Just curious. Why do you think that so many elected Democrats...........

[socialist_n_TN]

are attending this inauguration? From what I can tell, less than half the elected Democratic representatives, House and Senate both, boycotted. Doesn't attending the inauguration put an implicit stamp of approval on Trump's presidency? AND since he hasn't walked back ANY of his racist and misogynistic campaign rhetoric, doesn't the attendance at the inauguration "normalize" this type of rhetoric?

Also, why are people watching the inauguration on TV? Lots of posts on here about that. That's just going to allow Trump to claim that a lot of people support him who say they don't.

Somehow I guess I just figured that there would be more resistance to the normalization of Trump, at least from Democrats and on here. So I thought I'd ask.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I don't that those of us who are not in politics will ever completely understand it -

or politicians. At least I don't seem to be able to.

[joshcryer]

2. LUL.

[yurbud]

16. what's LUL?

[joshcryer]

18. A variant of "LOL"

Which is "laughing out loud."

You can say it means "Laughing unbelievably loud."

I just think it's hilarious that Trump hadn't even been President 30 mins before someone had to post about how Democrats are normalizing him by attending a ceremony.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

21. Agree 100%

Paying respect to the office and a ceremony doesn't equate to paying respect to the individual.

[woodsprite]

33. In our house, it's the sound the cat makes before it gacks up a hairball. n/t

[TDale313]

3. Our political system relies on the peaceful transfer of power.

So I can understand them clinging to that, even when the system is so clearly hanging by a thread right now.

[socialist_n_TN]

10. Yeah, this is the answer I came up with too..........

To boycott the Inauguration would be to imply that bourgeois democracy is a sham.

[marybourg]

12. I think you nailed it. nt

[wordpix]

4. tradition, like getting together with fam members at Thanksgiving

You may not like some of them but you go to or host the event anyway, you're cordial and make the best of it in the best interest of family and family history.

If I were a Congress person I would not go. But I still respect my congress people who did.

[rgbecker]

5. I suggest you pay attention to what the guy is up to.

He has a lot of power and you will not be able to ignore him for long. Best to hear what he has to say about his intentions if you are going to do anything about stopping his Fascist agenda.

If you didn't hear his speech, you are left to learn about it from others, who may have an agenda that may not be your best interest.

[Skittles]

6. you can always read the speech

or watch youtube

any speech from that narcissistic asshole is predictible

[socialist_n_TN]

8. Yeah, that was exactly what I was thinking.........

You don't have to listen in real time to the speech to get what it's about. Listening in real time adds to his TV numbers and, implicitly at least, gives him something to crow about.

And yes, any speech from Trump is predictable.

[socialist_n_TN]

9. Who's ignoring him? I'm a revolutionary socialist and VERY publically so.........

I think that it's only 50/50 (and maybe less) odds that I make it through the next four years without being incarcerated or killed. But I've already got a handle on what's he intends just by his rhetoric and his appointments. And if I need to, I'll make adjustments to that analysis in the wake of his policy announcements. I don't need to listen to his inaugural speech LIVE in order to get any further insight into the Trump agenda. That just gives him positive press.

[Bettie]

7. I turned off Thom Hartmann becasue

he was broadcasting the Orange Anus' speech. Just can't listen.

[bdamomma]

13. I have read the transcript is this it

from the Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/20/donald-trumps-full-inauguration-speech-transcript-annotated/

[2naSalit]

11. Bearing witness...

beside tradition, they re there to bear witness to this event, they are official, the orange one is not and is also illegitimate, bearing witness must take place. This is an important act on their part, as are the actions of boycott and protest.

[joshcryer]

14. So Sanders was normalizing Trump by attending?

It was purely symbolic, it had nothing to do with normalization.

[socialist_n_TN]

22. Sanders is a right social democrat, so.......

yeah, it doesn't surprise me he attended. He's also talked about "working with Trump", so I didn't expect anything else from Sanders.

[joshcryer]

29. You didn't answer the question.

[socialist_n_TN]

30. Yes, he was.....

nm

[joshcryer]

32. Absurd.

Keep these kinds of posts up, please.

[MineralMan]

15. You'd have to ask them. Each will have an answer.

Some, including my own Democratic House Representative, Betty McCollum, said that she would be there because she is still part of government and the inauguration is part of the process of governance. I assure you that she will be fighting Trump's proposals in the House. But, she was there because she is part of the federal government and took part in this passage because of that.

As for people watching television coverage, I did not, nor did I hear any of it on the radio. Why? Because I was driving my wife to and from a medical appointment at that time. Had I been at my desk, I would have heard coverage on WCCO, our CBS radio station here in the Twin Cities.

I would have listened, because I have seen or listened to every presidential inauguration since 1952. It's important news and an important event. My watching or listening, however, has nothing to do with my approval or disapproval of the person being inaugurated.

I just thought I'd answer.

[yurbud]

17. TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS: those who want to work with him if plans to do any good and those want a piece

of the action when he does anything corrupt.

Unfortunately, bipartisanship is too often the latter.

[socialist_n_TN]

23. Yes, I think opportunistic personal motivations.......

are a part of it too.

[LeftInTX]

19. One reason: They are witnesses. They are part of balance of power.

Imagine if no Dems showed up and Trump shut off the cameras and kicked out the press?

Just imagine what he could get away with?

How would they know what is going on?

[socialist_n_TN]

20. So by not listening to the Inarguation speech or attending .........

the events, they wouldn't know what was going on? I find that hard to believe that these events are the ONLY way an elected representative can know what's going on.

Edited for typo.

[LeftInTX]

28. If Trump went full dictator mode and kicked out the press, yes.

In the old days, the only way to witness the inauguration was to be there.

Of course, we've got the press, TV, cell phones etc.
But what if Trump went commando and suddenly kicked everyone out?

(Edited for grammar)

[socialist_n_TN]

24. So most are still believers in the "democracy" represented.........

by Trump's minority Electoral College election and they're paying respect to the office that he gained using hate speech? Does that seem to be the general view?

[gratuitous]

25. I'm not going to guess at people's motives

If you're concerned about why this elected Democrat or that one attended the inauguration, I'd strongly urge you to contact their office. There may be as many different reasons for doing so as there are elected Democrats in attendance, and I'm not sure any of them would say they were normalizing the odious behavior of President Trump.

They may very well exhibit their resistance to Trump in other, more tangible ways in the months to come.

[riderinthestorm]

26. I watched to see if anyone tried to assassinate the fucker

J/k. Sorta.

[Historic NY]

27. Free Lunch.....

[MFM008]

31. Who's watching????

We're not. So can't tell u.