Make no mistake about this: we are watching a coup in real time.

[Atticus]

Last edited Thu Jan 30, 2020, 12:55 PM - Edit history (1)

We have one realistic chance to reverse it and that is the election in November. Between this Friday---when all indications are that Trump will be acquitted---and next November, it is likely that several BILLION dollars will be spent to flood the nation's consciousness with pro-Trump and anti-anyone else propaganda. Anyone who opposes Trump---and some who just don't support him "enough"---will risk being smeared, investigated, prosecuted, fired---or worse.

And, if the coup is not reversed in November, democracy in America will have perished. Oh, there will be the pretense of a democracy for a while; until "election" outcomes are so rigidly fixed that everyone agrees they're unnecessary. Since opposition to the Trumps will be akin to treason and blind unquestioning worship of all governmental authority will be rewarded, the septic tank sludge that comprises "the base" will be elevated to positions of power throughout all levels of goverment---federal, state and local. Eager young fascist sycophants will preside over our courts and our "legislature" will be filled by ideologues of mind-numbing ignorance; racism, misogyny and homophobia will be "givens".

If the above is at all repulsive and difficult to even consider, let me ask you a question: half a dozen years into the above described nightmare, what do you think you would give to go back to 2020 and do more, give more, work harder, speak louder, knock on more doors, drive more voters to the polls?

We are currently pre-nightmare. You still have time to do all those things.

Campaign like your way of life---and that of your kids and grandkids---depends on it.

[hurple]

1. Once trump is named king by the Senate through acquittal

There will be no next election.

[totodeinhere]

10. Well then i guess we may as well all give up and go home.

No, there will be an election. The question is, will it be a fair one or will Trump and his Russians buddies steal it.

[jayfish]

12. Bet? -NT-

[Firestorm49]

39. Fair? Seriously? Republicans are giving him cart blanche to rig, cheat,

and destroy our long cherished civilized norms. Democrats now need to put the gloves on and fight like there literally is no tomorrow. The only way to overcome them winning swing states by a mysterious few hundred votes is by a landslide. In this election, the timid will be doomed. We need a monstrous effort to get out the vote. We need daily press about the corruption destroying us from the inside, and his cohort party, which by the way as I’ve stated too many times, is unfolding the last of their long developed plans of destroying our democracy. They don’t care because they pretty much have the confidence that “it’s in the bag.” Just look back. Was gerrymandering a fluke or a plan? Was stacking the courts over many years a fluke? Was Citizens United (the name makes me barf) a fluke? Was not calling witnesses in a so called “trial” a fluke? I could go on and on. They had a plan, they worked it, and we’re about to see the consequences. We were wearing blinders.

We’re in deep shit here and better take this seriously, as we’re the underdogs and things aren’t looking too good right now.

[napi21]

95. The Russians won the 2015 election by spreading false info via Social Media. The voters now

know that happened and that method is no longer an option. How they all try to do the same is unlikely to work in 2020. Any people who fell for the crap in 2015 will be skeptical about anything they read. I believe it's also imperative that the Dem candidates put somebody on monitoring social media and refute the lies as they are posted. Even if they have to get multiple people to do that it's important they do so. Mostly younger Americans get a lot of their info there and the rebuttals have to be done to get the votes of that group in Nov.

[progressiveradical]

22. This is just silly

[bdamomma]

67. Welcome to DU!

how is this silly???

[calimary]

97. Welcome to DU, progressiveradical.

Sounds like exactly what the opposition hopes our attitude will be. Scoffing at it and calling it silly. One is more likely not to take things seriously, with a mindset like that, and sit back and just assume "everything's gonna be fine."

The only problem with that is - everything is certainly NOT fine at the moment, and it's steadily sliding in the "getting worse" direction.

We can't afford to assume everything will be fine. Unless WE take the bull by the horns and work for a better November - as though our lives depended on it. Because they very well may. After all, Bill Barr spoke at the Federalist Society last year and singled out "the Resistance" as a negative element in the American political landscape. That can only mean trouble ahead, especially if trump cheats himself into a second term.

