The only path forward
There is one path forward for those that want the United States to continue to be a republic. There is one path forward for those that want individual rights and individual liberty to be a thing moving forward in the United States. There is one path forward for those that want the church over here and our politics to be over there. There is only one path forward.
You must vote and you must vote for Democrats. If it’s Joe Biden then it’s Joe Biden. If it’s your moderate senator or milquetoast representative than so be it. If it’s Skippy the kid who used to run the video store for dog catcher than so be it. If it has a D you vote for it. If it has an R you don’t.
If you are looking at your local school board election or local city offices and someone talks about how they are conservative then you don’t vote for them. You may have known them for years and you think they are a stand up man or woman. That’s great. You still vote for someone else.
You cannot vote for third party candidates. You cannot vote for the Republican because you like him/her and think they are decent enough. You cannot stay home because you don’t like anyone on the ballot. You vote for the Democrat to save our democracy. You vote for the Democrat or democracy dies.
Andrew Yang has formed himself a new party. Some of Yang’s ideas were interesting in the last presidential primary. I definitely understand the impulse to give people more choices. I definitely understand the impulse to say that the two-party system has driven this country into a ditch. I definitely understand the impulse to say that a “vote this party or die” mantra is what got us here. 99 times out of 100 I would be saying the exact same things.
We need to acknowledge the present reality. 40 percent of the country (or at least those that vote) are taken in by the right. I could call them deplorable, brainwashed, uneducated, or any other negative adjective I can think of. They aren’t changing their vote. They could listen to stories about the ex-president sitting in a high chair and throwing food at the wall. Maybe they would hear tales of him rubbing his own feces on himself in some kind of fit of rage. Maybe they would see him take a briefcase directly from Vlad Putin and they would still vote for him.
They are thanking him for saving “white” lives. They are calling for the destruction of the wall between church and state. They want an end to gay marriage, interracial marriage, available contraception and affordable health care for women. They want gay men, lesbian women, bisexuals, transsexuals and everyone else back in the closet. Generals in the military are taking the fifth when asked if they support the peaceful transfer of power. In short, they aren’t hiding it anymore. They aren’t using cute dog whistles or a carefully crafted group of phrases giving them plausible deniability. They are coming right out and saying it.
Now is not the time to divide the other 60 percent. Now is the time for the other 60 percent to speak in one voice and tell them no. Now is the time for the other 60 percent to muster the courage to send the most egregious to jail and the less dangerous underground. Now is the time for the other 60 percent to codify our voting rights. Codify women’s rights. Codify LGTBQ+ rights. It is time for the 60 percent to codify those norms that we just assumed would always be there into actual law.
From there, Yang and everyone else can discuss what the progressive movement should look like and what the choices should be. Conservatives that defect to us to save democracy can then figure out amongst themselves what their movement should look like. Maybe then we won’t have to vote for Skippy for dog catcher or against your friend for the school board. Until that day comes there is only one solution. You have to vote and you have to vote blue. Otherwise, democracy dies.
When LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act, he said it would be the end of Democrats in the South and he has been right, however when the GOP starts doing things that affect younger people, surely this will start the decline of the GOP.
1During Germany’s Weimar Republic days, the opponents of the Nazi Party failed to unite. Instead, they squabbled.
To paraphrase a Founder:”If we don’t hang together, we will hang separately.”
2True, the only issue in ‘22 is commitment to democracy. But that’s no problem: the Ds stand for that and the rights of women and minorities, the environment, Ukraine, human rights, etc. I’m way too old to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
3The Democrats are no pro-censorship, pushed an experimental vaccine as if it was safe, shut down oil production, and are in favor of indoctrination in schools. They are pro riot (unless the riot is Jan 6). The businesses were boarded up in Nov 2022 in case Trump won– not is case he lost. The Democrats are all about violent trantrums Their title IX stuff is very antidue process. Basically, the Democrats are about as bad as is possible. The GOP wants to force women to bring a rapist’s child to term. So a very evil anti-freedom very racist party (Democrats) and a Moral Majority mess (GOP). I’ll take Andrew Yang tahnk you— I will never vote for a Democrat again (I have all my life until now).
