One thing I've come to believe is that Democratic leaders have to start talking about Republicans the way Republicans talk about Democrats. No more "Our friends on the other side of the aisle" more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger pieties, which everyone hates. Say what they are over and over. It matters.
but dems in congress actually like republicans and want to be friends with them so you're actually asking a lot of them
Obviously I don't believe we're going to post our way out of this. But when people look at polls and say "I can't believe Trump's support is still so high," maybe they should consider that it's because Republicans are told every day that they're in a war for America against a contemptible enemy.
The wonderful @jbf1755.bsky.social wrote a great book about the slow transition of Northeast Congressional liberals from timid normie politicians to "fighters" in the face of Southern belligerence during the mid-19th century. That's the dynamic at play here.
Every now & then I listen to Lawrence O’Donnell’s MSNBC show and he’ll often go on about how “stupid” Trump is. I always wonder: why don’t any Dem politicians speak like this? Trump himself calls people stupid all the time. Screw decorum, just let it rip. What do they have to lose at this point?
They would lose a bit of their wealth and privilege, so they're willing to sacrifice us to maintain it
You also must consider, Mark, that Democrats do say those things. But I challenge you to scroll through BlueSky right now and see who is being posted, by Democrats, on their posts. Amplifying Republicans saying there nonsense for engagement while complaining that Democrats aren't being vocal.
Problem is many are genuinely friends.
They only say that because they go to the same Wall Street donor dinner parties, and pass insider trading tips with each other, and use the same catering services, and pal around with the same lobbyists.
100% #GlovesComeOff
wtf is this new "It's not in my lane" line they all seem to be using to wriggle away from questions? Was there some sort of memo that went out?
This has been obvious for at least a decade now
They should have started years ago. “Esteemed colleague” my ass.
"We want a strong Republican party" should have been an instant disqualifier.
Need safe seat dems to actually start insulting these guys from Louisiana. Stand up for your constituents.
They should have started this when Gingrich was speaker. But better late than never
It’s just Advertising/Propaganda 101
Tarring and feathering is mortal injury, as many died from their burns. Tell it like it is: Advocating violence.
Dems must avoid the scapegoating, stereotyping and dehumanization that is laced so thoroughly through right-wing extremist communications. Be blunt, fierce, direct - but do not mirror these linguistic strategies of deep propaganda. AOC, Jasmine Crockett, Buttigieg, Sanders, Murphy, Newsom get it.
maybe but I don't see how acting in a bad, awful terrible way is a good thing surely there must be some other way to do this, without staring in to the abyss and becoming monsters ?
Calm them what they are White supremacists and Nazis
No more I wish for the old GOP
That's fucking stupid. They were always horrible, fascism was always their end game
Kind of. But Republicans seem to revel in it. What really seems to get them is being called weird or weak. Pointing out their hypocrisy? Nothing. TACO? Major meltdown.
BEEN SAYING THIS FOR MONTHS
they need to start doing something
Been calling for this forever - how does the country know Ernst, Tillis, Collins are bad people only looking out for themselves if Dem colleague treat them with kid gloves. Make them defend themselves everyday. Jefferies should be all over Johnson.
Yes. Especially once Johnson advocated violence against Newsom and Bass.
Absolutely. Voters checked out on the Democrats’ “democracy is at stake in this election!!!” rhetoric once it was obvious that they didn’t actually believe that. No criticizing their “friends across the aisle” and all that.
they will not do this, so either get new Democratic leaders or stop asking for groceries at the hardware store
This would require them to value the electorate (or at least its voting power) over their co-workers, and for some reason they don't, even though the Republicans do.
Republican ads have bullseyes on Dems. But Dems aren’t even allowed to call Trump dumb or fat or lazy.
We shouldn't be using fat as an insult, that's gross
100%
But we’re not allowed to criticize Dems or hold them to account. That helps the GOP or something.
Yeah, they still, somehow, don't realize they're in a war here. And losing VERY BADLY
It's because they aren't at war, we are. Dem leadership is representative of the same class of people as GOP, but with pretensions
Don't look now, but Newsom is doing that.
Here is a dramatization of what Mike Johnson believes to be "in his lane" and that he wants to see done to the governor of California
The biggest mistake they’ve made in the past decade (so many to choose from) was leashing Walz and putting an end to the “weird” jibes. That was absolutely landing as an insult, both with voters and the weirdo, thin-skinned Republicans.
FWIW, some do. Rep Raskin, AOC, and many others in the House, Murphy, Whitehouse in the Senate often lay things out in vivid terms. Problem is nobody but us CSPAN junkies hear them.
I mean, to be fair, one of AOC's besties in the House, Tim Burchett, is one of the biggest assholes in Congress....
I should also mention my own governor, JB Pritzker, who while not given to name calling has been very outspoken in his comparisons to 1930s Germany, etc.
Something like this? bsky.app/profile/eric...
Pritzker shouldn't be talking, he should be spending his money to help. He's happy to do things that don't cost him anything, because his wealth is his priority. Not helping people, just helping himself
I wonder if trump's little ass clown understands that most people who were tarred and feathered died from the burns. What's next mikey...public admissions that you want to see people you don't agree with lynched? Another fine "christian"...
That’s what I said in another post. It sounds cute and harmless, but he is actually advocating mortal violence.
The speaker is as deranged as his spirtual leader
Democrats are pussies. #facts #alltalknoactionnoballs