Just a general comment---no citations, footnotes or quotes. Take it or leave it.

[Atticus]

I believe it to be true that what causes that constant twinge in our stomachs is the knowledge that if ANY OF US had done what Trump, his offspring and several dozen of his aiders and abetters have, in our opinion, OBVIOUSLY done, we'd have been "cuffed and stuffed" months ago and would now be dressed like everyone else and eating off trays.

You can say that's a very unsophisticated way to stack things up, but if you deny that that emotional opinion will not impact our turnout you are, in my opinion, sadly mistaken. Seeing and hearing these criminals giving interviews and polluting social media with their lies on a near daily basis is tossing cold water onto the "fire in the belly" that Democrats are trying to stoke for the midterms.

That's my opinion and it is worth what it cost you.

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. +1

[gab13by13]

2. It is also my opinion,

If Trump and his inner circle are not held accountable, it will suppress voter turnout, guaranteed.

[sop]

16. The brain trust in the DOJ might believe it would have the reverse effect:

Prosecuting Trump would anger his followers and increase Republican turnout; not prosecuting Trump will frustrate Democrats and increase their turnout. (Just a wild hunch, but it's the best I can come up with to justify the DOJ's sleepy response.)

[Xoan]

35. That sounds more like a job ...

for the Department of Politics.

[DeeDeeNY]

69. Exactly right. This is not the Dept of Politics.

The job of the DOJ is to seek out the truth and prosecute the criminality. It should not be influenced by what might happen in response to that.

[GB_RN]

59. I Think They Might Be Worried That Riots Will Occur...

If they indict/prosecute him. I know it's a possibility I worry about. If his followers were ready to go to the lengths of destroying our democracy, a la January 6th, then riots are nothing.

[NullTuples]

62. Perhaps underlying that is the fear that cops will side with the MAGA supporters

[GB_RN]

63. Law Enforcement Has Been Infiltrated, Per The FBI...

So, that's a distinct possibility.

[NullTuples]

64. So many proudly came out as CSPOA since the start of COVID

[NullTuples]

61. Not just his inner circle; he was helped by members of Congress

[brush]

3. And so many in different states and jurisdictions...

seem to be complicit in keeping him from facing consequences for his crimes.

And while we're on the subject, it seems to me that the new Manhattan DA would've jumped at the chance to be the one to finally get trump indicted and convicted. That would be a roadmap to higher office...the governor's mansion, the US Senate, maybe even something higer down the line.

But no, after just a month in office he declines to continue the work and investigation of two veteran prosecutors who were ready to indict as they were certain that trump was guilty of several felony offenses.

What the hell is up?

[abqtommy]

5. I agree. Opinions matter. nt

[Hugin]

6. I've been saying something similar for some time now.

You can add Boebert, Gaetz, et al to your list.

If the average person had done one thing we all know, KNOW! (and they will freely admit to doing and are proud of in many cases because they were able to get away with it) they have done from bankruptcy to rape. We would be done for life.

Yet, they are allowed to pillage along.

IOKITAAR writ large and in any honest person’s face.

[gab13by13]

7. This is also depressing,

when people say our last hope is beating them at the ballot box, GOTV.

Isn't that just saying we must beat them at the ballot box because we will never beat them in court?

[CaptainTruth]

15. Yet if you look at actual court verdicts, we beat them the vast majority of the time.

In the case of court cases challenging election results, for example, we beat them about 99% of the time.

The problem is, I think, that some things that should end up in court haven't ended up in court... yet, & that's discouraging.

Being discouraged, however, is not a reason to quit. It's a reason to fight harder.

[plimsoll]

20. Until it gets to the supreme corrupt.

And you know, look at the Bundy stuff from a few years ago, or the whitmer case. For a criminal conviction you need a unanimous 12, a jury of “peers” is sure to contain at least one fellow traveler. The GOP has corrupted education, so even obvious wrong going is now “legal” if you did it in the name of God, Trump, Groot whatever.

At least I don’t hear the nation of laws bs from them anymore.

[FoxNewsSucks]

21. Another depressing facet to that

is that they are aware of that also and have worked hard to keep us from voting, rigged voting machines and local systems in their favor, gerrymandered in their favor and if those fail, enabled them to simply disregard the result and declare themselves "winners".

GOTV alone will not prevent that.

