2019: The year reality knocked the American people on their ass.

[shockey80]

Most Americans don't have a clue what's heading their way. They are going to be shocked and they may pay a heavy price.

Next year the Mueller indictment will probably start the impeachment process. Congress may have no choice because the charges will be so severe.

Next month the House begins scores of investigations. They have a two year backlog of investigations. I assume most of these investigations will be televised. Scores of corrupt people who work for Trump will be put under oath. It will be unbelievable, it will dominate the news.

Many of Trumps cabinet secretaries will be subpoenaed. Wait till the American people find out Trump literally put big oil, energy people in charge of our environment. People like Pruitt and Zinke are in big trouble. Wait till the American people find out what they have done to our environment. Even Trump voters like clean water and air. Trump literally put people in charge of our government agencies who's goal was to destroy them. I believe there are about five current and former cabinet secretaries who will be investigated. It was one of the most bizarre, self destructive acts I have ever seen.

One of the easiest predictions I have ever made was the economy would eventually go bad because that's what happens when your economical policies are corruption and incompetence. I knew it would take some time for it to show. It looks like it may starting.

For two years we basically have been without a president. This country has been running on corruption and incompetence. Now we have to pay dues. The American people will never forget the year 2019.

[BlueJac]

1. k&R

[ck4829]

2. K&R, but really though, America's been living in fantasy land over SO many things

It's a complete social and economic travesty.

[whathehell]

27. Um, no.. Some Americans, not "America". Trump is no

more reflective of "America" than was Barack Obama, who, unlike Trump, was elected to Two terms, by a Majority of Americans, WITHOUT foreign interferrnce.

[Heartstrings]

36. +1000.....scandal free....

[lunatica]

3. I hope it isn't too late to rescue our Democracy

I also hope that as a nation we learn some humility and strive to be a country among equals. I’m not too sure any country can handle being a Superpower. Sooner or later people like Trump come along and become a threat to humanity and the planet and only because they have too much power.

[roamer65]

5. It may be too late to rescue the republic itself.

I’d say this nation has a 50-50 shot at it right now.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. The Bannon/Putin plan was to destroy our institutions so that even if we got rid of the traitor

and elected a patriot the entire structure would be too far gone, too heavily damaged.

That we have made it normal now to lie every time you open your mouth, violate emoluments clause, etc.

Now, remember ALL rules ONLY apply to Democrats. Been that way since LBJ. NO rules, NONE, apply to ANY republican but especially rump.

[lunatica]

34. Well unless we get invaded then we can recover

With some hard work we can not only recover, but we can get better and stronger. there are many things that needed changing but were institutionally entrenched. The way Congress worked was one of them, but we can already see some changes happening. What I’m talking about is the sudden influx of young progressive members voted in because of Trump. This will have a long term effect that isn’t totally foreseeable right now. For all we know they are just the vanguard of future Congrssional elections. It’s quite possible that in two years we may get a majority in the Senate.

I have great hope.

[VOX]

4. Also, to what extent will Republicans continue to support & fight for their lunatic figurehead?

So far, in the short life of the destructive, chaotic cyclone that is the Trump “administration,” the spineless/gutless/anti-American/far-right Republicans have either 1) fought for him all the way, and in so doing, approved of his colossal lies, his wanton lawlessness, his despicable behavior toward women, people of color, the free press, veterans, the disabled and needy, and American institutions in general; 2) those Republicans who have not backed Trump vocally, but have remained silent in the face of this maelstrom, have also validated the entire democracy-destroying train wreck that’s occurred before their very eyes.

In a week’s time, the composition of our congress will mercifully shift to Democratic. One hopes that they’ll be relentless in their pursuit of justice for the American people.

What remains to be seen, however, is the extent to which Republicans will continue to place party before country in this fight. If they foolishly attempt to make a “last stand,” the process of removing Trump (even via wholly justified, legitimate means) will be horifically extended and painful for everyone— worldwide.

[cab67]

8. The economy may be the game changer.

At first, I hoped Republicans in Congress would be more than happy to get rid of the Orange One before the 2018 midterms to avoid an electoral slaughter. I was wrong about that - the Base is just too intransigent. The chances that a Republican might win a general election drop with it, but Republicans can't win primaries without it.

