The GOP's devotion to trump threatens to destroy American democracy

[spanone]

(CNN) - With its cultish devotion to Donald Trump, the majority of the Republican Party is choosing a wannabe-autocrat over the political system that made the United States the world's most powerful nation and its dominant democracy.

The ex-President is showing that he doesn't have to be in the Oval Office to damage faith in US elections and to trash truth, as his movement based on lies and personal homage takes an increasingly firm grip of the Republican Party. The widespread mistrust he continues to foster in the fairness of the US political system among millions of voters poses grave risks to democracy itself.

Trump, using his bond with the conservative grassroots, has effectively made fealty to his false claims of a fraudulent election last year the price of entry for any Republican candidate in any race. Under his influence, one of America's two great political parties has effectively shed its belief in democracy -- a dereliction that is massively significant for the country's future.

As he seeks personal revenge, Trump is also mobilizing to try to destroy the political viability of any GOP office holders who tell the truth about the Capitol insurrection he inspired like Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/04/politics/donald-trump-gop-democracy/index.html

[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. The Democrats are for DEMOCRACY .

That can be a winning message.

Press the question. What does Democracy look like to you?

[East-A-Squared]

11. Or "For your right to vote." That is plain and simple.

[Progressive Jones]

2. Everything in TrumpWorld is hyped up. How much of that base can he really hold onto over time? nt

[NEOBuckeye]

26. Trump is a corpse in search of a graveyard

The sooner he finds one, or it finds him, the better off we will all be.

[Progressive Jones]

27. You said it all, right here. nt

[Lovie777]

3. Democracy will prevail . . ..

and alas the destruction of the present republican party is icing on the cake.

[mrsadm]

6. Democracy is in serious danger of NOT prevailing...

Trump will be re-elected in 2024 and the country will fall into barbarism; I am truly, truly afraid of this. Democrats are too nice to play really nasty hardball. Why didn't democrats do the gerrymandering? Exactly.
I really despair and worry.

[Wounded Bear]

7. We need to maintain our high turnout for several more election cycles...

and with gerrymandering, even that might not defeat the fascists.

[vercetti2021]

4. We destroy it first

We have to destroy Trumpism before it propels us into the second civil war.

[Thomas Hurt]

5. The core of conservatism is maintaining individual power,

Always has been, no matter what what facade conservatives try to white wash it with.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

20. MAGA / CONservative hierarchy:

"Me" (most important first)

Family

Sports team

White "race"

country

In their hierarchy, "humanity" does not play a role because almost all of it is "the other" that is feared and hated. Except British royals.

[Rustynaerduwell]

8. Add to this the refrain I've heard lately that "The US is a Republic, not a Democracy".

Hating on Democracy is becoming popular among those on the losing side of it.

[TheRealNorth]

10. Simple refrain to that....

The Soviet Union was a Republic, Cuba is a Republic. And Iran is a Republic. Democracy is what makes us different.

[uponit7771]

15. +1, we're a democratically elected republic vs those other nations & MAGA likes to leave out the

Last edited Tue May 4, 2021, 08:16 PM - Edit history (1)

... democratic part.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. Actually, MAGA likes to leave out the "democratic" part from the USA and focus on "republic". . . nt

[uponit7771]

19. fixed it, thx

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. "refrain" means lines from a chorus. "refutation" means a counter-argument. . . . nt

[Lonestarblue]

24. We were founded as a republic. Constitutional amendments made us a democracy.

One characteristic of a republic was the selection of US Senators by state legislative bodies, not by direct vote of the people. The 17th Amendment changed that. The voting amendments then gave all citizens the right to vote, thus cementing the direct election of those who represent us in Congress. The Electoral College remains as an element of a republic, but having electors choose the president was an imperfect compromise by the Founders between those who wanted Congress to choose the president and those who wanted a direct vote by the people. It is a relic that should be changed by amendment, though that would be exceedingly difficult these days. Nonetheless, I think the process should be started because there may be a time in the future when an amendment could pass.

Republicans like to pretend that the 17th and later voting amendments never happened, thus preserving their fiction that the US is a republic and not a democracy. And most of their constituents don’t know the difference and don’t care because all they care about is maintaining their white privilege and trying to turn the US into a theocracy for a Christian Taliban.

[llashram]

9. a ring of truth

I hope isn't...

[Roc2020]

12. We will see

2024 might as well be 1000 years away. so much could happen between now and then

[andym]

13. This is the problem in a nutshell: America faces an uncertain future

Trump and Fox News before him have created a propaganda based political party that routinely lies to promote their power-- they have no compulsion about manipulating their followers and doing what they can to block anyone who opposes them from voting. They use nationalism, selfishness and divisive rhetoric about ethnic groups as their only policies beyond opposition to abortion to maintain their hold on the religious right.

They retain substantial power, have their former leader waiting and maintain a well-oiled propaganda machine. Given the structure of the American republic with geographical representation being considered greater than equal voting rights, and given the current composition of the country, the USA is facing a very uncertain future.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. Democrats can make big save if they drive a wedge between the GQP and the GOP

Split the right.

[BlueWavePsych]

16. Ditto!

[hadEnuf]

21. The Trump GOP will stop at NOTHING to grab power again and they intend to keep it this time.

We all need to understand this. They are NOT going to come to their senses. They have all but declared open warfare on the democratic way of governing the United States. They have come way too close to getting their totalitarian dreams fulfilled to back off now.

This is not a game anymore.


We need to stop them cold and hard before they are allowed destroy this country.

[DENVERPOPS]

22. People have no idea

how close we came, on January 6th, to becoming a Corporate Fascist Tyranny. Run by the top 1%. No Idea..........

They literally were one millimeter away from taking over complete control of the U.S. and obliterating the U.S. Constitution and Democracy...........

They will not fail next time..........................

They have been working to this end for FORTY PLUS YEARS, and they sure aren't going to give up when they are so near.........

[hadEnuf]

31. Exactly.

The Republican party no longer exists as we have known it. They are already purging their ranks of any half-sane Repugs that are left in favor of fanatical loyalists to Trump. Even the ones who have acted half-sane in the past must pledge absolute loyalty to Trump or they are out.


Sound familiar yet?

[WarGamer]

23. I'd rephrase it.

"74 Million Americans threaten to destroy American Democracy."

[DENVERPOPS]

33. If you don't think that

these fanatical 70 million MAGAts would turn on their Libtard neighbors in a heart beat, you are tragically mistaken......

[kentuck]

25. American democracy is under attack.

What do we do about it?

[malaise]

28. K & R

They are all in

[spanone]

29. They had their chance to dump trump when he caused the insurrection....they chose fealty

the party of anarchists is the enemy of democracy

[malaise]

30. Given that he is their biggest loser

We know this is about two things - racism and dictatorship - and they are all in.

Fry all of them! Justice is coming!

[rkleinberger]

32. The problem that the Democrats do not know how to fight this so a weak opposition is just as guilty.

Unless the Filibuster is crushed, this will not be stopped.