I see this a little differently, and it comes down to that "rage, rage" part. Sometimes (often) rage is impotent. And maybe even counterproductive.
I want Dems and assorted sane folks to use any practical tools available to stand in way of Trump's agenda. When Trump pushes toward another episode of grotesque, irresponsible lunacy, I want …
I see this a little differently, and it comes down to that "rage, rage" part. Sometimes (often) rage is impotent. And maybe even counterproductive.
I want Dems and assorted sane folks to use any practical tools available to stand in way of Trump's agenda. When Trump pushes toward another episode of grotesque, irresponsible lunacy, I want the opposition to go on record that it's grotesque, irresponsible lunacy.
But there's a reason "The Resistance" is a punchline in Right-wing circles, and it's not totally wrong. Simply making a display of overwrought outrage/anguish at Trump's every move is not productive. And it also gets old fast, quickly becoming a "boy who cried wolf" thing. If The Libs are just going to wail about everything Trump does, the broader public will tune them out and probably chalk it up to Trump Derangement Syndrome.
So, I wouldn't mind seeing Trump's opposition take a more detached attitude this time around. The electorate now knows exactly what Trump represents, and the hard truth is that ~50 of voters chose that. If you rage at everything he does, do not imagine you represent some silent majority.
Once again, I want Dems to take all *practical* steps they can to stand in Trump's way. I'm counting on it. But as for messaging, I see it more like this: "We gave it everything we had to express that Trump is the wrong path for this country. The people voted otherwise, and now we'll all get what they voted for. We'll be powerless to stop most of it, though we will do our best. Just know that Republicans own ALL of this, and we will be here as the decent, responsible alternative when it becomes clear (once again) that they're unworthy of power."
Somehow I thought that the House Republicans profoundly demonstrated on a regular basis that their clown show was their highest level of political and moral competence, AND, that they were unworthy of power and the trust of the American people. The DID OWN ALL of that. But, what happened? What is the best or even better strategy for Dems in the face of an executive and legislative clown show from 2025 until (who knows)? About half of the American voters seem to like those clown shows and would like to seem. Maybe bread and circuses, but without the bread?
I’ve been mystified by the performative outrage ever since the pink hats. With the most ridiculous nominations, the senators should do the factual research, and make sure every unflattering detail is aired in a public hearing and is on record. Then vote no. There may be some nominees that aren’t great but not hills to die on. Calmly make the record and vote accordingly. This should not be hard. Surely the D senators will collect their wits and do what they know needs to be done.
The thing about the boy who cried wolf is that there really was a wolf, and if the villagers were so concerned that the boy was incompetent to watch the sheep because of his false alarms, they should have replaced him. We may be getting the moral of this story all wrong. Mostly you are correct. And even if when all the votes are counted, Harris ends up winning the popular vote by a narrow margin, still ~50% of voters chose Trump and his authoritarianism, eyes wide open.
Well, that's an interesting analogy to run with. In this analogy, the shepherd boy is the Democrats and, well: the voters DID just decide to replace them. I'm not going to run with this TOO far, as there were a lot of factors behind this election. But I think it's fair to say that voters didn't see Dems as responsible guardians of the American Way, as they had defined themselves. Voters didn't think they had the credibility to paint Trump as a threat to democracy, and themselves as its reliable defender. And so, they were replaced. In that sense, maybe the story has already played out.
"As they had defined themselves" is an interesting way to put it because the way they define themselves is contrary to the basic principles of the Constituion and our founding documents. In fact, in other forums, MAGA has told me that our founding documents are irrelevant.Anyway at this point, even though Trump has gained 2,000,000 votes since election night due to those mail-in ballots he hates so much, his lead as dropped to 50.2% and when all is said and done, he may well have lost the popular vote yet again.
