Will the Trump era result in another shift of "the center"?

[vi5]

My biggest worry goes beyond the individual acts and actions which can hopefully be undone before much damage takes place.

But since the Reagan era we've seen the same basic cycle:
Republican president gets in office and moves the country 10 steps right.
Democratic president gets in office and moves the country 5 steps left.

I don't mean this to be a thread arguing about WHY we only move 5 steps left because there are any number of legitimate reasons, from Republican obstruction, to the media, to the constraints of time, and yes to some degree lack of political willpower and/or courage from many dems (or maybe just their adherence to and respect for the rule of law and political tradition).

But putting any specific reasoning aside, that's how we've seen the "acceptable" center of political discourse shift so far rightward, even as individual progressive policies and positions on the left of center end of things poll well among citizens. And Trump is worse. In just 100 days he has pushed things so far in an extreme direction, beyond anything even Reagan or Bush 2 dreamed up.

I think we're seeing this on a global scale as well. I remember when Angela Merkel was considered a right leaning politician, but now because of her icy approach to and relationship with Trump, she was praised on otherwise progressive sites and news sources. Even in France, we are all cheering Macron (and yes I am absolutely ecstatic that he won) who is by all accounts a solidly centrist, pro-business candidate.

I don't have any answers. I don't have any solutions. I'm not even saying "Oh the Dems could easily do this and fix all the problems!" because I absolutely know that isn't necessarily true. This is literally just me venting my worry. Not sure if anyone shares this worry or if anyone can provide me any type of solace.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I think 45/140 is the end of that line.

I wrote yesterday that I think we not in a trend, but in a transition. I think the RW has played its last hand. I think they know it, too and that's why they're trying to use 45/140 to put in place things that will help them as they see their power and influence slip away.

Look at the REAL trends:

Automation

Human migrations

The aging of their base

Young people eschewing the conservatism of the past

Etc.

[Demsrule86]

2. That is how it works...the GOP has not shifted anywhere near where they want to...but another win

and look out. I heard all the Stein folks and others saying," saying oh the country will move left now...why a revolution is coming". It never happens that way. It moves to center...maybe a little to the left because people don't want extremes in either direction. You would think the Sarandan crowd would know this...they are not smart. And we will be left with a court that has moved decidely to the right. It is a shit show and no matter what, it has already really hurt progressive policy.

[Kentonio]

3. This has been one of my biggest fears since he started running

That by comparison to this insanity, people will normalize it, and suddenly a vile, sadistic bastard like Ted Cruz will start to seem like a 'moderate' in the face of the neo-fascism people see from the Trump team.

We simply cannot allow ourselves to be pushed right by events. The Republican strategy for many years now has been to push for the extreme and then 'compromise' on something still far to the right of the status quo. They've done it over and over again, while trying to make the narrative that if we try for anything even vaguely left then we're the wild eyed radicals. We have to wise up and start fighting back. If their starting position is hard right, ours has to be equivalent in the opposite direction. We can't meet in the middle any more, when the middle means giving ground.

[RedWedge]

4. Lord, I'd say it already has.

[world wide wally]

5. Maybe because America/Americans are not what you thought they were?

[MedusaX]

6. Tug of War...Regression towards the Mean...Political Pendulum

During their lifetimes, many current KGOP politicians & their cronies have experienced one of the greatest periods of social and technological "progress" ...
which they perceive as being a negative experience.

...Despite the fact that the very same "progress" they see as negative is the same "progress" responsible for their continued opportunity to remain actively involved in, and witness to, this era of progress....

For those who were just entering their teens in 1950...and even those who were just being born around that 1949/50 mark... social norms and technological realities have vastly changed right before their eyes...


This has created a new situation...
one in which significant social change has taken place faster than the US political power base's first-hand memory has been refreshed ....

As such, you have a majority of political power being wielded by a group who desperately desire to reinstate the societal norms of their heyday yet keep their favorite fruits of progress, viagra& twitter & acquired wealth...

It is strange ..
Why do they feel the need to force the social & technological "reset" to a time in the past .... when they will not be the ones experiencing the effects of such a reset...????
What value could it possibly have for them?

Perhaps it is some combination of jealousy based revenge and a failure to acknowledge that, eventually,
the baton of power will be pried
from their cold, rigor stricken hands
and passed on to those who persist
in the name of progress.