General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt seems the Trumpanzees are divided into three camps at the moment. Beware them all.
Those who fear he might be losing it and those who fear he has already lost it altogether. There is already the dwindling, but solid faction that is convinced that Trump can say no wrong, even if he starts speaking exclusively in Navajo.
This is as opposed to us, who were pretty sure he never had it to begin with.
It is sort of a less drastic scenario than what appears to be going on right now in North Korea. Keep your loyalty to a man who might be a vegetable for the rest of his life (however long that might be), and risk getting killed by his successor, or risk tossing your loyalty in with his successor, only to be killed when he wakes up.
If Trump continues deteriorating mentally at the pace he is now, the Republicans will find they are NOT in the same place they were at in 2008. Well before 2008, it was clear that the next president would be a Democrat, so the Republicans quietly made plans to sabotage the upcoming Democratic presidency with Citizens United, which was ready to go even before Obama's inauguration.
I am convinced that before the Corona Crisis, the Republicans figured there was enough electoral fraud in place to give Trump a second term, no matter how poorly he fared in the popular vote. After all, if they could pull it off after losing the popular vote by three million, they had their strategy down. Locked and loaded. They had their majority on the Supreme Court ready to come down on their side in case it came to that. Roberts may have thrown the country the occasional bone on a social issue or two, but he isn't about to rock the very boat that made him Chief Justice in the first place.
But two chinks have appeared in the previously impregnable armor of the Republican electoral Goliath. First is Trump's fading ability to convince his own fanatics that he can do and say no wrong. If people drink Clorox because he says it's a good idea, they don't get eight months to disassociate themselves from the harmful effects. They are immediate, and if the family breadwinner suddenly dies in front of you four minutes after doing what Trump recommended, it's enough for a big headline nationally.
Which brings me to chink number two: Fox "News." Remember during the Vietnam war, when LBJ said, "if I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America?" Fox does its level best 24/7 to convince the country that Republicans can do no wrong, and Democrats can do no right. Just like during the Soviet era, the daily newspaper "Pravda" displayed on page one every day "Organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR." Fox "News" is an organ of the Republican Party. Not the figureheads, but the background people who profit immensely when government decisions go their way. These are the people who were sitting pretty in January when the Dow was peaking, and the statistics they were presenting to their shareholders justified their immense compensation.
Well, now, the Dow has suffered a serious double digit drop, and unemployment, which was proudly claimed to be under 5%, is now at five times that. Depression era levels. The budget deficit, already through the roof, is heading for the next planet. Currency devaluation, the screen behind which countries like Italy and Greece used to hide before the Euro, is not really an option. We can't devalue the dollar against the dollar, although we could theoretically devalue against a newly adopted gold standard. But the price of gold would then jump to $5000 or $10,000 and ounce, and people would be held up at gunpoint for their wedding rings.
Fox USED to be a deficit hawk. They are slowly allowing not just criticism of Trump, but serious trashing of him (better late than never, I hear from the ranks). This is his last bastion. If Sean Insanity finally admits on the air his pal is ripe for the loony bin, then Trump will have his Cronkite moment, even if he has no clue who Walter Cronkite was. Trump wouldn't care about losing Middle America, of course. He would only care about whether or not he would soon be liable for prosecution.
So, the biggest political spectator sport, now that Joe Biden is our candidate, is watching how far Trump's antics have to go off the deep end before the powers (both foreign and domestic, as the saying goes) that support him pull the plug.
Again, this is not 2008. Six weeks ago, no Republican mover and/or shaker envisioned this scenario. In 2006, they knew a Democrat was going to be inaugurated in 2009. This time, their timetable is all upset. Panic time in Republicanland. Like wounded jackals, they won't give up easily, and will be meaner than ever, but I think deep down, more of them than ever know that they go down in November if things don't reverse dramatically and quickly (they won't).
