No matter what happens - how do we as a country go forward with such a deep rift?

[NewHendoLib]

I am expecting - hoping as never before - that Kamala Harris will be our next president.

BUT - my wife and I have been talking a lot together of where this country now finds itself. My feeling is that it started with Reagan (hell, it may have started with FDR appropriately saying in a major speech "I welcome their hate" speech) - inflames by Watergate - but really fired up with Dubya's presidency of lies and ignorance. Obama's victory (I can only imagine the hatred that began fomenting - how dare a black man be president) and the ugliness is now in full bloom with all of the antics of tfg.

The scary part - the "grab em by the pussy" so-called president has been showing us all what he is from the very beginning. And millions of Americans are okey dokey with that. "He talks like me." and probably "he thinks like me".

Think of the so-called religious people that are just fine with worshiping a tarnished (golden?) idol. Seems to me that is discussed in their bible and they are on the wrong side of things.

I honestly think that Kamala's candidacy are ripping off all of the masks from so many in our country. "She is a woman - women can't be president".
and "a black woman can't be president". Not to mention her ethnic background.

So - the choices are being made. Millions of Americans are going with the felon racist misogynist pervert criminal - because they must identify with him.

I hear a lot of talk of "just try to be understanding. They grew up different" and so on and so on. But - for my wife and I -- nope. We have seen the ugliness of some of our family and many of our friends. We have seen which set of values they align themselves with. No more.

So we will go forward with a new president, and continuation of the post-tfg healing and progess started by a true hero, Joe Biden. But what do we all do with the malevolent lack of values that have been exposed?

I have no idea. But sheesh, I cannot wait for this election to be over.

OK - my morning rant - now I must go vacuum the house!

Have a great Sunday all.

[Coexist]

1. Well, Obama exposed them all, his Presidency had them all scurry out into the sunlight

I'm hoping Kamala's will tire them out and they'll go back to their lives, once TFG gives up

[Taraman]

2. Just continue to do good in your life. Build the momentum of it... It brings happiness.

It's a better way to live, expansive and joyful and infectious.

Others will make their choices -- just make yours.

[democratsruletheday]

22. exactly Taraman...

go to the light and do good for people. It is infectious indeed. OP needs to get off the ledge. Plenty of positive, good things to gravitate to out there. Maga's are an ignorant minority and most will slither back under their rocks when Trump loses.

[NewHendoLib]

32. I do lots of good, and am not at the ledge. I am a realist that sees what is happening and the speed at which lies

spread.

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. The answer is simple:

Fearless, unhesitating progressive governance.

Any administration that moves forward with steady resolve, eliminating the filibuster to pass bill after bill protecting the rights of the people and ensuring the well being of the people, will provide tangible benefits to the people, which will in turn guarantee Dem majorities for the next generation.

For a concrete example, see Gretchen Whitmer’s first year of her current term - with a one seat majority in the legislature, she rammed through abortion rights, voting rights, union rights, and numerous other progressive bills protecting the people of Michigan.

If Dems retain the senate, and Harris governs as fearlessly as Whitmer has, it will gradually bring the country together (there will always be irrational holdouts), and ensure her re-election in 2028.

[NewHendoLib]

15. Very optimistic. I hope it happens!

[Fiendish Thingy]

21. All it takes is having the votes and the political courage to do it.

No “go slow”, performative centrist, pragmatic incrementalism - it will be pedal to the metal time.

[Aristus]

4. Well, we could start by throwing the carcasses of Trumpsters

into the rift. That should raise it up to ground level.

[Voltaire2]

5. Separation makes more sense.

I don’t see how reconciliation is possible.

[FullySupportDems]

6. I hope t rump becomes a laughingstock like Nixon

Or how McCarthy was later seen. That might be more alike.

Good rant!

I'm off to foist this year's unexpectedly prolific butternut squashes onto strangers.

[Cosmocat]

7. Just being honest its not going to get better

We are in a death spiral.

As you accurately noted this started LONG before Trump came down the escalator.

I am pushing 60 and I have seen it unfold, every remake of the R party gets worse, and the country relentlessly indulges them.

Reagen w the happy face of racism bullshit.

The Gingrich revolution which brought a massive wave of overtly partisan douchebags into congress, which spent the 90s trying to take down Clinton.

Bush II slept walked through 9-11, then lied us into Iraq and the party abandoned its bullshit poll tested talking a points about the founding fathers, the constitution and whatvnot to making everything about security and saying dems we terrorist lovers to get what they wanted.

BHO got elected and they went nuts w the tea party lunacy, running against their version of health care reform to gain the biggest midterm win in our lifetime putting not only overtly partisan, but also stupid as shit morons into congress.

Then Trump ...

There is no coming back from that, at this point nearly every American has been tainted by right wing bullshit, it's just the 40% or so of us who somehow are immune to it fighting against a zombie apocalypse.

