Why Trump is the best thing that ever happened for Dems

[Charmonium]

Trump has been like an emetic for the US electorate. Sure, it makes you puke but sometimes, that exactly what you need. Huge blocks of people who traditionally don't vote in large number are coming out for this midterm and the fact of the matter is that Dems outnumber Reps, probably by a pretty decent margin. No one alive today who is old enough to remember will ever again think that voting doesn't matter.

And that's important for reasons that may not be immediately obvious. We have a census coming in another 2 years. That will determine how Congressional and state specific districts will be drawn. After the 2010 census, that was determined in most cases by Republican governors and legislatures. This time around, it's going to be different.

Courts may overturn the kind of gerrymandering that has passed constitutional muster previously, but even on a level playing field, Dems have the advantage - as long as they come out and vote. And anyone who remembers the travesty of this president and his complicit Congress is going to think twice before they stay home instead of voting.

Trump has indeed polarized people more than any previous president in modern memory but he's also made it painfully clear that voting matters. And for that, we may actually owe him thanks.

 

[dank69]

Irrational hatred of liberals is at an all-time high and continues to climb. It doesn't matter how bad the GOP and Trump behave because BOTHSIDESTHESAME lol.

 

[cytg111]

I wonder how long it takes for the kind of radicalization that Trump has spawned to die out/level out... Sure alot of it was there to begin with but its not like Trump havent been cooking it for the past two years. I am guessing the deprogramming is going to take a long time.. Maybe time you dont have?
Given the early voting numbers and the disproportionate % of women in those numbers AND we know how women are represented in Trumps approval ratings.. This should be a landslide for the dems.. If it is not, someone is fcking with your ballots again. Game Over.

 

[WelshBloke]

I dont think that hes been healthy for anyone. You need politics to be functioning o both sides of the political divide and Trump seems to have totally broken it on the right.

 

[rise]

Trump isn't good for any American. I think this is a blip in our liberal progression that was due but accelerated by *gasp* a black POTUS. That we have the orangeclownpig as the face of our brand of alt-nationalism rising world-wide is unfortunate to me. This backlash against liberal progression was going to be lead by some corporate owned bigot, we just got a narcissistic carnival barker as a bonus.

 

[Thump553]

As a person who has been a registered Democrat most of my adult life here is how I rate things:
-personal concern for the Democratic Party: 0.5%
-personal concern for the Republican Party: 0.001%
-personal concern for USA and it's continued viability as a vibrant republic: 99.499%

From my viewpoint, Trump has been an absolute disaster for the country. Economically he has destroyed the budget in order to convert orderly growth to a short term sugar high boom. Plus he has gutted nearly all of the protections formerly in the system to mollify the inevitable future downturn. He has vastly accelerated the worst trend in modern America-the stratification of of income and wealth, and the destruction of the middle class.

Domestically he has also drastically accelerated our (nonsensical) partisanship, making the current political climate the most toxic one I've been in since the height of the Vietnam War. At least in the Vietnam era there were real reasons for all the infighting.

Internationally he has trashed our democratic allies and vastly strengthened the positions of our major competitors (esp. Russia) for no apparent reason that would benefit the country as a whole. THe position of the USA has been drastically weakened, quite possibly permanently.

About nine months before the 2016 election I saw a political cartoon listing most of the potential Presidents, and what they would be (H. Clinton, first woman President, Rubio first Cuban-American, etc). It's punchline was Trump-the first last President of the USA. It was meant to be a joke, but truer word have never been said.

 

[mikeymikec]

Trump has been like an emetic for the US electorate. Sure, it makes you puke but sometimes, that exactly what you need. Huge blocks of people who traditionally don't vote in large number are coming out for this midterm and the fact of the matter is that Dems outnumber Reps, probably by a pretty decent margin. No one alive today who is old enough to remember will ever again think that voting doesn't matter.

And that's important for reasons that may not be immediately obvious. We have a census coming in another 2 years. That will determine how Congressional and state specific districts will be drawn. After the 2010 census, that was determined in most cases by Republican governors and legislatures. This time around, it's going to be different.

