The reality is that the Republicans have cemented a solid coalition that is far more durable than many liberals and never Trump pundits care to admit. Folks, shit's really fucking bad.
No, do call them. Just be clear eyed that it isn't just a tweak of policy or messaging that is going to fix this.
This problem took decades to metastasize, it isn't going to be easy or pleasant to fix.
But, do not think there is a magic bullet that will return things to 2023, or even 2015 before Trump and his piss-stain colored coif came down that golden escalator.
My take away is that this is who we are as a country, like it or not.
I don't think it's hopeless, but Democrats do need to get off their ass. First they need to get rid of all the geezers. Another one died today to add to the 4 that have died recently! I don't know what the solution is but it ain't Trump, and I think people will start to realize that when they start feeling the heat.
I’m not leaving Geoff. Especially when there’s a perfectly good stranger that I can geek out on music with. Sometimes, the truth hurts. But it’s worth saying to ground people who are prophesying a blue sweep in the next two elections. Data doesn’t lie. Although, I don’t believe the Big Beautiful Bill is going to win any converts, and, most likely, will turn more moderate voters and those that sat on their asses and didn’t vote in 2024 to the bluer side. I don’t want to hold out hope, as my faith in humanity is at rock bottom right now. Hope is a horrible thing. My greatest disappointments have come from my greatest hopes.
Yes, it will be much, much worse than anyone including myself can rabbit hole this fascist shit show, so I won’t.
Sure hope those who were offended by your spot on post find a sweet patch of sand my cats don’t know in which to bury their heads. Escapism still has a much larger following than demanding justice.
But no, they on the metastasizing right are not following Trump. Trump is following them, and well. Follow Trump himself, and miss the point. He is simply the carny reading their basest desires. He is willing at any cost to be the change they wish to see, with no apologies to Gandhi.
Humans are basically garbage. Religion has capitalized on that. A “cult” is what we call religion we don’t like. For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.
And yes fuck the NYT and the rest of the legacy media, claiming an innocent bystander role rather than owning their very culpable availability heuristics.
I always wondered how something as evil as the Third Reich could ever come to be, and I even had some theories. Until 2025. Now I realize the simplicity that fascism is just all id, all the time.
Indeed, the metastazizing of MAGA has enveloped Trump, and are driving the train. And they are perfectly happy with all that is happening.
.
As to your last line, I worked for a company in the early 'aughts where the CEO was extremely charismatic, and as I watched him work the crowd at the all-hands meetings, I knew how Hitler arose to power.
.
The left (all of it) and the minute fraction of Never Trump former Republicans are just swamped by the facts on the ground, and they switch between disbelief and confidence that if the Dems just got better at messaging, or focusing on progressive favorites like Medicare for all, that will build a durable winning coalition. This is just bonkers.
Many Dems believe the Dems have better messaging, because it appeals to them, with no ability to consider how it fails with the people they need to sway. File that with the “This is not who we are!” bs. Yes bitch, it’s who we are alright, but keep denying it and tell me how delusional MAGA is. Narcissists all around.
I read Lucien's piece too and walked away quite sobered. I don't want to believe it but I haven't wanted to believe any of this shit from the gold plated escalator until now and I've been wrong-footed every GD time. I thought people would have to see the light but I know someone who complains about Biden giving hurricane victims only $750 but now they get nothing and not a peep about that but he'll talk yer ear off re: Biden's failings all the live long day. What do you do with that?
Not hopeless. It may feel like that, it may be that we are in for terrible times, but not hopeless.
Look at Canada, 6 months ago the liberals were dead in the water, it was a given that they would be defeated, the only question was the size of the beating they would take.
Look at the 2017 UK general election. Labour were wiped out in the local council elections in early May, the Labour MPs were in open revolt against the party leader and yet by 8th June Labour had gone from trailing the Tories by 21 points to forcing the Tories into a minority government.
The problem the Democrats have is they are bound to objective reality, and to treating the electorate as rational adults. That means they come to the people weighed down with problem on top of problem. Climate Change, Pandemics, Russian territorial expansion, institutional racism, soil erosion, water pollution, air pollution.
They might have solutions to those problems - they might be really good solutions, but they can’t compete with the republicans saying - none of these problems exist.