I agree that doubling down on rage may not be the best way to build opposition to Trump. That said, my impression from preliminary election data is that Harris handily won with those voters who were fairly knowledgeable about current events and lost those voters who were not. If that is indeed correct, then at least some Trump voters may be surprised at what he ends up doing.
The best angle that I've heard is for pro-democracy leaders to point out when Trump betrays his promises to voters when it comes to the most tangible stuff such as lowering costs. We need to do a better job of articulating why broad-based tariffs and massive deportation will cost them money. And if Trump proceeds to cut popular programs while giving rich people a tax cut, we should make a big deal about that.
If the Republicans control both houses for the next two years it seems like a reach to blame Democratic obstructionism on him not being able to pass his agenda. And if some those agenda items prove to be unpopular with a majority of the public, what's the problem?
That said, we need to be disciplined about it -- focus on those issues that are most popular and drive home the point that Trump doesn't have your interests at heart.
Now is the time to start laying the groundwork for how to reach these voters. James Carville had it right I think: "betrayal". The voters made the 'right' choice but Trump betrayed them. It takes the blame off of voters and puts it on Trump. If you tell someone that they made a mistake, they get mad at you for pointing it out and they double down. If you tell them someone else betrayed them, they get riotously pissed. It's not their fault..
"The Resistance" is a punchline in Right-wing circles, and it's not totally wrong. Simply making a display of overwrought outrage/anguish at Trump's every move is not productive. And it also gets old fast, quickly becoming a "boy who cried wolf" thing. If The Libs are just going to wail about everything Trump does, the broader public will tune them out and probably chalk it up to Trump Derangement Syndrome.
I agree with your entire comment - thank you for sharing but I also wanted to highlight the above because it is so very true!
Yes!!! Not just Dems, but Republican and Independent Never-Trumpers too. We (I'm a registered Republican, but technically independent) are at least as staunchly anti-MAGA as Dems. And for all the right reasons. We need to use to every advantage the fact that the ~50% who voted for Trump in '24 is unlikely to get any higher, and very likely to decrease once they finally experience the real Trump 47 (minus guardrails of 45), not just the fantasy version they have been promised.
I completely agree. The past ~10 years of American politics have been dominated by an infantile "smash the system" mentality from American voters. So, let them see what happens when you actually smash the system.
The Dems should stop whatever they can actually stop, but for what they can't stop, simply get on the record, call attention to how bad things will be, and let American voters enjoy what they asked for.
I agree 100%. Democrats raging will have absolutely no impact on anything. Just like the “threat to democracy” argument was completely ineffective during the campaign. The majority of voters chose Trump with eyes wide open. Democrats serve their party best right now by looking like the calm adults in the room, not vein-bulging lunatics. Focus on 2026 and try not to shoot yourself in the foot in the meantime.
Harris keeps whittling away Trump's lead even though those mail-ballots he hates so much have given him 2,000,000 more vote since election night. His lead now stands at 50.1%, and will likely be less than half at the end of the day. Harris may even win the popular vote. Our problem is the 11,000 million Biden voters for whom autocracy was not a deal-breaker.
Agree with all except focus on 2026. Well, that’s okay as long as the focus includes the likely possibility there will be no elections. Calling that out ahead of time might help prevent it?
While we can't completely rule out anything in this unprecedented era, I give it a near zero chance that there will be no elections in '26 or '28. More gerrymandering and other illegal election interference, yes, but even most Trump voters will demand the right to vote.
I am so with you on this. Where there are practical things I can do to counter the madness, I will do so. For example, I'm joining a neighborhood group, organized by a resident who's an immigration lawyer, to provide support for neighborhood immigrants.
I'm all out of performative outrage following the first Trump administration. Like you, I expect Democrats to use the power of their votes, and to use their platform to speak out against the onslaught of awfulness that the next 4 years will create. And to hammer home the consequences regularly, especially during election season.
