Update 4/2/2025 I have just witnessed one of the most moving, eloquent great events in the political history..Sen. Cory Booker's incredible 25 plus hour stand in protest to the Trump regime. So much will have been written and rebroadcast, I looked for a summary worthy of what just happened., I saw this by the British press...whose eloquent and moving journalism conveyed the essence and content of Booker's historical stand. Booker makes a stand against Trump – and doesn’t stop for 25 hours | US politics | The Guardian Booker may have redeemed the Democratic Party's anemic response to what is clearly a constitutional crisis that could result in the end of democracy of by and for the people and replaced it with an autocracy headed by Donald Trump. At the same time, the Democratic National Committee filed a case to challenge the attempt of the Trump regime to establish federal control over the various states' ability to separately control their elections. Democrats Sue to Block Trump Bid to Control Elections - Democracy Docket
Social Security Recipients Warned Blackouts Could Last Three Days
The original post continued.
In November, we should have seen this coming. The Democratic Party needed to get its act together for the great pushback. By mid-March, it flat failed. It is still waiting for the Trump damage to democracy to be countered by some strong voice to emerge, but instead, so far, no Savior has arrived from heaven. Its voices are diffused, trying to act like an adult in the room, or diminished because it has been rolled over by a talented, lying, and manipulative demagogue who is a communications genius, just not a stable one. The future of democracy is on the line. The question is now, will America be ruled by a tyrannical king obsessed with his own anger and personal agendas, or will the people's voice be heard, and they will rule instead. These are not normal times, and the strategy should not be business or actions as usual.
There have been some shoots of green. The Judicial bench is holding. There is hope for a successful strategy with Democratic congresspeople holding town halls in GOP districts. That should get local press where national coverage has failed to cover grassroots uprisings pushing back in anger. Clever. Not enough. FoxNews echoes Putin's talking points delivered by Trump, and Putin echoes FOX talking heads in an international echo chamber, and facts are never the issue. Trump's loyalists swallow it all because they do not hear or know the difference, isolating themselves from unpleasantries as they do not want their presumptions questioned..
The Democratic National Committee had a chance to take the lead, elected a younger populist to lead them, and we never heard from the DNC again. The British have a model using a shadow cabinet coordinated by someone...but Congress is tied up in knots with diffused voices with many messages, none gaining traction, and no central coordination. A shadow cabinet with the strongest voice as a media focus, at least, would be a way to organize responses. That could give war rooms instant responses and develop longer-term strategies. Fact-checking, outrage, and sharp messaging in simple English are lacking as jargon and abstract concepts dominate. The media is shaking in fear they will cross the dear leader, but the brave media, not cowed, are not given much help from the useless Democratic Party.
What's left: the street is organized by umbrella coordinating organizations. They have the infrastructure, the contact lists, and the ability to use existing bodies like unions, local partisans, and civil and human rights groups added to their lists for communications. They can provide physical platforms, microphones, public relations, and training in civil disobedience behaviors. They are not one race-oriented group, but they are inclusive, reflecting the US demographic makeup. They specialize in peaceful protests. Bless them. But you can set up all of the communications systems, invitations, and microphones in the world. They can build it, but it will not work if the crowds do not come. The hope for Democrats: the public anger is palpable, and more will come if the economy crashes as predicted. These kinds of civil actions will take on a life outside the party structure.
Sadly, in countries ruled by dictators, the only way strong men get unhorsed is the street. We are now at that point. In seven weeks, we, the people, are living as if we were ruled by a dictator. We once were a democracy; we are not now.
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