I am optimistic that the Republicans will crash and burn

[bluewater]

Every news cycle the Republicans expose themselves as being even more bat-shit crazy fascists than anyone could ever have imagined.

The historical midterm loses, the increased gerrymandering, the voter suppression laws all be damned -- I simply can't believe that the American electorate is going to put the Republicans back in power.

No country is that stupid.

Not even us.

[CentralMass]

1. I have no such optimism. They already are a train wreck.

[hurple]

2. Don't bet on it

Unfortunately

[EYESORE 9001]

3. I'll grant the 'not that stupid' part

but I’m dubious about a significant segment of the electorate ever turning against the GQP. True, they may not be so stupid that they actually believe it, but they have a mean streak a mile wide. Some will even endure some amount of harm to themselves if they think it will harm their perceived enemies even more.

[wryter2000]

7. Many, many people will not vote for a Dem, no matter what

Thanks, Newt Gingrich. We can only hope they stay home instead of voting for the R.

[wryter2000]

4. Howard Dean said something like this yesterday

He said American voters don't like the crazy stuff and that Republicans will lose in 2024 and 2022. He has excellent instincts. I'm not completely convinced, but I tend to trust Dr. Dean.

[unblock]

5. the country clearly already rejected republicanism in the last election

notwithstanding so many structural advantages for republicans, we still won the trifecta with a clear majority of votes with enough margin to avoid genuine controversy.

that said, the sad truth is that fascism doesn't actually need more than 30% support to gain total control, especially if they can make enough of them violent -- and they clearly can make some of them violent.

i'm not foreseeing gloom and doom, but republicans aren't going anywhere. they won't change their stripes and just become civil and reasonable any time soon. they'll keep doubling down and moving further to the right and they'll move on to increasingly desperate and dangerous tactics.

at best, we're at the stage where we've cornered a wild animal, when they're at their most dangerous.

[wryter2000]

10. Humble correction

They're not moving to the right. They are promoting insanity.

[Caliman73]

47. Humble correction on your humble correction.

They are most certainly moving to the right. Right of conservatism is fascism and fascism is prone to the use of lies, wild conspiracy, and violence to gain or keep power.

Think of the Nazis in Germany, they were beset on all sides by enemies of the people. They were told that the Jews were at once lowly vermin, yet in charge of everything and creating all of Germany's problems.

Promoting insanity is part of "moving right".

[wryter2000]

50. Okay

It's movement to the right and toward insanity.

[Caliman73]

51. Definitely

They are certainly not mutually exclusive.

[OrlandoDem2]

6. Nope. Their supporters are cheering.

They are masters at finding faux “enemies” to target.

Caravans, transgender, Mr Potato Head, CRT, socialism, vaccines, Fauci, shariah law, big tech, voter fraud. They are skilled at using culture wars to instill fear into white people (I’m white and I’m constantly shocked by my peers) who aren’t very deep thinkers. The MAGAts love politicians who will save them from all the “evils” I listed above.

[Mysterian]

8. The people of the USA have their decision

The road to making a better republic or the road to fascism.

[Hortensis]

17. Or no decision at all. After all, "politicians are all the same"

and "what we want doesn't matter" -- ego-protecting excuses made with all the assurance of people determinedly unaware of the depths of their ignorance and fecklessless.

Social scientists say most don't vote because they just don't care enough to know what's going on. They'll notice and care about living in a police state if it comes to that.

[LifeLongDemocratic]

9. Optimism is nice

No country is that stupid. Our country elected Trump as President. Yes our country is that stupid. Our country also elected Bush twice. I do like your optimism though. The fight to save our democracy is an ongoing battle that is never over. We can not get complacent.

[Johnny2X2X]

11. IF we GOTV

If Dems get out the vote I think we can sweep the 2022 mid terms. People aren't done being pissed off at the GOP for Trump and Trump voters have proven they don't vote if Trump isn't on the ballot.

[bluewater]

14. +1000

[smirkymonkey]

27. We can GOTV all we like, but if they have rigged the elections in all the states they control, that

still won't be enough, and that is what they are doing right now. And we aren't doing enough to stop them. The Texas Democrats have the right idea and it's a great start, but we need to see this kind of pushback nationwide, or else they will steal 2022 and 2024.

[andym]

12. How do you explain their continuing dominance in red states such as MO,WV, KY, AK, AL, MS, LA, etc

Do you really think they will crash and burn there? Any evidence?

[bluewater]

13. They crashed and burned in the red state of Georgia, didn't they?

[andym]

23. Crash and burn? Not really, even though GA is becoming purple

Even though Biden, Warwick and Ossoff narrowly won at the national level, the GOP dominates GA at the state level. That's how they were able to pass anti-democratic voting legislation recently.

Statewide the GOP controls:
Governor, Lt. Governor, Sec. of State, Atty. Gen., School Supt., Comm. of Ag., Comm. of Ins., Comm. of Labor, Public Service Commission, State Senate and the State-House-- basically a clean sweep.

