Democrats fighting over legitimate differences. Here you go

[realmirage]

What a Trump Supreme Court that will reign for decades will decide: climate change (Supreme Court recently blocked Obama on this), immigration, gerrymandering, LGBT rights, gun background checks, voter ID/voting rights, abortion (closing all clinics as Texas is on its way to doing), medical marijuana, and this is just the beginning.

Unity? Who needs it?

[link:|

[oasis]

1. Trump Supreme Court.

'nuff said.

[realmirage]

8. Scary that people don't get the importance

[seabeckind]

2. Nothing about the current SCOTUS?

Hasn't a name been presented?

How about all the other court vacancies?

Nary a peep out of our "democratic" senators.

Filibuster a meaningless posturing stunt, pretend it accomplished something, and then head off for the weekend.

Meanwhile... we wait until after the election to raise the issue.

So the republicans won again. Didn't even have to go into the ring. Not answer to one pundit or media outlet. Hel, not even bring it up.

Explain to me all this leverage that will happen after the election?

[tonyt53]

3. Nary a peep out of our Democratic Senators"????? You been asleep for a while?

I just doesn't make big news about their continued outrage. To make light of what the Senator from CT did shows complete disregard for our constitutional process. The majority leader calls for votes and decides when they happen. Did Bernie not explain the legislative process as outlined by our constitution to you? Oh, I get it, Bernie has you thinking that a president can do al of that stuff all by themselves without the help

[seabeckind]

5. No, I guess I expected something in the news.

Hel, we got a regular briefing dam near every morning but nobody says it was brought up.

I can only assume if nobody says anything like: The gop were assholes again today. We've got a gazillion judges waiting to go to work and they're off playing golf.

But....

crickets.

Outrage only counts if it's audible.

[TwilightZone]

17. They talk about it all the time. You think because you didn't see it on the news, it didn't happen?

Here are just the major statements in just the last six weeks. Half of them are from the past two weeks. Enjoy.

http://www.judgingtheenvironment.org/senators/?issue=&nominee=&senator=&senator_party=democrat&senators_state=

All of the statements, including those by the GOP blocking nominations:

http://www.judgingtheenvironment.org/senators/

[seabeckind]

18. Tree falling in the forest.

How long did you have to hunt to find it?

[seabeckind]

6. Your senator from CT doing his job?

That's supposed to be news?

Why didn't he do this job years ago?

Here's another one for you:

Afghanistan -- 15 years and counting.

Oh hel, never mind.

[realmirage]

9. What leverage are you referring to

[seabeckind]

12. You (the op) is saying fear trump cause of SCOTUS

Yet our democrats in the senate don't seem to be particularly interested in doing the people's business today.

Lack of action is an action.

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. I will NOT be boogey-manned into working to defeat trump!!!!

I will stand on my principles: $15/hr as opposed to $12/hr as opposed to the guy that says he would eliminate the minimum wage ...

I will stand on my principles: restore G-S as opposed to comprehensive financial reform plan minus restoration as opposed to the guy that says he would eliminate financial regulation ...

I will stand on my principles: Free College as opposed to Debt-free College as opposed to trump University ...

I can go on; but, I suspect most get the point.

[realmirage]

7. Supreme Court

If you don't understand the significance, you understand nothing about our government

[BzaDem]

14. I think you missed the sarcasm. n/t

[1StrongBlackMan]

19. As the other poster noted ... I was being sarcastic ...

It seems clear from this thread, "standing on principle" is cool because when the real life consequences occur, some will read about it and get outraged ... again ... once they figure out how it affects their pocket.

[realmirage]

10. And those things you listed

Trump will make sure you get the opposite of all your goals. You are thinking about this whole thing clearly. You are only thinking about your anger that your first choice didn't win.

[seabeckind]

13. We aren't getting those goals today.

So we should fear trump because we won't get them tomorrow?

BTW, I am amazed that you are so adept at figuring out other people's motives. Awesome.

[1StrongBlackMan]

20. I should have posted the ...

thingy.

[Hortensis]

11. Actually, the potential is MUCH worse.

The argument over whether "all men are equal," appropriate distribution of wealth, and whether ours should be a government "of, by, and for the people" are as old as our republic but very new at that point. Before the enlightenment in most times and societies that some were born to rule and others to serve was unquestioned.

That belief is so deeply engrained in Christianity and almost all the oldest and most engrained belief systems, as well as arising from conservative personality itself, that it should not be a surprise that probably half of all Americans feel inequality and inability of "the people" to govern are inevitable, right and natural in their "bellies," as W put it.

Why? Sociologists have identified "belief in a just world" as a basic characteristic of conservatives: A world where the patterns of both human nature and God reward superior behaviors and punish inferior behaviors. In their guts, conservatives tend to believe that this natural encouragement of good behavior and sorting out of peoples is endangered by government interventions to help large groups who are not doing well. Modern societal "safety nets" thus created anxiety and eventually strong rejection of government programs -- a reaction that was cleverly fostered by extremely wealthy families who either felt the same way or just felt an unregulated society without collective bargaining and almost no taxes would be very good for them.

A long way of saying that the strong conservatives ascendant on the right have every intention of "reinterpreting" our constitution to make most of the government actions undertaken during the 20th century, including labor laws and regulation of business (which discourage "good" behaviors), unconstitutional.

America as we have always known it and what it is to be an American citizen are at stake.

[teamster633]

15. "Basically, Calvinism is known by an acronym: T.U.L.I.P."

Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Atonement)
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints (also known as Once Saved Always Saved)

Thus, according to a substantial number of our fellow citizens, Trump is a shining beacon of God's favor. His wealth and privilege are visible signs of his "holiness" among men.

[Hortensis]

21. Who could argue with that?

I live in the South, where evangelicalism pretty much rules, and it was interesting to learn (from my aunt, who is a very religious Lutheran) that these calvinistic principles were incorporated in differing evolutions by most Christian sects, including the Southern Baptist Convention.

The just-world way of interpretation plays a huge role in politics because it arises from human nature itself, a simplistic way of rationalizing a dangerous world that was incorporated into religious doctrine.

"The just-world phenomenon is a term referring to people's tendency to believe that the world is just and that people get what they deserve. Because people want to believe that the world is fair, they will look for ways to explain or rationalize away injustice - often by blaming the victim."

Btw, I've just gotten a summons for jury duty. I didn't dread it back in California, but here in very conservative Georgia kangaroo courts are alive and well. And that's why. The laws of God and nature transcend the foolish and inadequate laws of man.

[TwilightZone]

16. As you noted, that's just the beginning.

The ramifications of this election and the next couple are monumental. 2020 is the next redistricting year, and we *must* be in position to make significant changes if we're going to accomplish long-term goals.

That's means a Democrat in the WH in 2016 and gains in the Senate (preferably a swing) and House in 2016, further gains in 2018 (get out the damn vote!), and again in 2020.

[Betty Karlson]

22. The Trump card has been played too many times.

If you really cared about this, you'd have supported Bernie all along. He'd bury Trump in a lindlside, as opposed to the current presumptive nominee, who polls rather badly in hypothetic match-ups. Stop scare-mongering, start taking Sanders' supporters (and their concerns) seriously.