The Republicans treat their voters like children, specifically lazy, greedy children. That is why Republican leaders treat their own voters with such contempt, and regularly screw them over. They know people don’t want to think, so they make things simple. None of these problems that Democrats endlessly bang on about exist. No climate change, no pandemics, white people are the true victims etc.
And instead of endless prescriptions for actions we need to take (which the Dems peddle) they offer up the lonely joy of ‘going down the rabbit hole’, sitting in front of a screen endlessly clicking through radicalising rumble video after rumble video making ‘links’. Nancy Pelosi and Volodymyr Zelenskyy ate at the same restaurant - do they think we are stupid? There are no coincidences etc etc.
So Dems offer pain, and Republicans offer conspiracy theories that make you feel smart and scapegoats (trans folk, migrants) which are fun to hate on and shared hate makes people feel righteous and like they belong.
How do we fight this? This is the tough part, but it’s worth remembering how we got the New Deal, Civil Rights, worker protections etc in the first place - through individuals who banded together to tell a different story to the ones the robber barons were telling. Yes we have it difficult, but it’s not harder than how it was to be living under Jim Crow or working 16 hour days 6 days a week in the sweatshops. When AOC said ‘build community’ she was referring to what worked back then - not Dem or Republican but people faced with a local problem eg. charter schools or the loss of local childcare (head start) and coming up with their own solutions. Or protecting people when ICE come to town.
I’m feeling exhausted just by typing this. It’s hard work to do and everyone is so tired of everything. But despair is a luxury item we cannot afford right now. If you can’t do because you have hope, do it because it is right.
Oh Geoff. You know I love you but this is more depressing than anything I’ve read. I just can’t believe people will continue to vote against their own best interests. Spain is looking better and better. 😫
I can’t understand why people would cancel, though. I get that too whenever I publish something… but I always end up picking up new people.
Anyway, I have no answer for the future of America. I’m disgusted and pissed off.
Me too. That said, we can’t just throw our hands up and quit. That just assures the outcome we are fighting against. Yes. It’s demoralizing, but it’s either cave, or fight. I choose to fight. ✊🇺🇸😎
I wish it wasn’t true, but I am at heart a “realist”.
In the run up to the election, I got really nervous that Trump was going to win. I couldn’t shake the gut-clenching fear that the optimism in my circles was misplaced.
That was the right instinct then, and I fear that this is the right instinct now.
Sucks, but all the hopium and copium that all the ‘stacks I read and subscribe to are all so cock-sure that the Big Beautiful Bill and the damage to the already tattered safety net will surely cause the broad electorate to rally against Trump.
I just don’t believe it. It feels like the run up to the election.
Oh, I'm terrified. I'm going back to Spain in November for a recon trip this time. If I can swing it, I'm outta here. Just dont stop sending me music! 😂😂
So when over 55yrs old Trump voters realize they will not have medicaire when they retire, you believe that they will still love Trump because he5⁶ hurts Blacks and Hispanics? And when the Affordable care act is gone, white working class folks with part time jobs or jobs that just don't provide insurance will be fine, as long as Trump is flying around in his solid gold jet? And therefore they'll will vote Trump again or Vance?
What about the Blacks and Hispanics? Does he hate thye right people for them too? I'm not quibbling with you. I want to know what you think. I've got a friend that turned out to be part of the Blacks fvor trump contingent and I just don't understand it.
"So Ms. Shenker-Osorio perked up earlier this year when a Democratic man in Georgia suggested that a very different kind of animal symbolized her party.
Lost my first subscriber less than 2 minutes after hitting "publish"
.... and 3 more gone
So that is it? We give up? Not sure what the message is here? Was all set to call my senators. Now I am totally depressed 😔
No, do call them. Just be clear eyed that it isn't just a tweak of policy or messaging that is going to fix this.
This problem took decades to metastasize, it isn't going to be easy or pleasant to fix.
But, do not think there is a magic bullet that will return things to 2023, or even 2015 before Trump and his piss-stain colored coif came down that golden escalator.
My take away is that this is who we are as a country, like it or not.
And MAGA is still ascending.
God help us.
I don't think it's hopeless, but Democrats do need to get off their ass. First they need to get rid of all the geezers. Another one died today to add to the 4 that have died recently! I don't know what the solution is but it ain't Trump, and I think people will start to realize that when they start feeling the heat.