4Wow! I’ll just say we see the world very differently and leave it at that. I’ll let the rest of the gang contribute their two cents except to say very little if any of that is actually true.
5Well, Felix, glad to see Juanita allowed your comment through. Always interesting to know what the conspiracy laden, largely fact free side of the universe is “thinking.” Pretty certain your “thoughts” will be welcome news to the Republicans.
6For Felix – you’re just not thinking clearly, buddy. And/or you’ve got a few facts wrong.
“Experimental vaccine” – No, it wasn’t. It is/was based on science that had developed over 20+ years (mRNA), and thankfully was available to deliver a vaccine fast and save millions of lives. BTW, it was rushed out by The Former Guy, perhaps the only good thing he’s ever done.
“Shut down oil production” – Nope, hasn’t happened. In fact the current administration has released strategic reserves to try and increase the raw supply of oil.
“indoctrination in schools” – Actually, that’s what schools are for – to put youngsters on a path, hopefully a good one. Not sure what you mean by “indoctrination”, but all the educators I know simply want to teach the facts of their subject and get home at a reasonable hour.
“Pro-riot” – I’m sorry, but that’s a crock. No one, D or R, is pro-riot unless they are an extremist, and we have them on both sides. Some folks just want to fight, and the other 95% of us need to calm them down.
Bottom line, we Democrats aren’t perfect, but we’re sure as hell not the gang responsible for almost destroying democracy. I like Andrew Yang too, but I agree with Nick Carraway – now is not the time to divide the 60% of us who seem to see things clearly.
7Can you say T-r-o-l-l-i-n-g? Fishing for a rise. Not worth the thumb effort to comment.
8Well, I lied, Felix. I will comment. Every time I hear the pushers of the experimental vaccine conspiracy that was tested and then successfully used in the real world by 100’s of millions, I think of my sister. Why don’t you ask her what she thinks now about your comment on vaccines. Oh, sorry, you can’t. That conspiracy bullshit was the subject of my last conversation with her. She spewed it back to me when I told her I’d just had mine and begged her to get it. She got Covid the next month, and died in the next week. I could say how I really feel but might be censored and you wouldn’t like it.
9Steve I am not saying it was a conspiracy. I am saying it was a new vaccine technology whose long term effects were unknown (really they will be for a couple of decades). I was very happy to take the vaccine three times– the choice was an experimental vaccine technology or a novel virus– I made my choice. I am pro-choice. Forcing people to take this experimental vaccine seems a severe violation of body autonomy. But we are unlikely to agree on whether the Democrats are severe authoritarians; that’s fine. We’ll see in November whether people like me (lifelong Democrats who think the current Democrats are worse than the 1980s Moral Majority) are a demographic.
10RepubAnon …
Benjamin Franklin’s comment at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
worth mentioning, in these days of heightened and negative partisanship:
“”Ben Franklin Effect.” As the story goes, during Franklin’s second campaign for clerkship of the general assembly, he encountered someone who seemed to despise everything about him. This individual went as far as to give a speech to his colleagues severely criticizing Franklin both personally and professionally. Franklin’s response was not one of anger, though by all accounts he was most certainly offended. Instead, he took what he knew about his enemy and used it to his advantage. Franklin knew that this man was an avid reader and collector of rare books. Franklin sent him a note requesting to borrow one book in particular, which also happened to be one of his enemy’s most prized possessions. His enemy, seemingly unsure how to react, obliged and lent him the book. A few weeks later, Franklin returned the book along with a thank you note. …
Common sense leads us to believe that if we do someone a favor, they should feel more likely to reciprocate. We can assume that this does happen and of course is something that we should always look to do. However, what this story and other studies have shown is that sometimes asking something small of someone, can actually build a better connection.