As for us Democrats, I recommend taking a page from their book, for once. Strike at every weakness, because they are now at their most dangerous. They will be back to spread their poison every opportunity they get from here on in. Watch for it. It's coming.
dalton99a
(81,516 posts)And do it again
DFW
(54,410 posts)Not realistically, anyway.
dalton99a
(81,516 posts)Democrats must be actively attacking, and must do so at every opportunity that presents itself
StClone
(11,684 posts)blm
(113,065 posts)And glad you referred to 2006. When people want to compare elections I always say that 2008 never relied just on Barack Obamas campaign being run by Axelrod. Yes, glad he won the primary, but.....Anyone with political sense knew by summer of 2006 that a Dem was winning WH in Nov 2008. If they didnt know by summer then the 2006 sweep of congress should have opened their eyes.
Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)That was an excellent assessment and an interesting extrapolation.
Thanks.
Ferrets are Cool
(21,107 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,076 posts)Time for a fight in the mud.
No holds barred, no more Mr. Nice Guy.
We tried that. We tried focusing on policy.
Worked out terribly.
Enough!
Dump the chump!
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Excellent analysis, and well argued.
In essence, the GOP no longer presents serious policy. Their platform depends on greed and racism as motivators. And because they are the minority, in a democracy, where the majority rules, the GOP must cheat to keep power.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,010 posts)cp
(6,636 posts)???
DFW
(54,410 posts)1.) Those who fear he might be losing it and 2.) those who fear he has already lost it altogether. There is already 3.) the dwindling, but solid faction that is convinced that Trump can say no wrong, even if he starts speaking exclusively in Navajo.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,010 posts)The core is maybe 15% of voters. Another 15 % comprised of parts of the #1 and #2, are going to vote for him, giving him a solid base of about 30%. But it remains to be seen how much more than that he gets. With trickery and voter suppression including trying to kill vote by mail, there is no guarantee Biden will win. I am confident he will but, especially in a year like this, it is not guaranteed.
In any case, a mammoth tsunami with Biden surfing the wave to victory would be a fitting denouement for the Trump Catastrophe.
certainot
(9,090 posts)the orange asshole storm. he's done it every day since his neighbor and golf partner announced.
we can't do much about fox because it's part of the free speech spectrum, with 'alternatives' a click away.
the talk radio monopoly is now very vulnerable and ready for destruction though, and when that starts to happen trump/limbaugh will lose power over enough GOP senators that they will have to dump him or force him to resign. they know how important limbaugh is for making excuses for their bending over for trump and keeping everyone in line.
here's how easily it can happen if dems and the 'left' get it started
1) artificial intelligence-enhanced transcription, digitization, and analysis/monitoring of putin talk radio makes stoprush x 100 inevitable - americans just need to let the ad industry know it's coming. they want the millions of ears those stations reach and will want to protect their clients from being associated with the hate and lies. it wouldn't take much activism or a progressive org or a well known politician or activist to get their attention
2) limbaugh may be gone from lung cancer by election time, or be croaking and taking time off, which is why trump may have wondered aloud if he ought to get his own radio show going. they know they can't replace limbaugh anchoring 600 radio stations. hannity is limbaugh's repeating bozo and they know it. the ad industry has to already be thinking about adjustments.
3) all advertisers and university and pro sports teams that broadcast on RW/trump/putin radio are responsible for helping putin/trump yell HOAX in a COVID theater the last 3 months and enabling the criminality and corruption that has cost thousands of live and millions of jobs. they are directly responsible, and it won't take much to convince the ad industry it is going to have to apply actual 'market demand' for the hate and lies, stop bundling advertisers onto those stations and start asking them if they really want to support trump
4) limbaugh was demoted from the loudest station in CO in september and it may have been in response to the long term pressure the uni of CO was getting to drop KOA. KOA may have chosen between keeping CU (and sympathetic athletes on broncos and rockies) and limbaugh. if the 87 + universities that support 250 limbaugh stations start following suit the pressure on the ad industry will ramp up considerably and it will have to start democratizing talk radio. without that unchallenged monopoly, their only unique advantage, trump and the modern GOP will go back to being a semi-permanent minority
5) it wouldn't take many GOP senators to see your number 3 falling apart with limbaugh and the talk radio monopoly that got and keeps most of them elected
mountain grammy
(26,624 posts)crickets
(25,981 posts)cp
(6,636 posts)Won't lift a finger to find solutions to Covid-19, but will scheme, sue, and block every attempt by our excellent Governor to do so. Will force an in-person election (April 7) during the height of a deadly pandemic. Party of Death.
