Kavanaugh was inevitable.

[GaYellowDawg]

INEVITABLE. The reason why his confirmation was inevitable was because of the Republican majority in the Senate. I do not understand how some on this board even entertained the idea that this vote would go another way. Pinning your hopes on Republicans doing the right thing? Come ON. These are the same assholes who gave Trump multiple standing ovations at his State of the Union address. They don't give a damn about anything except their political agenda. And they don't have to. No matter what kind of repugnant crap they vote for, they've always got Fox News to back them and to convince their base that they're doing exactly the right thing. They don't have to fear consequences because there are none.

I saw some threads about not being negative, etc. directed at posters who tried to remind everyone of these basic facts - to anyone who interrupted the pleasant and completely unrealistic dreams of a Kavanaugh defeat. People, you need clear eyes and a cold heart and to recognize the reality of the situation. There are some very unpleasant facts to deal with. The first fact is that there is a sizable portion of the country who does not think as we do. The second is that they are absolutely dedicated to voting in every election. The third is that Republicans have systematically rigged the system against us, with more money, with corruptible voting machines, with infringements on voting rights, and with gerrymandered districts. The fifth is that they have a massive media empire, both TV and radio, completely dedicated to advancing an extreme agenda, giving cover to Republicans, and convincing people to vote against their own interests.

It will take a long period of sustained effort to overcome these obstacles. The only real way to offset the defeats we've taken in the past few years - the loss of Congress, the loss of two Supreme Court seats - is to capture and keep the Presidency and the Senate. We are in line for at least two more years of abject misery unless we can take the Senate, which is highly unlikely. We will have to take Congress and the Senate in 2020, and keep the House. Then we can restore some fairness to congressional districting following the 2020 Census. And we desperately need to keep the Senate and the Presidency until 2028. During those 8 years, seats will most likely open up from Ginsburg, Thomas, and Breyer. If we can put liberal justices into those seats, we retake the Court. It will require long-term dedication and it will be very difficult.

Getting your hopes up for something completely unrealistic like a denial of Kavanaugh is unproductive. I hate that this appointment happened, but I'm not surprised. Elections have consequences. We're feeling them. Don't blow the next one because you're impatient or frustrated.

[murielm99]

1. We need to be ruthless.

I grew up on Illinois politics, and I admire ruthlessness.

I have said this at a few meetings of the "progressive" group in our area. A lot of them do not take it well. But ruthlessness has kept my state blue. The hell with anything else.

[Sherman A1]

2. Precisely

And the amount of drama that has been visible these last few days wrapped in the wishful thinking 🤔 that somehow if we just type on the keyboard and snipe at those with views that didn’t agree with their line of thought has been unfortunate.

[lame54]

3. So, you're point is don't even try...

I too believed this to be an inevitable
But the fight was worth it
It exposed this guybfor who he is and
It will help us come November

[GaYellowDawg]

6. No, you completely missed the point.

The point is to be realistic. Doesn't mean you don't fight. But don't expect to have any kind of help from any Republican "consciences." Don't expect a Susan Collins or a Jeff Flake or a Bob Corker to help out. Unrealistic expectations and unrealistic hopes result in discouragement and fatigue to a far greater extent than being realistic. Fight, but know what kind of fight you're in for and what the outcome will most likely be.

[tech3149]

11. The fight is important and I wish we could convince some it's worth the effort

I live in a rural area of W PA. Grew up here, spent 16 years away. I came back to find a Democratic party that was a ghost. They showed up a month or two before elections but only fielded candidates in half the races in any particular year. Of those candidates, there was no serious exposure and they were pretty lame candidates.
It will take time and effort to correct decades of abandonment of local party structures and start rebuilding from the ground up.

The Powell memorandum of 71 started a concerted and well financed campaign to dominate politics and policy until today. It might not be possible to use the same game plan but it's worth a shot. The alternative is to build the grassroots efforts, whether inside or outside the party, to push policy and provide candidate support from the bottom up.

[still_one]

4. Thank you

[rufus dog]

7. clean up on aisle 11

[MelissaB]

9. I was on the jury and didn't even get to vote!

Damn it!

[GaYellowDawg]

10. Just think of it this way...

You didn't have to bag the dog turd.

Personally, I'm glad that it was my post to flush that particular shitbird into the open.

[GaYellowDawg]

8. Enjoy the tombstone.

I'll think of you when we take the House in 2018 and the Senate and Presidency in 2020.

[MarcA]

12. Hard to say how significant changes in the past would have affected the future

But probably wouldn't have this court and abuses of recent repug administrations,
and would have universal healthcare, women's rights, LGBTQ rights and a better
international history and standing if only the current Senate was not 100 members
but 78.

[pretzel4gore]

13. This is terrible

Maybe its karma. .Mai Lai etc? Willie Horton was beat unconscious as a 5 year old. ...maybe we're being punched for that ugliness. Here's a fine bitta poesy
"When in panic
When in doubt
Run in circles
Scream and shout"

[JudyM]

14. We need to volunteer. Everyone who can.

It’s going to take more than a village, it’s going to take an army of us.

Getting more voters registered NOW is step 1.
Here are registration deadlines: https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/

If anyone can help and has never done it before, contact your local dem district or state party. Dem candidates’ offices can probably also point you in the right direction. Go to dem-heavy events (e.g., colleges/jr colleges, LGBT events, etc) with the paperwork... it’s such a high to enlist new voters!


If nothing else, check to see if all your dem friends are actually registered/haven’t been knocked off the rolls! (see link in this article): https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/24/politics/acronym-democratic-voter-registration-digital-push/index.html