Ahh. “Why don’t these ingrates appreciate what they’re given?” cool, keep blaming voters. Your 1-2-E-Z electoral strategy has no issues with circular reasoning, yesss no reason to develop further

Their universal suffrage will keep ignoring your demands for loyalty. Voting is transactional. Give them what they asked for. Or don’t I guess…? The Whig party refused to change too, and look how they turned out

I feel you’re missing the point I’m making; Obama did have legislative victories yes. Did usher in an economic recovery from the precipice and a (relatively) speaking soft landing. But what fundamentally changed in healthcare? Especially for the low propensity and/or information voter? Nothing from their perspective, unfortunately. The reality delivered did not match the marketing, and though childish and petulant the reaction may be because of real issues like thin majorities or constitutional limits on power, that is the perception. And that is all that matters.

I don’t see Trump’s rise as being caused by his unique policy stances, white nativism, or better electoral strategy than the Democrats. He’s mediocre-to-awful, but has no institutional fealty or cogent ideology which is what makes him uniquely suited to the current populist vibe. Trump is a bomb that voters sent to blow up the established order in Washington, and in 2016 they got what they asked for. The palace coup that is MAGA, ate the Republican Party from the inside out, within a single four year cycle. Now you’re seeing the base souring on him as his second term has has been co-opted by capital and power structures, and is abandoning the ‘maverick outsider’ policies like “no new wars” or “I want to sell off the national parks to foreign nations”.

2. Let me introduce you to group known as the ‘Obama-Obama-Trump’ voters.

Confusing on the face of it no? How can someone vote for Barack twice, and then pull the lever for Trump? And the map is not clear either; counties in New England, the Rust Belt, southwest, and northeast. All over the country, red and blue states. So what happened?

• These 206 counties cast 7.5 million votes in 2016, which accounts for 5.5 percent of all votes cast in the election.
• Between 2012 and 2016, the Democratic popular vote margin declined by 2.1 million votes. Even though these 206 counties make up only 5 percent of the total votes cast, they accounted for 51 percent of that decline.

Low propensity voters, now disillusioned with politics. These are the people who got sold a vision of hope and change after the Great Recession in 2007-2008, and while yes things changed, not in a fundamental way. They still drive on crumbling roads to take their kids to the same underfunded schools. Still watch their taxes fund overseas wars, for nebulous ‘foreign policy’ reasons that aren’t clear. Still paying out the ass for their dialysis care. Watching standards of living regress around them, knowing their kids will be worse off regardless of a college degree.

You see, there’s a part 3 that you’re forgetting that needs to happen, otherwise another opportunist grifter can slide in with false promises and spam-abuse the populism cheat code:

3. Deliver results for the people who voted for you - or don’t be in power when it goes bad

Respectable bipartisan

Kicks over gigglebox every time 🤣

Colonel: You’re reading too much into things.

Rosemary: That’s right, Jack, you’re tired.

Raiden: …

Colonel: Raiden, don’t waste your time thinking unnecessary thoughts. Invest all your energy instead in carrying out your duties.

I have such little hope for the future given the fusion of generative AI and technology advancing faster than our brains can adapt to changing society and conditions. Pretty soon deepfakes are going to be impossible to discern, and then we’ll truly be in a ‘post-truth world’ where nothing can be independently verified

Both. You can use both LiDAR and optical teaming, the technologies complement each other so you don’t fall for a Looney-Tunes ass painted wall, while the camera covers the one-dimensional recognition that LiDAR can’t.

[Tesla] removed radars from its vehicle lineup and even deactivated already installed radars in existing vehicles. This strategy has not yet been worth it since Tesla’s systems are still stuck at level 2 driver assist systems.

I love mine. Combined with adaptive cruise, it’s amazing for slowly rolling traffic, longer journeys, and stop-and-go traffic. I’m under no impression the car is ‘driving’ but having a machine take over the mental load is great and frees up that capacity for other driving tasks and/or awareness of the road.

Tesla calling that technology “Auto” anything without it being genuinely 100% autonomous should have landed someone a fat fine or jail time

Lmao they put lane-keeping assist behind a marketing-wank paywall for their already expensive EVs - something manufacturers like Subaru and Hyundai has made standard across their entire line for years now

What a sad joke this company has become, another example of failed leadership valuing yes-men and sycophancy

So weird how, every time there’s criticism of the Democratic Party, some pearl clutcher brings out a cynical argument to divert attention from the train wreck that they persist in simping for.

I’m super tired of the Schrödinger’s Leftist argument - somehow insignificant enough to ignore on policy proposals, yet simultaneously crucial enough to be bullied into electoral compliance.

If a meme is giving you badfeels because your party keeps taking a rough shit each election whilst choking out grassroots challengers, maybe you should demand a better party instead of posting drive-by takes online?