But I'm done with giving the opposition an off ramp in the hope that they'll return to normalcy. Let them fly their crazy. The voters who opted to elect Team Trump have the right to experience the full impact of that decision. Maybe in 2-4 years they'll still be on board, but given the notorious fickleness of the American voter, I wouldn't count on it.
Similar, we can build community and resilience on the ground. My community meeting is on 11/30. We're going to start making sure that we have emergency supplies in place for the next fire, flood, etc and help our neighbors. We were joyfully excited to work for the Harris campaign. There are 2 America's, the other one clearly rejects us. It doesn't make sense to make targets of ourselves and try to save them from themselves when we can use that energy to save each other. Half of American voters chose this and more citizens didn't choose at all. They should get what they wanted or what didn't bother them enough to vote against. They should see what they could have voted for.
It can get even smaller than that. I plan a conversation with the resident resource person to see what I can do for children in my 100 unit building. As far as I know, few are likely to be at risk, but maybe there’s some way to brighten their lives a little. And possibly brighten mine, too.
This is definitely the place to put our grassroots energy. Into our local communities. I’ve been telling my 42 year old son this since he was in 10th grade and struggling to figure out how he could be another Mother Teresa. We don’t need to reach for the stars; just help our neighbors and communities as best we can.
So grateful I found a purpose for my post-career life in the aftermath of the 2016 election. That community involvement in the grassiest of grass roots - my local city neighborhood -- has been a gift to me. I can do little to help the U.S., but I and other like-minded people in my community and my city have risen up in the past 8 years to do a lot of good locally.
Barbara, thank you for all you have done since 2016 and for sharing. May I ask you to be more explicit about the nature of your community and the “lot of good you have done”? I ask because every website I’ve visited since Nov. 6 has advised this: “get together in community and work at the community level”. But it seems so vague! Do what, exactly? I can’t picture any one thing that I could pull off with the like-minded in my small Iowa town that would actually make me say in 8 years “I did a lot of good locally”.
Sorry for my lack of imagination— any advice gratefully received!
Barbara hopefully will comment but I noticed your Iowa small town roots. I have a friend who also lives in a small Iowa town and she sent me this as a resource for you. I hope it helps!
While I agree with you, I hate that voters have to wait 4-8 years before "punishing" the party in power by electing the opposite party. As I've said here before, "bickering ourselves into oblivion" seems more and more dangerous as the planet heads toward irreversible catastrophe.
Your cock-eyed optimism is showing. After these disastrous cabinet nominees, is it really believable that Trump & Cabal will allow free elections in 2 years, let alone 4? People act like that can’t happen. Well Matt Gaetz as AG “couldn’t happen” either.
Keep in mind that states run elections. While I put nothing past Trump on moral grounds, he'd have a hell of a time trying to dismantle the election machinery of 50 separate states (or even the 30 or so that don't completely worship him).
Well, on the bright side, we can punish them a BIT in just two years. 😉
I hear what you're saying: "Until then, we have to do *something* about this disaster!" But the sad truth is that doubling down on outrage isn't "doing something." Screaming louder might feel good, but it won't change things and will simply sound hysterical to a lot of people.
I guess my advice boils down to: Pace yourself. Take practical action where you have the opportunity. Clearly express the wrongness of Trump's vision. Keep representing a better alternative. But extra rage simply won't help.
Perhaps. It depends on how many Dems and Independents come out to vote in 2026. And how many Reps don't. The best we can hope for is Dems win back the House and Senate.
The Dem coalition is now highly optimized for mid-term elections, as they are winning high-propensity college-educated and "elite" voters by commanding margins, and many low-propensity Trump voters only turn out when Trump is on the ballot. 2026 will likely be a solid victory for Dems.
This year the problem was the 11,000,000 Biden voters for whom Trump's autocracy was not a deal-breaker. And why? According to them it was Gaza and the fact Harris dared to campaign with Never Trumpers.
I see this a little differently, and it comes down to that "rage, rage" part. Sometimes (often) rage is impotent. And maybe even counterproductive.
