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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis is the truth: the republicans don't care.
I don't start that many threads, but I would be interested in knowing if others feel the same.
After listening to the republicans mock the impeachment inquiry and mock all of the evidence of Trump's wrongdoing, it became clear that they simply don't care. They care only about power. And they care about money. Will Hurd, who is suppose to be a normal person, is a former CIA operative. He knows that Trump has betrayed The Constitution and the country. But he doesn't care. It doesn't matter that he isn't running again. What he cares about is the money that he can make in the lucrative republican world of lobbyists, book sales, speaking fees, and the private sector. He is lying when he says "I don't see anything impeachable." Of course he does.
Democrats talk of how many republicans have told them privately that Trump is corrupt and should be impeached but they can't vote that way or they will lose their elections. Pathetic cowards.
Are others feeling completely demoralized and depressed? Demoralized and depressed because our democracy is too fragile to stand up to this president. Demoralized and depressed because there are scoundrels who have positions of power that allow them to ruin everything.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)Just about themselves.
DENVERPOPS
(8,810 posts)Any one else seen the ads from "Republicans for the rule of law" who are running ads against Trump and his outlaw Republican Party?
They are even running them on Fox news........
catbyte
(34,374 posts)calimary
(81,220 posts)Thats not something Id boast about, especially these days.
RVN VET71
(2,690 posts)Not both.
The party has turned away from all sense of law and justice. It has embraced sociopaths, white supremacists (but I repeat myself) and Neo-Nazis (I again repeat myself) and welcomed them to the family in such numbers that the sociopaths have taken over. Decent people have 2 choices: stay with the Republican Party and become one of them or leave the nasty, degenerate thing and start a new party -- one based on fiscal responsibility, social justice, and the common welfare. (Oops, excuse me, the Democrats already own those concepts.)
2naSalit
(86,559 posts)Y'all typed too many words!
You can be a republican or and American. Simple as that.
There, I fixed it for you. I'll be here all week.
SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)RVN VET71
(2,690 posts)Boxerfan
(2,533 posts)Not even a contest in the real world-and they don't have the advantage of that or self reflection. It is no win to use them as anything but a reverse barometer. They ALWAYS project.
Being on the side of right is your advantage-that is your shield of honor.
coti
(4,612 posts)proud patriot
(100,705 posts)Thank you
RockRaven
(14,959 posts)They will openly say "He did it. It was wrong. So? I don't care" and vote to acquit.
blm
(113,043 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,328 posts)Putin has provided lots of money and shown that he can influence elections in their favor. That's the carrot. The stick(s) may have come from the RNC 'hack' that came at the same time as the DNC, but about which we've heard nothing since. Naturally, their acceptance of Russian money, through the NRA and possibly other channels, also provides a stick.
GOPers want power. They get that from Putin.
It's a treasonous cult, IMO.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,109 posts)what patriotism means.
Rank and file GOP voters who support rump do so because he and they HATE people of color and HATE Muslims and HATE Latinos and they HATE women.
Period.
Yes, Rump can shoot thousands of small children on live TV, they still support him.
DENVERPOPS
(8,810 posts)They should all immediately sign up for Russian language lessons..........LOL
OldBaldy1701E
(5,126 posts)It is the 21st century. We have nice, clear images of both the politicians and a sizable chunk of the rank and file support. We need to catalog each 'MAGA'-wearing person's face, identify them, and have the FBI arrive to ask a few questions about their support of a criminal who is actively destroying our society in the name of personal greed and 'face'. They ALL need to answer for why they supported this person and his cohorts, why they are willing to sell their own country for profits, and why some of them are actively trying to stop others from finding the truth about this pseudo-mafia. ALL OF THEM.
DENVERPOPS
(8,810 posts)Well said.............this is pure un-adulterated insanity what is going on here in the U.S.
Some one said it is like a real life "Twilight Zone" and I couldn't agree with them more.......
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)For sure non-white children though ...
