I swear there are people posting here who have one task

[malaise]

to make DUers feel hopeless.
The Con and his goons are going down. Take that to the bank

[Sherman A1]

1. Believe it when I see it

and not a moment before.

I am not feeling hopeless, I am however, pragmatic based upon what I have seen in the past.

[zipplewrath]

2. Fitzmas

Yup. I lived through Fitzmas and I was early in predicting that Mueller wouldn't find anything chargeable with respect to actual Russian activity. I don't have my hopes up for impeachment. And I'm a bit concerned that we're going "all in" on Biden way too soon and he'll lose to Trump by running against Trump instead of running FOR something.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

8. Don't give up!!!...

That's exactly why we need to impeach the Fuckwad occupying the White House NOW!!! There is no other viable option... or WE WILL REGRET IT FOR ALL TIME!!!

Relying on Mueller, a RethugliKKKon at his core, was a big mistake. We need to exercise PRAGMATISM... Democrats should conduct their own investigation through the impeachment process... it's so damn fucking obvious... how do people not see this?!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Cheviteau]

137. Calm Yourself Down Sparkey

I'm eighty years old and have been a democrat all my years long. So, I do remember when the republican party had honorable senators in their mist. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. and Jacob Javits to name just two. We could probably add Barry Goldwater to that list. Did I agree with their policies? Seldom. Robert Mueller is an American patriot first and foremost. He handed the House not just a road to impeachment, but a well paved one. If you must sling shit, sling it in the right direction. Don't disparage a person for no reason other than he/she is a republican. Mueller has served his country well starting with Vietnam where as a 2nd Lt. he had the most difficult of difficult jobs. I came to realize that years after my own tours. He served as Dir. of the FBI for twelve years, the last two after President Obama asked him to stay for two more years.

As an after-thought I'll say your "dream ticket" of Bernie & Elizabeth is a non-starter. Ain't gonna happen. We true democrats tend to nominate democrats to lead our party. And don't hand me any shit about Hillary losing to Trump. Not one single solitary voting booth was audited after the election. NOT ONE. Oh, and she did garner 3,000,000 more votes than did Trump.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

139. I salute you sir & your service, which preserved my right to express my distrust of ALL Repulicans.

Yes, even Mueller. Did you read his report? I think he let the Traitor-in-Chief of the hook, sorry... I can't respect that, regardless of his brave service to our country... while you have my utmost respect.

As for Hillary, why would you say "don't hand me any shit about Hillary losing to Trump"? That thought hadn't even crossed my mind... but, you have my humble apologies if something I said triggered that reaction.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Nuggets]

146. This line of baloney

is so ridiculous.
You have zero evidence that Mueller is honorable, nor a patriot and thus far every Republican that people here here have stated are “straight arrows” , “honorable people “, “patriots “ etc. Comey, McCabe, Rosenstein all turned out to be corrupt. Therefore it seems prudent at this point to be wary of all Republicans.



General Michael Flynn is no patriot.

Decorated Vietnam veteran Oliver North is not a patriot.

[Cheviteau]

157. And You?

Do you have any evidence that he's not honorable?

[Nuggets]

162. The fact

he refuses to prosecute, but could go outside the scope and indict whenever it suits him except when its trump or trumps kids , none of whom Mueller interviewed.

The fact the report is full of “buts”

The fact that trump hand picked Rosenstein who now stands up for trump.

The fact that Rosenstein hand picked Mueller

The fact that Mueller helped another highly decorated veteran get off scott free from his role in the Iran Contra scandal.

The fact that the tentative agreement was made for him to testify now broken. And of course the blame put will be put on Barr.

Instead of arresting ppl for obstruction, stands behind a policy, not a law, to not prosecute, yet the same GOP he’s worked with for decades said it was fine under Clinton,



The fact he’s a Republican and there isn’t one honest patriot among them in the current environment.

[Sunlei]

161. Had to logon to say hello to DU & thank you for 'reminding us-Clinton WON by 3 million votes.

That fact needs repeating every time any of our D contenders speaks about election reform. My 'dream team' last election was Clinton to pick-up Sanders as her VP. She went with her safe choice, someone she deeply trusted.

It's going to take a good year before it will be time to start to 'back' someone for president. It is also my 'hope' a couple from this field of Ds 'team-up' as President/VP. Sanders/Warren, Biden/Sanders, Warren/Biden, Sanders/Biden any would be fine with me. We need all their voices.

[HopeAgain]

28. And Iran-Contra

The days of Republicans doing the right thing, which seems to be a prerequisite for stopping a rogue president (think Nixon) - is looong past.

[pnwmom]

50. He found lots of chargeable crimes -- but it is no surprise to anyone that the OLC rule

prevented him from charging him RIGHT NOW

Instead, he said he was preserving the evidence, and he mentioned impeachment over and over.

This is nothing like Fitzmas -- the R's just want us to think so.

[WePurrsevere]

67. Exactly! I remember Fitzmas very well and agree 100%...

although I'd add certain interfering R foreign allies want us to think so too.

