As another holiday season approaches, millions of Americans are bracing for political battles alongside their turkey and stuffing. The Minnesota-based organization Braver Angels offers valuable strategies for navigating these tensions, but the real question remains: is simply managing conflict enough when our democracy faces fundamental challenges?
Dr. Bill Doherty’s advice through Braver Angels represents an essential starting point. His emphasis on prioritizing relationships, avoiding triggering terminology, and abandoning the futile mission of changing family members’ minds reflects a pragmatic approach to immediate family harmony. Yet beneath these practical tips lies a deeper truth – our inability to communicate across political divides represents more than just holiday awkwardness; it signals a democratic crisis requiring systemic solutions beyond individual conversation tactics.
The Limits of Conversational Band-Aids
While Doherty’s guidance offers valuable first aid for holiday gatherings, treating political division as primarily a communication problem misses the structural forces driving polarization. Consider how media ecosystems have evolved: Americans increasingly consume fundamentally different information diets. A 2020 Pew Research study found that 89% of Trump supporters and 87% of Biden supporters believed the other side’s news sources were unreliable. When family members arrive at the dinner table having consumed entirely different factual universes, no amount of conversational dexterity can bridge that gap.
The Braver Angels approach correctly identifies that dehumanization fuels polarization. Doherty wisely advises against turning relatives into