So, what favors can we ask for from the members of the MAGA-verse?
11Hey, if you want to see an anti-vaxxer even crazier than Felix, check out the website of this guy running for the US Senate in Alaska:
https://lightingupthedarkness.exposed/
12@ Steve, my condolences. Losing a close relative in that way is hard.
@ John in Denver
Ask them to share the name of the abortionists they use?
Re Felix: isn’t it amazing how people spouting RNC talking points always say the were previously lifelong Democrats?
13As an old lady with heart disease, I am so grateful for the Covid vaccine and boosters which have allowed me to survive. I only wish everyone had taken advantage of the expert medical advice which urged us to take advantage of it.
14I have never been pro riot and decry the actions of those who stooped to these tactics, no matter how desperate their situations.
And as a teacher, I did not ever try to indoctrinate any of my students in any way. In fact I resisted parental pressure to do this in many areas: religion, politics and race.
Why, because I am a DEMOCRAT!
Ms. Carraway and I have actually both been home the past few days with COVID. Fortunately, my case was mild and I can thank the vaccines for that. I’ve been in education for nearly 25 years. I’ve only seen a few teachers show their biases to students and none were Democrats. I can only shutter to think what COVID would be like with my diabetes without the vaccines. We picked up the virus on our trip to California.
I’m all for freedom to a point. You can do what you want until it impacts me and vice versa. This isn’t conservatism or liberalism. It’s the basic agreement we make living in a society and community.
15Good for you Maryelle. I am also grateful for the vaccine and would love to see some Nobel prizes handed out. It was a great victory for applied science and the Enlightenment-based system. I think forcing federal employees in their 20s to be vaccinated with an experimental vaccine or lose their jobs is an obscene abuse of power. You believe the Democrats are still like you. I do not.
My main evidence that the Democrats seek authoritarian power is their desire to make the Presidency *more powerful*. After a narcissistic reality TV star with dictator aspirations won the election, surely any rational person wants *less* power in that office. Unless they liked where Trump was going, but wants the dictatorial power to be theirs.
16I probably would have responded differently on the “experimental vaccine” if I had the full picture of your thinking, Felix. It still gets me hot to hear the “experimental” crap pushed in some media and I took it that way from you. It was beyond experimental so I disagree with your original statement.
17I am not “pro riot” except for an insurrection pushed by a sitting President. That my be how some Democrats could be characterized, but that would be a huge overstatement. Huge. I doubt anyone active in the salon thinks that way. No way, so don’t characterize me or Democrats that way.
As for indoctrination of kids in schools, that’s absurd. I don’t even know where to start. That’s crap. I’m done, my thumb is cramping up.
RE pro riot. 2020 summer we were in a pandemic. We did NOT know whether it was spread outside. In Kenosha a violent sexual criminal was shot when he was behaving dangerously with childrwn present. A bunch of riotors travelled there to burn the place down and spread covid because … I couldn’t say why. Most Democrats I know thought that was ok. Same for the violent nightly riots in Portland. It is possible the Democrats I know just suck and are truly terrible tribalists full of hate. It is possible the people here were appalled by violent street protests in a pandemic. We’ll see in November who is imagining things. I hope I am, but I doubt it.
18The whole Democrats are in favor of authoritarianism or rioting is a trick similar to “people are saying” or “some people told me.” Really? Who told you that? Which Democrats said that? Be specific. Define your terms. What exactly did they say? How about some direct quotes?
MTG was basically saying the same thing today and not one reporter pushed back. It really pissed me off. Name your sources. Tell me what they said exactly. I have not heard one elected Democrat say they wanted rioting. Not one. Until I see a direct quote from one I’ll consider that a bullshit talking point and just move on.
I’m also done with this experimental bullshit. The authoritarian thing is just funny and bizarre. At this point you’re just spewing bullshit without anything to back it up. At least when Juanita, Jefe, Jet, or I call out the outrageous things people do and say we have the decency to quote them and attach evidence. Good lord.
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