I realize that some of the people repeating this nonsense may be doing so innocently enough but once facts have been shown that reveal they've been mislead they should correct what they're saying and spreading to be factual.

[zipplewrath]

78. But not russian involvement

He found no crime to charge Trump with about working with the Russians. He found alot of evidence that they were interested in doing so. And really, he found alot of evidence that he tried to obstruct justice. But none of this will ever come to anything. Quite honestly, he's at greater risk on the current stonewalling of subpoenas.

[Qutzupalotl]

123. He transferred the matters dealing with counterintelligence

to the NSD at FBI, and those cases are ongoing. So that is not settled yet.

[zipplewrath]

141. With respect to Donald

It probably is "settled". If he had found direct evidence on Donald's part he probably would have somehow brought this to the fore. If nothing else, Don jr. et. al. would have been charged.

[Qutzupalotl]

150. None of the counterintelligence investigation is public yet.

(On edit: except for the Stone case and IRA.)

Grand juries are proceeding “robustly” and investigations continue.

[zipplewrath]

167. However

The Mueller report would not have made the statements they did if there were on going investigations on the topic.

[Qutzupalotl]

170. From the report, page 12:

“Certain proceedings associated with the Office's work remain ongoing. After consultation with the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the Office has transferred responsibility for those remaining issues to other components of the Department of Justice and FBI. Appendix D lists those transfers.”

[zipplewrath]

91. One sees patterns

It is suspect this is what distinguishes us from other mammals, our ability to see patterns, especially over time. It may be the root of all intelligence.

[StarfishSaver]

97. I was just about to write something similar

Really?

[malaise]

4. Pragmatism is good

and nothing about your posts suggest hopelessness

[olegramps]

22. So much is at stake, I believe that it is natural to be very concerned about the election.

There is also cause for concern if Trump loses the election. The question is will he graciously concede or will he call for resistance. His infamous personal attorney was so concerned that he warned the nation's elected representatives of the possibility. I recall that when asked during the last election if he would concede if he loses he responded that the people would have to wait and see. This was compounded by his assertion that if he lost the election was rigged and after the election he claimed that he would have won the popular vote if it hadn't been rigged and millions of illegals had not been allowed to vote.

[oldlibdem]

118. When that oranange shitbag looses the election and doesn't vacate by inauguration day....

I'm going to to Washington and start the next civil war personaly!

[The Wizard]

159. We might need

several million angry Democrats descending on DC bearing pitchforks torches and rope. Will Trump opt for the Mussolini exit strategy? Or, will he reenact the Romanovs? Or will he see the light and abscond to his lover's dacha in Russia?

[Nasruddin]

42. Exactly

We have to vote to get rid of this problem - which includes the disastrous mess known as the United States Senate.

Expectations were sky high with Mueller - this was not warranted based on past history as others have pointed out.

[Iliyah]

3. Agreed . .

Some are repeating Republican's talking point "It's Over".

[malaise]

5. Nailed it

[True Blue American]

94. You said it!

Trolls or Nervous Nellies!

Not me. I see things shifting every day. We had a wave, now for the Tsunami.

[cbdo2007]

6. There are many here posing as Dems who are working against our cause.

They grasp on to any disagreements here and try to encouragement fighting and instability.

[Thekaspervote]

10. +1000

Please please please DU’ers when you see those comments.. let them fall on deaf ears, do not respond

[Chakaconcarne]

18. Or call them out... that's what I do.

[lunatica]

55. The problem with that is it's against the rules in DU

You have to be creative about how you call anyone out as a troll. Just don’t call anyone a troll directly. There are other ways which can alert other DUers. I’m not giving examples because it would help trolls.

[malaise]

130. Ding ding

we have a winner

[Control-Z]

152. Yes.

Exactly right! Polite creativity is necessary. Though, I still worry. Even an earnest and cordial question about certain candidates will elicit an alert from his/her supporters.

[trueblue2007]

81. tell on them!!!! REPORT THE POST !!!

[Dave Starsky]

117. The hit-and-run "concern troll" post is the biggest tell. DELETE THEM.

"Well, I'm not sure Bernie Sanders will... blah blah blah..." No ideas or alternatives suggested. It's just a plain sowing of empty doubt.

"I think that Ocasia-Cortez is too liberal because... blah blah blah." Again, nothing else offered. There is no further, substantive, discussion, because there is not meant to be.

Delete and ignore these posts when you see them. Their methods have become obvious.

[Roy Rolling]

138. "Hit and Run Concern Troll"

That was worth the price of admission.

[Dave Starsky]

145. Remember those troll dolls from the 1960s?

They were very cute.



We need to post a picture of one of these little dudes whenever we see one of their posts.

[DownriverDem]

164. Shouldn't we

report them?

[Duppers]

41. TRUE! I've had direct encounters with 3 recently.

Got myself 2 hidden posts by calling one out. The other 2 were working a thread in the wee a.m. hrs. I let them know I was putting them on ignore.