Hell, he could molest them first and they wouldn't care. He's Dear Leader. Whatever he does is 'right' by definition.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)The GOP is the minority. We are the majority.
And THAT is why they gerrymander, and restrict voting, and steal elections.
coti
(4,612 posts)They want you to just give up and give in to the corruption.
Don't forget that the truth is WINNING here, and keep fighting. That's what will save our democracy.
Kurt V.
(5,624 posts)are an illegitimate opponent and one party rule will fix everything.
bluestarone
(16,906 posts)dustyscamp
(2,224 posts)table against Trump and his corrupt administration. I wish we could do more than just vote or protest
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)members stood by while Trump strangled the life out of each of their loved ones, and they defended him after. I am beginning to think that may actually be true for some of them. Just like the wacky evangelicals and the various other sects of his cult. It is scary A F.
coti
(4,612 posts)rickford66
(5,523 posts)AJT
(5,240 posts)behavior. The GOP Does. Not. Care.
Demsrule86
(68,552 posts)caught. And it stopped him from doing worse too...he best way to rid ourselves of Trump is through the 20 election which is why we must nominate someone who can win and vote as if our lives depend on it...because they do.
standingtall
(2,785 posts)In this modern era about the last 20 or 30 years or even longer almost every so called moderate republican has been nothing more than a right wing nut job in disguise. I don't expect one republican in the senate to vote to convict Trump. Before this about as optimistic as we could be was to hope for 4 or 5 of them to convict. That not going to happen not even concern troll Susan Collins will. I will not be surprised if she votes to acquit him or even takes the most cowardly route possible an just simply votes present.
After the republican senate votes to acquits him we need to do everything in our power to make sure the voters punish them for it in 2020.
coti
(4,612 posts)of facts they would convict on. The HUGE mistake that was made with the Mueller Report was allowing for some kind of hope that it would be treated with reverence or even-handedness by the Repukes. It allowed Barr to gain a LOT of traction with his obfuscation tactics.
We need to understand right now that they are NOT going to be engaging in any kind of legitimate trial in the Senate. Don't even let that idea creep in to the public mind.
standingtall
(2,785 posts)because I just heard a Democrat on Chris Hayes being asked about Will Hurd. I don't know who it was, because I'm not actually watching it the TV is on the other room. Anyway he started out by saying how much he respects Hurd and what an honorable man he is blah blah blah. Ugh we need to stop unintentionally contributing to normalizing this type of stuff. We don't need to look for every nice thing we can say about them when we disagree with them over some absurd position they take. We need to properly express outrage.
Tumbulu
(6,274 posts)This is a civil war and they are winning because we are too accommodating.
Demsrule86
(68,552 posts)want this over so we can move on to the only way to rid this country of Trump the election in 20. I am not even sure those 40 house members who gave us the house can vote for impeachment without losing their seats and since Trump is not going to be convicted more than likely, no point in losing the house.
Martin Eden
(12,863 posts)locks
(2,012 posts)Yes, the worst in my long life. Thankful for all the good people in the govt who serve us and our world but I have almost no hope that we will dethrone Trump and the Deplorables.
Tumbulu
(6,274 posts)I really am very down and cannot see anyway out of this. The republicans have poisoned the public so effectively that they think it is ok to kill liberals. And if not kill them, remove them from any part of the conversations.
I have been all discombobulated all day listening to the testimony and the crazy malicious republicans spew their hateful reality.
Tumbulu
(6,274 posts)And I have been hoping and hoping.
But these republicans have always benefited by the fairness that we extend toward to body politic. They use it to attack us and get what they want time and time again.
And then we get Tulsi Gabbard up on the stage at our debate. As though Bernie Sanders wasnt enough.
I really cannot accept these attacks for all sides anymore.
gulliver
(13,180 posts)Russians and Republicans work to make this bloc feel threatened. That makes them vote against what their consciences and logic would normally tell them to vote for.
