There are two sides to most coins. And I do not mean the idiotic bothsiderism as practiced by MSM the past 20-25 years. Like any binary solution, there is some good, there is some bad. So, without too much dew or any further ado let us split this evenly in two. or six. Depending on how you count:
1.COVID IMPACT
2.RELIGIOUS REICH
3.TRUMP’s SHADOW
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4.DNC’s IMPOTENCE
5.LAZY VOTERS
6. MSM MISBEHAVIOR AND INCOMPETENCE
COVID IMPACT
The most striking fact is how many people were killed or seriously impacted by COVID. According to yesterday’s CDC figures, 971,397 deaths were caused by COVID. Studying the maps showing concentrations of death, outside of NY and LA, they weigh down most heavily in our southern states, especially where mega-churches basically told health officials to “Go Cheney Themselves.” Initially, I kept count of reverends, pastors and sect leaders who swore prayer would protect/cure them, or that COVID was just like the flu, or my favorite, it is a fraud perpetrated by the Rothsch, . . . (eh, no, that’s Lara’s theme) LIBERALS attacking their religious freedoms.
Add to that, 77,992,501 sickened by COVID. A significant percentage still suffer from long COVID, a loss of function, and other seemingly permanent problems.
To sum up, those anti-science, religious-driven, ultra-conservative, folks, including the three M Club, Mindless Mobile Morons driving up diesel costs around DC, were the ones who suffered the most from COVID and its aftereffects. That has to play a role in the next election. You don’t lose 500k -700k voters without it showing up in an upcoming election. Add to that, family members who tried to convince, even begged their bible beating mommies and daddies to please get vaxed, found themselves being ignored, even ostracized. They have to have second thoughts about for whom and how their idiot, often deceased, parents voted.
End result? A plus for liberals, pragmatists, trusters of fact and those reliant on science, and sane people.
RELIGIOUS REICH
As mentioned above, I was keeping a private database of religious leaders who were anti mask and anti-vax, and worse, those who denied even the existence of COVID. Frankly, they became so numerous and so mind-boggling with their outrageous commentary, that I quit that effort. But, the reason that many church leaders no longer bitch about COVID, masks, or vaccines is because they died. Gone. No longer populated the pews. Not to mention their flocks of sheeple. May they rest in pieces. I really lost the last bit of sympathy for the antis (masks and vax).
Plus, scandals have increased, not decreased over the life of COVID. The latest, most welcome of this is recent the Hillsong Scandal-ridden mega-complex. This group of grifters, liars, thieves and child abusers spanned 6 continents. They had a minimum of 150,000 active tithers and church goers. 16 large facilities operated in the US, from CA to NY, from MI to Tx, NV, AZ, FLA, and GA. More than half have left because of scandals, starting with the child abuse inflicted at the very top, leading to more sexual misconduct revelations that followed most recently. Like father, like son, I guess.
Given the stranglehold ultra-conservative christianists had over their sheeple, and how they voted as a uniform block, with undying love and support for their lard and master-baiter, The Orange Man, these type of scandals have to have an impact on the average Jane and Joe. They won’t come out like cattle, all ready to vote identically. They may not come out at all. And Herr Drump is telling the most gullible NOT TO VOTE!
Not only were mega-churches impacted, many southern baptist, catholic and other religious institutions (can you say, Liberty U, boys and girls?) suffered similar scandals throughout the US. Preaching one thing, then doing another, well, that does not work for long. People lose their trust, and therefore, their faith in their religious leaders.
End result? The impact of religious conservo-christianist voters will be lower in 2022 than is has been in 20 years. True, other scandals and ridiculous stances also will erode their vote and their power, but they reached their zenith under Trump and are fading back to crawl back under the rock where they once hid.
TRUMP’S SHADOW
Ah, yes, the standard Trump Convention. It was partly spectacle, partly the perfect platform for a showman, and it was a natural gathering place for people who have felt slighted by society, especially (librul) people telling them what to do. Trump meet-ups were hugely populated by MAGAts, ready, willing and able to do anything and everything to have him as their president. They were scary, they were well populated, they were attended by idiots, morons, knuckleheads, and christianists. (Ask Mahatma Gandhi about christ and christians.)
The country-wide growth of protests against cops killing innocents again and again, the efforts of easing rules against gays, trans, and so many other folks not easily categorized into tiny, tidy, conservative labels, and the growing popularity of liberal ideas had a serious side-effect. It scared the crap out of conservo-christianists. For the first time, they had a national leader who said what they wanted to hear, saying things that guaranteed the anger on the Left, solely to “own” the libs. They had Trump.