Came to the comments just for this, was not disappointed

That’s American, Jewish voters surveyed last fall. 68% support land swaps, an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, Palestinian return from the diaspora, and financial/population restitution.

A lot of regular people get swept up into the default of supporting the concept of Israel and protecting the lives of the 6-7 million Jews living there, but the topic has so many land mines and risks of misunderstanding that people don’t delve into the topic openly. But if you look for it, there’s a lot of silence from folks who are uneasy about the direction Israel is headed.

Reading the ad’s comments gave me immeasurable hope for the future tho - ain’t nobody except the most lost in the sauce reactionaries/zionists are buying the Likud/Khanist narratives being pushed.

Manchin glazing Trump at his 2024 inauguration speaks words, even without his problematic voting record on immigration, the border wall, or routinely blocking the Democratic agenda - to me runs beyond the ‘sensible silent majority’ centrism tropes, and veers to bedfellows of fascism:

I also extend my congratulations to [President Trump on his victory. He is our President, and I am committed to supporting him in moving this country forward…

As we reflect on this election, one lesson stands out clearly: The candidate who appeals to the sensible majority of Americans – the center – wins… In this 2024 election, Trump was again the candidate better able to connect with the concerns of the sensible majority – prioritizing the economy, securing our borders, and responding to the core needs of working Americans.

Hardly. How about letting ‘moderate’ reactionaries stay in your club?

Manchin wasn’t ejected from the caucus despite his numerous blocking votes and hostage holding, but they did cut off party fund disbursements . Never kicked out of the party, despite him leaning into Trump.

Sinema wasn’t ejected, but they did cut her off party funds after 2019. But never threw her out of the party either.

A Nazi sit down at a table with 10 others, and nobody leaves. How many Nazis are now sat at the table?

The Democrats should whip their members harder instead of giving members ‘outs’ that makes the party as whole look uncommitted - Pelosi managed to do it for years, even with those ‘pesky progressives’.

Use the billion dollars of DNC leverage and lean on them - just like Elon’s unlimited money has openly threatened to primary anyone “disloyal” on the right.

As a lurker who ends up rubbing shoulders with right wing culture spaces, I have to disagree. The right has heresy tests for their politicians, the left tests for their voters. However the left expects competency in government (because they actually believe in it) and will sacrifice ideals or policies, while the right can afford the luxury of rejecting good governance because they’re expressly transactional when it comes to politics.

Rightwing voters are willing to cut off their nose in spite and become single issue voters - and it works for them. Pro-life or you’re dead to them. Pro-gun or you’re dead to them. Non-Christian? Dead. They get the political rhetoric and efforts they demand, which has left them severely ripe for opportunist political grifters who say whatever gets them access power. Like the MAGAs who build nothing, but hand out bones to voting blocs. Abortion overturned. No new gun laws. Ten Commandments in school and state houses. “Hurting the right people”. Migrants deported. Culture wars.

Or in the more extreme examples, they’ll just outright co-opt the structures of power and governance to fit the voters whims. It’s why we have the political maximalist lobbying NRA of today, instead of the humbler sportsman’s advocacy group of yesteryear. Or Trump.

“The president does not have unilateral authority to shut down an expenditure, or instrumentalities funded by Congress, without the authorization of Congress.”

The Korean politicians literally put their lives on the line, and called the coup’s bluff by doing so. Posting on Twitter ‘man, Congress outta do something about that Doge’ when he is a Congressional leader while kicking the issue to the courts to ‘work it out’ is political theatre. Stand up, or step off Chuck.

If lawmakers don’t challenge DOGE, by passing new laws or going to court, they risk losing the powers Congress has held for two and a half centuries. Driesen and other legal experts said judges might consider the lack of congressional opposition as they decide cases on this question.

I said leadership, because yes the individual politicians do not have the ability to whip votes in Congress or create a cross-party platform. That Jeffries’, Schumer’s, and the DNC’s job. That’s who I’m mad at for refusing to recognize the new meta that Trump has tapped into - populist messaging.

People have been failed by late stage capitalism, and are mad about seeing their children have fewer chances in life and less hope, or that the lifestyle their parents were able to achieve is now a fantasy for many. They may not recognize the why, but they are pissed about it. Trump peddles easy to consume lies that offer no real solution to the problem, call him out and provide a real alternative, not more milquetoast centrism subservient to Wall Street. Voters want change and a new social contract. Become the party they want to vote for, instead of crafting districts to meet the DNC’s stance.

Source? I can’t find anything linking the legislative schedule to a snap change, just dry press releases of ‘here’s the planned calendar’ and official announcements.

He’s making wild power grabs by EO because they’re not being challenged - outside some judges blocking the most egregious overreaches.

Congress has the lion’s share of the government power - the purse string - if they choose to use it. Nothing moves or happens without money in America.