I want to scream every time I see some blinder-wearing pollyanna post "we just have to GOTV" "we just need vote in more Dems" "we just have to win the election". WE KNOW THAT. So do they. And only one side has taken effective action toward winning.

[Chainfire]

8. Of course it is true.

The system will not change until we demand change. Our current system protects the rich and powerful from the rest of us. Those who have the gold make the rules.

[Rebl2]

14. Isn't this

kind of what Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have been saying for years?

[FoxNewsSucks]

22. Yes.

It's why they're demonized. Sadly, often by Democrats.

[Paladin]

9. Couldn't agree with you more.

Seems like the amount of punishment is in inverse proportion to the amount of damage you inflict upon this nation. Makes me want to puke.

[chia]

10. This Twitter thread from post-election Democrats in Wisconsin may cheer and encourage you:

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=iDCop4v7sawA7H_p7NGkSw

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=iDCop4v7sawA7H_p7NGkSw

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=iDCop4v7sawA7H_p7NGkSw

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=iDCop4v7sawA7H_p7NGkSw



The Twitter thread has more posts where he thanks individual people and highlights some of the big and historic wins. It's good.

[liberalla]

17. Yes, that is very encouraging news and I thank you for posting.

[chia]

50. You're welcome :)

We all need to keep on keepin' on, even when we don't want to anymore.

[Wounded Bear]

11. Sadly, you're probably right...

but I continue to hope that the surge we developed in '18 and '20 will continue.

[yardwork]

12. Absolutely true.

For instance, a young woman in Texas has been arrested for supposedly having an abortion. Her bail is $500,000. I haven't heard of a single Jan 6 insurrectionest held on bail that high.

[Lettuce Be]

13. Intent doesn't seem to come up much in fraud cases either -- it's just you did it, you lose

It's as if they purposefully created laws to protect the wealthy. Shocker!

I cannot ignore subpoenas without consequence. I cannot elevate my properties value to get a loan (they actually appraise my stuff, not just let me make up numbers), and I cannot deflate the value for taxes (they also somehow seem to know what's up).

I cannot openly commit crimes and have them still say, "But what was his intent?" Nope. For me, intentions are obvious and I'm guilty. How hard is it to prove a paper crime? Oh, really hard when they toss in the old canard "intent."

I cannot create subscriptions with recurring charges as the default, and the list goes on and on and on. None of these things could I do without being immediately arrested, charged, and thrown in the pokey.

Until society stands up and demands this inequality be fixed, nothing will change. Those profiting from this BS are the ones making the rules.

[Midnight Writer]

38. And you can't be identified as the perpetrator in dozens of sexual assault cases

and walk away whistling.

[usaf-vet]

18. Roger that!

[kairos12]

19. Chump and his odious offspring, are above

any law currently on the books, apparently.

[Fiendish Thingy]

23. Take it or leave it? I'll leave it. You know what they say, opinions are like...

…well, you know, everyone’s got one.

As you acknowledged, there is no evidence, only your opinion, that the DOJ not yet having indicted Trump and the coup architects will suppress turnout in the midterms.

There are however, many evidence based factors that will negatively impact the outcome of the midterms:

1) the long historic trend that the president’s party nearly always loses seats in the midterms of the president’s first term;
2) numerous states have passed numerous voter suppression laws;
3) many people are generally exhausted from two years of COVID and four years of Trump;

Factors that work in our favor for the midterms:
1) many people are fired up to fight the anti-democracy extremists who seek to take control of the government;
2) COVID May have killed more GOP voters than Dem voters;
3) the impact of gerrymandering may be significantly less than previous post-census elections (Florida’s new district lines have yet to be finalized and could be the deciding factor);
4) if Roe v Wade is overturned this summer, that could increase Dem turnout

So, stomach-twinging despair over the lack of public information on the DOJ’s investigation and prosecution of the crimes of the Trump administration may be driving your current opinions, but hopefully your awareness will expand to include a broader perspective.

[Atticus]

43. "---hopefully your awareness will expand to include a broader perspective". So---

---we disagree therefore I'm narrow-minded?

You posted valid points---though insufficient to rebut what I actually said---right up until that last bit of pure condescension.

[Fiendish Thingy]

47. Opinions cannot be rebutted, only facts can.

You offered no facts, so no rebuttal was intended.

I was suggesting that your opinion was based on a narrow perspective (different from the epithet “narrow-minded”) that excluded information, or made assumptions not supported by existing facts (which you admitted in your OP, that it was strictly your emotional opinion).