[FakeNoose]

104. Use the "alert abuse" button and notify the moderators

That way you won't get hidden posts yourself. If you post a nasty reply to a troll's nasty post, then they will alert against you. Don't give them the opportunity. The MIR team will know what to do.

[mcar]

136. Watch out for the week hours

Just saying.

[The Wizard]

160. Sometimes this place

seems like it's crawling with trolls.

[Ellipsis]

7. They gotta make the Ponchikis

I have to think that's pretty ineffective here.

But rubles are rubles man.

[Ford_Prefect]

45. I've noticed that Petro dollars of all denominations can also be quite useful for pushing agendas.

[Oppaloopa]

9. True

[Butterflylady]

11. If I see a post that has to many debbie downers

It gets trashed because thats where they belong. I'm a fighter and a survivor and I know orange face will be gone in 2021.

[fescuerescue]

12. Exactly. It's the beginning of the End

It's only a matter of time now before Trump is out of the Whitehouse.

[Crowman2009]

33. Or drops dead from a heart attack.

Due to his fast-food diet. He's everything bad about America in one person.

[IronLionZion]

13. Some are trolls, but some might be real liberals with untreated depression

Some DUers feel hopeless and like to spread it around. I have to resist the urge to respond to negativity and despair this early in the election season.

I'm suspicious of the ones hell bent on taking down Dems instead of Republicans or encouraging our side to give up and not bother running in some races.

Don't feed the trolls. The ones we feed will keep coming back for more.

[GoCubsGo]

14. There are.

It's the same old same old. Some of it is likely malicious, but every population has its share of Debbie Downers, too. I just hit that little "X" in the box without opening them, and wait for all the facts to come in.

[Andy823]

15. Happens every election cycle

They come in, stir things up, spread their doom and gloom, cause divisions, then the leave only to return the next election season. Just remember don't feed the trolls, new ones or old ones!

[lunatica]

58. It doesn't just happen during election cycles

The smart ones take up residence and post often. Some fish around for specific DUers and work against them, picking fights, highjacking threads and alerting so the person gets in trouble with the mods.

[Andy823]

69. I agree

I see many posters who haven't been around since the last election showing up, and like you said the really good trouble makers work all the time and causing problems and yes some have been here for a long time.

[Maru Kitteh]

77. I've seen some suspects come into very good threads with good information and/or optimism for

Democrats and pick off-topic fights or engage in an endless game of "what about" in a too-often successful effort to make the thread all but unreadable.

When they see good news, their task seems to be "kill the messenger."

[lunatica]

99. I think they follow the DUers who post their fears

and impatience and feed more despair into their threads too.

A lot of DUers come to DU to find optimism when they feel down. Many trolls feed those threads with more negativity, dragging people down deliberately.

[pdsimdars]

16. I think they're going down too. I don't just want going down, I want to see an orange jump suit.

[rustydog]

17. We must make the one statement Trump regarding the investigation a"True statement"

remember people: he said " This is terrible, I'm Fucked"
Well, let's make this his one true statement.

[Doitnow]

109. Reminds me of "I am not a crook."

[dchill]

19. Agree. Their lid is not as big as their pot.

[saidsimplesimon]

20. "The sky is falling, the sky is falling"

This is not an option for me.

[sarisataka]

21. Take that to the bank

Was the exactly the words used to assure me of HRC's pending victory in 2016.

I had questioned in a thread if we should be concerned by some polls showing several states in the rust belt were very close. The answer that was given was-

The media needs a horse race and will skew the polls to make the race appear close. President Clinton is going to win in a landslide and get at least 325 Electoral votes. You can Take that to the bank


What reduces my hope is seeing the same language and unwillingness to give credence to any possibility of re-election. What I want to see is the Democratic candidate campaign like s/he is 10 points behind when polls say s/he is 20 ahead. Rather than the Road to 270, let's take the Road to 538

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

155. So damn true!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[tberry65]

23. He's going down because we are ALL going to VOTE!!!

[CaptainTruth]

24. We're just getting started. The real fight is just beginning.

With Trump's refusal to honor subpoenas things will move to the courts & he will LOSE because Dems have been carefully building a winning case & Trump doesn't have a legal leg to stand on.

Also, Trump's open defiance of the law is making impeachment more palatable, & Nadler already put it in writing in his letter a couple days ago.

The fight is just beginning folks.

[sprinkleeninow]

88. I'm with this. 👍 eom

[SlogginThroughIt]

25. Agreed. There are those that just want to sell despair.

I believe the TOS covers not spreading right wing talking points. But I don't like alerting either.

[LakeArenal]

26. Not hopeless here.

I never understand why pragmatism and realism have to be downers.

I think Dems have the message, the candidates, the momentum.

The con is cornered. He’s cheating and lying. Media has started reporting his panic. Report here on DU that supporters are bored and leaving his rally.

The world knows the Russians damage elections.

I think we are on our way to beating this prick.

[Voltaire2]

27. The current situation is in fact rather dismal.

There is no getting around that.

