Some days, I wonder how democracy can endure. That went double when I saw a recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute. 

It asked people if they agreed that Donald Trump is “a dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy.” Fifty-two percent said yes, including 56 percent of swing voters. That, according to Axios, suggests “that middle-of-the-road voters who helped put him back in office are abandoning him.”

You might say, what’s the problem, John? Things are looking up.

Are they? Look closer. Fifty-eight percent of Asian-American and Pacific Islander respondents agreed. Sixty-three percent of Latino respondents agreed. Sixty-seven percent of Black respondents agreed.

But what about the biggest demographic of them all?

Only 45 percent of white respondents agreed. 

Despite all the destruction, and destruction to come – and despite the president’s defiance of a US Supreme Court ruling to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia after his illegal deportation to El Salvador – a majority of white Americans, 55 percent, are like dictator? What dictator?

Majorities of the other racial demographics see what needs seeing. Why doesn’t the biggest one? The answer is obvious. At least, it should be. So my question is: How can American democracy endure?

Hope is what I found myself lacking in the conversation below. It began with kind criticism of a piece I wrote in which I asked what the reaction would be if Kamala Harris had done with tariffs what Trump has done. But the conversation with someone who wanted only to be known by her Bluesky handle, The Angry Black Woman, took a turn.

“That concept of ‘hope’ sits with the white community,” The Angry Black Woman told me, “and I know they will blow up the world before they admit they were wrong or actually try to save our country.”

JS: In a recent piece, I asked readers to ask themselves what the reaction would be if Harris did what Trump is doing with tariffs? You said such comparisons do more harm than good. Can you explain?

TABW: I believe it is incredibly harmful and here’s why. One, anytime you compare a Black person to a white one, you are bringing in biases, prejudice and close-minded opinions. Two, we know how Black figures have to be five times better than white counterparts to get half as far, so it always seems like it’s either clickbait or lazy to use such a headline. Three, Black people are generally very pragmatic. We want better for our families and communities, and we consciously work toward solutions that will be better to everyone, not just ourselves.

So when we compare the heinous acts of a white person and hold up a Black person as a litmus, it confirms bias or prejudice one may have while never looking at actual policies creating harm. Your article asked if it was a Democrat doing this. I felt like you could have stayed on that path. You could have replaced Harris with Biden and still made the point. Biden is an old white man who had polarizing views (equality and whatnot) and that would have been a proper comparison. By using Harris, it clouds the initial viewpoint with racism and misogyny, which are additional barriers that the current occupant doesn’t face.

So these comparisons hurt the Black community, because people don’t think we belong in these spaces. And while they may champion Black people when they need to be saved, this past election showed us that, even when faced with certain doom, white people will never truly stand behind a Black person for power. Especially a Black woman.

JS: I have run into this before. My intention is to use Harris as any kind of Democrat, but the reaction is sometimes no, she’s not just any kind of Democrat — that I’m not paying enough attention to the context and history, especially re Black women. This is probably my blind spot.

TABW: I would agree, but I also don’t think you are doing that for nefarious reasons. I think it’s hard for a white male journalist to fully appreciate the nuances of the Black experience. I think it’s even harder for you to see the perspective of Black women. I have been reading your work for a while (back in those Twitter streets) and I believe you are fair and try to do it right. But it’s true, when speaking about Harris, it’s not just a red versus blue conversation. As a Black woman, I know firsthand the struggle she endured, that we all endure. So when we try to minimize or dismiss that in its full context, people get upset.

JS: You have given me a rare chance to ask: Is there concern among your peers about the Democrats moving away from its base? Sanders is again getting a lot of attention for his criticism of “identity politics.” Even mainstream Dems like Chris Murphy say his shtick is good for bringing Trump voters back to the Democrats. What do you think?

TABW: I think that if you bank on white people saving democracy, you should just say goodbye to it now. They aren’t built that way. While I understood why Harris reached out the way she did, I knew that it was pointless. White people will choose destruction over equality every single time. So if that is where the Democrats want to go, good for them. It doesn’t mean we won’t vote, if we still can, but that energy that is the base of the party won’t be there. Those white voters are never going to come back and, if they do, they won’t be loyal. So this is just another way that America is showing how little they value us.

As an overseas voter, my ability to cast another vote may be gone soon. That is going to impact the Democratic Party. It’s just another way that the party is devouring itself. After November, I don’t even care anymore, to be honest. I live in Europe and have seen what happens when racism rolls in. There are countries here that have been fighting for decades to get their freedom back, and it’s still not on the horizon.

JS: There is this belief among liberals (white liberals) that Trump voters will turn on him if they experience enough suffering at his hands. An example is Medicaid. The Republicans in the Congress are trying to take it away to pay for tax cuts for the richest. Do that, critics say, and Trump’s voters will give Democrats a second look. I do not buy this. It’s like they can’t believe why they voted for Trump in the first place.

TABW: They won’t turn on him. They knew what they were getting and still made that choice. They knew the risks, but it was more important to be white. More importantly, I believe other forces were in play and the truth is, they will never be able to vote him, or any Rethuglikkkan out of office. Look at Hungary and Russia. Same went down there. We tried to tell people. They wouldn’t listen. Here we are. The only difference is Black people aren’t new to this. We will always survive.

JS: Given all this, where do you put your hope these days?

TABW: Honestly?

JS: Always.

TABW: I don’t think I have much. I believe the Black community will be strong and we will survive, but I fear what will happen (Black Wall Street, Tulsa, etc.). It’s hard to hold on to hope. I believe that they are doing everything they can to goad us into the streets so they can officially take over. I am hopeful that the Black community will not fall for it, but that makes me fearful of what they will do. So that concept of “hope” sits with the white community, and I know they will blow up the world before they admit they were wrong or actually try to save our country. I “hope” I am wrong, but the past election showed me I’m not. So yeah, me and hope have a tenuous relationship right now.

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