I’m not leaving Geoff. Especially when there’s a perfectly good stranger that I can geek out on music with. Sometimes, the truth hurts. But it’s worth saying to ground people who are prophesying a blue sweep in the next two elections. Data doesn’t lie. Although, I don’t believe the Big Beautiful Bill is going to win any converts, and, most likely, will turn more moderate voters and those that sat on their asses and didn’t vote in 2024 to the bluer side. I don’t want to hold out hope, as my faith in humanity is at rock bottom right now. Hope is a horrible thing. My greatest disappointments have come from my greatest hopes.
I see people posting countdowns to the midterm elections. I don’t think we’re going to have midterm elections.
“Nuts” - General McAulife
Yes, it will be much, much worse than anyone including myself can rabbit hole this fascist shit show, so I won’t.
Sure hope those who were offended by your spot on post find a sweet patch of sand my cats don’t know in which to bury their heads. Escapism still has a much larger following than demanding justice.
But no, they on the metastasizing right are not following Trump. Trump is following them, and well. Follow Trump himself, and miss the point. He is simply the carny reading their basest desires. He is willing at any cost to be the change they wish to see, with no apologies to Gandhi.
Humans are basically garbage. Religion has capitalized on that. A “cult” is what we call religion we don’t like. For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.
And yes fuck the NYT and the rest of the legacy media, claiming an innocent bystander role rather than owning their very culpable availability heuristics.
I always wondered how something as evil as the Third Reich could ever come to be, and I even had some theories. Until 2025. Now I realize the simplicity that fascism is just all id, all the time.
Indeed, the metastazizing of MAGA has enveloped Trump, and are driving the train. And they are perfectly happy with all that is happening.
.
As to your last line, I worked for a company in the early 'aughts where the CEO was extremely charismatic, and as I watched him work the crowd at the all-hands meetings, I knew how Hitler arose to power.
.
The left (all of it) and the minute fraction of Never Trump former Republicans are just swamped by the facts on the ground, and they switch between disbelief and confidence that if the Dems just got better at messaging, or focusing on progressive favorites like Medicare for all, that will build a durable winning coalition. This is just bonkers.
Many Dems believe the Dems have better messaging, because it appeals to them, with no ability to consider how it fails with the people they need to sway. File that with the “This is not who we are!” bs. Yes bitch, it’s who we are alright, but keep denying it and tell me how delusional MAGA is. Narcissists all around.
When the NYT mentions how hard they have worked to achieve this, then I'll listen to them.
I read Lucien's piece too and walked away quite sobered. I don't want to believe it but I haven't wanted to believe any of this shit from the gold plated escalator until now and I've been wrong-footed every GD time. I thought people would have to see the light but I know someone who complains about Biden giving hurricane victims only $750 but now they get nothing and not a peep about that but he'll talk yer ear off re: Biden's failings all the live long day. What do you do with that?
Guess the right people are being hurt, huh?
Not hopeless. It may feel like that, it may be that we are in for terrible times, but not hopeless.
Look at Canada, 6 months ago the liberals were dead in the water, it was a given that they would be defeated, the only question was the size of the beating they would take.
Look at the 2017 UK general election. Labour were wiped out in the local council elections in early May, the Labour MPs were in open revolt against the party leader and yet by 8th June Labour had gone from trailing the Tories by 21 points to forcing the Tories into a minority government.
The problem the Democrats have is they are bound to objective reality, and to treating the electorate as rational adults. That means they come to the people weighed down with problem on top of problem. Climate Change, Pandemics, Russian territorial expansion, institutional racism, soil erosion, water pollution, air pollution.
They might have solutions to those problems - they might be really good solutions, but they can’t compete with the republicans saying - none of these problems exist.
The Republicans treat their voters like children, specifically lazy, greedy children. That is why Republican leaders treat their own voters with such contempt, and regularly screw them over. They know people don’t want to think, so they make things simple. None of these problems that Democrats endlessly bang on about exist. No climate change, no pandemics, white people are the true victims etc.
And instead of endless prescriptions for actions we need to take (which the Dems peddle) they offer up the lonely joy of ‘going down the rabbit hole’, sitting in front of a screen endlessly clicking through radicalising rumble video after rumble video making ‘links’. Nancy Pelosi and Volodymyr Zelenskyy ate at the same restaurant - do they think we are stupid? There are no coincidences etc etc.