JohnnyRingo
(18,626 posts)If Trump's impeachment involves and brings down Mike Pence, she becomes the first female acting President Of The United States. And she'd be good for another two full terms.
How much would republicans ignore to prevent that from ever happening?
Progressive Jones
(6,011 posts)There is no longer such a thing as an honorable Republican.
They will lie, cheat, and murder if necessary. Yes, I said murder.
I will not put anything past them, and I will never, ever trust them.
They are dangerous, desperate people. To Hell with all of them.
There is no greater enemy of the United States in this age than the GOP.
Response to madaboutharry (Original post)
Laura PourMeADrink This message was self-deleted by its author.
Snackshack
(2,541 posts)I agree. I dont think people appreciate the gravity of the situation. We have a 2 party system of government and 50% of the government has decided rule of law does not matter and has put party/control/power over country. The judges they have appointed are a disaster and will set back progressive values like civil rights, voting, climate action for a generation to come and we dont have that kind of time as far as getting serious about climate action.
The founders did a great job with the founding documents but they did not anticipate the executive and half the legislative branches of government being corrupt.
America only became the superpower it is by compromise with each other and other nations the gop has made clear its their way or no way at all this never works. Unless the gop some how suddenly finds a realignment to a more moderate party I dont see how this changes in the near future.
ancianita
(36,023 posts)czarjak
(11,269 posts)Jodey Arrington. Worked for W., now backs the guy that called W. "a disaster", but implemented W.'s policies on steroids. Gonna work this time?
Nitram
(22,791 posts)the Senate, I will feel the way I did the morning learned Trump was elected president. That my country is slipping into madness and I can't do anything about it.
uponit7771
(90,335 posts)Garrett78
(10,721 posts)It's about supporting the party no matter what. And theirs is an ideology of extreme, mythical individualism and a mythical "free market." It disputes the existence of what's known as "the commons." Also embedded in their creed is an archaic racism and sexism. I don't think Republican officeholders merely foment and exploit racism and sexism for personal gain, though they certainly do, I think most Republicans in power are themselves devoutly racist and patriarchal. They almost have to be in order to push an ideology that depends, in large part, on denying the reality that injustice is systemic, not evenly distributed and that seemingly past/resolved injustices continue to influence power structures.
It can be infuriating to listen to Nunes, Jordan and others spout lies, but in their defense, they have no choice. As Cody Cain points out, lying is key to the Republican Party's survival. Their ideology is a house of cards, and to tell the truth would lead to collapse.
The AG of the United States was going around the world trying to stir up conspiratorial nonsense, which is absolutely surreal, but it also follows a pattern. The Republican Party has been trying for decades, with quite a bit of success, to undermine faith in government. Run up debt so as to cut entitlements, have corporations write legislation, deregulate industry, install heads of departments whose mission it is to erode those very departments, etc. Since the likes of Putin also wish to undermine democratic institutions for the purpose of self-enrichment, Putin and Republicans make for interesting bedfellows. This is a war of ideologies: we vs. me. "It takes a village" vs. "every person for themselves" (cheating permitted...nay, encouraged). The likes of Barr, Bannon, Mulvaney, Pompeo et al. are especially dangerous--they're white nationalists and despise secularization.
And, as has been mentioned by others, there is the distinct possibility that many Republicans in Congress are just as compromised as Trump. As I like to say, Republicans have more rubles than scruples.
The feelings you and others express of distress and depression are very understandable. Tempting though it may be to do otherwise, I think it's best that we all accept what we're up against. For instance, I never thought and still don't think the Ukraine story will result in a Senate conviction of Trump. I do, however, fully support impeachment and hope that it damages Trump enough that we can overcome the inevitable election fraud (in the form of foreign interference, voter suppression, dark money, gerrymandering and the utilization of an irresponsible profit-driven media to promote lies, obfuscation and false equivalencies) next November. I think what it would take to get a Senate conviction is almost unimaginable. It would have to be audio or video of something so grotesque (yes, even worse than Trump bragging about committing sexual assault, as he infamously did on the Access Hollywood tape) that Trump's approval rating, which has been unprecedentedly steady, would drop drastically almost over night (from around 40 to the mid-20s).
