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Nelly Magelensky's avatar

At a time when people are afraid to speak out in a country with a 1st Amendment, I am terrified of the fascistic tendencies of the so called Democratic Party and their alliance with big weapons, big pharma, Silicon Valley and the likes of Bill Gates. This is a country divided, led by bureaucrats who feel that Biden is the best non entity. This is bloated Washington at its worse. The moneyed class is not distracted, but they sure want us to be.

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Rodo549's avatar

Well stated.

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LovingMother's avatar

Yes. The two best bits:

1) "Referring to the journalist Matt Taibbi, who, like The Free Press, angered many Democrats with his reporting on the Twitter Files, he said: “These people want to arrest Taibbi”—an allusion to Rep. Stacey Plaskett’s April 13 letter to Taibbi suggesting his reporting could land him in prison. “Their science is shit, and they’re war-mongering, racially- and gender-obsessed lunatics at this point. It’s madness.”"

and

2) "He meant what Dwight Eisenhower, in his famous 1960 farewell address, had called the “military-industrial complex,” which not only included weapons and weapons manufacturers but, Kennedy noted, “the federal science bureaucracy.”

You do not even have to think about Covid and the response to agree with the above. Just look at all the pharma/medicine/government/education/"science" involved in Radical Gender Ideology and the indoctrination and medicalization of children and teens.

The latest:

https://dailycaller.com/2023/05/24/major-journal-retracts-study-on-socially-contagious-transgenderism-among-kids-following-activist-threats/

The study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-023-02576-9

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Lee Morris's avatar

Alliance with big weapons, Nelly? In the fiasco we call the debt ceiling vote the GOP (or the MAGA wing of it) is adamant for increased funding for the military. Cut everything else instead. They’ll cut medicare before they cut jets..

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ChrisC's avatar

I think the nightmare scenario for the Dems in 2024 is people not voting. I know several people who really hate Trump, who are really, really sorry they voted for Biden.

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Matt R's avatar

It’s comically sad that in a country of 350 million people that the front runners are Trump and Biden. And the two other democrats are both 70! We all need to move on from these two fools!

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T247's avatar

You really have to wonder how Trump would have governed and how much could have been accomplished if the DOJ/FBI/CIA/Clintons hadn't mounted a completely false (see Durham report) soft coup to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to a new President. I can only imagine how anyone would have reacted knowing that the whole Uniparty (McConnell included) was participating in the farce to not only toss you from office but toss you in jail for the crime of winning an election.

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Matt R's avatar

You need only look at Trump’s latest attack against his former press secretary to understand his governing principle, of which he has only one, narcissistic power. How many examples, how much evidence, how many policy position flip flops will his supporters need to wake up? He is blasting one of his most loyal staffers, slamming the governance of the state his entire family resides in, and suggesting that Cuomo handled the pandemic better than DeSantis. The man is toxic! But worse than that, he’s unelectable. His core base loves him, in spite of everything, but he continues to fail everyone else. He’s done nothing to win back those independent voters he lost. Our country deserves so much better than Trump vs. Biden. Wake up America!

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Bruce Miller's avatar

Question is, why do they "hate" Trump?

Were they among those sitting on the dirt in 2016 and shrieking like toddlers? I think so. Trump is a bombastic blowhard. But unlike the Dems, his policies actually helped working Americans.

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Earl M's avatar

They hate him because all the MSM, Social media, MIC and Democrats, leftist along with the corrupt government say so. 50 something Itel sign a paper , corrupt FBI, DOJ, CIA. Are we near the 12,500 year cycle yet?

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Brian Katz's avatar

Our choices are terrible.

Hopefully the primary races yield something worthwhile.

Otherwise I’m going to have to build a deeper and wider mote.

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PH's avatar

You are correct. I’m one of those people. I can’t bring myself to vote for Trump but I will NOT vote for Biden either. If those are my only choices, I’ll have to sit this one out.

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Is It Aliens?'s avatar

I wouldn’t like that choice either but I am with Bagehot. We have to vote for the change we need. Rather than not voting, consider switching parties for the primaries, if your state requires it, and try to knock Trump off the table. If he stills wins, he has my vote.

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Bagehot's avatar

I feel the same despair over the choice of candidates, but I will give my vote to the candidate who advocates the least destructive policies re illegal immigration, exercise of Constitutional rights, economic well-being of Americans, judicial protection from an overreaching federal government, American strength and competence in supporting our allies and preventing aggression by hostile regimes, the size and power of government agencies, and divisive and radical ideologies that run counter to Enlightenment values and scientific reality.

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Lisa's avatar

That would be Kennedy.

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IB Steve's avatar

Somewhat with the exception that Kennedy will not engage us in events that align with neo con insanity.