Courts may overturn the kind of gerrymandering that has passed constitutional muster previously, but even on a level playing field, Dems have the advantage - as long as they come out and vote. And anyone who remembers the travesty of this president and his complicit Congress is going to think twice before they stay home instead of voting.

Trump has indeed polarized people more than any previous president in modern memory but he's also made it painfully clear that voting matters. And for that, we may actually owe him thanks.

You're optimistic about the future in America. I don't share your optimism. I hope you're right, but I can't help but think that if potential voters are getting a wake-up call of how important it is to vote, then they would have heard that wake-up call in 2016. Short of a Trump-branded bulldozer coming for their neighbourhood, I think eyeballs have been firmly embedded in phones and reality TV shows, and order is appreciated more than justice. I think America will hit the snooze button a few more times yet.

 

[FIVR]

Replace "Dems" with "Russia" or "China" and your thread makes sense.


Trump is not good for any American, which democrats are. He is awesome for any country who wants to take some of the geopolitical power the US used to have.


I guess, in a roundabout way, trump might be good for democrats in that they are human beings who will eventually benefit when the US is eventually sanctioned for its pollution and forced to adopt clean environmental policies. Trump will have helped that come about through his own gross incompetence and malice.

 

[dank69]

You're optimistic about the future in America. I don't share your optimism. I hope you're right, but I can't help but think that if potential voters are getting a wake-up call of how important it is to vote, then they would have heard that wake-up call in 2016. Short of a Trump-branded bulldozer coming for their neighbourhood, I think eyeballs have been firmly embedded in phones and reality TV shows, and order is appreciated more than justice. I think America will hit the snooze button a few more times yet.

I don't think Americans will hit the snooze button at all. For example, there were more early voters this year in Texas than there were total voters in Texas in 2014. Both sides are energized. I just remain skeptical that the Dems will be able to overcome how badly the system is rigged against them.

 

[K1052]

I don't think Americans will hit the snooze button at all. For example, there were more early voters this year in Texas than there were total voters in Texas in 2014. Both sides are energized. I just remain skeptical that the Dems will be able to overcome how badly the system is rigged against them.

This is why probably the most important thing this year is for Dems to capture as many governorships and state house legislative seats as possible. Undoing republican gerrymandering with new maps in 2020 is probably the highest priority. Without their distracting advantage the GOP are sitting ducks in much of the country.

 

[cytg111]

I think this hits the nail ...

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...oter-suppression-gerrymandering-supreme-court

 

[dank69]

This is why probably the most important thing this year is for Dems to capture as many governorships and state house legislative seats as possible. Undoing republican gerrymandering with new maps in 2020 is probably the highest priority. Without their distracting advantage the GOP are sitting ducks in much of the country.

Yes that is the most important thing. Meanwhile, here in CT I've watched Democrat Ned Lamont go from +16 to toss up in the last month and a half. It seems like the optimists are vastly underestimating the level of liberal hate in the country right now. That and good old American stupidity that leads them to believe we can fix our budget deficits with tax cuts.

 

[mikeymikec]

I don't think Americans will hit the snooze button at all. For example, there were more early voters this year in Texas than there were total voters in Texas in 2014. Both sides are energized. I just remain skeptical that the Dems will be able to overcome how badly the system is rigged against them.

(re bold) sounds good, I hope you're right.

 

[Jhhnn]

Yes that is the most important thing. Meanwhile, here in CT I've watched Democrat Ned Lamont go from +16 to toss up in the last month and a half. It seems like the optimists are vastly underestimating the level of liberal hate in the country right now. That and good old American stupidity that leads them to believe we can fix our budget deficits with tax cuts.

Highly inaccurate-

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/e...icut_governor_stefanowski_vs_lamont-6577.html

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Any good is entirely proportional to the lessons learned.

 

[Thump553]

Highly inaccurate-

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/e...icut_governor_stefanowski_vs_lamont-6577.html

I also live in CT. I think dank69 is correct. What the traditional polls miss is last minute trends. Stefanowski has run a great, traditional GOP low information campaign. His sole point is low taxes-even a vague promise to abolish the state income tax-and he has never said how he is going to achieve that. He skipped many debates and refuses to answer questions from any newspaper or local TV. Plus he has a boat load of help from dark money ads.

