Luckily, I think he was charged at the state level, so he can’t be made conveniently available for the speaking engagement.
Although, given that it’s all virtual, I guess nothing is stopping them.
Want to lay odds that Roger Stone has a slot?
I sympathize with the sentiment, but it’s not like, if we go there, we can just get things back to some normal level of civility after. All the folks I’ve interacted with who lived through the Berlusconi era say that the thing that truly shifted the tide was when people and media started reporting how his policies were affecting everyday life. Changing this shit timeline doesn’t rely on playing dirty or letting ourselves be turned in un-empathetic assholes, it relies on better communicating how the stuff T is doing is harming the futures (and presents) of everyone. At least, I hope that will work.
The only thing that could have mitigated Trump’s damage is if congressional Republicans actually held him to a standard of conduct. You think they would do that because of two more voices saying should have been obvious to anyone using the brain they were born with – two individuals named Obama at that? Congress has a duty here and they failed us and nothing anyone else could have said would have changed a single republican mind. They are 100% to blame for not stopping this just as we are all to blame for electing him in the first place. Because the only lie donald trump never told was to hide who he is. We got exactly what he promised.
More seriously, nah, I get you. But I think a couple of things: as a big party that’s full of all sorts of opinions, chaos and arguing is just the nature of the beast. And two, I have actually been impressed by the unity of the past 3 years. There’s been a ton of pulling different directions, but there has also been unprecedented opposition to Hair Furor. Several loud voices have dissented, loudly, but a metric ton of folk that have never done anything political have gotten involved. The direct threat to our nation from Unindicted Co-conspirator has gotten lots of folk up off the couch.
There’s a long-standing tradition of outgoing presidents staying silent on the current administration.
Besides what could they have really done? There’s plenty of influential people out there who have been giving Strongly Worded Rebukes, and none of it will change Trump or the minds of any of his supporters.
I don’t think rulers (past and present) are looking to challenge the status quo much.
Cop-opting or delegitimizing those who are too critical of the system or chose to abstain from putting their name to it is a bipartisan tactic…
Trump voters don’t give a shit about others’ criticism of the system. Trump voters are happy to put their name to four more years of raping the country in the name of enriching the Donald.
Vote accordingly–or stay home and be half a Trump voter.
well, that’s 100% true. the republicans willfully abandoned the american people to get money and power.
i agree – i always have to remind myself that democracy is messy and slow and hard by design.
they have a unique power that nobody else i can think of has. sure, they wouldn’t change any trump supporter minds, but they definitely could give the shortest of speeches and give heart and energy to a majority of the country. i understand the political calculation of holding back until now, and i know they really trust and respect the tradition of not criticizing previous administrations, but these are such extraordinary times, and so much is at stake. it’s frustrating.
You cited the just about the only three examples in this thread that shown any sort of effusive platitudes. These three people admire a woman who is eloquent and uses her national platform to express the frustration many of us feel.
But golden gods? You’re reading way too much into people’s enthusiasm for the possibility that our national nightmare may soon be over. (Except @Wally, who genuinely feels she’s a hero. And that’s okay, Wally!)
If you want to see what it looks like to put someone on pedestal, look to what the Republican party has become. For a party with a lot of evangelicals, Republicans seem to glorify false idols.
Yep.
They were the three that i found relevant.
Those were the three I read that made me empathise with the commentor.
They were the three before the comment was made.
Your point?
To be clear, I said she’s MY hero. Because, among other things she’s done, last night she disassembled Trump like a toy. She did it in a way he cannot refute, no matter how he might try. I’ve been saying for years Trump needs his ass kicked. She did it so masterfully, it will be hard for him to ever recover from that dressing down. She’s my hero for that.
