What the Shadow Does
This Substack monitors narratives and rhetoric trending in the right-wing political media to help the progressively-aligned fight back and advance a multicultural, inclusive America.
And Why?
Big Hairy Goal
To do what the Democrats and mainstream media weren’t and to a large degree still aren’t. Report on the real sh*t happening to take over culture and politics by conservative media. Dark money and organizations like the Heritage Foundation. That sh*t that we now know as Project 2025 sh*t, the GOP’s wet dream to smash the inclusive, multiracial, multiethnic America that was getting bigger. And stronger.
And smash it all to bits.
Trump ended up as the far-right “unifer” or some say Manchurian Candidate that would have them take this country backwards and put in place— if not an authoritarian fascist regime—an uber conservative culture that recreates both Jim and Jane Crow and the post—WWII men in the workforce, women making babies 1950’s all over again.
Hell to the NO!
I started my FB Racial and Social Justice news media site and community because I felt the Democrats were absolutely sh*tty at it. They certainly weren’t creating and backing a liberal social media voices covering the political scene. Those of us commenting on the few indie progressive sites on Facebook and creating our own pages were like Davids among the Goliths.
A Bit of Back Story
Originally, The Shadow Monitor originally was supposed to be the home for larger posts. And to monitor all those Trump promises made about bringing back manufacturing, lowering consumer prices, protect social services like Medicare, and to be a President of ALL THE PEOPLE.
In other words, all those things that young black and Latino people, the working class, and garden variety conservatives said were the reason they voted for him.
My goal was to be part of a movement that held him accountable and get people to wake up to what is really going on. Because that sh*t didn’t last long did it?
He walked back those promises before the inauguration.
Where We Are. And It’s Dark.
Because Trump did keep some promises. The ones that echoed Project 2025. And his personal promise to retaliate against all his enemies and the perceived enemies of conservative rank-and-file voters to take back the cultural war from liberals.
So we got DOGE cuts, chaos, and a budget that is built on stealing from the poor to make the monied wealthier. And we got Executive Orders that attacked diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and cultural practices. Institutions like law offices, universities, and businesses cut back their commitments to a more inclusive, racially just America and starting firing people, or euphemistically “laying people off.”
We got tariffs that have been walked back seemingly more times than he’s been in office. Tariffs that are killing American businesses and raising prices for consumers. Especially already burdened low income and working class Americans.
Turns out Trump wasn’t an advocate for them either.
Rather we have ICE, a paramilitary-acting force charged with rounding up “illegal aliens,” that the rest of us humanely call “undocumenteds.” Except that they are capturing—often by force—those legally here and without due process being disappeared into foreign countries that they may not even originally come from.
The Shadow Going Forward
As many pundits have noted, Trump and far right organizations like The Daily Caller (Ben Shapiro) and Turning Point (the late Charlie Kirk’s conservative youth machine) are really really good at stuff the Democrats suck at. Still.
Because like traditionally, there focus has been on fundraising and getting Democrats into local offices on up to the big enchilada—the Presidency. The Party of course is in disarray since Kamala Harris’ defeat. Way too much time beating up on Joe Biden. Then and now.
Bottom line: We liberals and anti-Trump fascist regime citizens can’t rely on the Dems for much.
Okay there are a few bright spots: Gavin Newsom team’s mocking Trump. Jasmine Crockett. Dem stalwarts like Jamie Raskin.
We will amplify them and effective Democratic messagers when we see them.
You will still see us monitoring Trump sh(t.
But the idea is to go beyond that. The Shadow will emphasize reporting on trending messaging and content—with a special focus on the far right political social media landscape. Because they are effective even though their content and aims are putrid much if not most of the time.
And I’m going to use my background in marketing communications and burgeoning study of politcal rhetoric to help us come together and get as great at it as “the opposition.”
Nerdy stuff. And the rough-and-tumble guerilla tactics. And everything in-between.
Stay tuned.