[NewHendoLib]

14. I agree.

[Elessar Zappa]

33. Your numbers are backward.

60% of Americans consistently support good policy and aren’t hateful bigots. Unfortunately some of them don’t vote.

[Cosmocat]

40. Meh

It's 50/50 at best.

Over the time frame I note, while we have won the presidency most often, Rs have long ago commanded a majority of the governorships and state assemblies and most often had the house and or senate.

That doesn't happen in a country relentlessly where 60% support good policy, given Dems are policy focused and Rs package everything around racism, bigotry and hatred.

And in no way shape or form is this election about policy.

[usonian]

8. Leaders change the culture. AND THE LAWS OF THE LAND. Joe Biden has led the way. Kamala will move us forward even more.

https://democraticunderground.com/100216524810
From 2022.

The best, the ONLY cure to WhiteChristianNationalism, race baiting, mysogyny, etc. is WINNING

This is from the epilogue of "Stamped From the Beginning", by Ibram X Kendi.
This is of course, about racism, but racism is the engine of the Repugnant party.
Emphasis mine:

Protesting against racist power and succeeding can never be mistaken for seizing power. Any effective solution to eradicating American racism must involve Americans committed to antiracist policies seizing and maintaining power over institutions, neighborhoods, counties, states, nations—the world. It makes no sense to sit back and put the future in the hands of people committed to racist policies, or people who regularly sail with the wind of self-interest, toward racism today, toward antiracism tomorrow. An antiracist America can only be guaranteed if principled antiracists are in power, and then antiracist policies become the law of the land, and then antiracist ideas become the common sense of the people, and then the antiracist common sense of the people holds those antiracist leaders and policies accountable.

And that day is sure to come. No power lasts forever. There will come a time when Americans will realize that the only thing wrong with Black people is that they think something is wrong with Black people. There will come a time when racist ideas will no longer obstruct us from seeing the complete and utter abnormality of racial disparities. There will come a time when we will love humanity, when we will gain the courage to fight for an equitable society for our beloved humanity, knowing , intelligently, that when we fight for humanity, we are fighting for ourselves. There will come a time. Maybe, just maybe, that time is now.

[Lonestarblue]

10. If we have the presidency and control of both houses of Congress in 2025, gerrymandering must be made illegal.

It is gerrymandering that allows radical right-wing Republicans to become even more extreme because they are protected from losing their elections in red states. It is how Republicans keep control of state legislatures, and it is anti-democratic. Forcing all states to use fair, nonpartisan redistricting would be a huge step in preventing the whackadoodles from gaining power.

[NMDemDist2]

11. This

👆👆👆👆👆

[bluestarone]

9. Great question for sure!

TFG (and his crony cult followers) has attempted to destroy our great country. Getting it back together will be a HUGE task. (depending greatly on control of both houses) My own family, (siblings) has turned upside down. I CANNOT even talk to people that openly support this monster. Yea, getting back to any kind of NORMAL will be impossible for me. (sad to say)

[edisdead]

12. WE don't need to do shit.

I am sorry but there is NO compromise with the magat right. There is NOTHING in their platform or belief system that I will give one millimeter on. They either get thenfuck in line or they can have their own shithole country. Fuck them.

[NewHendoLib]

13. I agree!

[Prairie_Seagull]

16. Post election, imo this will be 'the' question.

We all have bits and pieces of answers. Maybe that is it, we will need to bring them all to the table. Can we, meaning our government do this? We will need an almost immediate solution to a generational problem. How long to undue the damage done. Hurts my feeble mind to consider.

Have hard woods or I would do some vacuuming too.

Great big question NewHendoLib

[NewHendoLib]

17. Thanks. Part of the solution has to be dealing

With " faux entertainment " which gleefully spreads the lies for great profit

[kacekwl]

18. MAGA, republicans have had every

chance and mountains of evidence to dump trump and re-join normal society. If they chose not to then it's not on Patriots who want to improve America to bow down to them. Reject your allegiance to those who want to break the law and subvert the constitution or be shunned by the rest.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

19. Here are some things I will say....

"Don't like the fact Kamala Harris is now Madame President?

1) "You are FREE to leave the country! No one is forcing YOU to stay!"

2) "YOU will not be on an 'Enemies List'!"

3) "YOU will be assured of your Social Security and Medicare that you have paid into!"

4) "The US Constitution will remain intact granting YOU the Freedoms and Rights written within it!"

5) "YOUR life and futures will get better!"

6) "Women in this country will be restored to FIRST-CLASS status and EQUAL entities to how this country is run!"

Difficult as it will be to remain CIVIL, the truth remains that MAGA will be on the outs. Any resistance to Madame President's proposals or nominees will REVEAL finally that the MAGAs are nothing but ANTI-AMERICAN, ANTI-US CONSTITUTION, and ANTI-DEMOCRACY! Could not happen to a more deplorable and despicable bunch of LOSERS.