But, as we should have expected, whenever this flat earth has a sun orbiting above it, that glowing, burning rock both rises and sets. When Trump was in his most fickle form, say, 2016-2018, his sun was rising, and his shadow was both long and sharp. He loved his crowds, and they loved him back. His meet-ups were both a political movement and a social event. Then came his high noon. He got caught and Impeachment Ver. 001 came to pass. Or not, by republicans. But, I am glad to say, his time has passed. His sun is setting, and his shadow is disappearing faster than a Georgia crowd. (The biggest of the big!)
Of course we should have seen this coming. Repeating the same crap ad nauseam tends to grow old, even to those numbskulls who function on only 3 mental cylinders (guns, beer, bibles). He lost his power to entertain, to outrage, to convince. He is so yesterday, that even republicans are ignoring him in ever growing numbers. His Midas touch has turned to shit, and just wait for the upcoming Georgia governor’s race. When his annointed calf of slaughter, Perdue, was picked to be his chosen son, too many people thought the governorship was his for the taking, that Perdue’s win was in the bag.
As of a week ago, Perdue was trailing Kemp by double digits. (except on Reel Cleer Politics and Fox News) More recent polls are even worse. Trump’s visit did nothing for him.
His social nitwork was almost an udder failure, with one positive result. It hired Nunes and caused him to resign from congress. A small, but welcome result.
Now, Boy Wander has announced he and other MAGAts are building a real news network to tell the truth. Wait, let me sit down and breathe. The excitement is palpable.
End result? The annual bloom has blossomed and died off. What is ‘left’ of trump (and that is most of the world) is a drying husk, decaying, lifeless, impotent, effectively dead. Much like what goes on his mind. Trump will repel more people than he attracts, especially when he begs Putin for help in public.
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On the dark side, it is not all fun and games. We have some problems we have to recognize and deal with.
DNC
If there were a more accurate national organization, when it comes to shooting themselves in the foot, I cannot think of one. (To be fair, the RNC is trying hard, especially of late.) They attacked the most vibrant, growing and excited group and cut the knees from under their candidates. — liberals, progressives, people wanting change in policing, policy, and taxation. How stupid could they be?
They keep forcing muddle of the roaders down our throats,, in hopes of gathering GQP voters. One has to ask, what ARE they smoking, and will they share some on Friday night?
The best ads on TV — attacking Trump, teh GQP, and other deserving targets? Created by and paid for by a bunch of Lincoln republicans. NOT democrats. NOT the DNC, nor D candidates. What better way to show what could/should be done, at the same time as pointing out how inept today’s DNC continues to be? If we want to win, we have to clean house at the DNC.
The end result? They can only do damage; I see no signs they will be doing democratic candidates any favors. Again.
LAZY VOTERS
Our biggest danger. Sure we have Trump exhaustion, Ukraine bodies and blood, (the First World War to be run on Facebook and Youtube!) and horrific voting rule changes — inertia and being lazy remain our biggest dangers. Texass led the way with destroying access to voting and they were incredibly successful. How many tens of thousands of voters were denied access to the ballot box? By design? And our Congress? What voting rights bill?
Let’s face it. Biden is quite age-enhanced. While he is in great shape for any 111 year old man, there is only so much he can do. Especially with a potential whirled war on his hands in the Ukraine. He can go out and has pressed the flesh for some topics, but voting rights is not on his hot list. Trump left the US and A an incredibly high pole of shit to fix. He has too much on his plate, and cannot get out like he did in his yute. Frankly, he is old enough that he should think of a replacement, (please, someone not as off-putting as Kamala- seriously check out the polls. She manages to piss people off way too often and consistently. I admire her, but she would make a horrible presidential candidate) The Democratic Party needs energy, and normally, energy flows from the top. Right here and now? Not happening so much, if at all.
Not being agist, but realistic. I turn 65 in a month, and I feel it every single day. I can only imagine how older folks have constant pain and trouble. It wears you down. It interferes with sleep. It grinds down one’s energy. It is a fact, and we must face it. More non-political voters certainly do.
Inertia is our enemy. Our only hope is the people will react emotionally to what has been done to us by Trump and the GQP. Our side will need to be energized, and frankly, I don’t see many in that role. AOC? sure, and welcome. A handful of talented, smart and rational others, but no natural, driven leader to exercise control and leadership across the country.
The end result? Danger, danger, Will Robinson.
MSM MISBEHAVIOR AND INCOMPETENCE
Way too much to cover here, except to say, Chuck Todd. Fox, OAN, Sean, Phucker Carlson, Anne, and so many more.