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Can I Take 2 More Years of the Donald?
Eight years have passed since I first came to Ricochet. I’ve seen people come and go, masterful writers regale us with their talents, and lots of variety in our posts. In the elections since 2016, I’ve read people’s complaints, laments, positions and preferences. I often participated in those discussions, because I wanted to be knowledgeable about the election process, the candidates, and the criteria for choosing a candidate. I learned a lot, about how others thought and about my own thinking.
But I’m tired. Even though for the most part people are civil, I’m tired of reading the same old arguments, over and over again. I empathize with lots of people: many of us are in the challenging position of expressing ourselves clearly, of persuading others that we have legitimate arguments. Every now and then, I’ll see a thoughtful post on elections that stimulates my imagination, but often the OP finds the path of least resistance, and we go down the same road. I realize that I can choose not to read a post, and that’s what I do.
Today was probably not the best day to write this OP; I don’t feel well (verified by all the typos in my comments on your posts). Maybe I just need a chance to vent. Maybe I’m worried that I’m running out of creative juices. Or that I’m running out of creative juices that will generate posts that interest you. Maybe I miss your posts that tell personal stories (which give me the delightful opportunity to get to know you better). Maybe I miss the historical posts, or topical posts that speak to the issues of the day—that aren’t blatantly about elections.
I’m not sure what is going on in my head or my heart.
I do know that I’m very fond of many of you. I love the bantering that goes on; that tells me that you know me well enough to tease me. You are almost always thoughtful in your criticism and feedback. What else can I ask of my friends?!
Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. In a very deep sense, there is nowhere I’d rather be. But I think, for starters, I will probably avoid posts that are clearly political, and I know that’s not going to keep anyone awake at night. I’m hoping that over the next two years leading up to the election, we will have some insightful, personal, beautiful posts that will inspire and feed our souls. I will certainly try to do that.
Meanwhile, thanks for hearing me out.
Published in General
Just remember that The Donald is a symptom, not the cause. The real question isn’t can you take two more years of a headache or nausea, but can we survive two more years of the move towards totalitarianism that we are seeing. Can we survive two more years of a party that is so out of touch with the way elections work that they had the best opportunity to win since at least ’94 and maybe ’80 and they blew it, completely, and now have the temerity to blame everyone but themselves.
I don’t care about The Donald because he isn’t as important as the GOP’s total and complete incompetence. The idea that McCarthy is even contemplating running for Speaker shows how little honor he has. That McConnell would stand in for Majority Leader is the same. When Newt lost the ’98 elections because his leadership was bad and his strategy worse, he has the decency to resign in disgrace. McCarthy and McConnel are going to toast each other’s new jobs and act like everything is great. It isn’t and they are the ones who are most responsible.
In my experience, if you’re worried about running out of creative juices, you’re not.
I’m giving up on Trump for 2024. I voted for him, I’m grateful that he won, and I think he did a lot of good. Now I want competence. Governors are good at managing. I think the best thing Trump can do for the country is devote his energy to driving investigations of election fraud that lead to reforms. That’s not what I expect, unfortunately.
I agree, David. And they are often mentioned in election posts (for obvious reasons). Talking about Trump probably is a symptom of the times, but he often shows up in the OP and our comments. My biggest concern is that I think we are stuck in useless and archaic mindsets about elections, and we keep making it worse when we try to change things.
What a great idea! He certainly has a lot of energy invested in the topic!
Having taken a couple of days to sort this out, I will agree in part and disagree in part. Trump may once have been the symptom, but now he is more the cause. He is far more the face of the party than than the two congressional leaders— incompetents both—and was nothing but a distraction in the latter days of the campaign, dropping hints about his “big announcement” when least needed.
I wholly agree that a big opportunity was lost, but maybe it’s time to consider that, in substantial parts of the country, people like what the opposition is selling and don’t like what they’re hearing from Republicans. Bitter pill, I know.
I also know that the Republican problems are far beyond the presence of Donald Trump. But since he has a habit inserting himself into the public’s mindset, I expect he will show up a lot over the next two years.
I have to agree with all the points of your observation, Hoyacon. Although I wonder if their choices have more to do with sticking with Democrats as Democrats, rather than not liking what we’re selling.