Impeachment is the only path forward for getting the evidence of treason and corruption and abuse of power into the public domain, but it is fraught with peril. And it will, once our leaders finally concede that it is in fact the only path forward, end up in the senate where the corrupt treasonous republican majority will vote to acquit. It needs to be done, it is the right thing to do, it is not going to end with Trump out of office.

Which brings us to the general election, where our chances of retaking the senate are not good, and where it is not certain that Trump will lose. We will retain the House, should retake the executive, but it is entirely possible that Trump gets re-elected. The incumbent in a strong economy generally wins.

[treestar]

92. We assume too much that all the Rs are

Completely shameless. It is easy now to say they will all vote to acquit. But after the evidence is out there, things will look different.

The general rules are gone. Nothing about this Dotard is normal. If anything the Dotard could mess up the economy.

[Voltaire2]

102. You think you are going to find 20+ who aren't?

I think you might find 2.

[treestar]

149. After the evidence is out

In the trial, there could be a different vibe. Their constituents might pressure them to vote guilty.

[Voltaire2]

158. Good luck with that.

[treestar]

166. what are you basing your pessimism on?

I'm figuring it will all make the Dotard look really bad. It the public wants it, it will be harder for them to be purely partisan.

[KPN]

29. Thank you. Yeah, we gotta remain positive. I have to admit

I sometimes probably fall prey to my own deep concerns and become pessimistic. But that's what they want. Never give up! Fight like hell1 And every one of us give it all we've got. We can do it in 2020 if not sooner.

[PatrickforO]

30. LOL, well, your handle aside, I'm cheered by your continued faith

that our institutions will hold and we will keep our republic.

That's my fervent hope, and Pelosi's public comment today agreeing with Nadler that we are IN a constitutional crisis was encouraging.

Now the House needs to start DOING stuff.

And did you see - Trump is now trying to gut the endangered species act? What a total, total, horrible jerk.

[lunatica]

165. One way of fighting pessimism

is to acknowledge that the House is, in fact, ‘doing something’. They are actually doing a lot of something in spite of the battle being an uphill one all the way. Surely you can see they’re locked in battle with Trump AND the Senate AND the Attorney General AND Putin.

And as long as there is a battle then there is possible victory. But the minute someone throws up their hands in despair is the minute they lose the war. Despair never won any war.

[Pepsidog]

31. If a few key Republicans or Fox abandon him Trump is finished. You will see fear and panic in his

eyes. If Mueller stands up for the rule of law many minds may change. If Mueller gets cute when testifying, we are in trouble. If Mueller gives Trump any cover then we may have problems and we need to move from impeachment to the election.

[cilla4progress]

32. I, myself,

ping pong. Roller coaster of emotion.

[Crowman2009]

34. I also have a feeling that he will flee to Russia in order to avoid extradition.

Given how shady he is, I wouldn't be surprised.

[defacto7]

53. You know, I have the feeling he wouldn't be welcome there.

Putin would have no need of him anymore. tRump has dug himself into a worldwide grave.

[H2O Man]

35. Recommended.

I don't think anyone should feel "hopeless" until that weird guy H2O Man says things are looking bad. But he seems to think that we are in a pretty good place right now, considering the circumstances.

[lunatica]

60. I agree!

Hi Waterman!

[H2O Man]

83. Hello!

I'm working on an essay today that I hope lifts everyone's spirits. There are good things happening, though as they are a bit under the surface, they may be hard to see. But they are there.

[lunatica]

100. I look forward to it!

Thanks! I can’t wait.

[yonder]

79. Well, the chuckle I got from that honestly lightened my mood. Thank you.

And thanks to the OP as well. Despite feeling a bit gloomy much of the time, I think these "keep your chin up" posts are valuable.

[H2O Man]

86. And thank you, yonder!

As I noted in the above response, there is a lot of good things going on right now, though they are not on the surface. Not yet. One of my closest buddies, who I communicate with elsewhere, has been encouraging me to share a few details here on the forum. I'm working on that today. Some of it isn't verified 100%, but is "rumor" in DC. But it has to do with positioning, and I believe it to be accurate. And it would put us in a good spot next week.

[malaise]

132. I remember election night when I posted that we were winning the House

peeps were trying to dampen our mood. Pragmatism is good but it was clear from days before November that a huge blue tsunami was coming.

[malaise]

131. LOL

[Tipperary]

36. I have noticed a lot of new posters who joined recently.

I have also noticed posters who signed up a long time ago, but have hardly any post history.

I have watched the new ones collect hides pretty quickly. There are some interesting patterns to observe.

[defacto7]

51. Interesting patterns indeed.

[LakeArenal]

65. Many times the start dates coincide with an election

Edited to add:

Sometimes journals tell a lot. Like nothing there, just a comment poster. Or every other thread is negative about a particular candidate.

The profiles tell a lot about someone. I recommend every one look when someone keeps coming at you over and over when obviously you’ll never agree.

