Interesting post by Robert Reich. I don't necessarily agree about what needs to be done about it though:

 

It's important to be realistic about what we’re up against – not just Trump and his dystopian administration but also a Republican Senate that will be difficult to dislodge in 2018. Only 8 Republican senators will be up for reelection in 2018, but 22 Democrats and 2 Independents who caucus with Democrats will be up for reelection. 10 of those Democrats are from states that Trump just won.

This requires a complete reinvention of the Democratic Party – not just a new “message” or a “shift to the middle,” as some Democratic strategists are urging. In the future, the real contest is between authoritarian populism (Trump) and progressive populism (epitomized by Bernie Sanders).

Democrats must become progressive populists.

What do you think?
_____________________________

SENATE DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS UP FOR REELECTION IN 2018

SEATS IN STATES THAT TRUMP WON

1. Tammy Baldwin (WI)
2. Sherrod Brown OH)
3. Bob Casey: 2012 (PA)
4. Joe Donnelly (IN)
5. Heidi Heitkamp (ND
6. Joe Manchin (WVA)
7. Claire McCaskill: (MO)
8. Bill Nelson (FL)
9. Debbie Stabenow (MI)
10. Jon Tester (MT)

OTHER DEMOCRATIC AND INDEPENDENT SENATORS UP FOR REELECTION IN 2018

11. Ben Cardin (MD)
12: Maria Cantwell (WA)
13. Dianne Feinstein (CA)
14. Tom Caper (DE):
15. Kristen Gillibrand (NY)
16. Martin Heinrich (NM)
17. Mazie Hirono (HI)
18. Tim Kaine (VA)
19. Angus King (I-ME)
20. Amy Klobuchar (MN)
21. Bob Menendez (NJ)
22. Chris Murphy (CT)
23. Bernie Sanders (VT-I)
24. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

 

Edited December 19, 20168 yr by Juliajms

The democrats need to do something.   They somehow ceded all the downticket races to the republicans.   Those state legislatures all mattered and now the republicans have rigged it so it is nearly impossible for the democrats to retake the house.  And we see what those state houses are doing right now in NC.   Populism is fun, and I agree with a lot of what Bernie says, but populism long term never seems to work.   It is emotionally satisfying but doesn't seem to be any way to run a country.  I guess you gotta fight fire with fire maybe.  

 

I am not a fan of going to the middle because all that happens then if <-x------y-> that is the spectrum and you are where the x is and you go the middle all that happens is the people at Y move an equal distance further away from the middle:  <----x----y->  never happens, but <-----x-----------y-> does forcing x to move even further to get to the middle that never seems to materialize.   Just look at how the extreme of the extreme Mike Pence is now called mainstream, and even though many people agreed with Bernie he was called extreme left.   And Mitt who was "severely conservative" just four years ago is now considered basically a RINO in the middle, the favorite of all liberals and moderates.

 

 

Radar Online  reported last week that Bill Clinton, at 6'2, is 117 lbs.   Isn't Radar the site that went after Mel Gibson?  If legit that sounds like someone who won't be sticking around much longer. 

^ That's pretty sad. I hope it's not true.

All part of the battered spouse syndrome: the more he abuses the press, the more they try to curry favor with him https://t.co/HmcWA5aOUk

— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) December 19, 2016

 

People tweeting their disgust over segments of the press foot stomping with Obama yet showing up Mar-a-Lago to knock back drinks and pose for pictures with Trump. Meanwhile PEOTUS has yet to hold a post-election news conference while forgetting that PEOTUS Obama held his first post election news conference three days after the election!  

Quite a lowering of standards.

 

When you foot stomp for one candidate and not Trump you look bullied and, worse, kinda played. https://t.co/Uwe6fJsAuC

— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) December 19, 2016

Edited December 19, 20168 yr by DramatistDreamer

None of this is new for the media. They cried blood tears to get W elected. They loathed Al Gore and treasured W (and McCain before him). They "wanted to have a beer with him." They lied and lied some more to help get public support for his war (well for him and so they could wear fatigues and ride around in cool tanks - it was a video game come to life for them). Rather than ask serious questions about what was actually going on in Iraq, they gushed about W's flight suit and praised him for his progressive values because he and Condi pretended to be a couple on one visit.