"If we don't stand up for truth, now, it will be too late." NY Times' Mara Gay said that on MSNBC tonight. We ignore that warning at our peril, and all America's peril.

[bdamomma]

66. or it will be fixed again.

Ask the Russian people they have fixed elections, they have a dismal lives, do we want the same kind of life????

[Corgigal]

2. Do you listen to podcasts?

You may want to listen to the podcast, Fresh Air by NPR. It’s called what happens if there’s a election meltdown in 2020?

We’re gonna need a plan B.

[wnylib]

15. Re: Plan B. I've been thinking the same thing

for a long time, now. But I confess that I don't know what such a plan would be. The one thing that does come to mind is that people who see what is happening and don't agree with it will face restrictions on communicaing their views, even to each other, and on connecting with each other.

[study war no more]

25. listening to this right now

I think we need to start focusing on making sure the next election is fair, accurate, and legal.

[wnylib]

31. Yes, that is our focus right now. Meantime,

make sure your passport is up to date.

[bdamomma]

68. exactly.

If people have the means this may have to be considered, but we must VOTE in record numbers.

[Jarqui]

48. How can that happen?

The Senate is about to rubber stamp that it is ok for Trump to do whatever to get reelected

The AG and Mueller have already weighed in that Trump cannot be indicted.

The AG has ignored the courts.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/attorney-general-william-barrs-department-of-justice-tells-the-courts-and-congress-to-get-lost-in-new-filings?ref=scroll

"By Barr’s twisted logic, a president would have a strong incentive to get impeached by the House to gain, quite literally, a license to break the law without recourse."

We're pretty close to that place now.

So how can the next election be fair when there is no limit to what this corrupt president can do to reelect himself?

We're in a real mess and I think it is naive to have faith that an election is going to get us out of it.

We've already had the Russians interfere in 2016 and Trump obstructed Mueller from finding enough evidence to prove it beyond reasonable doubt. Now, anything goes. He can give nuclear secrets away in return for election assistance because in his mind, it is in the national interest that he be reelected.

I've lost faith that we can have a fair 2020 election. It's not going to happen in light of what is unfolding. Once acquitted, Trump is unbridled. There is nothing to stop him from stealing another election. And they're be all the more brazen about it.

[wnylib]

75. I share most of your feelings. Here is what

I both hope and dread.

I hope that the impeachment and trial proceedings have alerted the general public to the extent of corruption in the Senate and administration.

I hope that awareness drives huge numbers to the polls to vote them out.

Then, if Trump and his enablers refuse to accept defeat and leave, claiming that he actually won, I hope the people openly protest in huge numbers and keep it up as strongly and firmly as Hong Cong does.

But I also dread this, because it will get very ugly. Trump & Co. wiil not tolerate protests, no matter how peaceful they are. They will use force to stop protesters. Trump's racist armed militias will back him. I fear that the nation will face a time like the 1960's or worse. I don't want to see that. But we must make a peaceful stand, if necessary. And hope for the best outcome because we cannot .accept a dictatorship.

[Jarqui]

84. I fear this will not end peacefully

Mueller was stymied by obstruction.
Congress has been stymied by obstruction.
As a result, the media has been stymied by obstruction.

I strongly suspect a bunch of the players like Lindsey Graham, Bill Barr and Alan Dershowitz are being motivated by Kompromat/blackmail so the stakes for them is high. They cannot compromise.

Aside from the obvious difference from Watergate where the present AG is corrupt, we were able to "follow the money" with Watergate but have been denied to date here. If an honest administration gets in, they will be able to follow the money and a whole bunch of Republicans will not be happy about that.

The behavior by the GOP indicates that they have a lot at stake personally - which motivates them to place their own well-being ahead of the country.