And never tell anyone you are giving them last word and you are done. Some will just be extra snarky to bait you back in

[patphil]

70. Yes, I've been reading this site for years

But only recently have I started posting. I see the need as so great now that I have to start speaking up.
We've never been in a situation where the future of the Republic was at stake in an election.
We've never been in a situation where a president was so openly courting assistance from a foreign government in an election.
We've never had a president so blatantly mean spirited, angry, hateful and violent.
We've never had a president with such callous disregard for the rule of law.
We've never had a president so determined to tear down the government and re-make it in his image.
And, we have never had a political party so willing to throw away the rule of law, and all sense of morality, honor, and dignity to follow such a man.

Never before, that is, until now.
Whatever it takes, the Democrats must win the Senate and the Presidency in 2020.
I believe it can be done. I believe in the American People.
Bill Clinton used to say in his first presidential campaign," It's the economy, stupid", but the situation we are in now is far beyond the economy.

It has been said that we are in a battle for the soul of the nation, and I believe this to be true.
The forces of darkness are strong, but they will not prevail!
Truth will win out.

Patrick Phillips

[H2O Man]

93. Valid point.

[Ponietz]

37. I'm noticing posters who are either too naive or too savvy

I can’t tell. But they’re way too much.

[spanone]

38. MOST voters rejected trump in 2016..MORE will reject him in 2020 - FIGHT THE MOTHERFUCKER

[malaise]

133. Hahahha

[johannsyah]

39. good words

more post like this please

[marylandblue]

40. We were so much more hopeful before the election because we had something to do.

We were energized to take back the House and even had a shot at the Senate. Perhaps we expected too much to come from that election. It was never going to solve anything, just a first step.

Now we have to work to 2020 with even more energy. Not mope that Trump is being Trump. if we crush him in 2020, he will leave office.

He may threaten and scream, but secretly, he will be relieved and he will go. He always goes, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

He is not afraid of going to jail after he leaves office. He may be right. He has a talent for escaping consequences. But whatever, this sad chapter of history will be over.

#GOTV

[leanforward]

43. He's going down

I know there are folks here who are hesitant/anxious. But, all things considered, step up because the DS (dip stick) and supporters need to be gone.
There is nothing more invigorating than participating in a march on the national mall, just down there with Abe.

[BigOleDummy]

44. Well, I'm one of those

who joined a long time ago (relatively anyway) who hasn't posted much. Mostly because others have said what I'm thinking and I could not say it any better. I'm also one of those who occasionally post negative things about our chances and our direction forward. That does not mean I'm trying to make any of us "feel hopeless" or try to drag people down. I truly believe we are headed for a long and by no means assured election cycle here. Way too many variables to be sure of anything in my opinion. Yes, WE , here at D.U. can see the peril coming down the pike but WE are not a majority of voters. You only have to look at our chump-in-chiefs poll numbers to see that sadly for our Nation that it will likely be much closer than we want to admit. I would LOVE to see a 50 state sweep but …… it ain't gonna happen. Russia, repuglicans, and way too many of our fellow citizens want division and work tirelessly to bring that about.

[dlk]

46. It's Just a Matter of Time...

Impatience at the time the process takes is part of the issue. Americans are accustomed to prime time resolutions that are fiction, not that we all wouldn’t like speedy resolutions. These problems (and crimes) didn’t happen overnight. The resolutions won’t happen overnight, either.

[lunatica]

61. Right

A good counterpunch against trolls is to respond exactly as you’re doing now.

[dlk]

124. Trolls Aren't Worth My Time

By all means, however, have at them.

[lunatica]

126. Thanks, but I have my own responses

[defacto7]

47. Some say ignore, some say call them out. Both are wrong.

What ever happened to encouragement? Why do we always think there is evil among us? These have been unprecedented times and a lot of DUers feel hopelessness and anger. Hell, it is depressing. But bludgeoning or shunning is no way to build the fighting force we need to finish the inevitable demise of the destroyers of democracy.

Let people vent: so what. It's part of the process. Meet it with encouragement and positive aims, positive reinforcement. Listen to their point of view, it isn't necessarily wrong but just wrapped up in frustration.

Unity for the present task won't be found outside of understanding the differing paths each of us have to take. Empathy works.

[Paladin]

54. Why do we see evil here?

How about trump's and Russia's calculated, systematic gang rape of the 2016 election?

Like everybody else, I'm subject to times when I'm down and headed toward being without hope. I give it a little time, pull myself together, and get back at it. And I never, ever lose sight of the biggest weapon we have in our arsenal: trump's endless ability to fuck things up for himself.

As for the gloom-and-doom threads here at DU, I will continue to be highly suspicious of them, and I will feel free to make those suspicions known. 2016 taught me that.

[defacto7]

62. Go for it. I hope it gets you to your goal.

[malaise]

134. Ditto

The 2016 election was stolen

[Tipperary]

63. Yes.

Wish I could rec this post.

[hay rick]

48. Stockpiling and savoring Trump's misdeeds is self-defeating.

A large part of Trump's "success" is bullying "liberals" with constant outrages. The accumulation of these insults over time makes many people feel helpless. Itemizing our grievances may help broadcast information but it also does Trump's work of spreading demoralization in the resistance. If you find yourself spending more time ranting online and with friends than "showing up"- i.e. writing letters, making calls, canvassing, attending rallies, supporting Democratic candidates, etc.- then it's time to take inventory. The antidote to Trump and Trumpers is activism, not complaining.