 

I'm wary of progressive groups focusing too much on Trump and ignoring the patterns. The media would sell their children to help Republicans. They like Trump, because they think they can profit off him and likely still think deep down they can control him, but these are just patterns that started many years ago. Rather than complaining on Twitter about double standards, they need to do what the right did - build their own media. 

People are mad at Obama for failing to stop them from their own stupidity. Oh well, at 3pm, it becomes a fait-accompli.

 

Christine LaGarde may be headed for prison.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde convicted over payout

 

I've said this before but 2016 has been a bad year for women in politics and international power circles.

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

I'm wary of progressive groups focusing too much on Trump and ignoring the patterns. The media would sell their children to help Republicans. They like Trump, because they think they can profit off him and likely still think deep down they can control him, but these are just patterns that started many years ago. Rather than complaining on Twitter about double standards, they need to do what the right did - build their own media. 

 

Who is "they" though? Progressive groups?  Who are these progressive groups?  Many have their own implicit biases that were put on display during this campaign, so I don't have much hope in whatever media they could possibly build getting to the crux of the problem or solving the matter. Most of them are too busy blaming identity political platforms for Democrats' loss.

 

Michael Eric Dyson's Op-Ed piece was very good at highlighting some of the problems why Blacks were so dubious of Bernie. That's a divide that's not going away any time soon but it needs to be solved before the next election and I mean mid-terms.

 

As for the media, of course they are looking to profit and they're already being successful with that strategy as subscriptions for newspapers like the NYT and WAPO have jumped in recent weeks. I do think it's laughable that they are riding Obama over him mentioning the unbalanced coverage that Clinton received in comparison to Trump. There are studies that have been done that reflect this--why doesn't the MSM debate the sociologist and political scientists who have done and reported this research?

 

@DRW50 Did you see Friday's news conference?  The way Martha Raddatz continued to quote Trump to Obama then demand an explanation of a Trump quote? After the 4th question quoting Trump, Obama, clearly exasperated testily told Raddatz "...that's all you're going to get, Martha". 

It seems as if it's not just progressive groups focusing too much on Trump. The press went from 0 to MACH 10 on asking questions about Trump policy moves- too bad they were asking Obama these questions.

 

Edited December 19, 20168 yr by DramatistDreamer

7 hours ago, quartermainefan said:

The democrats need to do something.   They somehow ceded all the downticket races to the republicans.   Those state legislatures all mattered and now the republicans have rigged it so it is nearly impossible for the democrats to retake the house.  And we see what those state houses are doing right now in NC.   Populism is fun, and I agree with a lot of what Bernie says, but populism long term never seems to work.   It is emotionally satisfying but doesn't seem to be any way to run a country.  I guess you gotta fight fire with fire maybe.  

 

I am not a fan of going to the middle because all that happens then if <-x------y-> that is the spectrum and you are where the x is and you go the middle all that happens is the people at Y move an equal distance further away from the middle:  <----x----y->  never happens, but <-----x-----------y-> does forcing x to move even further to get to the middle that never seems to materialize.   Just look at how the extreme of the extreme Mike Pence is now called mainstream, and even though many people agreed with Bernie he was called extreme left.   And Mitt who was "severely conservative" just four years ago is now considered basically a RINO in the middle, the favorite of all liberals and moderates.

 

 

 

The problem is that these lefty populists can't be counted on. We saw how quickly they gave in to misogyny and racism when they didn't get what they wanted. They are very much like the Tea Party. Unreasoning, uncompromising and vicious. How easily did they pick up right wing talking points and run with them? Including Mr. Reich himself. 

It's not just lefty populists that resort to misogyny and racism when they didn't get their way.

 

Left centrists are just as guilty of that too.

So tragic that this monster is about to become leader of the free world. Ugh...

Well this is going to end horribly:

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/russian-ambassador-to-turkey-shot-at-photo-exhibition-232816

I haven't read the articles but I have seen photos and it is horrifying!

The shooter was a Turkish policeman. he was shot and killed. the ambassador died instantly. 

This Turkish shooting is gonna lead to something major. I wonder what side of history Trump will have America on...