I will agree about the economy, although there are many factors as to why it is what it is…mostly corporate greed. But I believe a woman will not ever be elected, period. Sure, Hillary had baggage, but was by far the most qualified candidate in my lifetime IMO. I’m 60. The same goes for all the trad wives, evangelical whatevers, and uneducated men. A 62 year old white male with only a high school diploma has very little critical thinking skills. I live in western St. Charles County. Barely a one of them will vote in their own interest unless RTW comes up again. Which it will. It hasn’t changed since I moved to Misery in 1976. And obviously I’m tied to the area because of husband union employment. I’m just so tired of the same thing, day after day.
You may, unfortunately, be correct about the chances of a woman being elected President, but I hope otherwise. Hillary Clinton not only had baggage, her own and Bill's, but she ran a lousy campaign that enable her loss to the only candidate with more baggage than she had who was also less likable. I had high hopes for Kamala this time, but it appears that the combined weight of being a woman of color and the representative of an administration that, rightly or wrongly, was unpopular, proved her undoing.
During a previous sojourn in Missouri we lived in Wentzville and I can see the basis for your concern about changing voting patterns.
I’m technically in Josephville. Population 500 Catholics and their church. And have been ostracized for not being Catholic since I moved into my husband’s house 31 years ago. I mean due to gerrymandering, there wasn’t even a democratic candidate on the ballot for state house rep in my district. That’s insane.
Agreed as to the insanity. At the time I lived out there I was Catholic too, I can appreciate the ostracism you've experienced as I would have had the same had I not joined up.
Trump has earned the right to govern fair and square. Now he will have to deliver on the promises that he made. He has already proven that governing is lot harder than campaigning.
This reminds me of how I felt in 1972, when Nixon won in one of the most lopsided elections in modern history. Less than two years later, he resigned in disgrace.
Lord Acton was accurate then and may prove accurate now too, "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".
Trump is politically compromised because he enters office as a lame duck one term president with a majority leader who is not a MAGA devotee. The struggle to identify who the next political leader of the Republican Party will be started today and will likely influence the legislative agenda more than Trump's campaign promises.
One thing I can say for sure is that it won't be Vance. Trump will treat him with the same distain that he treated Pence. He will view him as a potential rival more than an ally. As a result, Vance will likely end up being the whipping boy for the political turmoil within the MAGA movement rather than an heir apparent.
As far as the next two years, things like another big tax cut are pretty much a certainty, because the interests of Trump and those post Trumpers are aligned. We'll have to see whether or not Trump will be able to implement policies that will damage the economy and business interests (tariffs, mass deportation, and repeal ACA). IMHO, he will have the same struggles with those as he did with his promise to build a wall.
I can't predict what Trump's downfall will be, but I know that there are a lot of political landmines out there, and Trump has a talent of finding most of them.
Our job is to continue to tell the truth, protect the vulnerable, and defend our constitutional way of life.
This too shall pass, and if this is the price we end up paying for the demise of toxic populism, then I'm all in.
I agree with your assessment that Vance, on way or another, is toast and won't be the heir apparent or anointed of the MAGA movement or Trumpism. The struggle you predict is a major opening for the Democrats if they're organized enough to take advantage of it and don't spend the next 4 years engaged in blame-casting and internecine power struggles. It's a pity that Jaime Harrison hasn't shown even the leadership chops that Howard Dean had because this is an outstanding opportunity for the DNC to assert a guiding and developmental role it hasn't had in years.
I'm concerned too that Trump doesn't recognize the commitment to governance that you note correctly that he's won. He certainly hasn't shown any inclination to follow through on promises previously made and his campaign rhetoric was more about revenge and self-aggrandizement than any sort of administrative direction. Although the landmines are clearly there, Trump has made a career of stepping on them and then handing the aftermath to someone else. If, by telling the truth, protecting each other and ourselves (because we're all vulnerable), and defending as best we can the Constitution and all that derives from it, we can achieve the demise of toxic populism, at least in our lifetimes and those of our kids and grandkids, I don't imagine any of us will shirk from that obligation.
BTW, I do agree that the post mortem will likely identify this as a change election where a majority of voters viewed Trump as the more effective change agent.
Economic realities are what they are. Even though Biden engineered a pandemic recovery that was the envy of the rest of the world, it was not painless. Biden got elected on the promise to make things better. Even though he did end the pandemic and usher in a remarkable recovery, he also was held accountable for the pain that inflation inflicted on working folks.
This becomes a "careful what you wish for" moment for the MAGA movement. They again are the dog that has caught the car. We'll see how Trump does in delivering on his campaign promises, and whether or not the MAGA movement will be able to smoothly transition to a post-Trump world.
My guess is that if the next two years are rocky, there will be some who will make their play for leadership by throwing Trump under the bus. That's an easy out because he can't run for office again. If that does start to happen, it will be like a dam breaking and a lot of things that were previously hidden will come to light.
IMHO, we shouldn't spend a lot of time figuring out who to blame. Instead, we need to hang onto our values, protect the vulnerable, keep our loved ones close, and trust that our turn is not far away.