[cynical_idealist]

20. dems need to control the messaging way more

There's a whole series of alternate realities constructed of lies that millions are caught
up in by being brainwashed with bad data.

Don't know how, but we need a much higher proportion of people to get valid true information
about everything going on in the country.

[Cosmocat]

24. This is the legit criticism of the D party

They HAVE to both more strongly, in simple terms, make it's case and MUCH more overtly and with MUCH more urgently call the Republican party for what it is.

We have the God darned high ground and are afraid to stake it.

[Doc Sportello]

23. Excellent summation

Of what's happened since Nixon, Reagan and the rest of the amoral assholes. Only now the fascism, misogyny and racism are out in the open.

And, unfortunately, I agree that there really is nothing to be done when it comes to dealing with the MAGAts, their "leaders" and fellow enablers as they march us to the endgame of destroying democracy. Fuck 'em all. Whatever their number is, their goal is to destroy, dehumanize and be as cruel as possible to whoever happens to be in their sights at the moment. I don't know how you create a society, much less a functioning democracy, when a third to half the population follows that sick credo.

And I don't know that there is an answer; sorry, but I don't think there is. To paraphrase Carlin, we're just circling the drain.

[keep_left]

25. Apropos, does anyone remember this one (Carlin on KO's "Countdown" show)?

"This country is finished!".

I can't really agree with Carlin, but I certainly understand his despair.

?si=uq6Y6n63iD7M_KCj

[NewHendoLib]

30. I actually don't think the country is finished. I think that we are on a path for the world being finished.

Greed, religion, authoritarianism, needless wars, ignoring climate change. We surely will find a way to cause our own demise given enough time.

[bucolic_frolic]

26. Religious wars have ruled the world for thousands of years

Pain, fantasy, deception, solution, war, bloodshed, gee let's not do this again. Rinse and repeat.

Embrace them, tempt them with the trappings of civilization, maybe they'll figure out life isn't so bad after all.

Expose them. They too are subject to their own laws, even though they break them all the time and want to burn us at the stake for breaking them.

Religious zealots are breeders of hypocrites and projection.

[WarGamer]

27. Divorce.

[J_William_Ryan]

28. "I don't see how reconciliation is possible."

It isn’t.

The fear, ignorance, stupidity, racism, bigotry, misogyny, and hate won’t go away with Trump.

The fascist right Republican party will continue to pursue its agenda of white grievance politics, racist replacement theory, and anti-immigrant nativism.

Conservative reactionaryism is a malignancy we must suffer for decades to come, a chronic threat to our democratic institutions and the rights and protected liberties of the people.

Time is on the side of progressive liberalism; we can hope that by the end of this century the malignancy of the fascist right will have run its course.

[themaguffin]

29. It won't end as long as so much of the country consumes so much rage bait media

[struggle4progress]

31. We talk to each other

[NewHendoLib]

36. what do we say to those who hate us? what do we say to racists?

We ARE the enemy to them.

[kentuck]

34. Good question!

I think our best tactic is to ignore them if we win. I do not want to think of the other option.

[struggle4progress]

35. Dick Cheney says he will vote for Harris

September 7, 20243:24 PM ET
Juliana Kim

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said he plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris instead of former President Donald Trump — explaining that his decision had to do with Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

“In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again," Cheney, 83, said ...

https://www.npr.org/2024/09/07/nx-s1-5104718/dick-cheney-voting-kamala-harris-trump-election

[Elessar Zappa]

37. It will pass.

The question is will it be five years or twenty years?

[Jirel]

38. We stay on guard for the next generation.

That is all we can do. We fight back to prevent evil from being done. We run for school boards and take back the brains of the youth for critical thinking, science, and basic decency. In all honesty, it is not impossible that some of us may have to shoot some of them in the face, if they try to do violence. We work, we vote, we run for office, we legislate, and we do it ruthlessly. We let them age out and die off, whether of their freedumb to not have health insurance, or the next pandemic(s). We walk away from brainwashed “friends” and family. We walk away from any remotely evangelical or catholic religion, and urge others to do the same.

The time for “nice” is long over. There is no healing malevolence.

[suegeo]

39. Psychological warfare experts must make a plan to counter psyops.

Psyops turned onto the American people like the Traitor Mike Flynn and crap coming from other places, like Cambridge Analytica, Russia, and probably more.

A lot of Republicans have been targets of psyops, which I know little about.

However, there have to be scholars who might know how to de-program wingnuts.

Counter psyops messaging, of sorts.

[Initech]

41. I'd be OK with Nuremberg style trials.

Hold everyone that made MAGA possible accountable - Rupert Murdoch, Dan Scavino, Steve Bannon, Sean Hannity, everyone on Fox News, every AM radio host and megachurch pastor. Until we start holding them accountable, it's going to be same shit, different day.