iluvtennis
(19,863 posts)Response to DFW (Original post)
Post removed
Ford_Prefect
(7,901 posts)As they did in 2008 they will plan to disable the following regime, if for no other reason than to prevent or delay any legal consequences and any public disclosure of details.
They may not have the control they'd like but they certainly have more money and access than is good for us, the Republic, or the planet. They have some pretty serious vested interests to protect, they don't care who suffers or who dies in the process, and they have a record of ruthless actions in pursuit of their goals.
In short they are not going away, they will sabotage at any level to protect themselves and they have more than enough money and connections to do serious damage.
They are part of a world wide oligarchy who see themselves as rulers of the planet by right of money and power.
Eating the Rich might just become fashionable once again. Perhaps with a white wine sauce and a few mushrooms?
bdamomma
(63,877 posts)your last comment. Those of us who had enough will strike back.
Ford_Prefect
(7,901 posts)bdamomma
(63,877 posts)well done.
AnotherMother4Peace
(4,247 posts)the WSJ article has it all wrong" (something about being happy or not happy w/Georgia) (paraphrased but all defensive and all about him.
These tweets were all in the last couple of hours, all about me, me, me - no words of comfort.
These tweets sound like the ravings of a mad man, not a President in the middle of a pandemic: no words of comfort, help, solidarity. His words are quite depressing.
Thunderbeast
(3,417 posts)400+ Electoral votes
53 Senate seats plus veep.
Small gains in the House.
Flip 10 state legislative houses and 2-3 Governors.
KS Toronado
(17,259 posts)Attack everyone of them for not impeaching him and causing so much death, despair, unemployment, etc, etc
sandensea
(21,639 posts)Usually followed by "but can you imagine what the tax bill will be under Biden!"
*whap* "Fore!"
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,640 posts)It's logical and clear, which makes it easy for the less sophisticated among us, (like me) to get it.
I also appreciate the history lesson.
You should pass this on. There are folks who need to read this.
Thank you!
Agree with you, DFW.
DBoon
(22,369 posts)for Trump, it is more likely he will speak exclusively in pig Latin
OMGWTF
(3,959 posts)czarjak
(11,278 posts)diva77
(7,643 posts)can you give example(s) of how to strike (effectively) at their every weakness?
DFW
(54,410 posts)Propaganda and illegal activity
Propaganda--allow no false statement to go unchallenged. Tape every speech we can, fact check, and pounce on every lie, misstatement, false statistic offered. Make "they have no idea what they're talking about" heard so often that it starts to be heard in Republican circles, not juts ours. Write in to the print media, bombard the electronic media every time they try to get away with something. No more free rides on Fox or National Hate Radio.
Illegal activity--DEMAND that Congress go after every wishy-washy ineffective control on the books, and instead make it a serious offense to pull stunts like tossing away voter registrations into the nearest dumpster. Not a six month suspended sentence, but three years in a real prison. In states where it can be done, make it mandatory to forensically examine every electronic vote-counting machine in use, and prosecute fraudulent malware (i.e. flipping Democratic votes to Republican). In such cases, here again, mandatory penalties. into the tens of millions for companies or minimum ten years behind bars if the individual can be identified. Same goes for people like that Republican election official in Waukesha County in Wisconsin who always managed to "find" sacks full of Republican votes in some closet in the county offices when they were needed to flip a close election their way.
"No lie left unchallenged" means they have to spend ten times as much time defending lies as it took them to say them. Make it physically and financially not worth their time.