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PSW's avatar

I don't think that would be Biden.

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Bagehot's avatar

Neither do the 80 or so million Americans that will vote for him.

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Karen Walker's avatar

You’re so terribly afraid to speak out and yet here you are posting on a public forum about an article which is also in a public forum. Are the storm troopers at your door yet? Spend a day in a truly fascist country and see what the word really means.

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Anthony's avatar

I'm required to go into company meetings where Democrat politics are treated as unassailable truth and I can be fired or demoted for openly saying I don't agree with them. Politics shouldn't be in my company at all, but they are not only there but also literally every single other institution in the country.

DEI is fascist totalitarianism.

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Thoughtful Reader's avatar

You might ask Matt Taibbi how insane it is to fear retaliation from an out-of-control government…

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T Reid's avatar

Many of us here aren’t using our full or real names. There’s a reason for that. Journalist Matt Taibbi got a “friendly visit” from the IRS a couple months ago to intimidate him.

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Bruce Miller's avatar

I am and I do. I am unafraid of these clowns. A free people, a tough and resilient people, a moral people should never be afraid. Taibbi did what everyone needs to do. He was unafraid. He shouted to the rooftops what they had done Now we all know that we have a gangster government that needs to be dismantled.

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T Reid's avatar

I admire Taibbi. And among my 500+ Facebook contacts (all of whom are people that I would at least recognize on the street, though not all are close real life friends) I am 100% open with my views. However, I don't want leftist nutjobs going to my employer with lies or threatening my kids (which they have repeatedly shown willingness to do with others).

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Sghoul's avatar

It is a sad state. You are correct to want to protect yourself. However, if everyone has that mindset, how will anything get better? They are basically counting on all of us being unwilling to put ourselves at risk. It is exactly how the USSR kept power...make everyone keep their heads down, and reward those who rat dissent out.

I am not saying you should speak up...everyone has to decide their own risk. But we should all be aware that our silence is why things continue to get worse.

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T Reid's avatar

Sghoul - Like I said, I do speak up in person and on my personal social media. Every single person that knows me knows where I stand. I have a unique and easily web / LinkedIn searchable name, though, and just don't want to splash my opinions all over the internet to strangers who could see my employer, my residence (a matter of public record), etc.

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Bruce Miller's avatar

They need to have fear put into their little black shirted hearts.

The palmetto state needs to lead the charge. The clowns who surround me are tough talking cowards. "New York tough..." As they cower from a virus and let thugs terrorize women. And fail to prosecute their governor who murdered thousands in nursing homes.

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Diana Prince 🦸‍♀️'s avatar

The storm troopers (IRS) came to Matt Taibbi's door as he was testifying to Congress about the collusion between the Biden administration and Twitter. That my friend is fascism, literally. If you're not terrified yet you're not awake.

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IB Steve's avatar

Absolutely quasi fascism not to be confused with Nazism. And yes, I find it terrifying as in the state I live (Ca) many seem to be ok with it.

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Michael Frankel's avatar

Not sure what your point is but I must ask if you similarly criticize Biden and many of his supporters that use the F word to describe not only their political opponents but also American citizens who have voted for those opponents. I often make the point in my posts that until someone clearly defines a derogatory term like fascist, white supremacist, domestic terrorist,, etc etc, they should be challenged to either provide a clear definition or refrain from STEREOTYPING those who do not share their views on whatever the issue of the day may be.

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Karen Walker's avatar

Biden is too busy being President and working for you to spend much time on who is or isn’t a fascist. It’s a ridiculous word to use imo to describe structures that are put in place to run governments.

Would you prefer anarchy? French Revolution anyone? How did that work out?

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michaelp's avatar

Karen your bot software left out a key descriptor....”playing”. Biden is too busy “playing” President. Try to proof read next time.

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Karen Walker's avatar

I’m too old for this. I bow out and will mute the thread.

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Bruce Miller's avatar

"Biden is too busy being President and working for you..." Please tell me you're joking? Biden is cognitively impaired. He can barely string together a coherent sentence. He is also congenitally corrupt. That is there for all to see. Either you are willfully delusional or a paid shill.

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Lee Morris's avatar

But apparently he and McCarthy cut a deal. Someone had to be speaking English there, right?

Or is the Speaker of the House (for now) also cognitively impaired (he might be..)

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NCMaureen's avatar

compost’s pseudonym

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Bruce Miller's avatar

Compost as a Karen.

Now that's cute.

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Michael Frankel's avatar

So those are the choices? Fascism or anarchy? Still have no clue what your point is and whether you agree name calling and stereotyping should be condemned.

