Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Atticus

(15,124 posts)
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 10:12 AM Mar 2023

It is a measure of just how surreal life in America has become that we are ACTUALLY discussing

the distinct possibility that Trump may be reelected.

Seriously?

Are so many who walk among us THAT immoral? THAT mindless? THAT masochistic?

25 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
It is a measure of just how surreal life in America has become that we are ACTUALLY discussing (Original Post) Atticus Mar 2023 OP
Yes. There are many. Stinky The Clown Mar 2023 #1
Never underestimate the power of confirmation bias. bluesbassman Mar 2023 #2
In the other reality, he's a great President who was cheated out of his spot. BlueTsunami2018 Mar 2023 #3
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Mar 2023 #4
He is insignificant and would lose the election. OLDMDDEM Mar 2023 #5
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Mar 2023 #6
I disagree. There is actually a huge, underlying Fascist movement building in the background. Oneironaut Mar 2023 #13
I'm not worried about Trump as much as I am DeSantis. Lonestarblue Mar 2023 #20
Yes. White privilege is a real thing and they know it. Baitball Blogger Mar 2023 #7
Democracy will end with him or DeSantis. nt Hotler Mar 2023 #8
The cult remains in place. NewHendoLib Mar 2023 #9
"Are so many who walk among us THAT immoral? THAT mindless? THAT masochistic?" Dave in VA Mar 2023 #10
How about that Brain-washed. DENVERPOPS Mar 2023 #18
This for sure hibbing Mar 2023 #19
Yes. More aren't, though, and this time MAGAs are our best asset against them. Hortensis Mar 2023 #11
He has also pledged to shoot drug users, shoot doctors for providing care, kill trans ppl. Oneironaut Mar 2023 #12
They will meet the same resistance orangecrush Mar 2023 #14
The fact that mass media can blatantly lie and keep repeating the lies judesedit Mar 2023 #15
Yep republianmushroom Mar 2023 #16
Yes. hamsterjill Mar 2023 #17
Yes, they're everywhere here. I once had hopes for Texas, but I think it's now a lost cause. Lonestarblue Mar 2023 #22
My hope that natural causes would occur has evaporated. Evil Lives. sarcasmo Mar 2023 #21
Every time I think "ah no that won't happen" ismnotwasm Mar 2023 #23
Reality NowISeetheLight Mar 2023 #24
There are ENOUGH... Caliman73 Mar 2023 #25

bluesbassman

(19,372 posts)
2. Never underestimate the power of confirmation bias.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 10:16 AM
Mar 2023

He says out loud what they believe in their shriveled hearts and emboldens them to do the same. That’s a powerful drug.

BlueTsunami2018

(3,491 posts)
3. In the other reality, he's a great President who was cheated out of his spot.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 10:20 AM
Mar 2023

You know there are two separate realities in this country thanks to decades of hate radio and Fox.

The people who live on the other side do not see it the way we do.

Response to Atticus (Original post)

OLDMDDEM

(1,572 posts)
5. He is insignificant and would lose the election.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 10:23 AM
Mar 2023

My opinion only. People are sick and tired of his charades and are moving on.

Response to OLDMDDEM (Reply #5)

Oneironaut

(5,493 posts)
13. I disagree. There is actually a huge, underlying Fascist movement building in the background.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 11:59 AM
Mar 2023

It’s online at the moment, but, I see the same stuff going on that contributed to Trump’s initial success.

The fact that Republicans are openly passing (or trying to pass) openly Fascistic laws shows how much trouble we’re in. Online Conservatism now is funded by billionaires and is full of genocidal, nationalistic rhetoric.

It’s happening right under our noses again.

To put this in perspective, the Conservatives I talked about before (eg Tim Pool, Ben Shapiro, Steven Crowder, Matt Walsh, etc) have millions of viewers daily. They have far surpassed content made by Liberals in terms of viewer count and revenue. They’ve fully monopolized social media (Twitter spews right wing propaganda now to everyone because of algorithm changes).

Lonestarblue

(9,981 posts)
20. I'm not worried about Trump as much as I am DeSantis.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 01:21 PM
Mar 2023

Trump was too self involved and greedy to really accomplish anything that didn’t stroke his ego or make money for him. He didn’t really care about governing.

DeSantis is a different creature. For one thing, he is actually smart. He’s very good at manipulating events and lies to support his own power. Right now, I see him as the US version of Viktor Orban, but I also see him as someone who has the lack of scruples and honesty to become far worse than Orban. For example, his attack on trans kids is really sick. They are a very small part of our population, but he has made them seem like an enormous threat to the country and to other kids, as if they had some kind of contagious disease. These kids already have one of the highest suicide rates, and he is attacking them!

He isn’t a full-scale Hitler—yet—but he is an authoritarian who would be a major threat to democracy and the US as president. Yet Floridians gave him huge votes to keep him as governor. That’s what is frightening—that so many people see his white supremacy, his attacks on minorities, his attempts to rewrite history, and his plans to force state universities to become Republican propaganda institutions and applaud it.

Baitball Blogger

(46,703 posts)
7. Yes. White privilege is a real thing and they know it.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 10:41 AM
Mar 2023

Even blonde loud mouths have claimed that no one can touch them, and then it happens.

DENVERPOPS

(8,817 posts)
18. How about that Brain-washed.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 01:15 PM
Mar 2023

For years people have loosely described this 70+ million group of Trump Cult voters as BRAINWASHED.

Psychiatrists that I talked to, were totally stumped how/why this could have happened.

