My hope beyond hope

[Qutzupalotl]

I won’t sugar-coat this; these are dark times. Our republic hangs in the balance. We have a malignant tumor but the surgeon lacks the will to operate.

In 2015, Russia hacked RNC email servers but is still holding the contents. Republicans’ actions suggest they are under threat of blackmail and not simply fearful of a Trump nickname or a primary opponent.

Many Senators must secretly grumble about having to kowtow to Trump, but cannot oppose him publicly for whatever reason. But there is one thing they can do: boycott the Senate trial. Participating in a sham process only lends it legitimacy, right?

The Constitution specifies that “no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two-thirds of the Members present." Not the whole Senate, just those present.

If a handful Republicans view the trial as such a travesty that they protest with their absence, fewer votes will be needed to make two-thirds. They could do so while still publicly praising Trump and criticizing the proceedings, immunizing themselves from the tweetstorm.

Thoughts like this give me hope. We may see some combination of defectors and protestors that lower the magic number to less than 67.

The fate of our country is at stake, and I will not despair.

[Newest Reality]

1. We can deal with all of this!

How we absorb and respond to the information at hand and the state of affairs is important.

That's where our maturity, intelligence and ability to reflect on what's happening without being overly affected or depleted emotionally is like a stone that sharpens the sword. We have been through worse, and though that does not make it better, it tells us that this too will pass. If we respond rather than react, we can muster up energy and be more focused rather than fearful or overwhelmed.

Oh sure, this could be the road to hell politically and concerning the fate of our country, but that's not assured and thinking that way is probably a way to encourage and allow it. With vision and an understanding of duality/polarity and the sweeps and shifts of time between them, we can at least consider that this difficult challenge could lead to any changes we are collectively ready to make. It could be the kind of chaos that signals we are ready for a transition as certain barriers buckle and falter.

Maybe consider that things are getting ripe for change and, like birth pangs, we have some labor and pushing ahead. I think we can shift this from a potential plunge into a dark, authoritarian/oligarchical dystopian trajectory to a new and better United States ready to take on and benefit from the amazing and massive technological changes coming our way.

[Karadeniz]

2. We have 49 votes. 49 is 2/3 of 74. 74 - 49 15. So...all the GOP except for 15 would have to

Stay home....36 GOP senators. How do you feel about kidnapping? ❤

[Hermit-The-Prog]

3. call up 20 GOPer Senators ...

Tell them they've won the Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes, but they have to be home that day to accept the prizes on national tv.

[Qutzupalotl]

4. Some combination of recusals, absences, defections and

arrests could get us there. How many knowingly received laundered money from the NRA?

With a secret ballot alone, we would have it, according to Flake.