Susan Sarandon Explains The Positives for Progressives of President Trump

[DanTex]

104. I think you are too hard on the Democrats.

I agree that Trump is a symptom, but the Dems didn't cause the disease. The right-wing did that. The think-tanks, FOX News, the Christian right, Koch Bros, etc.

And part of the problem is just the reality of the American electorate. We have far more religious fundamentalism, as a nation, than any other first-world country. Ayn Rand is not a thing in any country except the US. Creationism isn't a thing in other developed nations, but here some 50% think it should be taught in schools. Climate denial is another area where the US sticks out like a sore thumb. Anti-intellectualism. I could go on. The fact is, the American electorate is significantly more to the right than in say Western Europe, and that's not the Dems' fault. I used to live in Texas, and there, step a few yards away from a big city and you run into downright frightening political views.

The reason the whole "New Dem" thing came about in the 90s is because the Dems were losing election after election. You or I may not like "New Dem" policies, but what they were doing was responding to the will of the electorate.

I think the Dems are doing reasonably well given the electorate. I think Obama did about as well as anyone could possibly hope, sure I wish he had gotten a public option, and done more for homeowners during the bailout, but overall, he was a great president, and he improved the country a lot.

And the thing is, Sarandon and other far lefties with their revolution talk are totally oblivious to these realities. I agree, she's talking about a political revolution, not a violent one, but the problem is she's living in a fantasy world. And trying to get worse and worse Republicans elected in order to burn everything down and catalyze the revolution is about the stupidest idea I can think of.

Another thing, to have movement in the leftward direction, it's got to be more than just the Democratic party. When lefty voices like Sarandon and Cornel West and Ralph Nader and Chris Hedges and the rest keep talking their stupidity about revolutions and how both parties are the same, they are hurting the cause, not helping it. These are people, who have an audience, who are well spoken, and who could be contributing to improving our political situation, but instead they are helping Republicans get elected.