Even at the Federal level, their US House contingent is 8 Rs to 6 Ds.

[bluewater]

26. 2 Democratic Senators elected in GA in the same year is Repubs crashing and burning

Sorry, there is no other way to look at that.

Thanks for the discussion.

[andym]

30. Sorry, Disagree

If that's what you mean by crashing and burning, then the GOP is a lock to be powerful for years.

[Under The Radar]

42. Not many electoral votes there.

[The Blue Flower]

15. My optimism stems from the impossibility of sustaining anything on a lie

Reality is a formidable opponent. The foundation is utterly rotten, so say goodbye to your structure.

[bluewater]

20. +1000

[lame54]

16. One big problem...

Dem midterm turnout is traditionally dismally low

Focus should be on huge turnout
Websites to check if voters are purged
Getting people registered
Encourage tough attitudes towards voting (if the draconian laws require one stand in line for 10 hours be prepared to stand in line for 12 hours)
Volunteer drivers to get people to the poles
Etc.

Continue to prevent and overturn such laws but don't rely on it
Mass voting is our way out of this

[bluewater]

19. +1000

[lagomorph777]

37. You list the smart steps to take!

[sarisataka]

18. Optimism is great

Just don't be so optimistic that you disregard reality when it moves differently than what you expect.

[Justice matters.]

21. 75 million brainwashed lunatics voted for the orange garbage bag.

They don't care about right or wrong. They just love to hate.

[Johnny2X2X]

22. One thing people keep failing to mention re the Senate

Double the Republican seats are up for grabs and several of them are open seats now. The Dems are favored to pick up Senate seats.

[bluewater]

24. So true!

[Crunchy Frog]

25. Plenty of countries are that stupid, and this one is absolutely teeming with batshit crazy people.

I certainly hope you turn out to be right though. Otherwise, God help us.

[struggle4progress]

28. It ain't necessarily so

We can win if we do our work ... but nothing is guaranteed

[Yavin4]

29. The vast majority of Americans ARE against the Republicans as the 2020 elections showed.

The thing is, the Republicans don't need a majority of Americans. They just need to win just enough in enough spots across the country to gain and wield power. For example, winning one senate seat in Wyoming can effectively neutralize majorities in states like CA and NY in the U.S. senate because of the filibuster.

[Kablooie]

31. They aren't done yet and may possibly fgrab power again.

You're right that Americans won't vote Republicans back into power but the electorate may not be what decides.

With Republicans working overtime to rig voting systems all over the country it may not matter what the majority votes.
SCOTUS is on their side and many states will nullify results they don't like and install Republicans even where Democrats won.

Once they grab power you can be sure they will do everything they can to remain in power forever.
We are looking at a dark future and I don't see a clear way out.
Democrats are bound by law and morality which Republicans have discarded.
It's not clear that law and morality can win in this situation.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

32. I agree.

Been saying it for months.

We shall overcome.

[Amishman]

33. Not sure about crash and burn, but I do think we keep the House and Senate in 2022

Good money to be had if you want to bet your belief.

Before fees, $32 dollars on the Republicans not taking the House would pay out $100. Their not taking the senate would have $51 paying out $100

[bluewater]

34. Easy Money!

Thanks for the info.

[Amishman]

49. Sure thing, I won thousands betting on Joe in 2020

PredictIt's active gambling community seems to have a lot of rightwingers, which means its floating books consistently overstate the Pub's chances. I enjoy taking their money.

[Chainfire]

35. Normal Germans felt the same way in 1933.

"This craziness will all just blow over......"

[bluewater]

39. True, but this time we are forewarned.

Call me an optimist, because I am, but I truly believe we have learned from history.

As Martin Luther King said, "The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice."

We got this. The Republicans are imploding in a frenzy of conspiracy theories, non-Republicans are taking note.

[Binkie The Clown]

36. No country? Read "They Thought They Were Free"

https://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/511928.html

[JHB]

38. I'll need 3 or 4 election cycles of them getting trounced before I'm that optimistic.

As long as they perceive a path to prevailing they'll do whatever they t6hink they need to do. It's only after that perception has withered in the face of sustained failure that they will truly crash and burn.

[Skittles]

40. problem is, they always rise from the ashes

because they have a brain-dead cult backing them

[rickyhall]

41. When?

[bluewater]

43. 2022 Midterms

[Hassler]

44. Mark Twain's take: Consider the intelligence of the common man, then realize half are even stupider

It explains why stupidity often wins. Herbert Hoover received nearly 40% of the vote against FDR, FOUR YEARS into the Great Depression.

[Javaman]

45. if the qnuts and the fascists don't go apeshit after

the orange asshole isn't reinstalled in august, as the moron pillow guy asserts, then I will believe you.

however, given their past behavior, I'm not holding out hope.

[regnaD kciN]

46. The American electorate isn't going to put the Republicans back in power...

...but the Republicans will put themselves back in power.

[traitorsgalore]

48. I would have never guessed Americans are so stupid that they'd let Covid spread either

But they are that stupid, hateful, self-loathing and traitorous.