With many (most?) American voters, the presidential campaign is nothing but a popularity contest. Policy stances do not

[LaMouffette]

matter. What a candidate has or has not accomplished does not matter. Whether a candidate will uphold the Constitution or shred it to little bits does not matter. Whether a candidate is a good, kind, intelligent person or an evil, cruel dumbass does not matter.

The diehard Trumpies love Donald Trump. That is all that matters to them and pretty much nothing can convince them that Trump is not their Jesus but is, in fact, the devil incarnate.

And they have been trained to hate Joe Biden and all other Democrats, especially Democrats who are strong, intelligent women, like Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, Katie Porter, et al.

So, what to do? I'm just thinking out loud here. What . . . can . . . we . . . do?

We can talk ourselves blue in the face about Joe Biden's and the Democrats amazing accomplishments, and it won't move the needle one bit. They will still hate Joe and all Democrats.

Hmm . . . getting what they wished for on abortion has moved the needle for more moderate, more educated Republican voters. So has the ethical pickle the Republican politicians have found themselves in regarding IVF: "Life begins at conception! Embryos are children! I support IVF! Wait, what's that? IVF involves destroying unneeded embryos? Well, er, um . . . Hunter's laptop! Hillary's emails!"

I'm thinking the only thing that might do the trick is to let the Republicans be the dog catching the car again and let them destroy three things that would hurt their voters tremendously: 1. social security; 2. Medicare; and 3. Obamacare. Let them break these things, too, and make them own it. That might, just might, open the Trumpies' eyes and see just where voting for Trump and Republicans in general will get them. Maybe.

And then, as usual, we Democrats can come in and clean up their mess, restoring social security, Medicare, and Obamacare.

The problem with this, of course, is the Republicans' uncanny ability to shift the blame to Democrats. This would have to be done somehow so that they can't slither their way out from under the blame.

Plus, allowing them to destroy these things would hurt millions of people until the Dems were able to restore them, so really, not a good plan. Not a good plan at all.

So, I'm stumped and despairing. Think I had better go take a long walk somewhere beautiful and try not to think about our democracy being on the edge of destruction for an hour or so.

[liberal N proud]

1. Let them what?

I'm thinking the only thing that might do the trick is to let the Republicans be the dog catching the car again and let them destroy three things that would hurt their voters tremendously: 1. social security; 2. Medicare; and 3. Obamacare. Let them break these things, too, and make them own it. That might, just might, open the Trumpies' eyes and see just where voting for Trump and Republicans in general will get them. Maybe.

What are people living on Social Security to do once the pukes steal it?

[Voltaire2]

3. useless feeders do not deserve to live.

This is one of their core beliefs.

[liberal N proud]

5. Excuse me?

I paid into Social Security all my life, I expect to receive my fair share back!

Feeders?

[Voltaire2]

7. It's not my belief. It's part of the fascist maga ideology. Actually the correct phrase is 'useless eater'

who qualifies as a 'useless eater' highly correlates with all the groups they hate. It's origins is of course nazi germany.

[limbicnuminousity]

9. a la "takers" vs "creators"

New names for the same old bigotry.

[Caliman73]

8. It is a far right point of view.

It isn't based in logic. Right wing ideology is based on a very strict and rigid hierarchy. Those at the top have gotten to the top because they are simply better and as such they deserve whatever share of the benefits of society they deem acceptable. Those of us who are not wealthy and powerful are such because we are defective in some way and as such we should simply accept our lot in life and live and work to support our betters.

It doesn't matter to them that you paid into Social Security all your life. That money is only there because some wealthy person allowed it to be there. Without wealthy, powerful people, we would be wallowing in our misery. That is how the leaders of the Conservative movement ACTUALLY think.

The phrase is actually "Useless Eaters" and it was part of Nazi propaganda directed at disabled people or other "undesirables" in order to justify discrimination and ultimately killing them.