OTOH Lamont has always been an inept campaigner, although his ads are much better this go around. For example Lamont (as a private citizen) was very instrumental in luring Infosys to come to Hartford with an estimated 1,000 high pay tech jobs-WITHOUT huge bribes from the government. To me that's a huge accomplishment and it's hardly ever mentioned.

I really hope we don't get Stefanowski-he's ThumpLite (Donald without the tweets) but I'm very afraid he will win.

 

[dank69]

Highly inaccurate-

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/e...icut_governor_stefanowski_vs_lamont-6577.html

How is my claim inaccurate? He went from +16 about 6 weeks ago to +4.5. That is pretty close to the margin of error which is why when you look at the governors map CT is now gray.

 

[dank69]

I also live in CT. I think dank69 is correct. What the traditional polls miss is last minute trends. Stefanowski has run a great, traditional GOP low information campaign. His sole point is low taxes-even a vague promise to abolish the state income tax-and he has never said how he is going to achieve that. He skipped many debates and refuses to answer questions from any newspaper or local TV. Plus he has a boat load of help from dark money ads.

OTOH Lamont has always been an inept campaigner, although his ads are much better this go around. For example Lamont (as a private citizen) was very instrumental in luring Infosys to come to Hartford with an estimated 1,000 high pay tech jobs-WITHOUT huge bribes from the government. To me that's a huge accomplishment and it's hardly ever mentioned.

I really hope we don't get Stefanowski-he's ThumpLite (Donald without the tweets) but I'm very afraid he will win.

At this point I am starting to hope we get stefanowski. Then I will laugh and laugh as the deficit goes through the roof.

 

[trenchfoot]

At this point I am starting to hope we get stefanowski. Then I will laugh and laugh as the deficit goes through the roof.

The problem being that most if not all of the Repub constituency will totally ignore the damage he causes purely because he's THEIR guy. Anything and everything else won't matter. This has been proven every time a Repub gets elected/re-elected over and over again, especially when it comes to their total disregard of what an asshole Trump is and the overall damage he's been causing to OUR nation. Trump, in his narcissistic addled brain thinks that because he's POTUS he owns all of us like he owns his employees whereas he still can't get it through that vacuum chambered head of his that he is the employee working for us

It's like Trump has infected the Repub Party with his very own brand of what "loyalty" now means where every Repub running for office has to be a Mini-me-Trump to get elected. They are all now required to get behind the Trump Party line and lie as often as he does, be as racist as he is, be as morally bankrupt, ethically challenged, greed driven, anti-gay, anti-environmental, anti-brown skinned immigrant and pro-wealth/corporation or worse to get anywhere in the party apparatus.

Not that these pricks weren't already like that, it just that they needed to up their game to Trump's level of spreading racist hate and fear to get by.

 

[rvborgh]

i don't think Deplorables hate liberals... we just think a lot of the liberal progressive ways of thinking of the world (and perhaps human nature) are inaccurate, and therefore causes destructive policies that waste irreplaceable time because they don't work.

What was irrational was Hillary's calling a large portion of the US electorate a basket of Deplorables. i have lots of well meaning liberal friends. Good people. Fellow Americans. i don't hate them. i disagree with them... but there is no point to hating them. The best thing is to love them irrespective of their political leanings... which can and usually will change over time.

Irrational hatred of liberals is at an all-time high and continues to climb. It doesn't matter how bad the GOP and Trump behave because BOTHSIDESTHESAME lol.

 

[rise]

i don't think Deplorables hate liberals... we just think a lot of the liberal progressive ways of thinking of the world (and perhaps human nature) are inaccurate, and therefore causes destructive policies that waste irreplaceable time because they don't work.

What was irrational was Hillary's calling a large portion of the US electorate a basket of Deplorables. i have lots of well meaning liberal friends. Good people. Fellow Americans. i don't hate them. i disagree with them... but there is no point to hating them. The best thing is to love them irrespective of their political leanings... which can and usually will change over time.