What is going on is going to be obvious to a lot of the country. The only way for them to retain power and save themselves is to continue on this path to compromise the 2020 election because they're crossing the line where they'll have any chance of winning it fair and square.

Someone is going to shoot or bomb or hurt someone and that's the likely tinderbox for this thing to go off the rails that had been heading towards towards a peaceful solution.

If the Republic is to survive this, the odds are way up that it is going to have to be fought for.

[wnylib]

90. That is my fear and concern, too, that the survival

of the republic will require a fight. I do not want to see it come to that.

As for Republicans being blackmailed to support the Trump dictatorship, I have suspected that for a very long time, since long before the WB complaint. They could free themselves if they united in helping to stop him.

But I also suspect that many of them are willing participants in the overthrow of democratic government.

Considering the retaliation to come, the leaders who are opposing this coup are incredibly courageous.

[Jarqui]

91. Whoever wins the Dem nomination

they will be hit with an onslaught of crap.

It won't surprise me if AG Bill Barr charges Biden with bribery or something to damage him.

I think this is more out of control than many can imagine right now.

When folks finally add two plus two and figure it out, it is probably going to be too late (if it isn't already) and things will get ugly.

It's incredible to me that Trump's approval numbers, although under water, are improving during impeachment. He'll probably get a bump when they acquit him. So it isn't just the government that is broken/corrupt. The media is too.

[wnylib]

92. If the nominee is Biden, they will slam him

criminsl charges to stop him.

If it is Warren, they will label her a socialist and promote scare tactics to rival the mushroom cloud threat about Saddam.

If it is Sanders, the attacks will be the same as with Warren since he embraces the term socialism.

I think we will need a backup plan if it is Biden in case they investigate or bring false charges against him.

It might be that a Buttigieg/Klobuchar ticket would be immune to these kinds of attacks. If they go after his sexual orientation, it will matter only to RW religious fundies. I don't think either of them has a following among minorities, who might feel indifferent enough to not vote. Some minority leaders might be able to convince them of the importance of theur vote for the nation.

I am only looking at the situation pragmatically, now, without regard for my personal preferences. There will be time for personal choices in the future if we can get rid of the current scum first.

[Jarqui]

93. I believe it was Nov 2013 that Republicans were testing ads

to control groups in Florida for slamming Hillary.

In Dec 2019, the House voted to impeach. Trump's approval has improved 2 points since then. After 16,000 lies, his approval is approaching an all time high since he was elected.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html

From that, evidently, the media 95% controlled by a handful of rich guys is working more for Trump than the American people.

Trump is about to be blessed to have Russia, China, North Korea or whatever countries he wants to help him get reelected.

I'm beginning to wonder if it matters who the Dem leader is much less a backup plan. The lawlessness and playing field is becoming so tilted, it explains the brazen approach of these GOP Senators. They know there will be no recourse for their conduct.

[calimary]

96. Welcome to DU, study war no more.

That's about the only card we have left to play at this point.

[MarcA]

33. When in the course of Human Events. n/t

[csziggy]

104. You don't need a podcast - it's available on the NPR site

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/29/800834510/what-happens-if-theres-an-election-meltdown-in-2020

I'm listening now.

[lunasun]

3. Kick

[H2O Man]

4. Recommended.

I agree 100%.

[burrowowl]

61. Me too!

[Javaman]

5. the revolution may not be televised but the coup will be. nt

[Eyeball_Kid]

6. You're an optimist.

The coup occurred in 2016. Since then, Trumpy has consolidated his power to the degree that he no longer has to answer for his crimes. Now he has the Senate declaring that he can do no wrong. All that’s left to do is kill the Constitution. As of now, the execution date is TOMORROW.

When the Senate acquits, the Constitution DIES.

[Liberalhammer]

24. I agree

Tomorrow is the coronation.

[LisaM]

28. The coup occurred in 2000.

That led to a chain of events that created the Roberts Supreme Court and its associated decisions for Citizens United and against the Voting Rights Act.