I want Dems and assorted sane folks to use any practical tools available to stand in way of Trump's agenda. When Trump pushes toward another episode of grotesque, irresponsible lunacy, I want the opposition to go on record that it's grotesque, irresponsible lunacy.
But there's a reason "The Resistance" is a punchline in Right-wing circles, and it's not totally wrong. Simply making a display of overwrought outrage/anguish at Trump's every move is not productive. And it also gets old fast, quickly becoming a "boy who cried wolf" thing. If The Libs are just going to wail about everything Trump does, the broader public will tune them out and probably chalk it up to Trump Derangement Syndrome.
So, I wouldn't mind seeing Trump's opposition take a more detached attitude this time around. The electorate now knows exactly what Trump represents, and the hard truth is that ~50 of voters chose that. If you rage at everything he does, do not imagine you represent some silent majority.
Once again, I want Dems to take all *practical* steps they can to stand in Trump's way. I'm counting on it. But as for messaging, I see it more like this: "We gave it everything we had to express that Trump is the wrong path for this country. The people voted otherwise, and now we'll all get what they voted for. We'll be powerless to stop most of it, though we will do our best. Just know that Republicans own ALL of this, and we will be here as the decent, responsible alternative when it becomes clear (once again) that they're unworthy of power."
Somehow I thought that the House Republicans profoundly demonstrated on a regular basis that their clown show was their highest level of political and moral competence, AND, that they were unworthy of power and the trust of the American people. The DID OWN ALL of that. But, what happened? What is the best or even better strategy for Dems in the face of an executive and legislative clown show from 2025 until (who knows)? About half of the American voters seem to like those clown shows and would like to seem. Maybe bread and circuses, but without the bread?
I’ve been mystified by the performative outrage ever since the pink hats. With the most ridiculous nominations, the senators should do the factual research, and make sure every unflattering detail is aired in a public hearing and is on record. Then vote no. There may be some nominees that aren’t great but not hills to die on. Calmly make the record and vote accordingly. This should not be hard. Surely the D senators will collect their wits and do what they know needs to be done.
The thing about the boy who cried wolf is that there really was a wolf, and if the villagers were so concerned that the boy was incompetent to watch the sheep because of his false alarms, they should have replaced him. We may be getting the moral of this story all wrong. Mostly you are correct. And even if when all the votes are counted, Harris ends up winning the popular vote by a narrow margin, still ~50% of voters chose Trump and his authoritarianism, eyes wide open.
Well, that's an interesting analogy to run with. In this analogy, the shepherd boy is the Democrats and, well: the voters DID just decide to replace them. I'm not going to run with this TOO far, as there were a lot of factors behind this election. But I think it's fair to say that voters didn't see Dems as responsible guardians of the American Way, as they had defined themselves. Voters didn't think they had the credibility to paint Trump as a threat to democracy, and themselves as its reliable defender. And so, they were replaced. In that sense, maybe the story has already played out.
"As they had defined themselves" is an interesting way to put it because the way they define themselves is contrary to the basic principles of the Constituion and our founding documents. In fact, in other forums, MAGA has told me that our founding documents are irrelevant.Anyway at this point, even though Trump has gained 2,000,000 votes since election night due to those mail-in ballots he hates so much, his lead as dropped to 50.2% and when all is said and done, he may well have lost the popular vote yet again.
I agree that doubling down on rage may not be the best way to build opposition to Trump. That said, my impression from preliminary election data is that Harris handily won with those voters who were fairly knowledgeable about current events and lost those voters who were not. If that is indeed correct, then at least some Trump voters may be surprised at what he ends up doing.
The best angle that I've heard is for pro-democracy leaders to point out when Trump betrays his promises to voters when it comes to the most tangible stuff such as lowering costs. We need to do a better job of articulating why broad-based tariffs and massive deportation will cost them money. And if Trump proceeds to cut popular programs while giving rich people a tax cut, we should make a big deal about that.