The facts that cause most of us to see the current White House occupant for the liar and fraud he is don't phase most red hatters, mostly because they haven't been directly impacted by any of his decisions. If the contents of their wallets start to shrink, they might - MIGHT - start to reconsider. Not all of them, by any means, but enough to free Republicans to act without worrying (too much) about primary challengers.

Of course, I was dead wrong in early 2017, so I could very easily be just as wrong now.

[sprinkleeninow]

16. A vintage 'Crazy Eddie' tv ad from wayback, New Yawk. 😊

"Money talks. Nobody walks!"

Always comes to mind when $$$ is involved as a catalyst.

[VOX]

31. All too true! n/t

[VOX]

30. Good analysis. Also, if the uber-rich who've so far backed 45 are taking a pounding in the markets..

...decide to stop bankrolling this cabal of jerks who are burning through their money bins, that may loosen the Republican’s current death-grip as well.

But, not unlike you, I mistakenly thought basic human shame would stir Republicans to act. Turns out shamelessness is one of their motivators.

And again, when the “alternative reality” began, where obvious criminality was being normalized, I thought, surely, the Republicans won’t buy into such democracy-killing behavior. Wrong again.

As dispiriting as this has all been, I look forward to Democrats controlling the House and, at the very least, applying some brakes to this runaway train.

[cab67]

33. Not sure it's a simple matter of shamelessness.

I think it's all about self-preservation. Most Congressional Republicans want to keep their Congressional seats. To do so, they have to get through their primaries - and to do that, they have to suck up to the red hatters, or at least avoid alienating them.

It's the old "tack to the base during the primaries, tack back to the middle during the general" issue, but on hard-core steroids. The base, at this point, is so far to the right that no effort to appear less extreme is remotely credible.

Republicans are in a deep hole they've been digging since at least the late 1980's. Extremist language and demonization of the opposition created a feedback loop that kept torquing the Republican base to the right, and at this point, it's largely beyond the control of the party's establishment.

[TNNurse]

6. it will be interesting when they start filling out tax forms.

[RainCaster]

7. They will be so pissed when they have a big payment to make come April 15

Even better when they see how fucked their IRA has become.

[cab67]

9. most red hatters don't have IRAs

[TNNurse]

10. Yes, when it hits their finances maybe they will get a clue.

[roamer65]

11. It's going to probably to foster separatist movements in high SALT states.

Think Hartford Convention of 1814.

[uponit7771]

22. +1, one of the reasons why I think orange county California went blue

[UniteFightBack]

12. You damn skippy Shockey....the good ole Americano Peeps have ZIPPO idea of what is really

going on. And that is why they elected Democrats to get to the bottom of it.

2019-2020 will be known as the "years of reckoning". I'm ready.

[Boomerproud]

21. The new class better be up to the task or they'll be one-termers who failed.

Time will tell. They've got a hell of a job to pull off successfully.

[roamer65]

24. I like the fight Governor Cuomo is mounting.

Blue states like NY and CA are going to have to fight for their autonomy in this environment.

[Pepsidog]

13. The republican traitors, I fear, will exert executive privilege like Bush's people.

Whether it’s legitimate or not, they will exert executive privilege and stonewall the investigations. That is if they show up at all. As I recall, they ignored with impunity Democratic subpoenas.

[brooklynite]

18. Executive Privilege doesn't extend to decision made by Cabinet officers...

It only applies to discussion with the President him/herself

[Pepsidog]

28. I agree but since when do these grifters care about the law?

[Perseus]

14. "Trump literally put people in charge of our government agencies who's goal was to destroy them."

I may be one of those people who feels that the orange buffoon doesn't have the intellect or the know-how to come up with any of the strategies and bad actions the republicans have executed. I repeat myself, but the orange buffoon is nothing but a decoy, and that is why I hope the Muller and new Congress investigations bring out all those republicans who planned all that is wrong today with the country, including the blind support for the orange buffoon.

The orange buffoon will go to jail for much more wrong he has done in his life, for the obstruction of justice, which only defense will be the fact that he is an ignorant fool, his conspiracy with Russia to win the election, again the defense will be that he is an ignorant fool, but the real crooks are the republicans like Ryan, McConnell, Jordan, Graham, etc. those, and the trump family are the people I want to see face justice.