So Dems offer pain, and Republicans offer conspiracy theories that make you feel smart and scapegoats (trans folk, migrants) which are fun to hate on and shared hate makes people feel righteous and like they belong.
How do we fight this? This is the tough part, but it’s worth remembering how we got the New Deal, Civil Rights, worker protections etc in the first place - through individuals who banded together to tell a different story to the ones the robber barons were telling. Yes we have it difficult, but it’s not harder than how it was to be living under Jim Crow or working 16 hour days 6 days a week in the sweatshops. When AOC said ‘build community’ she was referring to what worked back then - not Dem or Republican but people faced with a local problem eg. charter schools or the loss of local childcare (head start) and coming up with their own solutions. Or protecting people when ICE come to town.
I’m feeling exhausted just by typing this. It’s hard work to do and everyone is so tired of everything. But despair is a luxury item we cannot afford right now. If you can’t do because you have hope, do it because it is right.
That or emigrate. Those are your options.
I read Lucian’s letter and while I can’t disagree with it or yours, I’m just hoping that you’re wrong. I don’t know what else I can do, besides vote.
There’s nothing else to be done. This is who we are
Oh Geoff. You know I love you but this is more depressing than anything I’ve read. I just can’t believe people will continue to vote against their own best interests. Spain is looking better and better. 😫
I can’t understand why people would cancel, though. I get that too whenever I publish something… but I always end up picking up new people.
Anyway, I have no answer for the future of America. I’m disgusted and pissed off.
Me too. That said, we can’t just throw our hands up and quit. That just assures the outcome we are fighting against. Yes. It’s demoralizing, but it’s either cave, or fight. I choose to fight. ✊🇺🇸😎
I wish it wasn’t true, but I am at heart a “realist”.
In the run up to the election, I got really nervous that Trump was going to win. I couldn’t shake the gut-clenching fear that the optimism in my circles was misplaced.
That was the right instinct then, and I fear that this is the right instinct now.
Sucks, but all the hopium and copium that all the ‘stacks I read and subscribe to are all so cock-sure that the Big Beautiful Bill and the damage to the already tattered safety net will surely cause the broad electorate to rally against Trump.
I just don’t believe it. It feels like the run up to the election.
And I am terrified. If you aren’t, I am jealous.
Oh, I'm terrified. I'm going back to Spain in November for a recon trip this time. If I can swing it, I'm outta here. Just dont stop sending me music! 😂😂
I wish that was an option for me(emigrating), but I’m stuck here. So I guess I’ll just keep fighting for my “lost cause”. There is no alternative.
I will never stop that
I look forward to your finds...music brings happiness.
None of the loss of Medicaid or medicare is included in this data. Or social security. Don’t you think that will have an effect on this red wave?
Honestly? No.
So when over 55yrs old Trump voters realize they will not have medicaire when they retire, you believe that they will still love Trump because he5⁶ hurts Blacks and Hispanics? And when the Affordable care act is gone, white working class folks with part time jobs or jobs that just don't provide insurance will be fine, as long as Trump is flying around in his solid gold jet? And therefore they'll will vote Trump again or Vance?
Yes, because he hates the right people
What about the Blacks and Hispanics? Does he hate thye right people for them too? I'm not quibbling with you. I want to know what you think. I've got a friend that turned out to be part of the Blacks fvor trump contingent and I just don't understand it.
Did you see how much those cohorts shifted right in 2024? Not enough to be a majority, but enough to sink Harris
I did and goddammit, I still don't get it. But it's obvious to me that whether I get it or not our tactics and strategy will have to change.
If we wait for the sleepers to wake it will already be too late. Could be too late now but I'm a fighter and I won't quit regardless.
I gave up on humanity when Harris didn’t even take the popular vote.
I don’t even back space exploration anymore - we’re nowhere near ready to be inflicted on the rest of the universe.
"So Ms. Shenker-Osorio perked up earlier this year when a Democratic man in Georgia suggested that a very different kind of animal symbolized her party.
“A deer,” he said, “in headlights.”"
From this: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/us/politics/democratic-party-voters.html?unlocked_article_code=1.J08.Wlh1.O2OVQAQlb_5I&smid=url-share (gifted link)
The title is so f’ng true!!! I need to wait for another day to read, it’s a bad hair day, if you know what I mean.
I totally get what you mean