Exactly – you can say the same about state GOP attitude and action in state election management. We are having the same conversation about the NHGOP and its fey, self-serving unwillingness to speak to a set of principles worth fighting very hard for which others will agree to and also fight very hard for. The radical left will fight to the death for its ideology (and so far knows it can outlast conservatives anywhere anytime) and the GOP can’t stop protecting its various (relatively) petty fiefdoms while people trying to do the work are beat up. In that sense all politics is local – because people behave so much alike in like circumstances and many circumstances are just like small town or county environments. There’s always the One of Us crowd whispering about someone Not One of Us.
Yup, true ‘dat. I will be forever grateful that he kept Horrible Hillary out of the White House. In addition, I will always remember the idiotic crap that he put up with during those four years. I voted for him two times and never once regretted those two votes.
However, it’s time for him to move on and assume an “Elder Statesman” status (even though I don’t believe he’s capable of doing that).
The best that we can hope for is that the hard-core Trumpers will see the light and cast their vote for the best interests of the country (which would never be for a Democrat).
I am tired of the Republican Party.
And so is my wallet.
Amen.
And I made a comment elsewhere that I think a lot of us are willing to give up supporting President Trump’s re-election campaign if the GOPe/NTs wouldn’t claim that was a repudiation of the Trump agenda. If they keep on demanding we repudiate his agenda, then Trump supporters have no where to go.
Perceiving Trump as a major threat, the NT crowd within the GOP and the Dems have turned him into a whipping boy and will continue to discredit him as long as they can. So far the anti-Trump campaign ensures that his supporters are painted as ill-educated extremists, while at the same time, enabling his enemies to project an air of cultural and moral superiority. Those of us with a sense of decency have watched this wretched piling on for the last several years and prayed that he would wake up one day and stop adding fuel to the fire with his bombast. I am genuinely sorry for him. He is either getting very bad advice from those who benefit from his celebrity and money or –he is not listening to those who wish to stop the crucifixion.
I join you in a call for posts that aren’t focused on electoral, especially presidential, politics. There are fall colors, Thanksgiving menus, sportsball games, and family ties. Let’s talk more about those things.
Hope you feel better soon, Susan.
I believe he is not listening which makes me less sorry for him. I voted for him twice and generally believe that most of his policies were good for the country. However, it seems as if he just cannot take any criticism without responding and often responding stupidly.
I don’t think you will stop hearing about Donald Trump in two years, Susan. I think he will keep himself in the news for the rest of his life, whether or not he ever holds (or even runs) for office again. The press has loved talking about Donald for decades and I believe he loves being talked about.
You are in Florida. I am in Pennsylvania. Things could be worse. (Sigh)
Not to mention that the GOP loves to blame Trump for their failures. He isn’t going anywhere as long as the current crop of leaders remains.
I enjoy your articles, Susan Quinn. They are insightful and give me things to think about. I don’t want you to quit writing.
There should definitely be huge section of Ricochet that is expressly non-political. It should be, Main Feed, Member Feed, Non-political feed, and podcasts.
So true. But then again, you don’t need to tune into every mainstream news outlet that talks endlessly about Trump or about politics, for that matter. There are so many choices out there in the broadcasting world that it is an embarrassment of riches. I for one, have not watched TV newscasts or listened to regular radio newscasts for a little over four decades. I don’t feel like I’ve missed a thing. And I find out that I am still usually more informed than the average bear.
“Everything is political, but politics isn’t everything.” (Some dude said it.)
You know the thing is that Trump by himself holds [Trump] rallies, but otherwise [Trump] is fairly quiet. It is the [Trump] media and those obsessed with Trump who keep him [Trump] in people’s consciousness. So just stop with all the Trumpity, Trumpery Trumperoo, and get on with [Trump] DeSantis, or Cotton or Rubio, or [Trump] whomever.
[Trump]
Ah Geez. On behalf of we folks in Southern Ohio, our most sincere apologies that you have to live in a state with 2,704,637 slobbering dullards.
I agree, Randy.
Yea – right, and you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain, but please take a well deserved break and rest up.