[LaMouffette]

14. I know, that's just it. I was just saying that this might be the only thing that might make the hardcore Trumpies

rethink their devotion to Mango Mussolini and the Republican politicians who inflicted him on us.

They will need to feel real personal hardship AND recognize that Trump and the R's did it to them.

But, still, bad idea, because it will hurt millions of Dems, too.

[liberal N proud]

22. No it won't change their mind

They think Social Security is a government handout. All while the idiots are paying in to it.

They will cut their own arm off if it keeps someone else from getting what they think is freeloading.

They are that F#&@ing Stupid!

[Voltaire2]

2. It is a tv contest spectacle - 'america's got talent' - style.

Are you on team red or team blue? That's all that matters.
Learn your team talking points for your ZuckerBook flame wars!
Vote the other team off the island!
Get your merch NOW!

[LaMouffette]

15. Yes, exactly! A sport, but with all the sportsmanship/sportswomanship removed, at least on the Repub side.

[Voltaire2]

16. Oh lordy no, they just fully appreciate that it is a game.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. .

That might, just might, open the Trumpies' eyes and see just where voting for Trump and Republicans in general will get them. Maybe.

They know exactly what they're voting for and they don't care, as long as it also hurts people they don't like. It's not hard.

[LaMouffette]

17. I agree. It will only when they themselves get hurt of Trump and the Repubs and realize it's them, not Dems, who hurt

them. I think it would be truly something for everyone in the Trump cult to come to the same conclusion, all at once, that they have been conned. But would they get angry and protest or just be so embarrassed that they just shut up and fume to themselves?

[JustAnotherGen]

6. No - Nope

The three things you are talking about them losing . . .


Won't matter because they will be happy that African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Indigenous, LGBTQI's, Jews and Muslims have all been rounded up an murdered or deported. . . I'm thinking murdered.

As long as we are gone - they don't care.

It will give them their White Christian Nation - all be damned.

[LaMouffette]

18. True. But I remember a few years ago, people with protest signs that read "Keep your government hands off my Medicare!"

If the R politicians ever do succeed in eliminating Medicare, I hope those people will recognize that Republicans did it, not the "government" in the abstract.

[Caliman73]

10. There are multiple reasons for this situation.

These are not in order of importance.

1. The real and complicated history of the United States is not taught in school, except for some University courses. We get more mythology than actual history in K-12. Topics that are controversial are typically presented at a very surface level.

2. "Politics" is presented in society as something separate from our daily lives. It is something we have to think about every couple of years, if that. Think about the phrases that people use, "That's just politics" or "You're just being political". Politics is the topic of which leaders we choose and what decisions those leaders make in what should be our interests. Politics is EVERYTHING from Presidential, to Supreme Court rulings, to Governorships, to County Boards, to Mayors, to School Boards. These people make decisions about foreign policy (which can affect us) to whether that stop light gets put up at the dangerous intersection (which most certainly affects us). Most people don't seem to care, or don't think their voice matters. Certain people want it that way.

3. The media is a business. It sells conflict or rather Conflict sells. Presenting policy positions is BORING ... people want to know who called who an "asshole" or who is sleeping with who... Not me personally. I would much more prefer to know what policy positions are and importantly, WHO IS FUNDING and supporting a particular candidate. When you know who is giving the candidate a lot of money, then you know where that candidate is going to come down on certain policies. People (especially wealthy people) do not just give money for nothing in return. Back to the media... They do not spend the time going in depth on who the candidate is and what policies they will put through. Media framing is important and shapes the way we see the candidates. Look out the who "age" issue with regards to President Biden, but not Trump. They are 4 years apart in age, Biden is in much better shape and actually takes care of himself, and while he has slowed down (as we all do with age), he speaks softly and has some minor lapses (as we tend to as we age and have a lot on our plate); Trump on the other hand, has shown signs of paraphasia; poverty of content; and a much more noticeable change in his speech from his baseline.

The public is largely ignorant of and apathetic to who runs the government and how the government runs. We have been conditioned by politicians and media to see politics as sport rather than focusing on who gets to make decisions on our behalf. Voting is seen as a chore, and it is made more difficult by people with a vested interest in having less people vote.