[coeur_de_lion]

49. Yes it's coming

In the next several weeks I am told by a mutual friend that things will look very different.

[lunatica]

64. I'm with you!

I know who you’re talking about.

[coeur_de_lion]

71. Some of us have the same mutual friend!

What a coincidence!

[malaise]

121. Hehehehehhe

[Hekate]

52. Thanks, malaise. It is getting really, really old. The times are dark, it is true...

The times are dark -- we are all afraid of what we see. But that is no excuse for not doing the work -- and a suicide pact of numbing despair won't get us there.

[lunatica]

68. You're right

Throwing your hands up in despair never won a single battle, much less a war.

[Cracklin Charlie]

56. Yes, the despair.

Exhausting, really.

We have work to do. Better to grab a mop.

[Chin music]

57. Totally agree. I have been guilty of a discouraged post occasionally(?) myself.

We are all human. It doesn't help to get your butt kicked up around your shoulder blades on those days though. There are a few 'shamers' around here (not you Malaise), when that happens. In my experience it just turns sadness into anger at the "shamer,' and it results in counter-productivity. One from CA in particular I see doing it all the time. Easy to have a better attitude in a deep blue state. Being in a red state, not so much.
We are all human beings here. (I hope) There is the DU mail option if someone seems down or discouraged. I wish folks would utilize that more. I try to, I know that. That way, the person gets a hug on a bad day, and not an angry reaction that gets flamed or even puts the poster out altogether. I have sent and been the recipient of those DU emails, and I can tell you. It's made a big difference. W the russians hand in everything , I think the first impression is to suspect a red in our midst or a 5th columnist. That's important to be aware of, but, it's been 2+ years of daily horror. The vast majority here are trying to help save this country. Some, are not. And frankly, a high post count somehow cleanses a few of the folks I'm thinking about.
People come here for support, to add to the conversation, and to learn. We all have bad days. When it gets to be an obvious pattern though, I just block them, and hope mirt is aware of it. Life's too short.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

59. Some of us are realists.

I likewise went through Fitzmas, and Mueller Time is feeling exactly the same.

We get almost hourly predictions that Trump is going down, will soon leave office, and other such.

Meanwhile, subpoenas are blithely ignored, with no consequences. We're told by Democratic leadership that all is okay and all we need to do is turn Trump out in 2020 and elect a Democratic majority to the Senate at the same time.

I don't post this stuff to make anyone feel hopeless, but in the hope that people will be more realistic about what is actually going on.

[Captain Stern]

66. I don't feel hopeless, and I sure don't want anyone else here to feel hopeless either.

But, damn....let's at least be realists.

I hope the Con and his goons are going down...but I'm sure as hell not taking it to the bank.

Fool me once, shame on you....fool me twice, three times, four times, five times, etc....shame on me.

1. I was ecstatic that donald trump won the republican nomination in 2016. Guaranteed win! Why....Bill Clinton may have actually engineered this. Brilliant! I actually felt bad for the idiots that thought trump had a chance.........yet, donald trump won the election.

3. Holy Crap! They have video/audio of the trump saying 'grab them by the pussy'....turn out the lights repubs, the party is over.....yet trump still won.

2. donald trump never wanted to be President.....he will resign before the year is out. yet, he's still there.

3. It's Mueller Time! .....break out the memes....this shit is coming to an end...Woohooo.....trump will never get out of this! Boom!............What? the report is out? Awesome, so trump's going to jail finally? trump is still President? Well, shit.


Here's what I think:

trump is going to serve his whole four years. he's not going to be impeached. The House isn't even going to vote on it. Nothing is going to result from don jr testifying or not testifying. Nothing is going to result from Mueller testifying. The vast majority of voters in this country aren't going to care at all whether or not Barr is in contempt, or not in contempt. Hell....most people don't even know who he is.

We are going to run a candidate against trump in 2020. And, not only is our candidate not going to be a slam dunk to win.....our candidate is going to be an underdog. As of now, it's more likely than not, that donald trump will win the election.

I think that the best thing that we can do to change those odds is not beat the hell out of our own candidates during the primary.

[EveHammond13]

72. please take your doom and gloom elsewhere, fyi

[lunatica]

73. Excellent OP malaise!

It helps us focus on the positive way to fight this war.

Throwing up one’s hands in despair never won any battle, much less a war.

[Oneironaut]

74. We need to take Trump down, though. It's not just going to happen.

I see the other side as well, where people just assume this is a Nixonian story where Trump will have an eventual downfall. This is not guaranteed in any way. We need to make it happen.

Also, we need to put a lot of effort into preventing Trump’s re-election. He has the advantage at the moment, being a sitting President. We can win, but it won’t be easy.

