America hates Progressives...

[MrScorpio]

Or at least much of us have been brainwashed into thinking that we hate progressives. Especially in white, rural America, which depends on progressive policies more than anyone else does to survive. But hating on progressives is part and parcel of our national cognitive dissonance and our favorite political past time.

Until these GOPer voting morons lose their political clout and allow the saner parts of America to lead the way, we can write off putting another progressive in the White House for a very long time. First we have to overcome the gerrymandering and voter suppression, the ability of the ultra wealthy to buy elections and then we're going to have ignore all the right wing propaganda bullshit.

I figure that you'd have to catch your breath by now, so I'll give you a second...

Anyway, this will not be an easy task at all. And that's even when we're working with fine, competent, highly qualified Democratic candidates. But how do you beat a party that promotes incompetency as a selling point to people who are too ignorant to differentiate their own asses from holes in the ground?

The dumbing down of America has had serious consequences and we're reaping the whirlwind of the Idiocracy.

They claim that government doesn't work, then they put incompetent people into government with the express intention of making it fail. Trump is doing that right now. His best expectations, even on the right, are to fail. For the wingers, anything better than a total collapsed government will be classified as a "success." Me, I'm going to be happy if I don't have to out run giant, glow-in-dark cockroaches any time in the next four years.

It's madness.

Frankly, as someone who's 55 myself, I'm not holding out for a major political change during my lifetime. The fucking GOPers have a vise grip hold on our entire political infrastructure, and they're not coming out of it with anything less than a full blown revolution... Or blow torches... Maybe even both.

So, I'm depending on you young people to fix this here shit, if you still can. I wish that I could be there to help you out. Hopefully I'll still be around, if we're lucky.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, People!

FDT.

[Initech]

1. Because AM hate radio dominates most of the dialogue anymore.

And now in the last few years that hate radio mutated into conspiracy theory radio. And conspiracy theory websites, podcasts and Youtube channels have become the new way most of these people get their news. Conspiracy theories generally don't favor progressives - we saw that with the Clinton Cash "scandal" and the Pizzagate "scandal". What I don't get is people I know who live in a big city and rely on progressive policies to maintain their businesses listen to that bullshit. Or why otherwise smart people have been listening to men's rights activists. That I do not get.

[MrScorpio]

2. It's nothing less than a war on reality.

If they have no idea what's real, they'll fall for anything.

FDT.

[Initech]

15. Yup the ones getting rich are the ones selling bullshit.

The idea that Clinton took money from terrorist groups in Qatar and Yemen and laundered it through her charity is a steaming pile of bullshit.

The idea that Clinton and her campaign manager were holding a fundraiser in a DC pizza parlor where a child sex ring was operating is a steaming pile of bullshit.

The idea that a massacre of 22 children and 6 teachers were brutally murdered actually didn't happen and was a false flag operation is a steaming pile of bullshit.

And the bullshit peddlers - Alex Jones, Breitbart, Prison Planet, etc - are getting rich and laughing all the way to the bank!

[yurbud]

3. And Democratic politicians agree with the GOP on issues that could win over those red staters

trade, letting bankers run wild and call the shots, endless wars that kill working class kids, and on and on.

[Nay]

6. That has certainly been a large problem. We can hardly differentiate ourselves

or our candidates if they are doing the same shit, like voting for wars, hyping TPP, and such. There are a couple of rational reasons why some people on right, left, and middle were wary of everybody running in this last election.

[yurbud]

10. the difficulty will be peeling in-office Democrats off of those policies. They make a lot of money

from those not just in donations but in jobs later as lobbyists and directly for the companies that profit from the policies.

They must be fired in primaries.

[RazBerryBeret]

4. I actually have faith in the young people

my 19 y/o son was very engaged in this past election, his first time voting. As were most of his friends. They are much more internet savvy than the majority of voters, he would text me things he saw on twitter and snapchat...things that were never in my feed. That age group has their own culture, and they are smart and idealistic. He argued with people he works with about candidates, even sometimes surprising me about something Hillary said in the '90's, that he saw on youtube.

He tells me that it's MY generation that is racist and sexist. That his friends don't see that like we do. He is majoring in Psychology and just finished a class "Power in Politics" which he loved and aced. Majority of his friends are engaged and knowledgeable. Like I said, I am optimistic about this generation.

[mahina]

5. It's no time to punt.

When you're ready to climb out from under the bed, there's lots of work to do.

Peace to you.

[MFM008]

7. That's their

War on science
On facts in general
On truth
On reality.

In the Republican world
e= nz.

[pansypoo53219]

8. REALITY IS SO BORING!

[Cryptoad]

14. Well share somebody's elses,,,,,,,, nt

[yuiyoshida]

9. The worst part for us, is its not just white Progressive

its progressives of color, that really bother them. How will they deal with us. Hispanic, Asian and other communities are growing fast in population. They must know this, that's why they are freaking out. This last election was a call to make America White again. Guess what, that's not going to happen, unless they decide to take steps too horrible to think about.

We might see a Civil war down the line. Other countries have had it... this country had one back in the 1800s, and its likely to happen again. That's scary to think that all of this can boil over like some tea left in a tea pot too long on the stove.

[ewagner]

11. Hey MrScorpio...

each one of the items you mentioned (gerrymandering, voter suppression, etc) are exactly the things we have to work on before the next presidential election...

but...

we've got to start at the bottom and use the old, tired, worn-out Repub mantra..

FROM THE COURTHOUSE TO THE WHITE HOUSE..

we have to take over local government first...then state and spread outward...

I'm older than you...a veteran (Air Force too) and also a veteran of a lot of local campaigns.. (10 years on county board, 12 years as alderman, 4 years as Mayor) I've gone door to door for Dems running for everything from Assemblyman, to State Senate, to House of Representatives to U.S. Senate, to Governor and President! I've got bruises up and down my body from these campaigns and frankly, I'm tired...so the younger folks have to pick up the torch and make a run...otherwise...well...there IS NOT OTHERWISE for our country.

[Nitram]

12. Less than half of America.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

13. What about a stated rallying point like formerly "third rail" Social Security / Medicare ?

As right wing radio addicts approach retirement, they learn that social security pays for Medicare. And they have been paying into both ever since getting their SS number. It is a brilliant system. And has been the third rail for very good reasons.

[LWolf]

16. Yep.

DU hates progressives, unless they are lockstep partisans, which makes them not that progressive.

And, of course, the further you slide to the right, the worse the hatred gets.