[llashram]

47. yep

100% correct. And I point the finger at the first bought off person, threatened or otherwise Fla. SOS Katherine Harris who certified the Bush victory with a win with 537 votes over Al Gore. This was in spite of the "hanging chads". Remember them? 16-20 years later Putin installed this POTUS nightmare. 2004 had election skulduggery in Ohio.

[JudyM]

62. That's right. We didn't fight hard enough right then, we rolled over for the sake of decorum.

Hoist by our own petard. Rethugs use our values to strangle us.

[LisaM]

69. Al Gore fought to the Supreme Court.

One huge problem was the media, who'd taken an irrational dislike to Gore and were really hard on him, while ignoring Bush's shortcomings - even people who should have known better, like Margaret Carlson. It also coincided with the ascent of Fox News.

[JudyM]

71. We didn't take issue with conflicts of interest on the court (Scalia should've recused) and we could

have asked the FL Supreme Court for a full recount. This was a grave mistake, because we would’ve won. We didn’t have the stomach to fight as hard as they did, and they continue to fight harder, to the most absurd ends... the issue cannot be how can we get along with them, it must be how can we outmaneuver them!

https://theintercept.com/2018/11/10/democrats-should-remember-al-gore-won-florida-in-2000-but-lost-the-presidency-with-a-preemptive-surrender/?comments=1

[LisaM]

73. It may have been a tactical error, but it doesn't imply lack of fight.

I am not sure that Gore could have requested a statewide recount on the first go-round. I've heard varying accounts, one of which ws that you can't request a full state recount without first identifying areas where there may have been harm (it's been a while, but I remember the various accounts). I'm not going to open an Intercept link, but I did read up on it voraciously at the time.

The justices who should have recused themselves were:

Scalia (son worked for a firm representing Bush in Bush v. Gore)
Sandra Day O'Connor, who'd made partisan remarks about the results on election night 2000
Clarence Thomas, whose wife was on the Bush inauguration committee.

You could make an outside case for Rehnquist, whose daughter ended up working for Bush.

Why the media didn't go screaming all this from the rooftops is beyond me - I still hold their feet to the fire on this. They had all this information and a means of disseminating it, but chose not to do so. People who knew the facts, and could have exposed them, too - Geoffrey Toobin, Margaret Carlson, Chris Matthews, and Tim Russert. Instead, they treated it all as some hilarious side show. I'm not going to engage in victim-blaming Al Gore. He had few enough allies at the time (on top of which people who should have known better dismissed him as boring. Yeah, saving the environment is so boring).

[JudyM]

80. I'd forgotten about Thomas' conflict.

These people disgrace the Constitution, not to mention the legal profession.

We cannot — cannot— rely on the media! We need to run our business like we’re the only ones who will save us... because we are. There are numerous deep-seated problems with our election system and infrastructure and WE are the only ones who can change things. We have been asleep at the wheel while state after state government has been taken over and districts gerrymandered, rethug Secretaries of State taking control of election policies and procedures in ways that have *let them win presidential elections*

We are the ones responsible for fixing the system and for educating the public about it in ways that grab their attention. We have not yet learned that truth does not win, that neither rethugs nor the public are rational and we have to communicate FAR more effectively/powerfully and outstrategize them if we have any hope.

This is not moot court. It is a democracy that is starting to crumble because WE have been too trusting and not fighting hard and smart enough. TBH, this is why I’m afraid of Biden winning. Of course if he’s the nominee I’ll work hard to GOTV, but he is talking as if we’re dealing with a congress that is not grossly corrupt.

All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to sit back and not fight with everything they’ve (we’ve) got.

[bdamomma]

102. Yes, this was

all premediated. You can just see that this has been in the works for a very long time.

Sadly, I think we missed the mark. If he continues to assault people's way of life, there will some sort of confrontation. Because his cult hates America and everything it stands for. They want to see chaos and see people killed. Because they are so miserable.

