cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/52351603
It was a wake-up call for America. In January, Donald Trump took the oath of office, declared himself “saved by God to make America great again” and issued a barrage of executive orders. In the ensuing months the US president and his allies moved at breakneck speed and seemed indomitable.
But as 2025 draws to a close with Trump struggling to stay awake at meetings, the prevailing image is of a driver asleep at the wheel. Opinion polls suggest that Americans are turning against him. Republicans are heading for the exit ahead of congressional contests next November that look bleak for the president’s party.
“He came into office and, like a blitzkrieg, was violating laws and the constitution,” said Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. “The American political process is slow-moving and so he was able to do things that were extraordinary.
“But this is a guy whose legacy may well be the political collapse of Republicans in this era. Put another way, rather than asking who is going to be the inheritor of the Trump mantle and the so-called Maga movement, we may be talking in a year or so about which candidates can escape the odious distinction of having been connected with Trump.”
The media is already shaping the narrative. Assuming there is an election, stories like this will encourage people to sit it out. Then, “Red Wave!” “It’s a MIRACLE!”
So get your ass in gear and get the vote out. This may be our last worst chance.
Remember everyone: If you think the Republicans are about to get a trouncing, get a couple of your own punches in to make sure it’s a thorough one.
“Dragged down by an unpopular president” HELL NO FUCK THAT
First, trump isn’t ‘unpopular’, he’s an evil asshole.
Second, the republican party isn’t ‘dragged down’ by trump, they’re 100% with him and they’re also evil assholes. And not just for sucking up to trump (which would be bad enough by itself), they were already evil assholes long before trump.
Their policies and plans are pretty much the same as decades ago, the only big change from before 2016 is that they used to pretend they weren’t evil assholes, but now they realized that their voters are dumb assholes who like their evil-asshole-ness, so now they actively try to be as dumb and evil and loud as possible
… And headlines like this one still pretend everything is totally normal and refuse to acknowledge the absolute insanity that politics turned into
“Bracing” is an odd way of saying “working harder at election fuckery to prevent a midterm trouncing.”
You can be sure there will be even more anomalous results than last time. And you can be equally sure that the media will talk about “unexpected swings” rather than considering the possibility that proven fraudsters and criminals might have rigged the election.
I’m sure the DNC will find a way to stay impotent/useless and push people into apathy again.
They always do o7
Hopefully, the trouncing republicans receive will be behind bars.
Just wait until they get a load of just how disastrous his presidency - so far - has been for the economy.
The bullshit artists and those bothsiderist stooges have been propping up this notion that Biden left poor Donvict a terrible economy and Donvict has been working so hard to “fix” it.
Don’t listen to the polls. Telling you Trump doesn’t have a chance is a strategy his party uses to bring down voter turnout.
Yeah, right, the Guardian is totally subservient to MAGA.
/s
It’s not just polls, there have been elections, they went badly for Republican candidates.
And what has changed since then?
Too bad Congress is powerless to do anything about an out of control President. Yup, 100% Trump’s fault.
/s
they are not powerless - the Republican majority chooses not to use their power
The Republican majority decided to release the Epstein files in accordance with the bill, and then that order was ignored.
The DNC upon hearing this news decides to once again put the full force of their corporate-fellating power and contacts into supporting centrist, corporate candidates, thinking if they can get some of those nutter votes they’ll be good. This will further alienate the people who actually want things to get better, and so more will decide to bow out of voting. And thus the window shifts further right, while seeming to shift a little left. A continuance of the grand political illusion.
Is it an illusion or the reflection of a decaying empire?
Just “unpopular”…
We’re in for history repeating itself if we keep talking about Trump and the present moment like any of it is normal.
Nobody should forgive the Republicans until they’ve apologized for the damage they’ve enabled. There should be commitments to undo the damage. Of course it won’t happen until MAGA is dead.
Nobody should forgive the Republicans until they’ve apologized for the damage they’ve enabled.
I won’t forgive them until 100% of them commit seppuku, or at least self-immolation.
Neither. But we can’t have such nice things.
That’s not far enough. The Republican party should be disbanded for capitulating to Trump’s authoritarianism. They’ve basically just abandoned their post to let a king in all but name run amok.
Of course it won’t happen until MAGA is dead.
Which will be never. Since “maga” == conservative, and it’s not like these people are not creating new converts all the time, most especially among the very young and impressionable.
I’ve seen a lot of ink spilled about the gerontocracy, as if that’s the source of our troubles. I see that “JD” “Vance” is a young 41 years old. As a for instance. Almost half the age of Taco. Taco being 79 is not the problem. Mitch McConnell, same thing. Or any other politician you care to point at that is at or over 80 or whatever people think is the cutoff. As long as conservatism keeps propagating itself, having even 20-something year olds in office is not going to fix jack shit.
I’m all for (former) Republicans and conservatives being made to atone for their sins before being welcomed back to polite society, though.
and it’s not like these people are not creating new converts all the time, most especially among the very young and impressionable.
Here’s hoping these broniverse manlets keep getting thumped on and the forthcoming generation realizes that “sigma” is just self-identifying as an insecure little pussy who doesn’t stand a chance in a physical contest against someone who actually knows what they’re doing. You can’t spout misogynistic horseshit with your jaw wired shut.
Don’t forget, kiddos, martial law in October. Get ready.
I hate the term “cope”, but there honestly is no better way to describe this article.
From my experience living in the US, a significant portion of the local population (be it far right or centre right) are generally supportive of crime and corruption. The centre right opposition is incapable of any meaningful action on crime and they are too involved in local corruption schemes to change. And a significant portion of the centre-right electorate also support crime. Not saying it was always like that or it can’t change; this is a mere (extremely subjective) evaluation of the current situation.
From the perspective of people in other countries (that support democracy, efficient governance, innovation), it is reasonable to assume that Americans cannot be relied upon in any substantive manner irrespective of whether the far right or centre right is in power; at least for the next 30-50 years. Much of their civil society and civil service (that was world class at one point) is completely debased and have been replaced by local criminals and regressives.
It is reasonable to assume this is not going to change any time soon. Instead we’ll have usual pompous bullshit.
To quote Barack Obama:
“You know, don’t tell me you’re a Democrat, but you’re kind of disappointed right now, so you’re not doing anything. No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something,” he said. “Don’t say that you care deeply about free speech and then you’re quiet. No, you stand up for free speech when it’s hard. When somebody says something that you don’t like, but you still say, ‘You know what, that person has the right to speak.’ … What’s needed now is courage.”
What’s needed now is courage?
What the fuck does this even mean?
Not to mention the tedious polemics about free speech.
Removed by mod
For someone who talked about the need for speech and courage, Obama sure has spent a lot of time out of the public eye not using his speech and not being courageous.
Pfft. The sitouts would absolutely let the literal devil into office, if the other candidate ruffled their feathers in any way.
