I’m normally an optimist, but something nags at the back of my head. Remember, Trump 1.0 didn’t have the audacity to ignore the constitution, ignore judges rulings, etc. It really is Trump 2.0 that fully embraced the “What if we didn’t…” ethos.
And I will state again, the worst thing that Donald Trump has done to this country is make it OK to be an asshole. I’m more than willing to debate actual policy with conservatives, but Trump gets in front of his followers and makes fun of the handicapped and trans and Gold Star parents and keeps punching down, and if he can do that then I can, too. No, America wasn’t perfect in 2016, but we had made great strides. Then Trump started holding his rallies and saying it was OK to hate people who were different from you.
And it will take us decades to get back from that.
For certain values of “just fine”, I agree. That’s everyone who was able to vote but didn’t vote for Kamala (i.e. didn’t vote at all even though there were no impediments, or registered a “protest vote”). They were okay enough with Trumpism to not do the most effective thing to combat it.
How about the USSR? Stalin routinely purged anyone he thought was a threat to his power, so no one wanted to stand out while he was alive. But after he died, they did have a new leader, and the system continued for decades.
But this doesn’t tell us anything overall about the character of the average American relative to elsewhere, because other countries make it easier to vote, and make it easier to vote for third parties in a meaningful way, and far right parties manage to get more than half the vote percents that Trump got in a lot of countries.
Not to be snarky, but didn’t Vance support Jan 6? (and I assume Miller as well but I honestly don’t know). And would that be considered “ignoring the constitution”?
In a desperate effort to move past the doomism and back to voters seeing their faces eaten:
Americans are as bearish as ever on Trump’s handling of the economy, which is now experiencing spiking gas prices in addition to grocery costs that remain as high as they were when the issue of affordability elevated him back to the White House in 2024.
A CNN/SSRS poll conducted last week found that just 31 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy—the lowest it has been in either of Trump’s terms.
Trump’s handling of inflation is equally grim. The CNN poll, which surveyed over 1,200 Americans, found that just 27 percent view Trump’s handling of inflation favorably, down from 44 percent this time a year ago.
Gee, you couldn’t buy eggs, but now you’re unhappy with $4/gal gas and high inflation? Who knew!
(yes yes, all the usual provisos, a CNN poll, probably a strong self-selection, but work with me!)
I disagree a little - Miller absolutely has the audacity and Vance might. But what those two don’t have is whatever you call the ability to inspire worship that Trump has, so I don’t see either of them being elected President. I’m not sure Miller could get elected to anything.
To be clear, I acknowledge and agree with all of this. I’m not so naive as to think that once Trump is gone, however it happens, all will be well, or that the road to recovery will be simple and straightforward.
The unfathomable damage that Trump has inflicted on virtually every aspect of American society may ultimately be unrecoverable, even if we were to elect only honest and competent politicians dedicated to restoring our democracy and international standing.
But first things first. We have to put out the fire before we can begin rebuilding the house.
One thing I find marginally encouraging is how many Republicans are retiring before the end of this term. They may be spineless to the extent that they won’t cross Trump while in office, but by retiring comparatively late in this term, they are creating opportunities for Democrats to prevail in districts where an incumbent might have had the edge.
It will be expensive and difficult for Republicans to mount successful campaigns at this late date. And whether it’s to avoid the indignity of losing to a Democrat in what should perhaps be considered a safe seat, or just a back-door way of creating those opportunities for Dems to win, it will help Dems do better in the midterms.
And to anyone who’s depressed and thinks there’s nothing they can do, guess what? That’s how Trump wants you to feel.
If you attend a rally, or join a political group (I recommend Indivisible), or write some postcards to voters in swing states, not only will you be fighting the good fight, you’ll be connecting with like-minded people, and you’ll feel better and more hopeful. And you’ll have an answer when your grandkids ask, “What did you do about Trump?”
If you’ve ever wondered what you would have done during Hitler’s rise to power in 1930s Germany, you’re doing it right now!
True, “the system” continued, and it sucked, but it was never again as arbitrarily murderous as it had been under Stalin. Things did in fact improve considerably when he died.