Our last option will be our election, and if there is repeat of 2016, I think there could be a mass exodus of people (those who have the financial means) and they will leave it's survival.

I'm just assuming here no way I want to see this happen, but it should be considered.

[joost5]

37. Evan McMullin's Tweet is a bullseye....

Link to tweet

"Republican leaders in Congress believe—and privately say—that they fear the country is quickly changing in ways that may soon deprive them of power, and that they must use the power they have now to delay it as long as possible, even by harming the Republic if necessary."

[Thekaspervote]

43. Not surprising... didn't think I would live to see this day..but here we are

[CaptYossarian]

7. Somewhere down Trump's To-do list after November 3rd is

to tear down Lady Liberty, erect a taller Trump statue in her place (to protect from immigrants) with large hands--and rebuild those Confederate monuments to please his base.

Further up the list will be a very Nazi-like book burning in all communities. Public executions of his critics over the years will be featured on DonaldTV--all Donald, all the time. People like us will quietly refer to it as "The Dementia Channel".

[wnylib]

16. People like us might be among the executed.

[Captain Zero]

35. no. when fascists take over first purge is always their own party

But that could go fairly quickly, if history is any guide.

[CaptYossarian]

50. That's true. We are a collection of Nathan Hales and Benedict Arnold is president.

[wnylib]

74. Since Mr. Arnolld is so concerned about

the Bidens and their foreign connections, perhaps this would be a good time to send him to China and see if they took him up on his request that China investigate them. He could start looking for his evidence in Hunan.

[cachukis]

8. The country will continue to split, but the geographic divide

will become more pronounced. Population centers will want to only support their population and not bail out antithesis minded groups. California/the west coast is already moving in this direction. The northeast is already peeved at the SALT realignments for example, and has the financial staying power to negotiate as a region. The anti abortion regions will have their say and either align with the progressives or take pride in their toughing it out. The country, as we knew it, is no longer and has been gravitating to the tribal mentalities of the middle east. We survived the Civil War, and I do mean survive because it still goes on buoyed by the new anti choice rhetoric. After this expose of republican intransigence against the truth, the smart's cannot be pushed into a corner.

The move will continue to be gradual, but the pace will accelerate if he gets re-elected. He is opposed to the scientific influence on decisions and the hopeful fight against climate change cannot wait for politics. The next generation will revolt if they know what's good for them.

[Ligyron]

40. The United States has existed as a nation less than 250 years.

Yeah, we're great and powerful right now with our economy and huge military but think of the empires that have last centuries longer that are no more.

We're told from birth how "special" we are just as their citizens no doubt were as well.

In the ebb and flow of time many nations have had their time in the sun. Ours may well be coming to an end with this nightmare of cleverly engineered rule by a minority.

There again, if enough of the majority rise up and act, we just may put and end to that and become worthy of the greatness we've been sold.

[druidity33]

57. The fall of Rome comes to mind. nt.

[42bambi]

9. My only hope for our nations future is that

someone within our government will step up and release a boatload of documents that Trump and his sycophants have kept secret. Until then we need to keep the pressure on the courts to finalize the investigations of his illegal "business deals" and, as a bonus, investigate Ivanka, Jared and Don Jr. for good measure. Keep him sweating!

[Baltimike]

11. That happened election night 2016. Seriously. nt

[defacto7]

30. If you remember there was a failed coup in 2012.

Remember the Ohio voting machine debacle where something went wrong with the fix at the last minute?

[Baltimike]

41. Yep....assuredly as bad as Ken Blackwell's stunt in '04. nt

[infullview]

13. If they get their way, there will be no way to reverse it as it will be the new precedent for

a succession of kings.

[Toorich]

14. Battered Wife/Senate Syndrome

If a Senator back-talks, there will be a smack down.
If a Senator strays from Trumpy Bear's rules, there will be a smack down.
If a senator dares to talk to a neighbor across the aisle, smack down.