[Stinky The Clown]

75. For SURE there are trolls and Russians. For the rest of us, its a balancing act

On the one hand, we trust our politicians with varying levels of confidence. On the other hand, this criminal cabal are currently winning, at least in the short term. We do subpoenas. They ignore them. Then what? <- serious question. The courts? Probably but imagine the time it might take. Impeachment? There are moral reasons to do so, but with this Senate it is almost certainly a Pyrrhic victory.

To be cautious is certainly justified.

As to trolls, they are actually protected by the DU rules. MIRT can't get them, juries often do not. Can't call them out. Just another case of the good guys being stymied.

[malaise]

85. Let me put it this way

I love your posts

[Stinky The Clown]

135. Thank you!!

[Kurt V.]

76. I've noticed some post persuading du'ers to be passive .different method, same message as give up

[Kaleva]

80. Some people choose to spend their lives being miserable and fearful

It's easier for them to allow others to control their emotions and outlook on life. I don't know why anyone would do so but that's not for me to decide.

[CentralMass]

82. Come on. Every single step of the way in this investigation there were post

about some bomb shell about to break this thing open. Just recently Barrs tesimony then the lack of it before congress was supposed to a game changer. I'll wait and see if this contempt of congress charge against Barr has any teeth or if he and the administration will just ignore it. We have seen republican adminstration get away with criminal and impeachable activites for decades.

[Leith]

84. I generally stop reading those posts

I've been feeling like the rats are winning the race lately, but I didn't come here to whine or piss'n'moan. This is where I get news about what's going on.

Thanks for posting this warning.

[doc03]

87. Would like to believe it but haven't seen

evidence of it yet. So far it looks like they can just do anything and there is no way to enforce. the law.

[BobTheSubgenius]

90. As long as its not Alfa,

or Deutschbank.

[HipChick]

95. Malaise ..off to the Greatest Page with you!..

[titaniumsalute]

98. Yeah to prison

[secondwind]

101. YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!! We should stay positive and RESIST!!!

[MadDAsHell]

105. I have hope his end is coming. But banking on Mueller was always a fool's game.

The "It's Mueller Time" memes were cute, but incredibly ignorant of the facts. Mueller is a Rethuglican AND one of the key cogs that helped lie us into the Iraq War.

He is NOT our hero, as desperately as we wanted one.

[emmaverybo]

179. Mueller's report set out the grounds for impeachment and criminal charges after Trump leaves office

[JI7]

106. Even if one really is hopeless why come on a political forum and spread

their negativity ?

you think it's all useless and hopeless, then why not do something outside of politics ?

[malaise]

107. Yep

Precisely

[matt819]

108. Guilty as charged

I've made some "woe is us" posts. Because I'm feeling pretty woeful.

You may be right. I hope you're right. But with damn near every Republican in lock step with this fascist, and McConnell gridlocking the Senate, I just don't see it.

I think the only way we see any movement is if the unredacted Mueller report is released (and then only if there's a major smoking gun there) or if his tax returns are leaked. The NYT report this week raises an awful lot of questions, though these are the same questions we've all had for years, even before the 2016 electdion.

The Senate subpoena for Junior is a surprise, and that could change things, if it really happens.

The Contempt of Congress thing is interesting. While it has some teeth, mostly it has gums and is likely to be nothing more than a minor irritant for Barr. Now, if there were multiple Contempt of Congress charges, and people were actually taken into custody in some way, that could change things.

Nancy Pelosi may be playing multi-dimensional chess with Trump, but mostly she, and the Dems generally, come off as creampuffs.

I guess we'll see, but the waiting is frustrating, and increasingly terrifying.

[samnsara]

110. im atheist but i didnt escape the years of sunday school indoctoration...felt board..

...description of the Rapture and all....but it seems like WE are the Christians being fed to the lions and the GOP are the roman soldiers? ..and they think its the other way around.

Im confused.

[Collimator]

111. NOBODY knows the future.

All we can do is keep working toward the future that we want to see. If someone is feeling discouraged, take some time out to recharge and nurture yourself. But, as Malaise says, don't divert your energy into making others feel discouraged, too.

Sometimes it seems like Whatshisface can get away with anything. Bernie Madoff probably thought that, too. Mind you, a negative person would probably chime in with information that concludes that Madoff hasn't been punished enough. Whether such a thing is true or not isn't the point. Business as usual has stopped for Madoff and somehow, at some point it will stop for Whatshisface.

There is so much more that I would like to write and I feel very limited in my ability to inspire others to keep their heads up when I am struggling myself. But I will NOT type out a screed about how bad things are without mentioning that things can get better.

Things can always get better. They can also get worse. When you write, think about what you want to have happen, not what you fear can happen.

[berksdem]

112. GOTV - send this giant asshat

into the history books and used as an example of a dark time in history.

Waiting around for imprisonment, impeachment or anything else is not doing the Dems any good. I hope he is cuffed and locked away but I am not holding my breath. Work to GOTV and start the healing...

[ismnotwasm]

113. K&R

[lame54]

114. Deutsche bank?

[FrankBooth]

115. Yep

The armchair "strategists" are out in force. And they are often delusional. I think Nancy and the Dem brass have this.

