Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

ProfessorPlum

ProfessorPlum's Journal
ProfessorPlum's Journal
December 9, 2016

TYT: Will Democrats Ever Stop Punching Themselves In The Face?




It's time to get serious about lighting a fire under our weak Democratic leadership
December 5, 2016

So, Trump is too stupid to realize he is being manipulated

meaning that all the people around him will be struggling against each other to be the one's with his ear. Chris Christie clearly lost the first round of wangling, but who will pull Trump's marionette strings going forward?

What a dummy.

December 5, 2016

Thought Experiment: What do you tell Trump?

Imagine you are an aide to Trump going into a G8 summit or some other gathering of world leaders.

Do you tell him he is the dumbest person in the room, and warn him not to get played by the other world leaders?

Or do you keep that information a secret from him?

His behavior seems to indicate that deep down he knows he is a stupid ass clown who is deeply insecure and has to act like alpha chimp to shore up his fragile ego. Would warning him that he is too dumb to function in a room full of other leaders activate this bravado in him, or does it cause him to sensibly hang back and keep his fool mouth shut?

December 5, 2016

It isn't really that hard

Americans are getting screwed. They know it. They can feel it. The American middle class way of life is disappearing, and being replaced with an overclass and an underclass.

so, how does one campaign? You could, for example, point out that people are being screwed because of the actions of the bankers, the money men, the forces of international capitalism, the rapacious greed of the MBA class. This was Sanders' message, and it suggested an obvious fix: regulate the hell out of capital and capitalism, and protect people from excess greed and hard times. It also had the benefit of being true, and holding actual policy suggestions that would make life better.

Or, you could offer no scapegoat - just promise to shore up the safety net but not really blame anyone. This was Clinton's message: everything's ok, keep steady on this course. This approach wouldn't necessarily lead to improvement, but offered the same slow decline.

Or, you could offer a make-believe target to explain things. Filthy Mexicans. Terroristic Muslims. Minorities and "illegals" stealing jobs. This was Trump's approach, and because it was a facile and false boogie-man, it allowed people to blame others for their pain, all the while suggesting policies (the wall, "extreme" vetting) that felt like they meant something but wouldn't actually change the real problem. They will, in fact, make things worse, especially since the forces of rapacious capitalism are now unleashed.

When people are hurting, it is important for them to blame someone. Sanders had that, and it was true and useful. Trump had that, and it is false and harmful. And Clinton never had it, because being truthful about who is hurting the middle class suggests policies that the real owners of the country can't abide.

Just my 2 cents. This problem, of the Democratic party not blaming the actual perpetrators, has been endemic since the DLC. And it leads to loss and the horror of the Trump presidency. Because when people aren't being offered the true bad guys, they will latch on to false ones.

Profile Information

Member since: 2001
Number of posts: 11,316
Latest Discussions»ProfessorPlum's Journal