Senators! Wake up! The Country will support your courage and back you if you do what's right.

[Karadeniz]

17. I have felt sick to my stomach all morning.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

18. Facebook smears run like lightening among low info's.

Unfortunately, with control of only one house, we couldn't prevent that. We couldn't prevent TRussia who will interfere again. It is VITAL that we get trump approval down - closer to 4o% - enough to make it look impossible that he actually "won" when election night comes.

[Thekaspervote]

44. BOYCOTT FB!! There are lots of other platforms one can use to stay in touch

Stop the gop propaganda machine!! Don’t be a part of it

[Laura PourMeADrink]

56. Trust me...canceled out many years ago. The low infos

just laugh if you say Russia infiltrates. I saw first hand how Beto was gaining and a couple weeks before Cruz came in and spread horrible pics and stories that spread like wildfire.

Back 6 months ago trump had already spent (of other people's $) $8 mil in ads. You can probably scratch TX off possible list. It all works like a charm for them.

[Politicub]

19. Trump's base is not expanding

And the blue wave is gaining strength.

I think that an acquittal will be a millstone around the necks of vulnerable senators like Corey Gardner of Colorado.

We must work tirelessly to rally the people to vote in order to stop the coup. Each of the democratic front runners for the nomination have traits and strengths that will draw people in.

[Thekaspervote]

45. Love your ++++ thinking! This is the attitude we must keep moving forward

[Laura PourMeADrink]

87. Does his base mean his approval? I have watched it

since he got elected. Trending up. If we don't knock off three points we will suffer thru him for 4 years and 10 more months

[unblock]

20. the coup already happened. what we are watching now is the passage of the enabling act.

[katmondoo]

70. Wow, you are so right.

[Tumbulu]

81. you are right

and it is heartbreaking to watch/experience. And all the younger people that I ask are not paying any attention whatsoever to it.

[wnylib]

21. By all means, we should knock ourselves out

for our 2020 candidate. I have no doubt that there will be serious intervention and rigging of this election. I do not know if we can overcome that, even with landslide support, considering the determination of Trump and his enablers to control the outcome.

But the more support we have with the people, the harder it will be for Trump & Co. to take absolute control, even if they do remain in office.

[DallasNE]

23. We Are Early Stages Nightmare

Pre-nightmare is in our rear view mirror. That started under Reagan and picked up steam under Bush -- especially the lying part (think WMD and consequences) and letting the Brady bill expire. Right now we are in the early stages of a full blown nightmare, make no mistake of that. And with a packed Supreme Court there is nobody in sight to apply the brakes. Think Merrick Garland handling on Supreme Court packing. And with Citizens United we will see for the first time more than $1 billion spent on a single candidate. Mark Zuckerberg will be a happy camper.

[SWBTATTReg]

26. Doom and gloom is not here yet. Instead of anticipating what could be here w/ the rump nitwits...

and other garbage, I chose to focus on the positive and wonder which of our democratic candidates will be in office, along w/ a majority in the House and Senate, in Nov. 2020. I'm sick and tired of the negativism and the almost guaranteed death of democracy and the crowning of rump to be king. I chose to still believe in American democracy, by everyday Americans, despite sometimes it being hard to believe that democracy is still here.

[Thekaspervote]

46. +1000

[EndlessWire]

52. But

You know by listening to those who know what they're doing, that they also are stating that when tRump gets acquitted, the Executive branch will be a dictatorial agency. This will be so.

And, it's very real that we may have to fight a second revolution because of this.

Who among us hopes to lose that? When people fight, they always think that they will win. You, yourself, think this positive position and prefer to look at it in this way. No one is quitting!
When Trump is acquitted, we will fight on! But we have to have an honest evaluation of our situation. We're not giving up our democracy without a fight.

Thank you, House Managers.

[pangaia]

27. It is REPUBLICANS !!!!!!!!!

REPUBLICANS !!