[czarjak]

116. "Government overreach" bitchers are my favorite kind.

[Ferrets are Cool]

119. Pragmatic is the word, not hopeless

I NEVER in a million years thought that Americans were DUMB enough to re-elect an idiot that took us into an illegal war, but then
"w2" happened. I didn't feel hopeless then, but I did feel HELPLESS.
I feel alot of that atm.

[BigmanPigman]

120. He'll get nailed...the question is WHEN?

That is the concern...when will he go down?

[malaise]

122. He's getting nailed because Dems did not become hopeless

They whipped his sorry ass in the mid-terms. The end is nigh!!

[Honeycombe8]

125. I've been hearing that since inauguration day. nt

[Mc Mike]

127. Daily Dose of Demoralization.

[Hortensis]

128. 200 likes say they're a small, noisy minority.

I know I'd like them, those who aren't actually being paid for this, to hick up their panties and suck in their guts.

[malaise]

129. ROFL

[NurseJackie]

140. I completely agree!

[warmfeet]

142. My one, and only objective,

is to make sure this current asshole, pretender POTUS, will not have a second term in power.

Democrats, all of us, need to do anything we can to make sure this miscreant does not get the opportunity to destroy this nation.

I back whatever leads to this.

[BootinUp]

143. Been a rough few days from my humble perspective,

I agree though that we/I need to toughen up.

[TwilightZone]

144. Agreed on the nay-sayers.

The "Dems are weak" and "Dems never do anything" posters are similarly tiresome.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

147. Right on!

I have to believe the house of cards, built on a foundation of sand, will collapse. It would collapse a bit sooner if the general populace was a bit more, shall we say, vociferous?

[malaise]

172. +1,000

[Lithos]

148. Meh

If you can build a specific case, then report it to the MIRT..

I spent 10+ years as a moderator. DU1 thru DU2.

I saw a shit-ton-load reviews of these types of statements. Upon review - *MOST* were just disagreements over specifics or that people came to the same conclusion using different criteria.

No idea what the MIRT or Skinner feels about these now, but IMHO - give it a rest. If you have a specific complaint about a specific user then make your case, else understand we're a big tent and give it a rest.

</soapbox>

[hughee99]

151. Well said! I have always felt that those people

Who don’t agree with me are just looking to divide the party.

Seriously though, I get what your saying, but there seems to be a fine line between legitimate disagreement and people accusing the opposition of being trolls so they don’t have to defend their own ideas.

[treestar]

168. It's not about agreement on an issue but on

pessimism.

[hughee99]

171. I think one persons disagreement is another persons pessimism. Nt

[Aussie105]

153. Not 'if', but 'when' . . .

is the question.

American politics needs an enema. A big one. Flush out the rotten flesh in politics, the smelly, corrupted dead things, make room for the new. People with functional brains, and motivated to do what is best for the general population. They are sorely needed.

Something new is needed as a slogan, like 'drain the sewage swamp', really.

Trump promised that, didn't deliver. As usual. So move over chump! Take your necrotic and withered ones with you!

[Bettie]

154. It is really hard to believe that

it will all turn out OK these days.

Rules only exist for our side; the other side, apparently gets to do as they please with no consequences and we seem to be moving closer to a dictatorship every day.

I do try to believe...but, there's always that sinking feeling that the cards are stacked against us and there isn't any way to enforce even a court ruling, because they own the DOJ and the courts.

I want them to go down...but some days it is hard to believe they will.

I'm trying, but it is so frustrating.

[misanthrope]

156. No one here knows about the next year and a half

No more than they can tell us who will still be in the running after Super Tuesday. With the speed of the political cycle in current times, it is impossible to predict.

Maybe they are just trying to quell highly charged reactions or expectation so others aren't easily disappointed. A more laconic approach is often best for focusing on long-range goals.

[DownriverDem]

163. We need for them

to be identified.

[IronLionZion]

169. Mental health professionals have gotten way more business after Trump's election

more people are needing treatment, which is covered under the ACA. Some long time DUers should look into therapy or group counseling sessions. Or some yoga, meditation, acupuncture, unplug from social media for a bit, etc. These are stressful times.

Some of the newer DUers might just be trolls.

[briv1016]

173. We should just make a new rule that you can't post anything negative

and that the Democratic Leadership is never wrong. That'll solve all our problems.

[EleanorR]

174. K and R

[ck4829]

175. Kick

[underpants]

176. Damn. I'm gonna need to re-read DU's mission statement

[BlueJac]

177. Keep the pressure on...

he will fall!

[CrispyQ]

178. What is the source of your optimism?

It seems like a case of American exceptionalism to me - our democratic republic is so special it's immune from failure. I have friends who think that. What happened in Germany could never happen here. Yet we have separated children from their parents at our southern border & here you & I sit, having an online discussion about the possibility of the US falling into fascism. For their sakes, I hope you're right.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

180. I agree

with you. The doom and gloom crowd ain't my crowd.......