I guess this is a nasty thing to say. As I read that MAGA candidates like Lake and Vance and Oz and

[Atticus]

Johnson are even "in the running", let alone leading, I cannot avoid the awful ugly truth that millions of my fellow Americans are my mortal enemies.

What do I mean by that?

Their support of these despicable ideologues tells me that they are not only willing but anxious to destroy me and mine. That means that I must be willing to destroy them and, in my area, they outnumber us three to one.

Have a pleasant evening.

[Mr.Bill]

1. They're not all your enemy.

Many of them are misinformed or just plain ignorant.

A doctor who I call my friend told me during the primaries in 2016 that he thought Ben Carson would make the best president. This doctor is very busy and successful and doesn't have the time to follow politics. I'm guessing he saw that Ben Carson, like him, was a black surgeon and probably didn't give it much thought beyond that. My millenial granddaughter voted for Trump in 2016 because her only source of information is Facebook.

The real enemy are the ones who don't bother to vote. If only they knew collectively that they could pick the winner in any election.

[patphil]

4. I think you're being a bit too kind to them.

Mortal enemies is a bit severe also, but most of them voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020. They're certainly not misinformed. Ignorant? Deliberate, willful ignorance is likely.
But, they really resonate with Trump's message of hate, and that's all they need to know.
They'll vote for him no matter what.
I have two brother-in-laws and their spouses who fall in that category. My wife seems to have gotten all the compassionate genes her family had.
Her father was a strong liberal democrat, as was my father and mother.
My family pretty much distributed it out to all us kids, but her family fell into the willful ignorance column for two of their three kids.

[Mr.Bill]

5. Yeah, voting for Trump twice

does cross a line. So does using a single issue to justify it. (guns, abortion, etc.)

[Evolve Dammit]

12. Disagree. They are amped to destroy all things conventional and librul. 50% has never

even bothered to vote. I don't expect that to change. Very sad for our country as it allows the MAGATS to have a voice, and they are so brain-washed. Your Dr. friend doesn't keep up.

[Cha]

2. Yeah, they are... brainwormed BOTS by

fox Propaganda and ilk.

[SouthernDem4ever]

20. and 35 years of right-wing hate radio in every city and town

which still goes on today.

[hadEnuf]

31. Absolutely. And don't forget Fox on the TV along with the other stations that entertain

the right wing fascist insanity in order to appear "fair". Then there is the internet....

The proliferation of right-wing media has been vitally instrumental in bringing them to where they are today. Unfortunately this was never addressed when it could have been.

[SouthernDem4ever]

34. The radio is worse than television

since people listen to it at work - they can brainwash people all day with BS.

[calimary]

3. Agreed. Regretfully. But agreed.

They hate us and want us gone. I’d say that definitely includes me (who they hate).

So I’m supposed to turn the other cheek?

[Evolve Dammit]

15. No. You prepare for the possibility that it may become full-blown fascism. It is something

I never thought to rear its ugly head in USA, but here we are. I hate saying that.

[GB_RN]

18. The GOPQ Has Already Crossed That Line...

With its support for Q-balls like Empty Greene, Bang-Bang Barbie (Boebert), Matty "Five-head"* Gaetz (R-Child Molester), etc., etc.

*So named due to his extra huge forehead. I can't take credit for it, though. I THINK this was from JoJoFromJerz on Twitter and Instagram.

[calimary]

19. I know how you feel, my friend.

[Efilroft Sul]

6. MAGA candidates and supporters are into nihilism like the 9/11 hijackers, only they're much worse.

They would destroy democracy and see America burn just so they could own the libs and be rewarded with 72 Fox News anchors.

You don't appease people like that. You don't try to find common ground with them or reach across the aisle to see your hand slapped away out of spite. You don't negotiate with people who never act in good faith. Instead, you kick their asses, preferably at the polls, but otherwise if necessary. And if anyone doesn't think the worst of them would see us dead, wake up. I got black flags in my neighborhood.

