THREAD. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but @realDonaldTrump is consolidating his power. He and

[riversedge]

Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou

1. THREAD. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but @realDonaldTrump is consolidating his power. He and Bannon are getting stronger. (1/15)

8:24 PM - 10 Mar 2017
399 replies 3,528 retweets 3,709 likes

Link to tweet

Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

2. It's risky to assume the righteous uproar from the opposition (#TheResistance), forceful as it may be, has necessarily weakened Trump.
35 replies 782 retweets 1,536 likes




Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

3. Bannon has explicitly said that the fury of the opposition is perceived as validation of success. FRICTION GIVES THEM TRACTION.
55 replies 915 retweets 1,698 likes




Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

Peter Daou Retweeted Brian Klaas

4. Here's the bitter truth: It CAN and IS happening here. @brianklaas explains how American democracy has suffered.

Peter Daou added,

Brian Klaas Verified account @brianklaas

Today is President Trump's 50th day in office. Here are 6 ways he's already damaged American democracy in that time: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/03/10/how-president-trump-has-already-hurt-american-democracy-in-just-50-days/?utm_term=.ba7f63d8069f …
28 replies 1,303 retweets 1,916 likes

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

5. #TrumpRussia is at a fever pitch now, but could STILL fizzle. GOP leaders have abdicated their duties, cravenly covering for Trump.
85 replies 1,787 retweets 3,045 likes





Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

6. The new #travelban has a better chance in the courts than its predecessor. Meanwhile, we're already hearing deportation horror stories.
21 replies 770 retweets 1,456 likes





Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

7. The news media squandered their credibility by helping to elect Trump, so don't put your faith in them. You'll be let down if you do.
80 replies 1,205 retweets 2,708 likes






Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

8. As I wrote recently, a BIG misconception among people accustomed to democracy is that when freedoms are curtailed, life grinds to a halt.
19 replies 946 retweets 1,805 likes






Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

Peter Daou Retweeted Peter Daou

9. In fact, as Constitutional rights dissolve, the trappings of everyday existence continue. Life ALWAYS goes on.

Peter Daou added,
Peter DaouVerified account @peterdaou
7. A HUGE misconception among people who have enjoyed democracy their entire lives: When freedom is curtailed, life grinds to a halt. WRONG.
40 replies 1,207 retweets 1,949 likes






Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

10. But the liberties undergirding what used to be normal life will start crumbling. Freedoms that were taken for granted will be gone.
23 replies 801 retweets 1,477 likes





Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

11. Those who sound the alarm will be scoffed at. Many Americans won't see the damage. And some will CHEER Trump as he tightens his grip.
36 replies 868 retweets 1,652 likes





Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

12. What’s worse: The really unsettling stuff, the breakdown of rules and norms IS HAPPENING NOW, not at some hypothetical future point.
35 replies 1,144 retweets 2,141 likes





Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

13. The proverbial sh*t is hitting the fan EVERY SINGLE DAY and the damage is being done. It will be exceptionally hard to undo.
43 replies 953 retweets 1,936 likes





Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

14. We have to see the truth for what it is: Faith in our institutions, faith in our government, faith in reality itself is under assault.
59 replies 1,018 retweets 1,994 likes




Peter Daou‏Verified account @peterdaou 19h19 hours ago

15. None of this is to say that people should stop defending their rights and principles. But let's be clear-eyed about what's happening.
180 replies 688 retweets 1,553 likes

[True Dough]

1. I share this concern!

As the hold out Obama loyalists make their exit from the White House, there will likely be fewer leaks. Some may continue from the Republican faction opposed to Drumpf, but I think his grip on power is bound to get stronger.

I can't hack four years of this tyrant.

[riversedge]

2. I share his concern also.

[caroldansen]

5. Even sand washed up against a rock can erode and eventually reduce it to a pebble.

Be the sand until we get what we want. Until he's gone.

[True Dough]

7. Don't get me wrong

I'm not suggesting the fight should be abandoned. Just that I'm mentally preparing to dig in for a prolonged war. I was hopeful that some bombshell report in the early going would cause his administration to collapse, with Drumpf tumbling hardest.