It's also best to resist the notion that Trump happened in a vacuum, so to speak, that the pre-Trump Republican Party was somehow reasonable and not at all responsible for the rise of Trump. It's an absurd notion, so it should be easy to resist, but there are Never Trumpers, members of the media and even some Democrats who seem to want to believe if we just get rid of Trump all will be well or "normal." As if 50+ years (going back to Nixon and his Southern Strategy) of increasingly cruel and unhinged policy and rhetoric didn't make Trump almost inevitable. As if we don't have to worry about Trump 2.0, a more politically savvy and intelligent version of the monster currently occupying the White House, coming down the pike. Trump is a symptom of the disease, not the disease itself.
We should also accept that we have a tyranny of the minority political system that will become increasingly anti-democratic. It's been reported, for instance, that by 2040 we can expect nearly 70% of the US population will be represented by just 30% of the US Senate. That's an intolerable situation. Unfortunately, this political system is incredibly difficult to change for the very reasons why major structural reform is so desperately needed. I imagine the founders would have expected the US Constitution to have been rewritten at least once by now, especially if they knew just how drastically society, the nation and the world had changed. However, a constitutional convention would be a complete disaster with states like Idaho, South Dakota, Kansas and Oklahoma having an outsized influence.
We should accept that the Republican Party is not on its death bed. I've seen post after post after post suggesting that the Republican Party is done for, or that it will be if it doesn't remove Trump from office. That idea is comforting, but it isn't rooted in reality. Demographic change isn't sufficient given our broken system. That said, demographic change (along with social progression, increased secularism, etc.) is a big reason why Republican tactics have become increasingly extreme in recent years (intense voter suppression and gerrymandering, full-throated attacks on science and public education, persistent attacks on the "liberal media" to help shift the Overton Window, stealing a Supreme Court seat and packing the judiciary with right wing ideologues, aligning with dictators who share the goal of undermining democracy for personal enrichment, replacing the dog whistle with a bullhorn, and so on). But the demise of the Republican Party has been predicted for decades. Without major reform of our tyranny of the minority political system, without public education reform, without media reform and without putting an end to what is essentially election fraud, the GOP will live on. It's ethically bankrupt but it will continue to be a major player. The GOP, as batshit crazy as it's become, currently holds more power nationwide (state legislatures, governors, etc.) than the Democratic Party. As more and more of the population lives in a disproportionately small number of states, the problem will worsen. 2020 may go really well for us, but between all of the aforementioned issues and an incredibly ignorant public with the attention span of a gnat, the Republican Party isn't anywhere close to being laid to rest. A survey from earlier this year indicated that around 30 million US adults have never heard of Mike Pence. Never. Heard. Of. Him. Let that sink in for a moment. Meanwhile, there are those who support the Affordable Care Act but despise Obamacare. So, one can only imagine how many people aren't even aware of the various facts being established in the impeachment hearings, if they're even aware that the hearings are taking place. It's also not hard to imagine there being millions of people who don't even know there's a presidential election next year. We must address this epidemic of ignorance.
Oh yeah, there's also that whole existential threat known as climate change.
I've probably not done anything to dissuade those feelings of distress. But acceptance must precede action. I think it can be helpful to take the long view, to focus on planting seeds in the public consciousness. Literally planting seeds in a community garden and starting local cooperatives would be a couple of examples. Write. Get involved in local organizations that are focused on combating racism and sexism. Consume less. The Democratic Party placing greater emphasis on education reform and media reform seems necessary. Make civics a bigger part of a child's education. Make media literacy (such as identifying and verifying sources, and recognizing tactics such as 'projection' and the Gish gallop) mandatory curriculum from elementary school through college. Make college much more accessible. Raise hell over the media's tendency to give equal time to lies and obfuscation out of some twisted sense of what constitutes fairness, or simply because it's good for ratings. Raise hell over media consolidation. You may not see the kind of change you want to see in your lifetime, and that can be a difficult reality to face, but take the long view for the good of humanity.