But not stop it. It has to hurt his voters or he will say it is Democrats' obstruction that his plans didn't work out.
If the Republicans control both houses for the next two years it seems like a reach to blame Democratic obstructionism on him not being able to pass his agenda. And if some those agenda items prove to be unpopular with a majority of the public, what's the problem?
That said, we need to be disciplined about it -- focus on those issues that are most popular and drive home the point that Trump doesn't have your interests at heart.
Yes, selecting and messaging are the keys as well as laying the blame on Trump & Co. rather than the those who naively elected him.
Now is the time to start laying the groundwork for how to reach these voters. James Carville had it right I think: "betrayal". The voters made the 'right' choice but Trump betrayed them. It takes the blame off of voters and puts it on Trump. If you tell someone that they made a mistake, they get mad at you for pointing it out and they double down. If you tell them someone else betrayed them, they get riotously pissed. It's not their fault..
"The Resistance" is a punchline in Right-wing circles, and it's not totally wrong. Simply making a display of overwrought outrage/anguish at Trump's every move is not productive. And it also gets old fast, quickly becoming a "boy who cried wolf" thing. If The Libs are just going to wail about everything Trump does, the broader public will tune them out and probably chalk it up to Trump Derangement Syndrome.
I agree with your entire comment - thank you for sharing but I also wanted to highlight the above because it is so very true!
Yes!!! Not just Dems, but Republican and Independent Never-Trumpers too. We (I'm a registered Republican, but technically independent) are at least as staunchly anti-MAGA as Dems. And for all the right reasons. We need to use to every advantage the fact that the ~50% who voted for Trump in '24 is unlikely to get any higher, and very likely to decrease once they finally experience the real Trump 47 (minus guardrails of 45), not just the fantasy version they have been promised.
I completely agree. The past ~10 years of American politics have been dominated by an infantile "smash the system" mentality from American voters. So, let them see what happens when you actually smash the system.
The Dems should stop whatever they can actually stop, but for what they can't stop, simply get on the record, call attention to how bad things will be, and let American voters enjoy what they asked for.
I agree 100%. Democrats raging will have absolutely no impact on anything. Just like the “threat to democracy” argument was completely ineffective during the campaign. The majority of voters chose Trump with eyes wide open. Democrats serve their party best right now by looking like the calm adults in the room, not vein-bulging lunatics. Focus on 2026 and try not to shoot yourself in the foot in the meantime.
Harris keeps whittling away Trump's lead even though those mail-ballots he hates so much have given him 2,000,000 more vote since election night. His lead now stands at 50.1%, and will likely be less than half at the end of the day. Harris may even win the popular vote. Our problem is the 11,000 million Biden voters for whom autocracy was not a deal-breaker.
Agree with all except focus on 2026. Well, that’s okay as long as the focus includes the likely possibility there will be no elections. Calling that out ahead of time might help prevent it?
While we can't completely rule out anything in this unprecedented era, I give it a near zero chance that there will be no elections in '26 or '28. More gerrymandering and other illegal election interference, yes, but even most Trump voters will demand the right to vote.
I am so with you on this. Where there are practical things I can do to counter the madness, I will do so. For example, I'm joining a neighborhood group, organized by a resident who's an immigration lawyer, to provide support for neighborhood immigrants.
I'm all out of performative outrage following the first Trump administration. Like you, I expect Democrats to use the power of their votes, and to use their platform to speak out against the onslaught of awfulness that the next 4 years will create. And to hammer home the consequences regularly, especially during election season.
But I'm done with giving the opposition an off ramp in the hope that they'll return to normalcy. Let them fly their crazy. The voters who opted to elect Team Trump have the right to experience the full impact of that decision. Maybe in 2-4 years they'll still be on board, but given the notorious fickleness of the American voter, I wouldn't count on it.
