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Thread: Dawn of the Trump Era

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    Dawn of the Trump Era

    So the awful day has arrived. You can march and chant and annoy the police. You can raise a banner in rebellion or a prayer to Heaven. It really doesn’t change much. I know a few mayors are talking about ignoring uncongenial federal laws or policies like it’s 1859. Chuck Shumer talks so much about “the resistance”, I’m starting to picture him in a beret with a sten gun. So many are claiming to be “terrified”, I have to look out the window for signs of a zombie apocalypse. The departing president, who wielded his phone and pen like an orb and scepter, speaks darkly of “the fragility of democracy”. Liberals turn to Wikipedia to look into that “federalism” thing. Conservatives ponder the complicated stew of threats and opportunities he presents for their cause. Other countries are puzzled, wondering if the translator missed something.

    Me, I’m choosing to be optimistic. But I do have a few questions:

    Will anger at Trump spawn a reinvigorated Left movement the way Obama begat the Tea Party?

    Will Paul Ryan become the most influential House Speaker since Henry Clay?

    Will we depart NATO, leaving Europe to their own enfeebled devices?

    A menagerie of Democrats have been posturing grandiosely during the cabinet hearings in preparation for the 2020 election. Will the identity politics of Cory Booker eventually prevail over the class resentment of Elizabeth Warren, or will Bernie Sanders’ combination of charm and emancipatory math get him the nomination now that the Clinton machine has been junked? Where are the young Democrats?

    Conversely, will a chastened GOP empire strike back?

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    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    I'm still gobsmacked that he's going to be the man with his hand on the Lincoln bible today. But like you, I'm always pretty optimistic. I do think that citizens are going to have to work harder to help mitigate GOP agenda from running roughshod over certain human issues. With the Cabinet Trump is building, it appears that the theme song for the administration will be the same theme song as The Apprentice: "money money money money MONEY!"

    I see there's a Bernie Sanders T-shirt that has his iconic caricature on it with the words Hindsight 2020, and supposedly he hasn't ruled out another run--even though he'd be 78. But probably Elizabeth Warren or Cory Booker will be better positioned to be the Bernie surrogate in 4 years--we probably lost our chance with Bernie. I agree that the Left will be invigorated, which I think is great.

    My predication is that the GOP will have an exhausting job taming the wild horse, and that they are not going to find it easy reforming/repealing Obamacare. I also think that unless Trump has a conversion experience, he'll probably saddle back to Trump Tower in 2020, voluntarily.
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    I think Elizabeth Warren lost all credibility when she backed the wrong horse.
    She is not doing herself any favors in the confirmation hearings, either.
    I don't know anyone from the Bernie campaign who would back her in the next election.

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    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    I feel like all bets are off. I don't have a clue how things will go. Yep, I'm gobsmacked every day too, catherine, thinking that he is our president. I want to be positive, but it's hard to do with Trump's history and his narcissism, plus the people he has chosen for his cabinet. I feel we are in for a very, very rough ride.

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    I can't imagine him lasting a full term. He's bound to run afowl of the law sooner rather than later. He's a pathological liar who thinks he's a law unto himself, how could he help but do? So after the impeachment we'll be stuck with Pence, another nut. How much ground will we lose in this country under these morons? I think they should have moved the inauguratoin up to last Friday, the 13th. (And what a classy first lady! Did you see the GQ spread she did? My gawd!)

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    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tybee View Post
    I think Elizabeth Warren lost all credibility when she backed the wrong horse.
    She is not doing herself any favors in the confirmation hearings, either.
    I don't know anyone from the Bernie campaign who would back her in the next election.
    Really? I didn't realize that she's been taken down a peg. Of course, I'd want to see Bernie up there again, and would vote for him, but I wonder if he'd run again.
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    I'm still gobsmacked that he's going to be the man with his hand on the Lincoln bible today. But like you, I'm always pretty optimistic. I do think that citizens are going to have to work harder to help mitigate GOP agenda from running roughshod over certain human issues. With the Cabinet Trump is building, it appears that the theme song for the administration will be the same theme song as The Apprentice: "money money money money MONEY!"

    I see there's a Bernie Sanders T-shirt that has his iconic caricature on it with the words Hindsight 2020, and supposedly he hasn't ruled out another run--even though he'd be 78. But probably Elizabeth Warren or Cory Booker will be better positioned to be the Bernie surrogate in 4 years--we probably lost our chance with Bernie. I agree that the Left will be invigorated, which I think is great.

    My predication is that the GOP will have an exhausting job taming the wild horse, and that they are not going to find it easy reforming/repealing Obamacare. I also think that unless Trump has a conversion experience, he'll probably saddle back to Trump Tower in 2020, voluntarily.
    I think it's quite possible we will see a re-energized left, but I also think it's even odds that energy will be channeled in electorally constructive ways. The GOP is now benefiting from many years of hard, patient work at the state and local level. They have built a cadre of effective young politicians that will serve them well in future years. One has to ask if the Democrats are willing to put in the same time and effort.

    Or will all that energy dissipate in "intersectional" disputes, impotent rage and self-indulgent virtue-signalling?

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    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post

    Or will all that energy dissipate in "intersectional" disputes, impotent rage and self-indulgent virtue-signalling?
    I've seen all of the above in both parties. No one has a corner on the market for virtue-signaling (depends on what virtues you find worth signaling), not all rage is impotent--some of it leads to important change, no matter what party you're aligned with.
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    I don't think the term even "virtue signaling" adds anything, it itself is obfuscation. Why not just use the term "showing off", everyone instantly understands what you mean (and it's an age-old trait represented in human fiction and non-fiction since forever - a child knows what that means and there is a lot to be said for that). And it isn't parsing whether something is actual virtue or is virtue signaling or whether it's a sincerely held conviction or virtue signaling or whatever the heck you are even talking about. We don't actually have omniscience into everyone's motives, but everyone instantly knows that some people have personality traits inclined to show off (or maybe we all do but some more than others) and that is that.

    You can fight primarily to advance a political party but the prerequisite for that it to have any hope that the political party will represent you and the interests you are fighting for in the first place. Otherwise it simply makes little sense, unless you are rich enough to literally buy off politicians to at least get a little personal quid pro quo going.
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    I've seen all of the above in both parties. No one has a corner on the market for virtue-signaling (depends on what virtues you find worth signaling), not all rage is impotent--some of it leads to important change, no matter what party you're aligned with.
    I think that's true. There was a lot of anger at the passage of Obamacare several years ago, pretty much birthing the Tea Party. But apart from some terse Town Hall meetings, that anger for the most part channeled itself into supporting the campaigns of like-minded candidates, who were then able to influence events for good or ill. I see that as more conducive to change than blocking traffic, lecturing officials from the Broadway stage, marching, chanting or rioting. Those things are just ways of demonstrating your committment and political virtue to the already convinced.

    I think Bernie Sanders, in his endearingly eccentric way, understood that you can't change the law without electing some lawmakers. His campaign was headed in the direction of a sort of progressive version of the tea party. Who knows what might have happened if the Clinton people hadn't marshaled the party apparatus against him?

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