this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2023
241 points (96.5% liked)

politics

19120 readers
2526 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Former President Trump’s decision to skip the first Republican presidential primary debate is fueling Republican angst that his rivals will have little opportunity to catch up to him in the polls.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 93 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I think this is the real issue here, jfc.

A Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll of likely Republican caucus voters released Monday found that Trump’s lead over DeSantis has grown by 5 points since his indictment in Georgia last week on 13 criminal charges related to trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state.

His approval went UP after the indictment. This is absolutely insane and only shows how hopeless US politics has become. How do you roll that division back? Can you even roll it back if everybody wanted to? This cat is out of the bag and I don't see it going back in there any time soon.

The only hope I've left is the division of the GOP itself. Let the extremists go somewhere else politically and it'll hopefully lead to a more, what is the word again, fact based approach of politics when the extremists can be ignored because you don't have to appease them.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Why is all U.S. politics hopeless because of what's happening inside the losing party?

The dems are far from perfect, but their side is much less "hopeless" as you put it.

[–] [email protected] 63 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Because the Republicans currently have the support of something like 20% more of the population than the NAZIs did when they seized power.

Remember, unlike folks who believe in democracy, tyrants don't need a majority to win.

This is an extremely dangerous time for liberty in the US, and complacent attitudes like yours are only increasing the danger.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The rebulicans have plenty of politicians in power besides the president. As long as the voters favour trump they'll need to appease them to get into the other houses.

In an ideal world it will split there vote allowing massive dem gains. But that hasn't happened yet.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If there's anything the GOP is good at, it's mobilizing and motivating their voters. When they are all so alike, it's easy to get them to agree on the stupid shit.

The democrats have the issue of diversity, which makes it hard to motivate large groups of people on a single issue. Love the diversity for the strength it brings, but it makes it hard to feel you're getting adequate representation in a two-party, first-past-the-post system no matter who you are.

I wouldn't trade the diversity for the mess the GOP is though.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Mainstream "normal" republicans won't actually not vote republican. They know that their only hope of maintaining some power is to continue to work with the batshit crazy regressives.

They got in bed with these people via the Southern Strategy, and they've only recently started making noises like they're uncomfortable. Once they're in the booth, though, they will still vote straight ticket.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I expect the Mitt Romney/Chris Christie wing to do a hostile take over of the Libertarian Party and abandon the GOP lable to the Trump wing.

It would be easier to take over a party that's already on all state ballots then create a new one from the ground up.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Honestly it’s just as easy as the media deciding they want us all to be friends again.

That’s legit all it takes.

If left and right wing media outlets would just start an initiative to bring the country together, everyone would fall in line. People only think what they are told to think.

The issue is that these corporations want money, and happiness doesn’t make money.

[–] unconsciousvoidling 2 points 1 year ago

Lots of zombies out there.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Hitler became dictator only after he was sent and got out of jail. Lula in Brazil more recently was sent to jail and then got out and won a presidential election.

The Justice system coming after you feeds the Trumper's belief that the system is against him. Therefore he is anti-establishment therefore they must vote for him because there is a very strong anti-establishment movement right now.

It's why I think it was a very dangerous and potentially foolish decision to bring charges against him. We may be starting a chain of events that will get out of control.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You're right, we should just let Trump break as many laws as he wants because we are scared of his yokel supporters. That would be way better.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I don't think they are suggesting he should be allowed to break laws, but acknowledging the challenge the accountability brings with it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe it's better that he had either lost the election first and then we charged or we had brought charges 2 years ago instead of right before election season.

I'm not sure, to be honest. I just think this is a dangerous decision that shouldn't be made likely. The world doesn't work like it ought to. We should keep that in mind. Obviously me and you don't actually make decisions so we can just speculate.

But I'm worried about the near future.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

The issue is that his DoJ refused to investigate him because they have a standing policy that a president cannot be charged with breaking the law. So despite multiple public violations of both law breaking and high crimes and misdemeanors, Trump was allowed to get away with it under the Nixonian mandate of anything the president does is by definition legal. It means that Biden could begin actually just arresting all republican politicians on the charge of treason and, as long as the senate doesn’t vote to remove him from office with a 2/3 majority, it’s legal even though it would violate the word and intent of the constitution.

Now they can’t prosecute him because, despite being a private citizen, he might become president? This is the same party - and literally the same person - who joyfully chanted “lock her up” over their political opponent throughout the previous campaign. The same people who boasted about defeating Hillary Clinton via a comic investigation into Benghazi, which was designed to do exactly what it did.

Absolutely nothing republicans complain about is said in good faith. It’s time to move past that idea and not even address the complaint. If Trump wasn’t investigated and prosecuted, he’d still be ahead in the polls. Trump is the republican party, and the republican party is Trump.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The error with Hitler wasn't sending him to prison, it was letting him out again after only a few months.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Well that's the issue with imprisoning popular political figures. All it takes is a tide to shift, a different party to come to power, and they may remove the popular figure from prison.

What if we imprison him and say DeSantis makes freeing Trump his main campaign promise? This type of thing can have unforeseen consequences. It's an unprecedented time.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think there is a bit of cherry picking in this. I don't think you're wrong that the charges will rile up his supporters, but plenty of dictators have taken power without going to jail.

The problem was already there, charges or not we were going to have to deal with a very violent mob, at least with charges filed we stand up for the moral value that all people (should be) are equal under the law.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I agree you don't need it but I think there's a certain zeitgeist going on right now and for example the last Brazilian president before Lula, Bolsonaro is also being prosecuted and they're trying to put him in jail.

These types of things are not normal in a stable and healthy democracy. We are teetering on the edge. I just hope Democrats can win this next election. I hate them with a passion but I think they can at least maintain the system functional for another 4 years.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Just never let the fuck head out and problem solved.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Therefore he is anti-establishment

Being a crime lord does not make anyone "anti-establishment". Bernie Sanders says Treason Trump is the most corrupt president in history. What matters is not a meaningless abstract word but whether the billionaire elites support your policies, and they love Treason Trump's tax cuts for the rich.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Of course but you try explaining that to the Trumpers. They won't believe you. They hear Trump say "witch hunt" and "hoax" so they're primed to believe it and then he tells them the government is against him.. they see the justice system going after them.. it almost becomes evidence for it. You see what I mean?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Like the name. Was just thinking of the wonderful comedian last night.