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T247's avatar

Is this sarcasm? What time did he “call a lid” on today’s activity? Was it 9:00 AM again?

Fascism is the combining of power of state and big business to their mutual benefit and power. You know, kind of like Twitter, Google, Facebook, YouTube, etc. controlling the propaganda. Pfizer, Military/Industrial complex, etc. draining the money from the government coffers.

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NCMaureen's avatar

Fascism is the combining of power of state and big business to their mutual benefit and power. At the expense of the citizen.

A white supremacist is any white person who has done anything the left doesn’t like.

A domestic terrorist is the same.

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Jeff Keener's avatar

Not quite. You're describing corporatism. Fascism is the forced conscription of private enterprise into the service of an authoritarian government, ostensibly for the purpose of national security.

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Thoughtful Reader's avatar

Sounds exactly what happened at Twitter..,,

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NCMaureen's avatar

Fair refinement. But we now define national security as security against “MAGA Republicans”

We are now the “domestic terrorists” who deserve the full force of the Patriot Act wielded against us.

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Grape Soda's avatar

We got that too

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T247's avatar

Please add Hispanic (mall shooter), Indian (Uhaul driving Nazi) and Black (presidential candidate Larry Elder) to the white supremacist definition.

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Michael Frankel's avatar

A+for the first paragraph( doubt that the history profs still teach that ). 😉for the next two paragraphs!

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Nelly Magelensky's avatar

I was born in one and was lucky enough to have the parents that I had. I did not say I was totally muted.

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Karen Walker's avatar

Then please have some gratitude for this country, instead of persisting in your misguided belief that you’re somehow under threat. You’re not. This is a democracy. All points of view are available to all, no matter how much you deny it.

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Pacificus's avatar

Karen, you are way naive about the fragile state of American freedom today, esp the freedom to speak one's mind. But have a nice day.

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Anthony's avatar

When the FBI CNA work with the Democrats to spread lies about the president and use for-profit information outlets to censor speech, we're not in a democracy anymore. Democrats are totally lawless and respect no boundaries and no disagreement. Any resistance is "hate speech" now.

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Thoughtful Reader's avatar

Having gratitude for this country does not preclude (in fact, it might demand) speaking out about the devastating level of government-driven censorship and threats to fundamental American rights. We are ALL under real, tangible threat.

It is ridiculous to suggest that a fear of draconian government overreach is “misguided.” To believe that, you must have been literally asleep for the past two and a half years.

All points of view are absolutely not freely available - and it is the current government that is directing and supporting the threats.

Parents peacefully speaking out at school board meetings about the revolting things happening in their child’s classroom are (BY THE GOVERNMENT) labeled terrorists - the literal FBI is going to school board meetings, taking down license plate numbers. That’s one tiny example.

If you truly believe that free thought and speech are not under real assault, you’re either naïve, wildly ill informed or so deeply supportive of the part in control that you’re willing to look the other way on a million examples of government supported, government encouraged, government demanded controls.

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Lynne Morris's avatar

Please have some regard for someone expressing a different POV. Plus, does it not dawn on you that perhaps someone from a repressive nation might recognize the ideaology? Lastly, as I was reading the comments on fascism and what it means I was surprised to not see reference to the element of nationalism. But you provided it. In this country, at this time, IMO that is expressed by use of "democracy" as you do.

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Karen Walker's avatar

As I said on another post, no one’s changing anyone’s mind today. That’s fine. Good give and take I suppose. But, please stop making everything a catastrophe. That’s bothers me more than any POV attached to it.

I’m a 6th generation American whose ancestors were dairy farmers. I worry more about the disaffection with my country evinced in most posts here. It saddens me.

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Timothy Kaluhiokalani's avatar

"I worry more about the disaffection with my country evinced in most posts here".

I worry more about the apathy with my country evinced in your posts here.

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Elisa's avatar

Karen, that is an interesting take on the 'criticism' of the US today. I actually read those comments as a calling out of what this country was founded on is eroding, ie. national pride, so the criticism is against those who are leading us down a different path. I very much believe in the greatness in the US which is why I am concerned for the government's division of its people through tactics such as censorship and demand for conformity, their definition of what is acceptable.

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Pacificus's avatar

Karen, it's not "disaffection" for the country people are expressing, but rather concern for it's survival in anything remotely like we once had.

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Lynne Morris's avatar

I stand by my comment.

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NCMaureen's avatar

That was the theory and it worked for a while. But the great Censorship Industrial Complex has taken over. And the democrats are pulling the levers. Even people on the left, like Glenn Greenwald and Bret Weinstein acknowledge that.

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Jeff Cunningham's avatar

I see articles everyday about college professors who are terrified to speak their minds about many things they believe for fear of losing their jobs. Students who are unable to take an actual opposing side in a debate because they will automatically lose. I could go on and on. Where you been?