Then, the psychiatrists finally realized that if a person only watched Fox News, and/or listened to RW Radio 24/7/365/10 years as their only source of information, that, in fact, would brainwash them.........not much different from "re-indoctrination camps" used in Tyrant controlled countries....Russia, China, North Korea, etc

I remember listening to Rush Limbaugh a couple of times. He would start his program by discussing some issue that the Republicans thought would be interesting to their sheep that particular day.........He would introduce the topic, and then say: "Let me tell you how we need to think about this".........I would just sit there and say WOW, over and over again. Then turn off the radio...........

I was appalled that this shit was piped into the Armed Services Network?, around the world, each and every day, with nothing else presented to our Soldiers and Sailors......

hibbing

(10,098 posts)
19. This for sure
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 01:18 PM
Mar 2023

I've said it before, the appeal to the base always has a foundation in racism. It goes back decades of course. DeSantis is certainly ramping up his racism to appeal to these deplorables.

Peace

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
11. Yes. More aren't, though, and this time MAGAs are our best asset against them.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 11:34 AM
Mar 2023


But we still have to worry about the EC and narrow electoral margins, and WE should be looking to those who are so extreme on the left that ideological goals require defeating Democrats, throwing elections to the Republicans their most consistently successful tactic.

Maybe this time our disastrous learning experience will help us do a better job of keeping them from using DU for that purpose.

Oneironaut

(5,493 posts)
12. He has also pledged to shoot drug users, shoot doctors for providing care, kill trans ppl.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 11:42 AM
Mar 2023

The Republican platform in 2024 is mass murder, Fascism, and revenge. The fact that they are remotely considered tells you how screwed our country is.

Oh, also, how could I forget (edit): They want to make acknowledging that slavery existed, or, saying that black people are disadvantaged / racism exists a felony. They want to do a mass-banning of books that are against the ideology. They are Nazi scum and this country has gone insane.

judesedit

(4,438 posts)
15. The fact that mass media can blatantly lie and keep repeating the lies
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 01:00 PM
Mar 2023

convinces people that have no curiosity to take those lies at face value. It has a lot to do with the lack of education in this country. "Teaching to the test" discouraged any critical thinking skills. No more Civics classes to let kids know who controls this country and their lives. It's been in the works for decades and now we're seeing the results.

I hope Murdoch and cronies have their asses handed to them for the damage they've done to this country.

Lonestarblue

(9,981 posts)
22. Yes, they're everywhere here. I once had hopes for Texas, but I think it's now a lost cause.
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 01:25 PM
Mar 2023

Republicans here love their guns and hate anyone who is even slightly liberal. Their God put white men in charge and they plan to keep it that way.

ismnotwasm

(41,976 posts)
23. Every time I think "ah no that won't happen"
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 01:30 PM
Mar 2023

I remember he got elected in the first place. With millions of votes. And I despair.

NowISeetheLight

(3,943 posts)
24. Reality
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 01:32 PM
Mar 2023

If the RepubQcan field is very large again it could be a repeat of 2016. Trump could win the primary without a clear majority. As for the final enlection then I think President Biden would win. I think enough RepubQcans and Independants realize what havoc another four years of Trump would bring.

My big concern would be with VP Harris. I wish they would give her a more prominent role in the administration. Honestly, I don’t see a lot about her in the news, and the right is exploiting that. They’re portraying her as unqualified. They need to give her some “win” public roles where she can have public success and demonstrate her competence to the masses. I have faith in her abilities personally, but a lot of people don’t know anything about her.

Caliman73

(11,736 posts)
25. There are ENOUGH...
Thu Mar 2, 2023, 01:51 PM
Mar 2023

About 30% to 35% are likely actively supporters of the kind of politics and policy that Trump and his ilk propose. Many of the others that identify as Conservatives or Republicans, may not actively hold the same horrible ideas, but their identification with the "brands" of Conservative and Republican hold more sway than actual information about policies and their effects on others.

Then, there is a pretty large chunk, about 40% to 55% of people who are eligible to vote, but either can't or simply choose not to vote in any given election.

There are more people in the country who agree with liberal policies, but we also tend to be less enthusiastic and less able to be fully activated and mobilized.

It is a numbers game, as well as a system that has been tilted heavily to states with less population but more motivated voters, and a couple of "swing" states. We saw it pretty clearly in the last elections 2016, Conservatives were able to use lies and sexism to keep Hillary Clinton out of office, even though she got more votes. In 2020, because Trump was so awful, enough people were motivated to give the exact opposite result plus the popular vote by almost 7 million votes.

I would argue that while it may seem "surreal" it is not. We have examples in modern history where situations like what is going on here, have happened in other countries. Conservatives have spent the last 40+ years creating a misinformation ecosystem that has primed their supporters to accept a "reality" different from what the majority of us accept. They (and failures in government) have also created such confusion that MANY people simply do not care enough to participate in choosing their representatives. Plus, the education system has been so gutted, that many of us lack the critical thinking skills to even participate in democratic processes. A democratic system requires an informed and motivated electorate to be successful. Conservatives have engaged for decades, in minimizing those qualities in the populace.

I think what makes it "surreal" is that we all, to some degree, bought into the hype of American Exceptionalism. We think that we are truly special, and there is some minor evidence that our system of government in the 1780's was unique, in a world still dominated by absolute monarchs, but we allowed slavery to continue even after those absolute monarchies abolished it, and we were one of the last "modern" countries to allow women to vote. The pieces of the puzzle as to why we are here, were always present in our history, but it isn't a history that is readily available and it certainly is not taught in school.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»It is a measure of just h...