I already know why the left can't win. So do you.
Lincoln was on the Left when he was president in the 1860s. The GOP back then was a left party--and as a coalition party that swept up some Free Soilers and Know-Nothings and former Whigs--the probusiness wing took over by the 1880s. But between 1861 and 1880, the GOP was the Left party in the American party system. The Democratic Party was the party of tradition, authoritarianism, "small government," and white supremacy.
Unfortunately, the Democrats now fall into similar traps. The fact that we can't have a dialogue without falling into accusations and name calling plays right into the hands of those who don't want anyone else communicating ideas but themselves.
are you interested in co-opting the sexism, racism, and bigotry that elected trump?
He didn't rise to be President by accident.
There's plenty of other issues that could be co-opted without focusing on those.
that's what got them to vote for the first time in 20 years though.
The good news is that we needn't peel off very many to decisively tip the balance.
James Comey, Russian hacking, fake news, racist blowback after 8 yrs. of a black president, deception about jobs (past, present & future), wikileaks, science deniers, rising medical costs, terrorism based irrational fear and ideology over facts with a massive number of low information voters who go by how they 'feel' or what they 'heard'.
I was referring to Mr Lincoln.
Oops
I have family that are right wingers and we are on good enough terms that we can have a discussion without one or more losing it and foaming at the mouth. When I go over issues of healthcare, defense, education, social safety net and other issues of the day, we generally agree on the need for sustaining and improving on many of the social programs and the need for rational defense policy. We diverge on political leadership to sustain and improve these programs.
First, we can't deny that the right has an enormous propaganda machine that echos the message of the day as if big brother were watching and telling the right what to say, do and think. It's not in total control but a big reason why Trump and right wingers succeed. They even co-opt time on centrist media channels in the name of equal time to discuss an issue when in fact their product is fake and their objective is to confuse, not inform. Witness climate science denial. The right wing echo chamber puts people who want to discuss facts and reason with others at a disadvantage when there are fake facts in the way. Imagine what it was like to discuss the shape and form of the solar system with Catholic clergy 400 years ago. We have to start with one set of facts. And the facts must be facts, not beliefs before two sides can come to agreement.
I suurrreeeee can. Intelligence often encompasses a broad spectrum. Example: Sure, Cletus might be able to cobble together a small engine and figure out how to rotate crops, but how long would he survive if you dropped him in the middle of an urban center/European city? What about his comprehension of a lecture on the finer points of race relations/racial equality? Do you believe that he has a base-level cognitive grasp on the real world?
As a guy that has experienced the ultimate form of culture shock - a native NYer moving to (gulp) Kentucky - I can't disagree more, dude. We grew up dissing the south, but in the back of my mind I always assumed that things couldn't be as shameful and hideous as the playground talk claimed. Boy was I in for a shocker...
My brother is my brother. I grew up with him, we share a lot of memories and I trust him absolutely. I'll say it again, when we have a real discussion about values and what we want this country to be like, we agree. After that, he believes other leadership will deliver the same things that I want for the country.View attachment 3937645
I suurrreeeee can. Intelligence often encompasses a broad spectrum. Example: Sure, Cletus might be able to cobble together a small engine and figure out how to rotate crops, but how long would he survive if you dropped him in the middle of an urban center/European city? What about his comprehension of a lecture on the finer points of race relations/racial equality? Do you believe that he has a base-level cognitive grasp on the real world?
As a guy that has experienced the ultimate form of culture shock - a native NYer moving to (gulp) Kentucky - I can't disagree more, dude. We grew up dissing the south, but in the back of my mind I always assumed that things couldn't be as shameful and hideous as the playground talk claimed. Boy was I in for a shocker...
Within my first month here I saw every single (negative) southern stereotype in existence come to life before my eyes, without exaggeration. From slack-jawed sows with flapping bingo wings barking about McDonalds coupons, to 'people' that look like Mad Max rejects yelling 'ni**er' and 'fa**ot' in public areas.
Racist, stupid, and ignorant describes 85% of the populace here perfectly. You can tack on worthless and evolutionally stunted, as well, if you want to keep it 100.
And please keep in mind; I'm the guy that carries packages for folks, goes out of his way to help, gives thousands each year to various charities, volunteers at local help centers and VA facilities, etc.etc.