[Atticus]

52. Parsing, eh? Seems like the beginning of a Gish Gallop so I will bow out. Chalk that up as a

"win" if that blows your hair back and respond accordingly.

Have a good one.

[Carlitos Brigante]

24. But I was told by some predictable stooge here, the other day that

what we want is not equal treatment under the law. But that we're out for some "blood lust", or some dumd, melodramatic shit like that.

[Grasswire2]

46. glad I missed that one. nt

[marieo1]

25. Crimes against Humanity

I agree..............let the United Nations handle it, lol.................they never have done a thing as long as I can remember to stop villans. Why, oh, why is it so damn hard to hold a murderer thief like Putin accountable? Why can't they just arrest him and imprison for his crimes against humanity. Prisons around the world are full of people that have done far less than these creeps...............Why not let them go and catch some real crooks.........I.e. Putin and DJT!!!

[brooklynite]

26. IOW Garland could indict them today and is choosing not to?

I'll go with his professional expertise.

[FoxNewsSucks]

30. Is there something that requires him to indict on all charges at once?

And to hold off until all charges are ready?

There are certainly some open-and-shut cases against MF45 & criminal cabal that were done, witnessed publicly, and bragged about. Would a conviction (or even an acquittal) on any of those provide some kind of immunity for any of the other potential charges?

If not, why wait?

[Atticus]

41. I can always count on you to put words in my mouth. "In other words"---" is in the same category

as " Lots of people are saying---"

[MerryBlooms]

60. The wallets have spoken. Just like in the PA race. 😄

[FoxNewsSucks]

27. Agreed

It's a real problem.

Campaigning Democrats need to find a way to overcome letting criminals slide. I don't know how that can be done.

They also need to overcome the inability to stop republicons from taking away the child tax credit, inability to pass BBB, and inability to pass voting laws.

Simple fact is, republicons lack votes to do any of those things on their own. Democrats just barely have the numbers and the Presidency that their goals & accomplishments should not have been stopped. Instead, Democrats Manchin & Sinema made the republicon goals possible.

So expect to see republicons campaigning on how Democrats didn't "do what they said" and Democrats "soft on crime". They created this mess and they will fully exploit it. And the gullible public will fall for it.

It's a problem that can't be ignored.

[treestar]

28. What I don't understand

is why would that throw cold water? Why not get more fired up because of it?

[Atticus]

45. It does fire up US---solid Democrats. But, the "fair weather Democrats", the "Democrats when it's

convenient and popular" and some of the "Democratic-leaning independents" may decide to stay home next November because "voting doesn't matter", "nothing ever changes" and "the stinking rich NEVER go to jail"!

Are those excuses accurate or appropriate? Of course not, but, encouraged by comments on the open sewers of social media, many will count the MAGA bumper stickers in their area and decide that waiting in line at the polls is only for those foolish enough to think their vote means anything.

As I said, that's my opinion and it's worth what it cost you. Thanks for your response.

[Walleye]

71. And don't forget to blame the evil establishment and corporate Democrats

That always helps elect Republicans

[Eyeball_Kid]

29. If Bragg is clean, Trump gets indicted and convicted.

If Cy Vance Jr. were clean, he would not have left his post before the investigation was complete.

There's a lot of stink in the Manhattan DA's office and no one has cleaned out the septic tank.

[Tommymac]

31. FWIW I hear this in several different forms at my local working class pub almost every day.

It's a majority Democratic crowd.

Joe and Jane Sixpack don't give a fuck about shades of gray.

They want shades of Orange for the perps, and are saying that as usual the Government protects it's own.

Important Note - NO PARTY is mentioned - they are once again blaming both because the Dems are NOT differentiating themselves in the working class mindset.

We HAVE to get this message out - Dems are different then Rethugs. And the only way here is if the DOJ at the very least starts letting them know they are doing SOMETHING. Silence is not golden.

(Note - I personally believe the DOJ is doing something but as a legal tactic they are being silent - in this particular case it is not only a Legal matter but a political one, like it or not, and they - Garland and his DOJ - need to communicate better with the public in a way the public understands.)

