Flood the Zone: Why Narratives are Replacing Reality in Local Politics

When "could" becomes "fact": How political narratives quietly turn speculation into certainty—and why that matters for democracy

Apr 06, 2026

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Trygve Olson is a strategist, pro-democracy fighter and a founding Lincoln Project advisor. Subscribe to his Substack, Searching for Hope.

It started with a word in a Facebook post by someone I have known for years back home in Wisconsin, and given that I live and pay taxes in Virginia, it caught my eye.

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A guest post by

Searching for Hope

Strategist. Pro-democracy fighter. Father. Wisconsinite. Green Bay Packers owner. Founding Lincoln Project advisor. Girl Dad, who writes about democracy, life lessons, and strategy, because we all need hope.