"No crime left unpunished" means that the true depth of the damage to a democracy that is caused by defrauding the people of their right to vote, and have those votes counted--that depth should be henceforth acknowledged and treated as a serious federal crime, and punished by such a long jail sentence that even someone asked to do it "for the greater good of the Republican Party" will have good cause to reconsider. Ten years minimum sentence is a far greater deterrent that a six month suspended sentence with 50 hours of community service. Prior to an election, have media outlets do a few documentaries on the overcrowding of our prisons and how unpleasant they are, especially for non-violent offenders who are not prepared for the harsh reality of life "on the inside."
live love laugh
(13,118 posts)illegal activity anytime soon.
DFW
(54,410 posts)And they are probably up for some serious mayhem before they admit defeat and let that happen.
lark
(23,107 posts)brush
(53,791 posts)BaronChocula
(1,559 posts)Any Trampanzee at any given time can be any of those three. They are not a particularly consistent or stable bunch aside from the fact that they would drink the bleach, no matter what he said.
Demsrule86
(68,586 posts)Hekate
(90,714 posts)Excellent analysis, DFW.
By the way, your comment "six weeks ago..." reminded me so much of how I felt about the timeline of events in January/February 2016. I always knew in theory that a fascist takeover of the US was possible. I always knew in theory that destruction of America from within was possible.
What absolutely stunned me was the sheer speed with which it took place.
And here we are at what could be the denouement of the wreck and rubble of a once-proud and great nation. The sheer speed of this collapse since February 2020 is stunning.
Blue Owl
(50,427 posts)Joinfortmill
(14,432 posts)The Wizard
(12,545 posts)The thought of Repubics wincing brings joy to the spirit.
mountain grammy
(26,624 posts)It's a scary time, but no time to waste.
Kick em when they're down.. and keep on kicking.
bdamomma
(63,877 posts)DFW, I'm going to bookmark. We need to fight fire with fire. Really they have been screwing and killing us for a long time.
Payback is a bitch.
quakerboy
(13,920 posts)Im torn as to our best course.
For the 3 2016 trump voters in my life that I still knowingly communicate with.. Nothing I could bring to the table about his wrongdoing over the past few years ever made a dent.
For two of the three, the direction to inject bleach have made them former trump voters. Just like that, nothing I did except join their jokes and accept their conversions with a bit of grace rather than smugness. For the third.. It begins to appear nothing will ever make that change.
Trump harms himself in ways that none of us could even begin to match. What in heck can we do that could have a bigger footprint than telling people to inject themselves with random chemicals?
DFW
(54,410 posts)It doesn't have to be with savage rhetoric. Often, humor and ridicule cut deeper than anger. When Trump offers up a freebie like injecting yourself with Lysol, we don't angrily shout that he's crazy. We play a video by Randy Rainbow or the Parody Project or Roy Zimmerman. Some will get it--we are not their enemies. Trump and his bunch ARE.
oasis
(49,389 posts)randr
(12,412 posts)It is past time to slam on the lid!
DFW
(54,410 posts)Last edited Sun Apr 26, 2020, 11:17 AM - Edit history (1)
Sometimes, though, they seem more like pigs wrestling in the mud. i.e. "the pig likes it."
WinstonSmith4740
(3,056 posts)This jumped out at me.
And it's why the Democrats need to quit screwing around and just make James Carville the permanent campaign manager for any presidential campaign. He understands this...cold. When he ran Clinton's campaign, he never gave an inch. If the Bush camp came out with something, it was dealt with in the same news cycle. NOTHING was allowed to fester for even 24 hours. I worked both the Dukakis campaign and the first Clinton run...it was like night and day.
And I love Michelle, but we can't afford to "go high" this year. We've tried that...it will not work with these scumbags. The Democrats better be ready to get in the dirt this year. And Carville can show them how. Even if he doesn't want to do it full time, they better bring him in as an advisor. The one thing Trump does know how to do fight dirty...it's his only play. And deep down inside, he also knows that the day he leaves the White House is the day he gets indicted on shit he is not going to be able to bully his way out of. Cornered animals are always dangerous.