I have friends who are 'deplorables' and while they claim they don't hate my liberal ideas, they hate all the liberal ideas allegedly traumatizing them on a daily basis. Liberal ideology is everywhere they look somehow, though I live in the same community. Perhaps if they would stop listening to the faux outrage being pushed on them daily. I listen to fox radio in the afternoons with Todd Struehle or whatever his name is. I hear their talking points, they just aren't based in reality. They're upset about things that aren't happening. I don't call them deplorable, though I can think of few things more deplorable than remaining willfully ignorant. I think trumpettes has a better flow.

 

[rvborgh]

i cannot say i disagree with you 🙂 the media in this country thrives in tearing people apart unfortunately (for monetary reasons mostly?). i call it the plague of fear (i think you mentioned it as outrage) of things that are absolutely the most unlikeliest possibilities. Some of my liberal friends think Trump is some sort of new Hitler incarnate... an absolute monster. That is just not the case. Brash yes. people need to look past the personality to the actual *effects*.

i think people should be looking at what they agree with in common and start working towards that. As a Deplorable i see just incredible potential in the USA that hasn't been realized. We've just been mismanaged so long that we don't know what a well managed country could be. There are a lot of things i would like as a conservative. National catastrophic health insurance would be one. Totally rebuilding our own country would be another. Fixing and massivenly improving our infrastructure. None of these things are possible unless we get our economy in order.

At any rate, probably best if we stop traumatizing one other with non existent realities based on fear, and start talking with one another instead. This is what i try to do.

I have friends who are 'deplorables' and while they claim they don't hate my liberal ideas, they hate all the liberal ideas allegedly traumatizing them on a daily basis. Liberal ideology is everywhere they look somehow, though I live in the same community. Perhaps if they would stop listening to the faux outrage being pushed on them daily. I listen to fox radio in the afternoons with Todd Struehle or whatever his name is. I hear their talking points, they just aren't based in reality. They're upset about things that aren't happening. I don't call them deplorable, though I can think of few things more deplorable than remaining willfully ignorant. I think trumpettes has a better flow.

 

[mikeymikec]

i cannot say i disagree with you 🙂 the media in this country thrives in tearing people apart unfortunately (for monetary reasons mostly?). i call it the plague of fear (i think you mentioned it as outrage) of things that are absolutely the most unlikeliest possibilities. Some of my liberal friends think Trump is some sort of new Hitler incarnate... an absolute monster. That is just not the case. Brash yes. people need to look past the personality to the actual *effects*.

i think people should be looking at what they agree with in common and start working towards that. As a Deplorable i see just incredible potential in the USA that hasn't been realized. We've just been mismanaged so long that we don't know what a well managed country could be. There are a lot of things i would like as a conservative. National catastrophic health insurance would be one. Totally rebuilding our own country would be another. Fixing and massivenly improving our infrastructure. None of these things are possible unless we get our economy in order.

At any rate, probably best if we stop traumatizing one other with non existent realities based on fear, and start talking with one another instead. This is what i try to do.

You can't think of any monstrous things that Trump has done? Really?

And you don't see that the things you would like are things that Trump has mostly been attempting to undermine?

 

[Steeplerot]

I used to think the corporate media was going to die off, but they have dug in with the tactics of sensationalism that was usually reserved for foxnews back in the day.

At any rate, probably best if we stop traumatizing one other with non existent realities based on fear, and start talking with one another instead. This is what i try to do.

That is easy to say when you are not one of the people who are under attack by the policies. You cannot have a civil debate of ideas with folks that have no interest in arguing in good faith.

All that gets you is being a propaganda platform for a right winger to gish gallop their talking points over you to "own you".

 

[dank69]

i don't think Deplorables hate liberals... we just think a lot of the liberal progressive ways of thinking of the world (and perhaps human nature) are inaccurate, and therefore causes destructive policies that waste irreplaceable time because they don't work.

What was irrational was Hillary's calling a large portion of the US electorate a basket of Deplorables. i have lots of well meaning liberal friends. Good people. Fellow Americans. i don't hate them. i disagree with them... but there is no point to hating them. The best thing is to love them irrespective of their political leanings... which can and usually will change over time.

Hillary called racists and misogynists deplorables. I'm sorry you were offended by that.