I’m with you on this feeling and sometimes I feel if I hear one more line of blather my head will explode. Before I forget to say it, that flower in that photo is absolutely gorgeous; did you all grow that? And, what a perfect photo for this particular piece as it signifies exactly what more of us should be doing instead of trying to figure out how millions of Pennsylvanians could vote for a person who is demonstrably mentally disordered, for example, as that is a fool’s errand since there is no logical explanation for so much that has been happening-long before the mid terms. You mention that you are tired of the same old arguments and I am definitely in the same place on that but I believe that all the comments start lining up in the same general channel because none of us have any idea even how to begin to solve these massive problems which lead to this horrible result. People are thrashing around in frustration trying to find some semblance of an answer, somehow, somewhere, and it just doesn’t appear. We all get so much advice on things we can do to make things better as, for example, sound off to your Representative and let him or her know what you’re thinking and what you want him or her to do about it. I have written Matt Gaetz about 10-15 times and I have received the identical computer-generated form letter back 10-15 times, not matter the topic of my inquiry. Needless to say, I finally gave up, although I did toy with the idea of calling his office and masquerading as a booker for Fox News as I figured that would get him to answer my call immediately. As you know, I worked as a poll worker here in our county and while it made me feel like I was doing something positive and it enabled me to meet many of the nicest people in this area, I’m not at all sure what the lasting value of that service may be, except to wish that more of our citizens could sign up for that kind of duty as it does give you hope- a much needed ingredient these days. Speaking of being tired, I find myself lately struggling against the constant pull of checking the headlines, wanting to be sure I knew as soon as possible if we were at war, what inanity Biden and his group of crazies have said today, what tranche of billions upon billions upon billions he had decided to give away of our money with some clearly unconstitutional Executive Order as in the student loan outrage. And then, after all these insults to our intelligence and our love of country, they will keep the Senate, allowing the appointment of Justices who are, to be kind, grievously unqualified to sit on any Court. Pray. Hope. Jim.
I share every single thought. I was a poll worker one year, but bowed out due to my compromised immune system–too much exposure to too many people. I may do it for future elections. Yes, I will keep checking the headlines, yes, I will keep hoping that somehow we will get through all of this in some kind of helpful way. I always like your comments, Jim, because your passion inspires and invigorates me. Thanks! And yes, the orchid was one of mine–I’m not sure if it’s one of the survivors of the orchid virus, and those flowers only bloom once per year. I’ll have to see who shows up!
It’s the same with me. A few days ago, I woke up and had what I call a Blue Pill moment. I was thinking about Trump and what he did wrong, and what he did right, and what if anything he did outside the norm.
How could reasonable rational conservatives be willing to throw Trump away? Wasn’t he right in pretty much everything he tried to do in office?
And I wondered if everything I’d been thinking for the past six years was a farce. Did Trump really get bushwhacked by the CIA and FBI? And MI6? Was there a valid reason for the Russia probe? Was the FBI innocent in its Crossfire Hurricane? Was Papadopoulos a Russian stool pigeon?
More importantly, was the 2020 election really rigged? Am I a blind fool and is Gary right? Is Trump a criminal hiding his ill-gotten gains from his IRS statements? Is he really a vampire who needs a stake driven through his heart? Is he really a mafia don who requires his ring to be kissed?
Is voting really secure? St. Auggie says it wasn’t right. But maybe there were legitimate reasons for the 3am spike in Biden’s totals. Maybe there was a legitimate reason for workers to get upset about a water main break and close up the precinct and then pull out suitcases of ballots and start running them through the machines.
If the Trump-averse are right, then nothing’s going wrong, right? — except Trump. Is DeSantis really up to the job of US president, and and the FBI and the DOJ and the national Press are just faithfully doing their jobs?
That lasted about ten minutes, but it was very disturbing that out of fatigue and frustration I would have to reassess and come up with the facts once again that yes, this is all really happening.
It’s very disconcerting.
Then my Bible reading was:
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls.”
With respect, let’s not carry this introspection too far! :-) Seriously, these are very interesting thoughts and I must admit to having similar thoughts now and then in which I wonder whether I just dreamed the entire last 6 years and it was all a mirage cleverly staged by the DNC to drive us all over the edge of the boat. In that, they most assuredly have succeeded for many of us, myself definitely included. I’m going to have to remember that phrase-a Blue Pill moment! Very good, albeit a tad chilling! And, thank you for the reading as well. Much needed in these dark times.
I don’t worry so much about the “Gary” part as I do the “Blue Pill”. I always associated that with something else entirely.