I will agree about the economy, although there are many factors as to why it is what it is…mostly corporate greed. But I believe a woman will not ever be elected, period. Sure, Hillary had baggage, but was by far the most qualified candidate in my lifetime IMO. I’m 60. The same goes for all the trad wives, evangelical whatevers, and uneducated men. A 62 year old white male with only a high school diploma has very little critical thinking skills. I live in western St. Charles County. Barely a one of them will vote in their own interest unless RTW comes up again. Which it will. It hasn’t changed since I moved to Misery in 1976. And obviously I’m tied to the area because of husband union employment. I’m just so tired of the same thing, day after day.
You may, unfortunately, be correct about the chances of a woman being elected President, but I hope otherwise. Hillary Clinton not only had baggage, her own and Bill's, but she ran a lousy campaign that enable her loss to the only candidate with more baggage than she had who was also less likable. I had high hopes for Kamala this time, but it appears that the combined weight of being a woman of color and the representative of an administration that, rightly or wrongly, was unpopular, proved her undoing.
During a previous sojourn in Missouri we lived in Wentzville and I can see the basis for your concern about changing voting patterns.
I’m technically in Josephville. Population 500 Catholics and their church. And have been ostracized for not being Catholic since I moved into my husband’s house 31 years ago. I mean due to gerrymandering, there wasn’t even a democratic candidate on the ballot for state house rep in my district. That’s insane.
Agreed as to the insanity. At the time I lived out there I was Catholic too, I can appreciate the ostracism you've experienced as I would have had the same had I not joined up.
Your reasoning is sound, however it leaves out the capricious behavior of humans, even when it sabotages their own agenda.
That's what makes life interesting.
Sometimes!
Trump has earned the right to govern fair and square. Now he will have to deliver on the promises that he made. He has already proven that governing is lot harder than campaigning.
This reminds me of how I felt in 1972, when Nixon won in one of the most lopsided elections in modern history. Less than two years later, he resigned in disgrace.
Lord Acton was accurate then and may prove accurate now too, "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".
Trump is politically compromised because he enters office as a lame duck one term president with a majority leader who is not a MAGA devotee. The struggle to identify who the next political leader of the Republican Party will be started today and will likely influence the legislative agenda more than Trump's campaign promises.
One thing I can say for sure is that it won't be Vance. Trump will treat him with the same distain that he treated Pence. He will view him as a potential rival more than an ally. As a result, Vance will likely end up being the whipping boy for the political turmoil within the MAGA movement rather than an heir apparent.
As far as the next two years, things like another big tax cut are pretty much a certainty, because the interests of Trump and those post Trumpers are aligned. We'll have to see whether or not Trump will be able to implement policies that will damage the economy and business interests (tariffs, mass deportation, and repeal ACA). IMHO, he will have the same struggles with those as he did with his promise to build a wall.
I can't predict what Trump's downfall will be, but I know that there are a lot of political landmines out there, and Trump has a talent of finding most of them.
Our job is to continue to tell the truth, protect the vulnerable, and defend our constitutional way of life.
This too shall pass, and if this is the price we end up paying for the demise of toxic populism, then I'm all in.
I agree with your assessment that Vance, on way or another, is toast and won't be the heir apparent or anointed of the MAGA movement or Trumpism. The struggle you predict is a major opening for the Democrats if they're organized enough to take advantage of it and don't spend the next 4 years engaged in blame-casting and internecine power struggles. It's a pity that Jaime Harrison hasn't shown even the leadership chops that Howard Dean had because this is an outstanding opportunity for the DNC to assert a guiding and developmental role it hasn't had in years.
I'm concerned too that Trump doesn't recognize the commitment to governance that you note correctly that he's won. He certainly hasn't shown any inclination to follow through on promises previously made and his campaign rhetoric was more about revenge and self-aggrandizement than any sort of administrative direction. Although the landmines are clearly there, Trump has made a career of stepping on them and then handing the aftermath to someone else. If, by telling the truth, protecting each other and ourselves (because we're all vulnerable), and defending as best we can the Constitution and all that derives from it, we can achieve the demise of toxic populism, at least in our lifetimes and those of our kids and grandkids, I don't imagine any of us will shirk from that obligation.
Thank you Dave for your strong
and direct words.
We need to hear them.
We are encouraged by your clarity.
You are leading us forward.
Thanks Deborah. We'll all need to take the lead in this battle.
BTW, I do agree that the post mortem will likely identify this as a change election where a majority of voters viewed Trump as the more effective change agent.
Economic realities are what they are. Even though Biden engineered a pandemic recovery that was the envy of the rest of the world, it was not painless. Biden got elected on the promise to make things better. Even though he did end the pandemic and usher in a remarkable recovery, he also was held accountable for the pain that inflation inflicted on working folks.
This becomes a "careful what you wish for" moment for the MAGA movement. They again are the dog that has caught the car. We'll see how Trump does in delivering on his campaign promises, and whether or not the MAGA movement will be able to smoothly transition to a post-Trump world.
My guess is that if the next two years are rocky, there will be some who will make their play for leadership by throwing Trump under the bus. That's an easy out because he can't run for office again. If that does start to happen, it will be like a dam breaking and a lot of things that were previously hidden will come to light.
IMHO, we shouldn't spend a lot of time figuring out who to blame. Instead, we need to hang onto our values, protect the vulnerable, keep our loved ones close, and trust that our turn is not far away.