And......this is why I don't vote

[Brian37]

It is either that, or let the authoritarian bully destroy our institutions.

A critical reading of history or society might suggest that you can't stop that, so long as there are willing collaborators.  It only takes a couple assholes for the social contract to become a suicide pact.

WOW, so true. I agree, which is why I keep pointing out that we are literally at a critical point in our history, and it is fight or flight time, and if Trump's rhetoric isn't stopped bad things will follow even worse than what we have seen in the past couple years. 

We have seen human cruelty creep up slowly like a lobster boiling slowly. I do get angry at my fellow Americans, even independents/libertarians and even some liberals whom assume that cant happen here. A open and civil society is work, and a lifetime duty. It isn't anything to be taken for granted. 

We had slavery, we had oppression of women, we had denial of LGBT rights, and those cruel attitudes only got defeated through participation.

[Figbash]

Sadly, half of the country has a similar mindset. Record turnout, but still only half of the registered voters actually voted.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Sadly, half of the country has a similar mindset. Record turnout, but still only half of the registered voters actually voted.

The Grim Old Party always benefits from low voter turn out. That should be a ray of hope for us. Not voting is helping T.rump.

[Brian37]

Sadly, half of the country has a similar mindset. Record turnout, but still only half of the registered voters actually voted.

The Grim Old Party always benefits from low voter turn out. That should be a ray of hope for us. Not voting is helping T.rump.

 We had some bright spots, and again, I look at it this way, if Obama can win twice and even win normally red states, which he did, then what Dems have to do, and can do, is replicate that at the local and state level and go on offense, instead of doing what we have since Reagan, which has been bowing to the GOP narrative or playing defense.

[The Grand Nudger]

A critical reading of history or society might suggest that you can't stop that, so long as there are willing collaborators.  It only takes a couple assholes for the social contract to become a suicide pact.

WOW, so true. I agree, which is why I keep pointing out that we are literally at a critical point in our history, and it is fight or flight time, and if Trump's rhetoric isn't stopped bad things will follow even worse than what we have seen in the past couple years. 

We have seen human cruelty creep up slowly like a lobster boiling slowly. I do get angry at my fellow Americans, even independents/libertarians and even some liberals whom assume that cant happen here. A open and civil society is work, and a lifetime duty. It isn't anything to be taken for granted. 

We had slavery, we had oppression of women, we had denial of LGBT rights, and those cruel attitudes only got defeated through participation.

Those cruel attitudes have not been defeated - if they had..whenceforth cometh trump?  This was the fundamental mistake that so many liberals were operating under for the last few decades.  It's why the success of trumpism blindsided the liberal (and conservative) establishments. 

I can't imagine why a person would think "x can't happen in america" when x almost invariably has or is currently happening in america.  Not only can an asshole -also- participate, assholes wield disproportionately large amounts of power (due, in part, to the institutional advantage of being an asshole..if nothing else)....but the participation of the anti-asshole contingent is pre-packaged PR for the asshole contingent.

You're fighting against full on white panic. There is nothing that you can do which won't be used as an affirmation that their panic is legitimate. Is it not clear to you, by now..that these assholes would rather burn the country to the ground than compromise with you? That they're not interested in an open or civil society? That they aren't particularly impressed by the vote or the will of the people? That your very participation in governance is the fuel that feeds their anxieties?

[Angrboda]

My Democratic vote didn't count worth shit here in Florida where every winner is a Republican. 

Yep, back to not voting ever again in my life.  I should have stayed true to myself this year, but stupid people who think voting matters peer pressured me into voting.  

The Republicans likely won because of people who chose not to vote, and because of the weather. If you choose not to vote even though you would vote Democrat, you're contributing to the chances that the Republicans win. Choosing not to vote actually encourages the result that you don't want. Moreover, because the race was so close, Republicans will be less likely to support things that Democrats oppose because doing so will lead to them being voted out the next time. So your vote has had an effect, even if it isn't immediately visible.

[FatAndFaithless]

You can't complain that nothing changes if you don't put in the bare minimum effort to contribute to changes.

[onlinebiker]

The Republicans that had it in for Trump were still voting for his legislation and his court appointees. Prove me wrong.

The democrats winning the house means that Trump can't pass any legislation without Democrat support.

Trump never could pass legislation. No President can.

He can write executive orders, he can make cabinet appointments and Supreme Court Justices when vacancies occur. Congress has to confirm - and damned near didn't a couple weeks ago.

Only Congress can make and pass legislation. It was doubtful they could have before this election - and even less likely now.


Welcome to gridlock  - something that' s gonna be around for a long, long time.

[The Grand Nudger]

“We deserve better than a win-at-all-costs mentality,” McGrath said. “I was unwilling and we remain unwilling to be part of the problem. I was unwilling to be part of the problem just to get to the office.”

This was her explanation for having refused to run a negative campaign, allowing Barr to control the narrative.  It's more than a little bit amusing..because...ofc, she ran on the "country over party" slogan and this, mainly, was a euphemism for intending to be a consistently red vote on key issues.

Barr, for his part, noted that she went to the east coast and swore she was more liberal than anyone in the state.

Congratulations, McGrath, you put your foot on the gamesmanship board...and then inexplicably refused to play.  You -are- part of the problem.  You -were- willing to be part of the problem just to get to the office.  You tried to grab kentucky by the pussy and take it furniture shopping...but you just couldn't get there.

Why would any progressive vote -for- you?  So, in this race, did the republicans win because dems just didn't turn out to vote...or did republicans win because regardless of which candidate one picked the premise was that republican positions and policies would dominate?

[Brian37]

"Gridlock" yea like obstructing the voters's SCOTUS pick, because the Voters put Obama in office.

DAMNED RIGHT we are going to be gridlocked, because we are not going to let that asshole sell fear just so the GOP can hide behind it to let billionaires borrow from everyone else's future and then dump the losses on the tax payers like Bush's policies left us in debt.

You can call it " Gridlock" all the fuck you want, I call it a check on power.