Easy to lose sight of the significance here, but the sitting president just gave a speech condemning the Supreme Court for a ruling that expands presidential power. It’s also a president who stands to benefit from this ruling, given that his opponent is vowing to imprison him and his family.
He did the most Democratic thing ever, which was to agree with a meaningless dissent and then tell us that as President he didn't have the power or legitimacy to do anything about it and that it was up to us.
Just think: if we kept voting, we could elect a whole string of Democratic Presidents all of whom would tell us that they can't do anything and that it was up to us to elect another Democratic President who would also not be able to do anything.
Democracy does not have a final win condition. Life and civilization are an ongoing process and pretending otherwise, that there's an ultimate destination, is the fascist fantasy. We don't need one-party rule, but we must win elections against the authoritarians forever, that's the "ever vigilant"
So what you’re saying is that you are willing to bargain with, and concede political ground to, fascists and right-wingers forever in the name of your Enlightened Liberal Values About Democracy.
I’d rather not, thanks.
Fine. Dems have a house minority. What should they do? And what should we as citizens on the ground be doing? I call my reps, my city, etc. whenever there's something I can throw my support behind. But "they aren't doing anything" doesn't answer "what"
They had a majority. They've had multiple majorities in the 40 years that the GOP has been openly and loudly enacting their plan to get here. Stop acting like they've been powerless little birthday boys.
there are about a million other things you could/should be doing than making a few phone calls and going to the ballot box once every 4 years. IF you are truly worried about the rise of fascism - which it doesn't seem like you are.
idk about you but I spend most of my free time organizing alternate forms of political power via unions (labor, tenants, homeless, tribal etc) which *categorically exclude* Democrats, Republicans, and all of their moneyed donors. It is slow and unglamorous, but necessary to break the wheel.
We need to win enough elections to give us the power to expand the court, enshrine Roe in law, and write ethics/anti-corruption laws with actual teeth. To say “gratuities” are the same as bribes, etc.
Clinton received the 3rd most votes of any candidate to that point. She helped create Trump and didn't campaign in key states. Furthermore, Obama let McConnell ride roughshod over him and RBG refused to retire out of hubris. Obama promised to codify Roe, and had the numbers to do so.
She got more votes than any man ever prior to the 2020 election. She did campaign. A lot of it was before the primaries. Some were canceled due to the Pulse massacre.
But if you didn’t think she was good enough to vote for, you did not give a shit about the Supreme Court.
She got fewer votes than either of Obama's runs, actually. She did not campaign in key states. Her PR people bragged about not needing their votes. I did vote for her, I'm just capable of actually putting blame where it goes.