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Karen Walker's avatar

Come on guys, college is not real life. A lot of idiotic things go on in academia, but once students hit the real world, start working—and paying taxes, they wise up pretty quickly. Have a little faith in common sense prevailing.

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Brian Katz's avatar

Those same kids are now running corporate America and so, the monster that was caged in academia is now alive and well and making big decisions in many companies.

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Elisa's avatar

Wouldn't you say that college kids' minds are easily moulded, that they lack the foundation of common sense at their age? They can be highly responsive to the environment around them? Since that may be the case, they will take those experiences with them into their 'real life.' In the case of the debate participants, they will take their experience of censorship into the future. These students have been taught those who they should respect and let guide them are deciding certain subjects and responses are off-limits. THAT is a very real concern to me.

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Pacificus's avatar

Karen, your admonition to chill out, academic craziness is not the real world is a view I shared until about 10 years ago. But that's wrong. Ideas do matter, and when one ideology dominates for a couple of generations, it does have a profound impact on "the real world." Witness corporate America today, "woke" as can be. Where do you think those ideas came from?

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Bruce Miller's avatar

Call half of Americans white supremacists. Siccing the IRS on a brave journalist? Using the FBI as an American Stasi to rig an election?

Take off those rose colored glasses. Your are either delusional or have another agenda entirely.

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T247's avatar

Really? Have you seen the Substacks that discusses the absolute leftist mess that has infected debate teams now? Have you sat through a mandatory DEI course (indoctrination) at your company? Sat through a Town Hall at my company right after Musk took over where the Director of Communications said, “so of course we are no longer advertising on Twitter”. A lot of idiotic things are going on, not just in academia.

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Chris Tucker's avatar

I'm surprised at your response. Who has not had to sit through "compliance training", yes, that is the words they use in the public school system. And it is happening every where, defense contractors to beer makers.

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Lisa's avatar

I just talked to a doctor who had to attend mandatory “training” where they were advised to avoid using the word “woman”. This doesn’t work for me.

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PSW's avatar

Well now John's Hopkins is now "educating" its providers on the multitude of possible pronouns. Forget treating patients, just get those pronouns right!

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T Reid's avatar

No, Karen, they don’t. They go work for various bureaucracies or big corporations or schools and try to impose their distorted worldview on others. You can read SO MANY examples here on TFP alone.

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Karen Walker's avatar

Okay, no one is changing anyone’s mind today and that’s fine with me. Good give and take I guess. Time for the long list of chores on my list. Have a good day, despite living in this hell hole of a country. 😉

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T Reid's avatar

All the best, Karen. I didn't say this country was a "hell hole", quite the contrary.

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Bruce Miller's avatar

Don't go renting a Citibike soon, "Karen."

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Karen Walker's avatar

Haha. I can’t ride a bike anymore, because of my arthritis. I’m a grandmother of three and probably won’t be around much longer, so hey, give me a break.

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Michael Frankel's avatar

Many of us have been canceled by so called friends who were unwilli g to engage. The universities set the stage for what has spread to much of our society and culture. Thankfully we now have an increasingly number of writers like Bari, Taibbi , Sullivan and others who are making their voices heard. But to my knowledge that trend has yet to reach most businesses and schools that seek to indoctrinate and stifle free speech and thought and debate.

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NCMaureen's avatar

The democrats are the real fascists. But say that to one of them and they will sputter, Trump! Seems they are also uninformed and incurious.

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JD's avatar

I’d sputter DeSantis before I’d sputter Trump. Trump is just an opportunistic buffoon. When it comes to fascism, DeSantis is the real deal.

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Bagehot's avatar

Yes, DeSantis advocates the teaching of slavery, the Jim Crow era, and the legacy of racism but opposes the inclusion of Black Queer ideology and Marxist ideology in the curriculum. That is now considered fascism.

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Anthony's avatar

Comically stupid. A case in point.

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V3's avatar

Oh brother

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Pemulis_DMZ's avatar

It's funny how even those who have woken up to what their party has become will still scream "but Trump!". Both Kennedy and Williamson do just that in this article. Williamson talks about how a hatred and authoritarianism has taken root since 2020. It was there long before and is exactly what led them to believe they had to defeat the big bad Trump no matter the cost.

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Joel Compton's avatar

Remember they are generally speaking to the Democratic base in order to make some headway in the primary. It makes strategic sense because he is such passionately disliked figure in these circles. However this strategy may be misplaced if the Democratic Party pushes to avoid a primary.

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Jeff Cunningham's avatar

Not so much uninformed as misinformed, I think.

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