us their playbook. It’s up to us to use that information or not. They’re betting you won’t read it.
I’m betting you will.
Attorney, professor, and author Joyce Vance suggested recently that we break Project 2025 down into its individual parts, as a sort of book club. I think that’s brilliant. So this week, I challenge you to read two things: the table of contents, and the foreward.
And let’s make this feel even smaller and more do-able. Within the foreward you’ll see four “promises” – subheadings that chunk up the larger document into even smaller bits. My recommendation is to read one subheading a day, which is just about three pages. Here’s a link to the foreward. Let’s dig in!
Small Action to Take: Shopping While Blue!
Last week, subscriber Shawn shared a simple action that he takes in his own community: he’s made it a practice to wear a Biden t-shirt on his grocery store runs.
He says: I wear a Biden T-Shirt on EVERY Grocery Run in Florida. It started as a New Years resolution. My hope was (and still is) that it would become a thing and grocery stores become a place where Biden Fans show their true colors. Why grocery stores? 1. Safety. They are brightly lit and populated. 2. Visibility. They are brightly lit and populated.
Shopping while Blue is a perfect way to turn a $30 T-Shirt into a ray of hope for fellow Dems in Red States. I agree we need to fight for and fund every election. Shopping while Blue is a way to rally the troops and to show our numbers in a way that voting alone fails to do.
…Three Biden Tees in a Kroger will make it seem like EVERYONE is wearing Biden gear. Enthusiasm builds enthusiasm.
It’s an act of volunteering that can happen on YOUR schedule while doing errands. It’s $30 to reach potentially 100s of people. I’ve done this 48 times since 1/1/24 and have received ZERO negative comments IN FLORIDA. Trust me, this will renew your faith in humanity. And it feels so good to DO SOMETHING for 11/5/24
This is such a simple way to celebrate Democrats, build community, and build enthusiasm for the election! Shawn shared the t-shirt stores that he recommends, including https://www.demsmakelifebetter.org/ (you’ll recognize Jessica Craven and Robert Hubbell as testimonials!) and BeantownStrong.org. I’ll add the Biden/Harris web store for good measure: https://shop.joebiden.com/reelectjoe/.
Small Event to Attend:
With Democrats, Things Get Better – Register here. Wed, June 19th, 1pm ET – On Wednesday, Simon Rosenberg, author of Hopium and veteran pollster/Democratic strategist, will be hosting his signature presentation: With Democrats, Things Get Better, a 25 minute deep dive on American politics since the Cold War ended and a new age of globalization began. It tells a simple but powerful story – when Democrats are in the White House, things get better in America. When Republicans are we get recessions, higher deficits and American decline.
If you’ve not heard this presentation before, you need to! It’s quick and packs a punch – you’ll leave feeling more hopeful and energized than you came in.
(Another) Small Event to Attend:
The Brennan Center is sponsoring a virtual event this week for Brennan Center President Michael Waldman’s book: The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America.
From the event description: The Supreme Court is rapidly upending American life as we know it. After previous terms in which the Court expanded gun rights, limited reproductive rights, and tossed aside decades of progress on racial justice and voting rights, the 2023–24 term is shaping up to be just as consequential. This spring, the Court will rule on presidential immunity, the limits of gun control, and the ability of government agencies to do their jobs.
In his book The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America, Brennan Center President Michael Waldman takes us through the history of the nation’s highest court and details the reforms needed to restore balance to our government. The just-released paperback edition of The Supermajority includes a new chapter on the 2022–23 term, the ethics scandals that have ensnared Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, and the impact of the Court’s divisive rulings on its public standing.
Join us for a live virtual event on Thursday, June 20, at 3 p.m. ET. Waldman, who served on the 2021 Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court, will be joined by Kareem Crayton, the Brennan Center’s senior director for voting and representation. Together they will explore the threat the current Court poses, how this year’s decisions have built on or changed the Court’s previous rulings, and what can be done to shore up democracy.
Speakers: Michael Waldman, President, Brennan Center; Author, The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America ; Moderator: Kareem Crayton, Senior Director, Voting Rights and Representation, Brennan Center
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Small Deeds Done 