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Mad_Machine76

Mad_Machine76's Journal
Mad_Machine76's Journal
December 21, 2020

This really frustrates me

And it's not just him saying it but go on just about any progressive/left-wing discussion forum and you hear basically the same argument, essentially attacking Democrats for "not doing enough"- while completely ignoring how Congress works, how Presidents work and how much power they have, and who is fighting against Democratic proposals. Not saying Democrats are absolutely perfect but if anybody is paying attention, they ARE trying to do more for all Americans but, in almost every instance, it's Republicans whom are consistently blocking more expansive Democratic policies and proposals. So then, it basically becomes a vicious cycle: Democrats propose and try to pass progressive and expansionist policies and Republicans obstruct them. And when they can't obstruct them, they go to the courts and try to block them or get them overruled them there. And then, progressive voters get depressed and then refuse to vote Democratic (or at all) in the next election(s), ensuring Republicans win seats and can obstruct more and/or enact their own, vastly worse policies. But do THEY get blamed? No. People like Bernie remain fixated on second-guessing and critiquing Democrats and blaming them for not getting some through. They think that if they yell loud enough, rip off their shirts and bare their chests, or call out Republicans enough that Republicans will listen to them. It just doesn't work that way. Republicans don't care and they lost their sense of shame eons ago. What we need are votes, which means we need to get out to vote for Democrats over and over again until Republicans can't keep gumming up their works with their mindless obstructionism.

December 9, 2020

"Electoral Fraud" will now be the new "Birtherism"

Mark my words. Republicans will use "Electoral Fraud" to discredit and hound Biden with from now until the end of his term in office much in the same way that Republicans used the "Birtherism" conspiracy to discredit and hound Obama during his terms in office. The Birtherism conspiracy, despite his wild claims to the contrary, ended up being embraced and led, ironically, by one Donald Trump, who repeatedly egged the Birthers on and on promised major developments in proving the Birther's fever dreams but in the end delivered nothing (although pushing Obama to showing everybody his birth certificate, something which no President has ever been asked to do AFAIK). All those investigators he supposedly sent to Hawaii never returned, apparently. Like with Birtherism, many Congressional Republicans won't necessary flogg the theory that Biden cheated on a hereto never before seen scale with this past election themselves but they will- much as they are already doing- speak in coded, mealy-mouthed language that carefully skirts around the conspiracy theories about electoral fraud being pushed by the new "Tea Party" (which will this time around likely be the Qanon folks). Ultimately, they will appear to be disavowing the theories to a media that will credulously claim that they're not wacko to believe such nonsense, but not so much that the Q folks think they've turned on them and prompt them to attempt to primary them in the next election. We need to be prepared for this. The Republicans led by Gym Jordan in the House are prepared to not even accept an Electoral College certification next week. I would suspect that they will attempt to continue to file lawsuits and, if they retain power in the Senate and/or gain power in the House in the next election, find ways to further "investigate" and litigate these wild claims. I suspect as well, if they hold the Senate, they will, as McConnell (assuming he's elected Majority Leader gain, which he probably would) and other Republicans like Lindsey Graham have already vowed, fight tooth and nail to deny Biden cabinet nominees, judicial nominees, etc. and use "Electoral Fraud" as the excuse to do so (even though they would be doing it no matter what but this just gives them some cover, however false and disingenuous). It is incumbent on all Democrats in the House and Senate to recognize what I believe the Republicans' strategy is going to be and develop the means to counteract it as effectively as possible or else we might wind up going through another 4-8 years of energized Republican opposition to meaningful progress and further polarization and division in this country.

Profile Information

Name: Mara Alis Butler
Gender: Female
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Home country: USA
Current location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Member since: Sat Feb 28, 2004, 01:13 AM
Number of posts: 24,412

About Mad_Machine76

Transgender Woman /Social Worker/Case Manager working for State of Indiana. Huge Sci-Fi/Anime Geek and music lover. Hopeless \"political junkie\" and aspiring writer.
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