Cha
(297,154 posts)we could end being ruled by Russia and they would still be drooling lies spewing from their asshole faces.
Beringia
(4,316 posts)have to win. It is in all the movies. The outlaws may be running riot over the town, but they will lose in the town square shootout.
I think this will happen with the current situation too.
Kentonio
(4,377 posts)Sadly the bad guys very rarely lose when they have this much power.
The Mouth
(3,148 posts)and status.
The thing about conservatives, and I know this well from family and friends:
EVERYTHING IS A CHOICE.
Outside of obvious physical and mental disabilities rendering one needful of institutionalization, EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT YOUR LIFE in terms of outcome is your choice, the result of choices you make.
Poor? Your choice
Gender non CIS binary? Your choice
Poor health? Your choice
Incel? Your choice
And if you choose something, why should that protected against discrimination or opprobrium? (yes, this begs the question that they demand protection for religion which is a choice, no one said they are consistent!).
That's why they don't care, and never will about 'corruption', or oppression, or discrimination; they just see the results. That's why they feel no need to have compassion for the poor, 'they wouldn't be poor if they made better choices and worked harder'.
That is the mindset of conservatives.
Taraman
(373 posts)"These are the times that try men's souls." -- Thomas Paine
One must choose!
TruckFump
(5,812 posts)They care that the walls hiding their deception and dishonesty to the USA are being breached by the good guys.
subana
(586 posts)the only thing they do seem to care about is their own money! They are Russia-loving cowards, every single one!!! It really should not surprise us, cheating is the only way they win elections! Call me crazy but I've always thought if it came down to doing what's good for this country over doing something good for another country, I really thought that at some point they would do the right thing by supporting this country! But they seem to be perfectly fine with following Russia's orders!!! Did they forget the oath they all took? The oath where they say they will fight all enemies, both foreign or domestic!
Kablooie
(18,626 posts)If Trump hasn't caused them personally to lose large sums of money or lose a massive amount of votes, he shouldn't be impeached.
LAS14
(13,783 posts)Paul Krugman has answered this question.
What, after all, do retired officials do for a living? Many become lobbyists, and in an era of extreme polarization that means lobbying their own party. Being honest about why you quit would be bad for future business.
Beyond that, the modern U.S. right contains many institutions Fox News and other media, right-wing think tanks, and others that offer sinecures to former officials. However, this wing-nut welfare which has no counterpart on the left is available only to those who continue to toe the line.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/opinion/trump-republicans-corruption.html
Midnightwalk
(3,131 posts)Climate change denial. Clean coal. Cigarettes dont cause cancer. Evolution is a fraud. Tax cuts reduce the deficit. Your abortion is immoral. Benghazi. Racism. Cant appoint a judge in final year of term. Immigration costs trillions. Welfare queens driving cadillacs.
Republicans have been arguing in bad faith for years. Deliberately arguing against facts.
doc03
(35,325 posts)can't stand Trump. I think if there were a secret vote he would be removed from office. They are just cowards they are more concerned about keeping power than their country.
NCLefty
(3,678 posts)Trump offends every cell in my body.
And Republicans have never failed to become more dicky over my lifetime. Their very last president lied us into a war and then crashed the goddamn economy. Then our guy fixes the economy, kills OBL, and keeps us stable... and then American voters were like, "Durrrr.. which party is gud in this era IDK???? DURR..."
I couldn't be more disappointed with my country at this time. 92 million eligible voters didn't even show up in 2016 to stop a buffoonish and failed businessman from getting All The Power. That's 30 million more than either major party candidate got. Dude controls our nukes. Fuckkkk usssss.