I find it hilarious seeing conservatives genuinely question their candidate quality, or what issues would have made a difference, seemingly ignorant of the mass of voters who support progressivism with theological fervor, regardless of any issue or candidate. The POTUS literally gave a speech saying the future of democracy was at stake in the midterm election. That kind of absurd rhetoric is emblematic of progressive dogma and I do wonder if you’re right that the GOP will recognize this and tighten up and increase the alarmism within their own rhetoric. Getting control of the House and being able to direct alarmist committees would help with that, but I’m not sure they’re even going to control the House lol.
Yeah that’s a very Obama thing to say.
One example might be his farewell address?
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: I can’t do that.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it.
After eight years as your President, I still believe that. And it’s not just my belief. It’s the beating heart of our American idea — our bold experiment in self-government. It’s the conviction that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s the insistence that these rights, while self-evident, have never been self-executing; that We, the People, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union.
What a radical idea. A great gift that our Founders gave to us: The freedom to chase our individual dreams through our sweat and toil and imagination, and the imperative to strive together, as well, to achieve a common good, a greater good.
For 240 years, our nation’s call to citizenship has given work and purpose to each new generation. It’s what led patriots to choose republic over tyranny, pioneers to trek west, slaves to brave that makeshift railroad to freedom. It’s what pulled immigrants and refugees across oceans and the Rio Grande. (Applause.) It’s what pushed women to reach for the ballot. It’s what powered workers to organize. It’s why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima, Iraq and Afghanistan. And why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs, as well. (Applause.)
So that’s what we mean when we say America is exceptional — not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change and make life better for those who follow. Yes, our progress has been uneven. The work of democracy has always been hard. It’s always been contentious. Sometimes it’s been bloody. For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back. But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all and not just some. (Applause.)
If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history — (applause) — if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of 9/11 — (applause) — if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens — (applause) — if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high. But that’s what we did. (Applause.) That’s what you did.
You were the change. You answered people’s hopes, and because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started. (Applause.)
In 10 days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy.
AUDIENCE: Nooo —
THE PRESIDENT: No, no, no, no, no — the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected President to the next. (Applause.) I committed to President-elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me. (Applause.) Because it’s up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face.
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I know you want to believe that insurrections happen everyday.
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What on earth are you talking about?
And I get that you think it’s totally normal and common and reasonable for 40% of America to be dead wrong about who won the presidential election.
But the rest of us are dealing with some crazy shit that has never happened before.
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Okay, but why does that mean “Democracy is at stake” in the midterm elections? Explain yourself. You don’t get to just lean on this dogma as incontrovertible lol.
1/6 was just a normal tourist visit.
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The midterms are when we vote on representatives who violate democracy by “finding” votes and signing “competing” slates of electors.
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In 1983, leftist nutjobs bombed the US Capitol (not a normal tourist visit), Fort McNair and the DC Naval Yard. Was Democracy at stake in subsequent elections? I mean, maybe so, but I don’t recall that being discussed or ever thinking that myself. The fact that Bill Clinton commuted sentences of a couple of the terrorists seems to indicate it was not.
The difference is that about 99.9% of think believe those people were wrong. While in this case, about 40% of people think the terrorists were right.
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You still haven’t explained why this means Democracy is at stake. This has happened before and in fact the reason it’s happened before is one that Democrats would seemingly support - blatant minority voter suppression.
you are comparing 6 anti-war protestors to 100s of people storming the building at the urging of the FORMER president to over turn a rightful election?
It isn’t about the building, it is about the motive and who was involved
And they weren’t hunting for government officials. They didn’t murder police officers.
They damaged empty buildings
You are correct that virtually everyone believes that was wrong. The other big difference is that those incidents were a couple of random nutjobs, not the President, many members of Congress, and many members of state legislators trying to overturn the results of an election.
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No. We’ve never chosen fake electors.
If you want the TLDR version, that’s it.
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Citation needed. I guess Bill Clinton is a part of the 0.1%…
Nitpick: Trump was the CURRENT President at the time. (But he refused to accept the unpleasant reality that he lost re-election.)
Election deniers and the most Trumpian candidates had a really bad election, with the exception of Lake who might squeak in a win. This is what Biden was speaking to, he won, and Trump lost. If Republicans can’t comprehend this and instead “increase the rhetoric” they should prepare for a hard 2024.
You seem to misunderstand “commuting” a sentence. That doesn’t say there was no crime, or the crime wasn’t important. It says the sentence was too long. Clinton commuted Rosenberg’s and Evans’ sentences to 16 years. Can we agree that the Jan 6 rioters also should get more than 16 years because their crimes were worse?
Note that the 1983 bomb went off at 11:00 pm, after the senators left for the day. There was no attempt to interrupt the senate proceedings or harm any senator. The Wikipedia article has a photo of the damage.
(That said, on other threads I’ve said that the unilateral presidential pardon is a dangerous holdover from monarchies. We should amend the constitution to eliminate it.)
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“This” has not happened before. The people see the threat differently and are increasingly voting against it rather than thinking it is a passing fad.
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When I heard Obama speak at John Kerry’s nomination convention I was bartending and I said that guy will be President someday. My regulars scoffed. 4 years later it came to pass. He was the last inspiring politician and probably the only one of my lifetime (born in 1980).
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