Please spread this everywhere...

REPUBLICANS !!
REPUBLICANS !!
REPUBLICANS !!
REPUBLICANS !!
REPUBLICANS !!
REPUBLICANS !!

This PSA brought to you by Pangaia..

[bdamomma]

103. And McConnell

was telling his tribe to blame it all on the Democrats, I think he is going to be going to be surprised when this bites him back so hard.

Also he has been an instrumental part in all of this, packing the courts with dumb ass unqualified people, so if they do get hauled into court they will get off. I just hope that the truth will come it has been and it always comes at the end.

[pangaia]

29. Brilliantly stated !!!!!!!!!!!

May I use it elsewhere? maybe, maybe even in a letter to editor?

[Nitram]

32. In a sense we are watching a coup in real time. We all also watching a robust counter-offensive by

a number of still-strong government and societal institutions. We HAVE begun to fight, and I'm not betting against us.

[Botany]

34. My nightmare going forward

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212927985

[SCVDem]

36. If trump declares himself

A dicktator, then all Constitutional protections are void. We will have Marshall law and anarchy.

It will also be open season on traitors. Dick can call the bikers to protect his ass.

I still have MY oath to America.

Semper fi!

Time to stock up on ammo.

[Ingersollman]

51. You

will not be alone. We will not go down without a fight. US Army Infantry. 1981-1989.

[SCVDem]

53. Nice to know!

Dump is pissing on all that we sacrificed for.

All for nothing?

Not without a fight!

[PandoraAwakened]

38. K&R! n/t

[SunSeeker]

42. To me, it feels like the coup already happened, on Nov. 8, 2016. nt

[onetexan]

49. We're already in the nightmare.

The last sentence should be changed to

"Campaign BECAUSE your way of life---and that of your kids and grandkids---depends on it."

[bucolic_frolic]

54. Congress will have no purpose after tomorrow

Their proposed legislation is not considered by the majority, the subpoenas are ignored, the laws they have enacted are repealed by executive order or ignored, their oversight function is neutered, their impeachment power is destroyed by lies, and the Senate majority are partisans not patriots.

So, either it's more of the same that's been happening already, or we have emboldened dictatorship, or not much will change. Guess it depends on how you look at it, and what happens going forward, which no one has any power over anyway.

[evertonfc]

55. We will be ok.

Everyone is acting as if they thought the Senate would actually convict this guy. We knew the outcome. It's the risk we took when mpeaching him. So, yes, we eill have to deal with his gloating. As far as the election, I think we will win. Even with Russian interference, we won. If not for a few thousand votes in 3 states- we walk. We have won lots of local, state and federal elections since. The idea of Russian interference is valid and disinformation will be rampant but our side will turn out this time. If we dont- well, we will suffer through another 4 years and have another election. I'm not all soon and gloom. We are winning and will win again in Nov.

[c-rational]

58. Good message - Thank you.

[Tree-Hugger]

60. +1 nt

[renate]

63. it's just that they're becoming more and more emboldened because they CANNOT be stopped

With McConnell and Barr on Trump's side, we are all just being dragged over the waterfall.

I do genuinely love your message, and I hope that in a year we look back on all of this and say "Phew! Remember how enraging it was to see the GOP shit all over the constitution and get away with it? Thank god for our free and fair elections that ended that nightmare."

I'm just so scared that they'll outright steal the next election. Nobody's going to stop them. Nobody who can stop them even wants to stop them. What can we do about it if exit polls show us winning in a landslide but the official count shows us losing? Is there anything at all we can do?

Sorry, I sound panicky, but I actually would be thrilled to get some reassurance. Just a couple of days ago, when there were (probably) actually going to be witnesses, I thought that the phrase "Everything Trump touches dies" referred to the GOP. I'm more and more certain that our once-proud and once-respected country is what will die.

