I know it might be futile, but it’s worse to not try.

This, big picture, is what the Democratic Party doesn’t grasp.

Thanks for this. I’m a few thousand miles from Illinois, so my Pritzker awareness isn’t robust, but with what you’ve written and quoted here, I’m moving him to my list of good guy Democratic politicians.

There are 9, now including Pritzker.

Most Americans are, as you estimate, center-to-right, but that’s because America has no political party of the left, so lefty ideas are simply unknown to 90% of us. When genuine leftyism is spoken aloud by candidates who actually believe what they’re saying — AOC or Sanders and very few others — it’s very nearly undefeated.

America is center-to-right the same way someone who’s never eaten kiwi fruit thinks kiwi fruit looks icky. Give 'em a bite of kiwi, though, and they’ll be kooky for kiwi for life.

I simply cannot bear to watch the debates, ever. Not for decades now. Even the alleged ‘highlights’ are unendurable. The questions are imbecilic, the answers are rarely even answers, and by unanimous agreement of everyone involved, the questions that matter most are not allowed to be asked.

In five paragraphs you’ve summed it up well, and provided an easy, handy rule — what they do matters, not what they say. Not sure I’ve seen it said more succinctly. Sincere kudos, smart stranger.

Also blasts, blisters, bombshell, claps back, epic self-own, goes viral, melts down, mind-blowing, mocks, rages, rips, scoop, shocking, skewers, slams, staggering, stuns, and trolls.

25th Amendment, babe.

Exactly and it’s astounding — no Dems have filed impeachment papers against Trump in 2025. Al Green has said he will, but he hasn’t yet, so the total is still zero. Infuriating.

OK, now I’ve read it, and thanks again, OP. It’s the first and so far only honest assessment of the situation I’ve seen anywhere.

“You’ve landed on an exclusive AlterNet+ article. Subscribe now…”

No, and fuck off, AlterNet. Here’s the article for free.

Haven’t read the article yet, but I’m hopeful it’s worth reading because I strongly agree with OP’s summary.

I’m pushing 70 and exhausted when I get home from picketing at a Tesla dealership for a few hours. I don’t want violence, and certainly I’m too old and weak to participate in violence, but my eyes roll when people say we should write to our Congressional reps, or talk about taking back the House in the midterms or such silliness. Sweet Jeebers, are people completely lost in a sci-fi time warp? Politics as usual is finished in America.

Exacatactly.

I can only speak for myself, but there’s nothing the Democratic Party could do to make amends for doing nothing since the election.

If voting is allowed again — which seems an increasingly large ‘if’ — I’ll vote for a candidate who speaks to me, but never again for a Democrat just because they’re less awful than the Republican.

In addition to being cruel and stupid, much or most of what Musk and Trump are doing is illegal and/or unConstitutional. Yet no Republicans and only about three Democrats in Congress are willing to say so. This happy bipartisanship will doubtless continue after Trump drops the pretense, dissolves Congress, and cancels future elections.

If nothing stops him now, what would stop him then?

I’ve never noticed that pattern.

What, you think he’s going to ease up?

“Look, I know I’m too old to be president. I’ll be managing things a bit like Trump is now — heavy delegation to people I trust. The main differences is my people aren’t bloody evil. And I’ll have AOC as my VP.”

I’d vote for that.

If there’s an election.

Legally, no. But quibbles about ‘legality’ and ‘the Constitution’ mean nothing any more.

Added ‘blister’ to my list of headline action! verbs! only bullshit sites use.

backlash, blasts, blisters, bombshell, calls out, claps back, goes viral, melts down, mind-blowing, mocks, rages, rips, scoop, skewers, slams, stuns, trolls, weighs in…

Any others?

I dunno, feels fairly productive — I got three blocks out of just one thread.

Factcheck: Everyone hasn’t told @[email protected] that they’re flat out wrong about TV ads. I haven’t had my turn yet.

@[email protected], you are flat out wrong about TV ads for alcoholic beverages in the USA. I’m cheerfully hoisting an adult beverage soon as I’ve posted this, “as seen on TV.”