We need to address those issues starting with the education of our children. We really need to have a discussion about the purpose of the media and how we get and vet information. We need to get money (as much as possible) out of politics.

[LaMouffette]

19. Excellent analysis! I couldn't agree more, especially about the education of our children. Beginning in kindergarten, we

should be teaching them to recognize lies, fallacies, and propaganda, first at a "Sesame Street" level, then at ever-increasing levels of sophistication in each and every grade though high school graduation.

And you're so right about the media. They are delighted at the prospect of another showdown between President Biden and Traitor Trump.

[Ms. Toad]

11. You think my family is an acceptable casualty. Got it.

I'm thinking the only thing that might do the trick is to let the Republicans be the dog catching the car again and let them destroy three things that would hurt their voters tremendously: 1. social security; 2. Medicare; and 3. Obamacare.

My daughter, age 33, has $200,000 in billed medical expenses each and every year. She was in the ER last night for several hours, and they offered to hospitalize her. She's been hospitalized twice within the last 12 months, and in the ER 5 times (at least). Those expenses are on top of her $200,000 predictable expenses. Thanks to the ACA, she has insurance and "only" bears about $3500 in out-of-pocket expenses (each and every year on her $40,000 a year job). She is literally surviving because of the ACA.

My spouse and I both rely on Medicare to cover out medical expenses. Neither of us are insurable on the open market. Our survival is not as much at risk as our daughter's, but our ability to live out our lives in reasonable comfort is - I have two cancers which could easily wipe out our savings in a heartbeat. My spouse is on two very expensive diabetes medications which would eat them away in a slow steady drip of $3,000 every 3 months. We aren't literally surviving because of Medicare, but close.

And my spouse is drawing SS and I will be in 4-5 years. Again, not literally surviving because of SS, but it was an integral part of our retirement planning.

So not, "let(ting) the Republicans be the dog catching the car again and let them destroy three things that would hurt their voters tremendously: 1. social security; 2. Medicare; and 3. Obamacare" is a non-starter.

Hope you recovered your senses while you were out walking.

[LaMouffette]

13. Hi Ms. Toad, and thank you for your response. I actually did recover my senses as soon as I wrote the "let them destroy"

part. As I wrote in my post, that would be a really bad idea. I was just casting about in desperation, trying to come up with something, anything, that would rip the blinders off Trump voters who are so brainwashed that they still worship a man who must cough up millions of dollars as punishment for sexually assaulting a woman, and who has 91 indictments. Oh, and who stole and probably sold our nation's top secrets to our adversaries.

And I, too, would be one of those millions hurt. My husband and I have been on Obamacare since it began. He's on SS and Medicare, and I will be too in a few years.

So again, it would be a bad idea to let Republicans get their three wishes. I was just saying it will take the Trumpies being hurt personally in a big way by Trump and the Republicans and having them understand it was the Republicans who did it before they will lose their misplaced loyalty to Mango Mussolini and his minions.

[Ms. Toad]

20. Glad you came to your senses!

And, unfortunately, even if they did get their wishes, they's still blame it on us.

[Basic LA]

12. I like the old H.L. Mencken quote:

"On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
(Maybe Reagan & 'W' were just practice runs.)

[LaMouffette]

21. Wow. How prophetic was THAT?! I always say, the worst thing about Reagan, but even more so about "W" is that they made

it look like any old dumbass could be president.

And now Trump has shown that any old dumbass who is also a conman, criminal, rapist, and traitor to our country can also be president.

[Basic LA]

23. And watch TFG's VP pick

For the total poke in the eye.

[LaMouffette]

24. I shudder to think who his VP would be. Stephen Miller? No, not photogenic enough. Trump is all about

the optics. Maybe Matt Gaetz—gag!—who Trump might think, mistakenly, might appeal to suburban women, and yet still be a loyal toadie to him.