[VOX]

32. You are correct. All those bizarre cabinet picks were Steve Bannon's "gift" to America.

And that revolting creature is running loose all over the planet, fomenting far-right-wing garbage in every current hot spot: Hungary, Brazil, Italy, Poland, France, and more— Bannon’s been to every one. He fancies himself to be some sort of agent provocateur, like William Walker in the 18th Century.

http://fortune.com/2017/02/25/bannon-trump-cabinet-cpac/
Steve Bannon Says Trump's Cabinet Picks Are Intended to ‘Deconstruct’ Regulation and Agencies
Fortune
February 25, 2017
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said that President Trump’s cabinet picks are aimed at “deconstruction of the administrative state,” meaning weakening regulatory agencies and other bureaucratic entities.

“The way the progressive left runs, is if they can’t get it passed, they’re just going to put in some sort of regulation in an agency,” Bannon continued. “That’s all going to be deconstructed and I think that’s why this regulatory thing is so important.”
<snip>
What’s remarkable here, though, is Bannon’s framing of these moves as more anti-state than pro-business. The CPAC comments about ‘deconstruction’ are a toned-down version of startling statements made last August to the Daily Beast. Bannon impishly declared himself a “Leninist,” saying that the Soviet leader “wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.”

It’s not a stretch to see Bannon’s comments reflected not only in Trump’s cabinet picks, but in his slow progress in filling hundreds of lower-level cabinet positions. Until they’re filled, those positions are staffed by temporary administrators with reduced power, leaving enforcement and other matters in limbo.

Unpredictability has been baked into Trump’s campaign since the beginning. Almost a year ago Trump spoke with the Washington Post on foreign policy, stating “I always say we have to be unpredictable….predictable is bad.” While some now see destructive chaos in the White House, Trump recently boasted that “the White House is running so smoothly” at his rally in Melbourne, Florida. Bannon’s comments suggest that chaos may, in fact, be part of the Trump administration’s agenda.

[Progressive Jones]

37. From Reagan, until now, every GOP president has been a hard right puppet. nt

[blue-wave]

15. I hate to see

Last edited Thu Dec 27, 2018, 12:14 PM - Edit history (1)

the grim outlook for our immediate future. I do hope there is a lesson learned and Americans remember forever, that they should take voting seriously so as to never again be duped by a con man and a KGB agent.

If there must be pain, I hope there is a rebirth soon after with Democratic victories the likes of the historic landslide election in 1932. A pick-up of over 100 seats in the House of Representatives and at least a pick-up of 12 U.S. Senators. And oh, a leader in FDR the likes of which republicons have never produced.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_United_States_Senate_elections

[sprinkleeninow]

17. Do you feel that even 'if' we got substantially 'more' votes, 2016, it would've mattered? The

election still may have been 'adjusted' in repukes' favor? Just my thinking...

[brooklynite]

19. There is still no hard evidence of adjusting vote counts...

...and no losing candidate claims there was.

[sprinkleeninow]

23. I read that, but I do not trust any of 'them' still and all.

And a "good with more stability" forthcoming New Year to you!

[Cheviteau]

39. Maybe It Hasn't Occured To You

that no one has looked for 'vote adjustment'. Not one single voting machine has been audited from the 2016 election. With all the shit we're learning about the run-up to the election, I have to wonder if there wasn't some serious hanky-panky going on with voting machines.

[Cosmocat]

20. He isn't going to be impeached in his first term

They don't have enough time to get to it this year, and the Rs still scream bloody murder about not doing it during the POTUS campaign ...

[Recursion]

25. Umm...

Wait till the American people find out Trump literally put big oil, energy people in charge of our environment.

Yeah, their appointments were public, and about 49% of the electorate thinks that's exactly what needs to happen.

[Initech]

29. America is currently being run by a "news" network and two hostile foreign powers.

Ain't it great?

[workinclasszero]

35. How about lost tax refunds in a few months?

Lots of MAGA voters are going to find out real soon that their great white god and his party ****ed them royally with the tax cut for billionaires.

[ananda]

38. "American people"

I suppose that means the loud, violent, vociferously racist minority
who think they rule.