Actual photo of the historic East Wing of the White House today: https://i.redd.it/vchtk38rijwf1.jpeg
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I once got scammed out of $350 for some speakers sold out of the back of a van, in traffic. I could not admit it for years. I kept pretending they were great, even in front of my audio engineer friends.
How do we bring our friends who got politically scammed, in from the cold? We all get scammed sometimes.
Perhaps this cultural trait is one of the major reasons why the US is in the situation it's in.
I consider it one my super powers. I am a big guy, and I've been told that I speak somewhat authoritatively in-person, even when I may have no business doing so. I don't mean it, but that's how I come off to people apparently.
Seeing the look in peoples' eyes when I readily admit ignorance or fault is lovely. I think I see a sign of relief. It has opened doors for me.
But being scammed... oof... that's a whole other thing that makes me feel emasculated as hell. I would prefer to never mention it anyone, thank you very much.
I am not saying this proudly, it's just my honest self-reflection. I get the feeling that I am not alone in this.
As long as the Democratic Party keeps its current shape, people will continue to distrust it.
Thanks, wish I could say the same to you my friend.
What does the Democratic party have to do with the current US government, when the other party controls all three branches of the federal government? Unless I am misreading you, this seems like a complete non-sequitur.
Murc's Law - The widespread assumption that only Democrats have any agency or causal influence over American politics.
At least that's my interpretation
I would also like to point out that everyone else fell for anti-woke (McCarthyism spelled differently), fReE SpEaCh!, and Haitians eating your pets. So yeah, it's 100% the Dems' fault cause Genocide Joe!
The sooner we all admit that we are all easily programmed meat machines, myself included, the sooner we can move beyond the current insanity.
We all got played. Let's all admit it together. Is that really too much to ask?
Their message for the last ten years (plus or minus some) has been that if you think that an unborn baby deserves legal protection, if you don't think that trans people belong in womens' restrooms and on womens' sports teams, if you don't think that gay marriage is a good idea, then you are an irredeemable moral leper, and their goal is a complete destruction of your culture. If you're, say, poor and white and blue-collar, they still are totally against you, even though you're the people that they have, historically, represented.
A bunch of those people voted for Trump (or didn't vote at all), knowing what Trump was. They voted for the guy who at least pretended to care about them.
And, really, why did they expect a different outcome?
That's what the Democratic Party has to do with the current US government. Them abandoning their core constituency is a critical enabling step for us to be where we are.
Does that make it all their fault? No. But wow, did they ever bungle both the 2016 and 2024 campaigns.
The opposite of your point is that I recall the GOP frequently calling anyone in favor of abortions murderers, people who are gay or transgender pedophiles and that non-whites are destroying our nation. This isn't even a recent phenomenon either, this was all stuff I heard decades ago just slightly less overt.
Mind you, I don't disagree that the Democratic Party is a complete waste, because they are. But you're arguing simultaneously that they had toxic core principles which alienated their voting base, but the reality is that they've never had any principles at all. They've had no issue for as long as I've been alive negotiating and watering down their platform into absolutely nothing for the sake of trying to cater to the people who vote for the GOP which is the actual reason why we're here today. And their plans for the future mostly involve doing the same thing: making concessions on abortion, throwing minorities under the bus etc for the sake of trying to appeal to people that will sooner vote for Bootstomper Jr provided that they make a pinky promise that they won't stomp on their head too hard.
Who do the Dems represent? Milquetoast moderates who favor hiding their heads in the sand rather than address critical issues like freedom, democracy, rule of law, hate, disinformation, tech, etc ... ?
The Democrats are so afraid of conflict that they stand for nothing (quick, name what they stand for) - so afraid that the attack members of their own party, progressives, who fight for anything. So they are left with the above demographic, and with weak support from them because, it turns out, cowardice and ineffectiveness doesn't inspire people. And they get votes from people whose dislike of the GOP is enough that they'll vote for the Dems regardless.
They are also absurdly ineffective at communication. They can't even overcome the people who say Dems are child molesters and Obama was from Kenya. I read that a Dem Congressional livestream about the shutdown peaked at 1,000 (one thousand) viewers. :D
In the NY Times in recent days is a debate over what milquetoast policies will win a few extra percent of the vote - they say that moderation is the way! The Dem elite don't realize that the problem isn't policy - Trump does great with all-time bad, all-time extreme policy - the problem is them.
What would it take for the Democrats to become the party of the working class? Do you think raising the minimum wage, universal pre-k and childcare, paid family and medical leave, ACA expansion, etc. are working class policies?
Either Republicans must be the party of the working class or being "pro working class" isn't necessary to win the elections. Which one is it?
> A bunch of those people voted for Trump (or didn't vote at all), knowing what Trump was. They voted for the guy who at least pretended to care about them.
Tons of farmers, small business owners, federal workers, women who believed IVF would be free would disagree with you on the first part. And for the "pretend" part, you mean lie, right? So do you think Democrats need to start outright lying?
This is the kind of politely dismissive language that pushes the other side even further :)
When Dems lose, its Dems fault. When Dems win, its Dems fault. When repubs win, it's also Dems fault. When repubs do something bad - believe it or not, Dems fault.
Republican representatives are not stupid babies. They are grown men and women. They are intentionally fucking Americans up the ass. It's not an "oopsy!" situation.
Everyone needs to take some accountability.