The next Democratic President is going to have a hell of a mess to clean up.

[Bleacher Creature]

Every time we have a Republican administration, there is invariably going to be at least some degree of the fox guarding the henhouse, but what we've seen in the last five months seems like it's taken that concept to a whole new level.

Everywhere you turn, the damage to the very fabric of our institutions is mammoth. We now have a State Department that no longer considers human rights and anti-Semitism to be core functions of its mission. An EPA where scientists are no longer welcome and where climate change is taboo. Moreover, Trump and Mulvaney get their way, both of those agencies will be at least a third smaller.

And those are just two examples. Things look just as dire for Energy, Commerce, Interior, and on and on and on.

Every Democratic President who follows a Republican knows that he or she will need to rebuild certain offices, like the DOJ's Office of Civil Rights, but we've never seen anything of this magnitude.

The next Democratic President - hopefully in 2021 - is essentially going to have to essentially rebuild the federal government. And that's on top of the task of restoring trust in those agencies and repairing our international relationships.

At some point, the damage from this administration is going to be permanent. That's certainly the case with respect to climate change and the lives that will be lost from the games they are playing with health care. Heading into 2020, the #1 issue for me will be competence, both in terms of running a campaign and leading an effective government. I'm just not sure anyone is THAT competent.

[pirateshipdude]

1. Hell ya. Who knows where we are going, what we will end up with.

History. And bizarre. Certainly UNprecedented.

[Snackshack]

2. They.

Always do. Carter did, Clinton did, Obama did

[Patterson]

10. Don't forget FDR.

[Snackshack]

12. True.

FDR had an xtra large type mess left by Hoover to clean up.

I was just sticking to with-in my own timeline. 😀

[Doug the Dem]

3. Will Wall-E be Available?

[JenniferJuniper]

4. They always do, but

the damage now may not be fixable.

[NanceGreggs]

5. This has been the cycle for decades.

A Republican president fucks-up the country - followed by a Democratic president who spends his tenure in office trying to un-do the damage.

Once the damage is largely un-done, the Republicans swoop-in to declare they'll do a much better job - now that the damage has been mitigated - and then proceed to fuck-up the country yet again.

[jaysunb]

6. Says a lot about the electorate. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

7. Yep

Bill Clinton mostly cleaned up the Reagan/Bush mess. Obama mostly cleaned up the Bush Jr mess...

[Awsi Dooger]

8. And probably fewer methods at his disposal

When the North Carolina governorship changed hands late last year the Republicans were so bitter they immediately passed bills slicing in half the number of appointed positions available to the new Democratic governor. I'm convinced that type of thing is in its infancy and Republicans will similarly use devious and unethical means to protect their interests, even after voted out. Every level, including federal.

Then if they don't get their way they'll take it to court and since most of the courts are now partisan and right wing they'll prevail often enough via that route.

I don't mean to be a spoil sport on every topic but as a handicapper it's the only way I can project matters, given the scum level of the party we oppose.

[LovingA2andMI]

9. Pretty Much...

n/t....

[CrispyQ]

11. I'm not confident we'll have another democratic president. -nt