Similar, we can build community and resilience on the ground. My community meeting is on 11/30. We're going to start making sure that we have emergency supplies in place for the next fire, flood, etc and help our neighbors. We were joyfully excited to work for the Harris campaign. There are 2 America's, the other one clearly rejects us. It doesn't make sense to make targets of ourselves and try to save them from themselves when we can use that energy to save each other. Half of American voters chose this and more citizens didn't choose at all. They should get what they wanted or what didn't bother them enough to vote against. They should see what they could have voted for.
It can get even smaller than that. I plan a conversation with the resident resource person to see what I can do for children in my 100 unit building. As far as I know, few are likely to be at risk, but maybe there’s some way to brighten their lives a little. And possibly brighten mine, too.
This is definitely the place to put our grassroots energy. Into our local communities. I’ve been telling my 42 year old son this since he was in 10th grade and struggling to figure out how he could be another Mother Teresa. We don’t need to reach for the stars; just help our neighbors and communities as best we can.
So grateful I found a purpose for my post-career life in the aftermath of the 2016 election. That community involvement in the grassiest of grass roots - my local city neighborhood -- has been a gift to me. I can do little to help the U.S., but I and other like-minded people in my community and my city have risen up in the past 8 years to do a lot of good locally.
Barbara, thank you for all you have done since 2016 and for sharing. May I ask you to be more explicit about the nature of your community and the “lot of good you have done”? I ask because every website I’ve visited since Nov. 6 has advised this: “get together in community and work at the community level”. But it seems so vague! Do what, exactly? I can’t picture any one thing that I could pull off with the like-minded in my small Iowa town that would actually make me say in 8 years “I did a lot of good locally”.
Sorry for my lack of imagination— any advice gratefully received!
Barbara hopefully will comment but I noticed your Iowa small town roots. I have a friend who also lives in a small Iowa town and she sent me this as a resource for you. I hope it helps!
https://www.promotingdemocracy.com/activism/iowa/organizations/index.php
Thanks, Prairy - all suggestions gratefully received!
While I agree with you, I hate that voters have to wait 4-8 years before "punishing" the party in power by electing the opposite party. As I've said here before, "bickering ourselves into oblivion" seems more and more dangerous as the planet heads toward irreversible catastrophe.
Your cock-eyed optimism is showing. After these disastrous cabinet nominees, is it really believable that Trump & Cabal will allow free elections in 2 years, let alone 4? People act like that can’t happen. Well Matt Gaetz as AG “couldn’t happen” either.
Keep in mind that states run elections. While I put nothing past Trump on moral grounds, he'd have a hell of a time trying to dismantle the election machinery of 50 separate states (or even the 30 or so that don't completely worship him).
Well, on the bright side, we can punish them a BIT in just two years. 😉
I hear what you're saying: "Until then, we have to do *something* about this disaster!" But the sad truth is that doubling down on outrage isn't "doing something." Screaming louder might feel good, but it won't change things and will simply sound hysterical to a lot of people.
I guess my advice boils down to: Pace yourself. Take practical action where you have the opportunity. Clearly express the wrongness of Trump's vision. Keep representing a better alternative. But extra rage simply won't help.
If we're lucky, 2 years at most.
Perhaps. It depends on how many Dems and Independents come out to vote in 2026. And how many Reps don't. The best we can hope for is Dems win back the House and Senate.
The Dem coalition is now highly optimized for mid-term elections, as they are winning high-propensity college-educated and "elite" voters by commanding margins, and many low-propensity Trump voters only turn out when Trump is on the ballot. 2026 will likely be a solid victory for Dems.
This year the problem was the 11,000,000 Biden voters for whom Trump's autocracy was not a deal-breaker. And why? According to them it was Gaza and the fact Harris dared to campaign with Never Trumpers.
From your pen to God's ears.
I do not want to hear another politician end a speech with "God bless America." More apropos would be "God have mercy on America."