[Meadowoak]

8. +1

[DFW]

7. If I ever move back to the States permanently

I may have to either,,,,,

Move in with my roomies in Dallas permanently, or
Move in with my brother in northern Virginia permanently or
Empty my savings and buy (or at least put down a downpayment on) a house either in Boston or on Cape Cod.
I'd love to have a big spacious place in Manhattan, too, not too far from our elder daughter, but if I won some eight figure lottery somewhere, someone forgot to tell me, so that's out unless I am informed otherwise.
Obviously there ar other safe harbors around the country, but at our age, we'd be looking for familiar ground at this point.

[PaulRevere08]

9. They have the same mentality as their ancestors in 1861. They were willing to

tear apart the country under the then-big lie that slavery was a normal human condition and that slaves were less than human.

The big-lie was echoed in statehouses, newspapers, and pulpits. Sure, not everyone in the slave states was a secessionist zealot. Nor was everyone in the north an abolitionist. Still, the upper caste in the south dragged their states into a civil war that only ended with the devastation of much of their lands. Hopefully, we find a different path but I am still amazed that 30% of my fellow citizens believe what they do.

[Evolve Dammit]

16. x 100,000!! Perfect summation.

[Joinfortmill]

10. I hear you.

[Sympthsical]

11. It's very serious

These mortal battles. What would that look like over social media? I assume . . .

[paleotn]

13. The mortal enemies of democracy...

Those who are too hateful, racist and / or stupid to understand what they've got. Oh...and my mortal enemies as well.

[Pepsidog]

14. Sad, but true, state of affairs we find ourselves.

[onecaliberal]

17. Same. Discovered my fascist neighbors on the nextdoor ap during the lockdown.

We are very outnumbered here.

[NoMoreRepugs]

21. Hunkered down in N. Florida AKA MagatLand.

[LudwigPastorius]

22. "That means that I must be willing to destroy them..."

It's violence they crave and thrive on.

Don't give them that.

Dr. King may have been murdered, but his methods worked and were right.

[BlueTsunami2018]

23. Does it say anything about us?

That they’d rather vote for these obviously unqualified and/or corrupt buffoons than a qualified Democrat? You have to wonder what it is about the Democratic Party that certain people simply won’t pull our lever under any circumstances.

[Evolve Dammit]

24. I hear ya. I have little expectation we are going anywhere that is healthy. Take care Atticus.

[Initech]

25. If there's one thing the Trump administration did...

It's that it pointed out just how many truly terrible people walk among us.

[NBachers]

26. We're back in 30's Germany. The sides have been chosen.

[SoBlueInFL]

27. That's exactly how I view it. Living in FL 1st Congressional District (Gaetz) r/o

means that at any given time, I am totally surrounded by people who would rather that I be dead. I was a precinct captain years ago and learned that there were only four additional Democrats in my own neighborhood. It's slightly better now but not by much.

This state is lost cause.

[NHvet]

28. These are the times we are living in unfortunately.

The uneducated, without the skills or the wherewithal to better themselves, those slighted in life (usually by those they claim as allies) who are goaded towards hatred for others, them that have nothing and think that those that have are willing to share their lot with them unwilling, or the religious zealots who see politics as the means to Armageddon seem to have finally gained the foothold in Americas politics. Perilous times indeed for our Republic.

[KarenS]

29. not a nasty thing to say,,,,,

it is a sad thing to realize. My husband & I are withdrawing more & more from society I think it is really bad out there and from the looks of things it is going to get worse. We are in Arizona and how the hell could Kari Lake be ahead??

[TeamProg]

30. Write letters to the editor! The pen is mightier than the sword. n/t

[Qutzupalotl]

32. Keep in mind people are more siloed than ever, and might never hear about

all the terrible things Republicans do that we discuss here. Likewise we only hear a few outlines of what they are talking about. Both sides are acting according to their media input. Consider that if you heard about someone who was really eating babies, of course you'd want to stop them. They just lack the skills to differentiate true and false, but otherwise they act according to their beliefs as we do ours. They are your countrymen and women. They are political rivals but not enemies. Just some perspective.

[pansypoo53219]

33. media is brainwashing them.

shit. my cousin listens to ALEX JONES & thank god limbutt is dead.