Trump's Card

[Incandenza]

I'm much more optimistic than that. As far as I can tell, the reactionary conservative old guard is in its death throes. It knows it has lost. There has been no attempt to persuade young people of the cause, and the demographic wave is well and truly here. They are trying to entrench their victories where they can, in places where democracy can't act so quickly, like the judiciary; and in keeping as many votes out as they can. But at some point just the tidal wave of numbers will break even the toughest of gerrymanders and vote suppression. It looks disastrous but it's just their last desperate attempts to cling to the power they believe is rightfully theirs.

Sure, in a few years time, a new, different conservatism will emerge in the US. It will still be horrible, probably religious, almost certainly selfish. But that's some years away and will probably be heavily dependent on minority support because there just aren't enough religious white people left.

We were told about the permanent Democratic majority after Obama won in 2008 because of demographic changes. Granted, 12 years may not be a lot in terms of vast demographic changes, but how likely is that looking now? Packing the courts with all of their judges doesn't seem like losing to me. The people going out to intimidate protestors or showing up in the streets to play militia for Trump aren't senior citizens. They may be a small group, all things considered, but they aren't going away.

Saying "oh, Republicans don't appeal to young people and non-whites, that'll take care of itself" is just an attitude that absolves the Democrats of trying to do anything to appeal to voters. The party seems to be doing its damndest to make sure that they don't do anything to change, and that's not working in terms of actually winning races. They may be comfortable with the party message, but they aren't bringing new people into the tent. If Biden wins and COVID keeps rolling along for another year or longer, and the economy doesn't improve, what the hell are the Democrats going to offer in 2022 and 2024? It would be disastrous.

[ursus arctos]

That attitude drastically underestimated the GOP's commitment to cheating and their ability to get away with it.

And given the current composition of the courts, neither of those factors is going to change anytime soon.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Yeah, that's the other voice in my head basically. I've tried to look at it from as many angles as possible. I don't have a lot of faith in human nature, so any demographic wave is surely corruptible. We want to see it as a historical struggle to finally level the playing field, at least to a moderate degree, and create a sustainable eco-conscious welfare state. Signs are pointing in the other direction right now. It's the greed and the concentration of wealth, which it seems to me is a hard thing to reverse without violence when it gets too extreme.

The world is also a less stable place overall, from what I've read. Some geopolitical people seem increasingly afraid of war. But who knows.

Probably because of my age I'm more concerned about the ability of any future generation to speak truth to power. I worry especially about attempts to shut down free speech at universities, and fear it could lead to some type of enforced re-education (not in a Maoist sense, but you get my drift.) Certain contemporary trends both irritate and worry me, "cultural appropriation" for example. The arts have always appropriated, in fact it's practically the definition of what they do. Attempts to prevent it can only lead to cultural sterility, and fearfulness or anger among creative individuals.

[Bruno]

Yeah the control of information is obviously huge. Signs aren't pointing in the right direction there either. Right now we have extremely powerful and amoral people working full time to derail the idea of a single truth at every level of society. How does that end well? Every human that's born is a blank slate. The Enlightenment has to be retaught; doesn't much look like it will be.

[Fussbudget]

Sorry to derail the thread with fripperies, but is Trump's doctor wearing a formal tailored lab coat there? What a ridiculous garment.

[anton pulisov]

Yeah, that's the other voice in my head basically. I've tried to look at it from as many angles as possible. I don't have a lot of faith in human nature, so any demographic wave is surely corruptible. We want to see it as a historical struggle to finally level the playing field, at least to a moderate degree, and create a sustainable eco-conscious welfare state. Signs are pointing in the other direction right now. It's the greed and the concentration of wealth, which it seems to me is a hard thing to reverse without violence when it gets too extreme.

The world is also a less stable place overall, from what I've read. Some geopolitical people seem increasingly afraid of war. But who knows.

"Other voice in my head is positive yada yada yada prepare for war."

[anton pulisov]

Sorry to derail the thread with fripperies, but is Trump's doctor wearing a formal tailored lab coat there? What a ridiculous garment.

Yeah the cult around the office of president is impressive. The "football". The White House. The Office of the First Lady. Air Force One, and an identical backup one, that flies along just in case. Marine One. Being called "Mr. President" for life. The redecorating of the Oval office by every president. The "Beast", of which two drive together for distraction. The official doctor's jacket of the official military doctor to the president. The presidential library (by the way, Trump's will be fucking amazing, like that Biff Tannen museum. There will gold-plated, neon-lit faux Roman pillars everywhere, complete with wax works of the entire family, with a skimpily clad Melania sporting enhanced boobs, next to a buff Donald Trump with perfect hair, with Ivanka leaning into him adoringly. And there'll be a whole section of the museum dedicated to how he saved the country from the disastrous Obama administration. I'm fucking going.).

The sheer awesome corrupting potential of the office makes it all the more impressive that Jimmy Carter just fucked off to build houses and monitor elections when he was done.

[multipleman78]

Having climbed those stairs, Trump did everything in his power to avoid coughing and to gather some breath.

[Bruno]

"Other voice in my head is positive yada yada yada prepare for war."

Well I don't want to be unprepared.

[Incandenza]

https://twitter.com/brenonade/status/1313256208363552769

[WOM]

As an aside, Air Force One flew right over our heads in a Walmart parking lot last year, landing at Newport News / Williamsburg Airport. Even knowing that the orange turd was aboard, it's still a pretty fucking impressive sight.

[S. aureus]

I don't see any good reason why the republicans are going to melt away into nothingness, unless to be replaced by something just as bad.

[anton pulisov]

He looks bad. I mean, he was in horrible shape in general pre-Covid, so who knows, maybe he always huffs and puffs going up stairs? People on the twitters claiming to be medical experts reckon he looks like he's fairly bad. Herman Cain felt great a week after infection. He was stone cold three weeks later. Trump needs to get himself back to the hospital.

[tee rex]

He took the mask off in one strong, smooth, leaderly move. No fumbling, very decisive. That's how it's done, Joe. Winner.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1313235169029963776

[tee rex]

https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/1313273763568455687

[ursus arctos]

The Dear Leader energy is very strong tonight

https://twitter.com/dandrezner/status/1313285447792156674

[S. aureus]

https://twitter.com/rokhanna/status/1313145421657640962

though I've a feeling this has been pointed out already on this thread.

[ad hoc]

https://twitter.com/Mikel_Jollett/status/1313202416653754368

[ursus arctos]

I've seen at least two doctors say that they don't allow patients to sign any documents while being treated with it.

[ursus arctos]

[Uncle Ethan]

In the photos from the White House have a look at how pale the skin is around Trump's panda eyes where the pancake hasn't quite taken. He is one sick man (in every sense).

[DCI Harry Batt]

I just want to be sure people don't lose hope. There's still plenty of time.

[Uncle Ethan]

Trump's already lost Hope. At least temporarily.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

where the pancake hasn't quite taken.

?