As time wears on, my optimism for an easy "out" like that fades. So it's going to be a tough slog ahead, IMO.

[Sunlei]

3. I rarely tweet to @realDonaldTrump, thats not an official government account. @POTUS,

@White House, at other official government twitter accounts. I send messages to them all the time.

@realDonaldTrump, that's attached to all trumps Nazi and fake news sites. just a bunch of deplorables and people mocking them.

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

As I wrote recently, a BIG misconception among people accustomed to democracy is that when freedoms are curtailed, life grinds to a halt.

In fact, as Constitutional rights dissolve, the trappings of everyday existence continue. Life ALWAYS goes on.

But the liberties undergirding what used to be normal life will start crumbling. Freedoms that were taken for granted will be gone.

[Cognitive_Resonance]

6. It also makes the targets clearer. Without a doubt they will over play their hand. When the

Republicans view him as more of a liability than an asset they will turn on him, and put their boy Pence in the drivers seat (good chance that plan will blow up in their faces). For now he's useful to their agenda. It's going to take some time for it to play-out, but the dominoes are going to fall.

[Boomerproud]

8. I do not share your optimism but don't be angry with me.

I see where the "Obama wiretapped me" lie is going (nowhere) and how DT gets away with everything. I listen to the DT supporters at work and it sickens me. I really feel it will come to violence and one side is going to win-I'm not certain it will be democracy and freedom.

[Cognitive_Resonance]

9. We're friends here :-). The mid-terms are only 17 months away. The pendulum swings. nt

[Eyeball_Kid]

10. There may not be the resistance in the GOP Congress to stop Trumpy.

When Dems have no functional power, GOPers can abuse themselves with power and hubris.

Many of us have been anticipating the time and moment when enough GOPers will end this nonsense and agree to start the impeachment ball rolling. But from a particular perspective, that may not be in the cards.

For decades, Republicans have dreamed of a "Permanent Republican Majority". Remember Tom DeLay and Jim DeMint? That was their dream. We thought for awhile that the hard right lost its focus and forgot about their permanent Republican majority. That's what WE thought.

Republicans have sown up the House with their gerrymandering, they're still over the top in the Senate, they have a Republican White House, and they're one Supreme Court appointment away from a Royal Flush.

Now, if you were in the Republican leadership, you'd have a shit-eatin' grin, wouldn't you? So WHY would you EVER want to do anything to spoil the fun? Why would you ever want to enable political unrest that may well disintegrate that permanent majority? Why upset anything right now, when your real agenda can be realized without opposition? From leadership's perspective, Trumpy's dalliances with Russia aren't important. He can do whatever he wants. Does he want to play footsie with Putin? That's fine. Does he want to openly enjoy conflicts of interest to make a profit off his presidency? They don't care. It's fine with them. They'd rather tolerate Trumpy's buffoonery than have political fights with the now-castrated Dems. While the Dems can always make the GOPers look bad because of their brazen pro-fascism underpinnings, Trumpy's antics while in office will make the Congressional GOPers look GOOD by comparison.

So if I'm a GOPer, I don't give a shit what Trumpy does, lies about, or grabs because I know he'll sign anything I put in front of him, no questions asked. Am I worried about a coup? Hah! What a laugh. Why worry about a coup when there's money to be made?

Personally, I'm optimistic about the investigations. But anything can go wrong. Nunes will be getting handsomely rewarded if he can stuff the investigation or perhaps just scapegoat Flynn and let the crazy Good Ship Trumpy sail on and glide over the swells.

The longer Trumpy stays in power, unscathed, the more power he consolidates, the more dangerous he becomes, and the more "normal" his behavior can seem. Fascism in Germany worked the same way. It took Hitler years to convince the citizens that his agenda was okay, and he did it.

Every day, we lose a little bit more.

[GreenEyedLefty]

11. God, I hate people like this.

Fucking hand wringing. I have no patience for it. My response to is, "What are YOU going to do about it?"

[Sunlei]

12. I agree & tweeted the same to him. "yes we've all known for a LONG TIME what you tweet, can you

PLEASE suggest what we can do"

This person made a twitter career 'hand wringing' and never posts a solution or suggestions.