[usonian]

42. JAIME HARRISON HAS A GREAT MESSAGE. THANK YOU JAIME!

Finally, a sticky slogan for the GOP: 'Fraud, fear and fascism'
https://democraticunderground.com/100216571510

(snip)
From DailyKos:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/4/6/2090427/-Democratic-Party-chair-nails-the-GOP-It-is-a-party-built-on-fraud-fear-and-fascism
Kerry Eleveld
Daily Kos Staff
Wednesday April 06, 2022 · 10:41 AM PDT

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison on Wednesday offered a particularly apt summation of Republicans on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

“It is a party built on fraud, fear and fascism," Harrison said. "They don’t deserve to be in power.”

The three Fs—Fraud, Fear, and Fascism—are a perfect alliteration for the GOP. The fact that it could fit on a bumper sticker is also a notable advancement for Democratic messaging.

Culling Republicans down to a sticky umbrella message about the pervasive corruption pulsing through the GOP would be super helpful for Democrats.

Every time Republicans say the 2020 election was stolen, the response can be, "There they go again."

Every time they claim their efforts to suppress votes and rig election outcomes are legitimate attempts to curb fraud, the response can be, "There they go again."

Every time they blanket Democrats with repulsive smears like "pedophiles" or "groomers," the response can be, "There they go again."

But let's linger for a minute on the latest trope Republicans are rolling out to smear Democrats and anyone else who dares to disagree with them: the notion that they are pedophiles who are grooming children for sexual abuse. On one level, it's a preposterous charge—the whole pedophile ring thing is so 2016. But the coked-up party of orgies does have a recurring obsession with lobbing sexual smears at their political opponents.

The "groomer" charge is just so on brand and perfectly repugnant for the GOP, catering to QAnon cultists steeped in the notion of a global cabal of sex traffickers run by Democrats and their allies.

Moderate Republicans who still exist in this world get it. As Never Trumper and The Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell says of the messaging, "When your team tries a coup, you gotta think hard about what’s worse than that. Hence, the 'groomer' discourse."

But The Bulwark's Jonathan V. Last absolutely nails the political strategy Republicans are employing and the choice they are making in the process.

"The modern Republican party has found a way to integrate voters who believe in a bizarre internet cult," Last writes. "But it has no desire to integrate voters who maintain that Joe Biden won the 2020 election fair and square."

That indeed is the modern Republican Party in a nutshell. And frankly, it represents an opportunity for Democrats: a critical slice of those reality-based Republicans are gettable for Democrats if they are continually reminded of exactly what the GOP has become.

[Tommymac]

44. Really good message..but it does not directly address the issue of high ranking charges for 1/6

That is what the OP is referring to, and that is what my message is about.

These are working class Dems who are getting disheartened and apathetic because they are hearing nothing from the DOJ and no charges have been offered against TFG or his family or top advisors such as Stone over 1/6.

[usonian]

51. Yes. I got a bit off-topic, and agree, the optics are not encouraging.

Other than the optics, I have to reserve criticism. Given the number of accomplices, piecing out what is doable --- look what happened in Michigan. "just takes one" --- is above my pay grade.

My suspicion is that people are waiting on a "Watergate Moment" and this exceeds Watergate in criminality and complexity by many orders of magnitude. It's LITERALLY a Russian novel.

The court of public opinion rules every other November or so.

Hence the attempts at jury rigging, a.k.a. hacking the election process.

I am going to promote my "It's a Cult" post to a thread. I am copying it in too many times. Must have some truth to it.

right back at you.

[Grasswire2]

48. the one word that most people would understand and repudiate is...

..CORRUPTION.

A messaging guru suggested early on that Dems use that word every time they talk about a Republican.

Corrupt. Corruption.

[barbtries]

32. it's a sense of nearly unbearable frustration.

they slide and slide and slide and it is wrong, wrong, wrong.

[AllaN01Bear]

33. ive been feeling that there is a dual standard in this country for a long time .

wittnes : watts riots . occupy wall st. and any other popular social activity where brute force and or uneven treatment of populace has been going on for years . i aggree if its a dem . oh my we cant have that , but if its a r, a slap on the wrist and off u go.

[housecat]

34. Many Democrats know what has to be done, but few of them are in power. Many pundits on

MSNBC have something to say, if only Democrats with power would listen to them. Look at the Congress with so-called moderate Dems. What good are they other than waste seats and time when we need it? Trusting and negotiating with the "thoughts and prayers" bunch is a waste of brain cells and of time. Since we follow the rules that they break, they will always win. We, Democrats, need a new and better plan NOW, and it may be our last chance, because the house is already on fire.

