"They don’t want to leave Trump’s orbit, they want to suckle at his well of hatred because it nourishes the utter darkness that beats in their hearts."
Oliver, I love your passion and share many of your views.
Word of caution on this claim: “This hasn’t caused an iota of friction with Republicans or conservatives.” I don’t think that’s the case. My Republican neighbor will not attend the local GOP meetings and now he’s changed his registration to unaffiliated.
I think it’s important to note differences between rank-and-file people who have always seen themselves as Republicans or conservatives, and those in the party leadership positions that made anti-democratic decisions and doubled down on a minority rule strategy.
The universe of people who have truly left the GOP over Trump is puny. Most of them love it and we have to stop deluding ourselves that most of them, if any at all, will see the light.
I agree that most of them haven’t truly left the ideas that made them decide to be Republicans in the first place: pro-business, get wealthy, keep the riffraff away from my gated community, religion is the great stabilizer. But I do think there is a LOT of friction right now. I don’t think that means they can be convinced to see why progressive polices are a more effective way to run American society. They don’t want it to be multicultural and pluralistic. So, they’ve doubled down on the idea that it’s possible to have minority rule. The political industry itself—media, lobbyists, book contracts—is in an uproar trying to stay in power and keep the grift going on the American people. In my field, human behavior in complex systems, theories of change like from Kurt Lewin say that the political system is unfrozen right now in a meaningful way, making it ripe for adjustment. The GOP wants to cheat its way back in so it can institute Project 2025 as a way to freeze the system into a new, authoritarian reality. What I’m working on is convincing people that electoral reforms are necessary as soon as we get the Dems back in. I appreciate all of the people who are laser focused on electing Dems, and I am also concerned about what happens after that. It’s not enough to have Dems win. We have to make sure they also legislate reforms.
The key to his political persona is his embrace of kayfabe from his association with the WWE and Vince and Linda McMahon, and fed by his time in "reality' TV on The Apprentice. They helped hone his penchant for bullshit into an all encompassing identity for his followers to root for. Remember "take him seriously, not literally" from the early days of the 2016 campaign?
Well by now, it's moved beyond the kayfabe "shared entertainment story" to "a cult's self-reinforcing delusion" and he's as much enveloped as the rest of MAGA, because he's starting to crack with the stress and fear of going to prison.
I'm certain that a number of his cohort of GOP enablers are simply indulgin in the kayfabe, because it gets them votes and power, but all too many have become true believers in the delusions.
I can only hope that they scare enough normies to make the difference come November...
I am retiring and need to reduce my spending. This is one substack I will never end. You are so spot on always and…I love the way you love your dog. Please keep writing. Your perspective is guided by something bigger than us. Ty
…oh but democrats have nothing to do with it right ?
…FUCK THIS STUPID COUNTRY !!!!!
…i’ve been waiting for justice since fucking Mueller report, then impeachments, then his coup, which is still in full swing, with all its organizers are in our congress presiding over committees dismantling what’s left from our democracy and orange psychopath IS A FRONT RUNNER FOR PRESIDENT of US NAZI party and i do not believe he’ll ever will spend a fucking day in prison, he will finalize his coup regardless of the outcome of the elections and stupid democrats in FOUR FUCKING YEARS never done anything to stop it
…two party system is one step to autocracy, there’s two cults in our country one is aggressive belligerent and taking our country state by state and school district by school district without any resistance and another worship an old washington horse who’s running business as usual expecting change WITHIN A VERY SAME SUSTEM that brought us here, its called arrested development or doing same thing over and over and expecting different results in a politically impaired country
…if country allow a dictator to become a dictator after he said he will be a dictator, then country deserve a dictator
"They don’t want to leave Trump’s orbit, they want to suckle at his well of hatred because it nourishes the utter darkness that beats in their hearts."
What a GREAT sentence.
Oliver, I love your passion and share many of your views.
Word of caution on this claim: “This hasn’t caused an iota of friction with Republicans or conservatives.” I don’t think that’s the case. My Republican neighbor will not attend the local GOP meetings and now he’s changed his registration to unaffiliated.
I think it’s important to note differences between rank-and-file people who have always seen themselves as Republicans or conservatives, and those in the party leadership positions that made anti-democratic decisions and doubled down on a minority rule strategy.