[JudyM]

64. The game has changed. They know they are impervious to our defenses. They can and will do more

than they’ve attempted in the past to fudge the voting and vote counts. They’ve been at this for years and they’re better at doing it than we are at discovering what they’ve done... until it’s too late.

I want to be hopeful but we have to do a hell of a lot more to defend our election infrastructure. Take it from Greg Palast. He is one of our only hopes, IMO.

He’s taking donations for the work he is doing. He's currently working with Stacy Abrams and Jesse Jackson on voter purge lists. Now more than ever: http://www.palastinvestigativefund.org/?StopThePurge2020

[malaise]

59. The coup took place in November 2016

History will absolve me

[bdamomma]

65. If people

lose the Internet, watch out we will be out in the streets. Free speech gone.

WE have one more chance in November to get their asses out.

[wnylib]

100. This is something I expect will happen.

So long as the Internet is useful in spreading trumpist doctrine for elections, it will remain. But as trumpists consolidate power, there will come a time when the Internet gets shut down to stop its use as a tool for organizing protests and speaking truths.

When it is permitted to operate again, it will be monitored closely for "subversive" material.

Controlling communications is essential for controlling a nation. Break up communications and divide the opposition. I expect to see restrictions on print and broadcast media and monitoring of individuals via phones and Internet.

But people can still push back. After all, there were protests and methods of communication long before there was an internet, before telephones, before electricity.

[Progressive Jones]

72. I'll come right out and say it. This coup must be ended using any means necessary. NT

[hay rick]

76. Agreed. nt

[Atticus]

78. THAT is your first post? Terms of service prevent my actual response! Mods? nt

[hay rick]

82. Wringing your hands online will not help.

Wringing your hands makes you less uncomfortable . It does not change circumstances in the real world.

Find a campaign or your local party office and make calls. I know- ugh. Knock on doors- double ugh. Or continue doing what you have been doing and PRAY for a different result.

Adults know that sometimes all available options are UNfuckingPLEASANT... but some are still better than others and doing nothing or doing the same thing you've been doing are the worst alternatives.

Whatcha gonna do?

[Atticus]

83. Was that addressed to me personally? nt

[hay rick]

85. No. Everybody on DU.

[hay rick]

86. Context.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212827043

[johnnyfins]

88. I would like to add something

Along with talking truth to everyone who will listen, and even those who seem like they won't, we need to be diligent online. Keep up simple truths in forums and elsewhere. Remember, Orange has made quite a mess of things. He has a troll army ready to combat anything posted online. Truth Truth Truth is all we need!

[Initech]

89. Yup, these fuckers are out for absolute power.

And they don't just want one party rule, they want the opposition erased from existence. And they will get their wish too if we're not careful. Things are going to get very ugly.

[Aussie105]

94. I see no evidence

that the next election will reflect the will of voters more than the last one.

In fact, the outside influences that were active prior to the last election have had several years to sharpen their approach and effectiveness.

Hardening of the election system doesn't seem to be happening either.

The coup happened prior to 2016, the 2016 election results were a manifestation of that, and the 2020 will be chapter 2 of the same story.

[saidsimplesimon]

99. Come on people now

"Time is on our side"

I'm busy thinking and working to elect more Democrats. Am I disappointed by the Senator I helped elect, Sinema? Yes

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[paparush]

98. Soap box, ballot box,

bullet box

[Eyeball_Kid]

101. The coup began three years ago. It's now reaching its ascendency.

Trump will destroy the framework of the Constitution. He's already crushed the Republican Party into complete submission. World-wide, observers have watched the esteemed US Senate turn into a gaggle of weaklings who sacrificed the Constitution for a dictatorship. Now he'll use the DOJ to attack the Democratic Party and all of its opposition. He'll never stop until he completely controls all aspects of government life, social life, and legal life.

Trump still owes Russia hundreds of millions in loans, perhaps more. He'll use the US government to make concessions on foreign policy to get his loans lessened or forgiven. Guaranteed.