[dwayneb]

53. Plenty of talk and hand-wringing but no ACTION plan

What many people don't want to admit is that we are at war - a war for our freedoms, a war for the preservation of the rule of law and the Constitution.

After Trump's emergence, those that used to be our political opponents have now become our enemies. These people are every much a danger as the Russians or the Chinese. In fact they are a greater immediate threat to the Western world than any foreign adversary.

The Trumpists understand this very well and they are deploying all the weapons of war at their disposal, first and foremost a very effective propaganda machine.

If Trump or his successor is elected again in 2024 or 2028, or seizes power via a coup? They will then have the ability to win this war without firing a shot on the battlefield. They will complete the job of tearing America apart from within that Trump began in his first term. Then we will be one declaration of martial law away from having Federal troops suppressing our right to free expression and to free assembly.

It's coming, because the Democrats have no action plan, and in many ways don't seem to really understand the seriousness of the situation. I am not saying I have the answer. But I know for certain that business as usual is not going to save us from going under the boot of a Right wing dictator here in the USA.

[housecat]

58. Yes, propaganda is more lethal than weapons. We must eliminate Fox Propaganda, .

which Putin has a stake in. One mistake we've been making is allowing politicians with empty heads have power. It's too easy for them. There has to at least be a list of qualifications other than age and breathing.

[dwayneb]

70. Good idea - what's your plan to accomplish that?

I'm all in favor of "eliminating Fox".

How do you suggest we do that? Unfortunately I see no path forward for that. The only way that could happen is through a new law, similar to the Fairness Doctrine but extending to all news providers on any communications platform.

I don't see any way that law could be formulated, nor any path to getting it passed.

In my opinion the only way to win this war is to use the same weapons our enemy is using - propaganda. For whatever reason, we seem to be unwillingly to say what needs to be said, not willing to bring the populist messenger talent to this fight and literally overwhelm every communication platform with the truth about the true agenda of the Fascist Right.

That is the ONLY way that we had a chance to preserve our democracy, but I fear it is far too late.

[Enoki33]

36. Sadly I have to agree. If as a democracy

we cannot, or fail to do the right thing, then what the hell gives us the right to try to claim the privilege of leading a nation of such great untapped potential?

[Dan]

37. The day will come

When there is noting but hell to pay for this nation.

[usonian]

39. Tenderfoot said it elsewhere on DU. DOOM POSTING IS VOTER SUPPRESSION!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215975225

Illegitimi non carborundum
Don't the bastards wear you down!!

There are things you and I can't control, but we can
GET OUT THE VOTE

My list of DETERMINISTIC actions is here.
Also, anything by Omaha Steve.
https://democraticunderground.com/100216380145
I'm adding a Stacey Abrams link TODAY.

and have a great GOTV day, everyone!

[Ohio Joe]

40. What you say is true...

As peons we would be swept up and dumped, and we would have neither the money nor resources to fight. TFG is a mob boss though... And like it or not he has to be gone after like one. 'Knowing' he is a criminal is not enough, it must be proven in court.

[1WorldHope]

49. What could be the problem?

Jeffrey Epstein's little black book? Where did that go?

[jaxexpat]

54. It's pretty well the page I'm on, too, Atticus.

And, since I'm nothing exceptional, it stands to reason there are a multitude of those who see it just that way.

[hurple]

55. Truth!

[trof]

56. I'll take it.

true

BTW, my uncle had a saying: "Unasked for advice is seldom welcome and worth exactly what you pay for it."

But I'll take what you say as true.

[BobTheSubgenius]

57. In truth, I think it's worth way more than that.

Much of your OP is as factual as it gets - in our opinion, at the very least - and the rest is what scares me.

[BradAllison]

65. The problem is that people like you and me don't get put in the positions to do all they've done.

Maybe separate from your bigger point, but there are several levels we need to push in the midterms. The main being Republicans have enabled all this bullshit and need to pay, and it will take multiple election cycles to do so.

[ecstatic]

66. Yeah... There's that and he literally tried to get my vote

thrown out. He and his bff lying Lindsey. He locked up babies and permanently separated families. And his parting gift was to kill at least a million Americans through his incompetent handling of covid. It's really personal for me.

[XacerbatedDem]

67. Spot on!

[betsuni]

68. No, it won't impact Democratic voter turnout, they aren't idiot one-issue voters.

The real base, not the imaginary one.