The universe of people who have truly left the GOP over Trump is puny. Most of them love it and we have to stop deluding ourselves that most of them, if any at all, will see the light.
I agree that most of them haven’t truly left the ideas that made them decide to be Republicans in the first place: pro-business, get wealthy, keep the riffraff away from my gated community, religion is the great stabilizer. But I do think there is a LOT of friction right now. I don’t think that means they can be convinced to see why progressive polices are a more effective way to run American society. They don’t want it to be multicultural and pluralistic. So, they’ve doubled down on the idea that it’s possible to have minority rule. The political industry itself—media, lobbyists, book contracts—is in an uproar trying to stay in power and keep the grift going on the American people. In my field, human behavior in complex systems, theories of change like from Kurt Lewin say that the political system is unfrozen right now in a meaningful way, making it ripe for adjustment. The GOP wants to cheat its way back in so it can institute Project 2025 as a way to freeze the system into a new, authoritarian reality. What I’m working on is convincing people that electoral reforms are necessary as soon as we get the Dems back in. I appreciate all of the people who are laser focused on electing Dems, and I am also concerned about what happens after that. It’s not enough to have Dems win. We have to make sure they also legislate reforms.
I love your puppy 😊♥️
Oliver, you are perfect as you are. It does not matter. I love that you have a dog you cherish.
"The guy is too dumb to put up a façade."
It's more like "too broken to drop the façade".
The key to his political persona is his embrace of kayfabe from his association with the WWE and Vince and Linda McMahon, and fed by his time in "reality' TV on The Apprentice. They helped hone his penchant for bullshit into an all encompassing identity for his followers to root for. Remember "take him seriously, not literally" from the early days of the 2016 campaign?
Well by now, it's moved beyond the kayfabe "shared entertainment story" to "a cult's self-reinforcing delusion" and he's as much enveloped as the rest of MAGA, because he's starting to crack with the stress and fear of going to prison.
I'm certain that a number of his cohort of GOP enablers are simply indulgin in the kayfabe, because it gets them votes and power, but all too many have become true believers in the delusions.
I can only hope that they scare enough normies to make the difference come November...
I am retiring and need to reduce my spending. This is one substack I will never end. You are so spot on always and…I love the way you love your dog. Please keep writing. Your perspective is guided by something bigger than us. Ty
It’s weird that he could still win in November. Smh
Hear, hear!
…oh but democrats have nothing to do with it right ?
…FUCK THIS STUPID COUNTRY !!!!!
…i’ve been waiting for justice since fucking Mueller report, then impeachments, then his coup, which is still in full swing, with all its organizers are in our congress presiding over committees dismantling what’s left from our democracy and orange psychopath IS A FRONT RUNNER FOR PRESIDENT of US NAZI party and i do not believe he’ll ever will spend a fucking day in prison, he will finalize his coup regardless of the outcome of the elections and stupid democrats in FOUR FUCKING YEARS never done anything to stop it
…two party system is one step to autocracy, there’s two cults in our country one is aggressive belligerent and taking our country state by state and school district by school district without any resistance and another worship an old washington horse who’s running business as usual expecting change WITHIN A VERY SAME SUSTEM that brought us here, its called arrested development or doing same thing over and over and expecting different results in a politically impaired country
…if country allow a dictator to become a dictator after he said he will be a dictator, then country deserve a dictator
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/01/donald-trump-impeachment-trial-state-of-the-union
Gosh, I didn’t know that I was a member of a cult. Thanks for filling me in.
…you’re fucking welcome, you’d have to learn a lot in a next few months
…political ignorance and
lack of proper education
made America
a politically impaired nation
I’m well-educated and deeply versed in politics. I’m not a foul-mouthed, self-righteous dolt in the bargain.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5vg5x/we-cant-save-democracy-just-by-voting
…sure - feed your delusion, there’s nothing’s wrong with that
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/01/donald-trump-impeachment-trial-state-of-the-union
Is it true that most guys who take photos with their dogs are gay?
What would it matter either way? And would that be a bad thing?
You’ve answered my question 😜
And they say that there’s no such thing as a stupid question.
You’re correct. As we already knew the answer 😜
I actually don’t know the answer, nor do I care.
If you didn’t care, why did you respond. Logic much?
Amen, Oliver, amen!
You’re winning me.
“PREACH!”