Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Our messy unity will be our strength.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

Bark louder, little dog.

You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / We Hold the Line II

We Hold the Line II

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I know everyone is coping with the election’s results differently. And I’m not here (front page or in comments) to tell everyone to just get over it already. But I do think its important that we not panic. All panicking is going to do is make things worse. Someone asked me in a comment if we are in the last days of the Republic. The short answer is I do not know, but if we are it shouldn’t be allowed to fall without a fight – and I’m not talking an actual, violent one.

My longer answer is I do not think that we are in the last days of the Republic. When 650,000 or more of us are strewn across battlefields from Pennsylvania to Florida and from New Mexico to South Carolina and there’s still no end in sight, then we might be in the last days of the Republic.

I’m not going to say things aren’t grim. That we’re in uncharted territory. That we appear to be nationally compromised by Russia and that the Chinese now perceive their long game to eclipse us may have sped itself up. All of this is true. But we’ve come through worse. And when we have we’ve almost always made advances. But no advancement, no progress in America has ever come without a sharp, strong, and uncomfortable attempt at retrenchment and reprisal. This is what happens when your state and society are the Constitutional Republic version of liberal democracy and, at the same time, the oldest and most aged of revolutionary states and societies in the modern period. The latter tend towards reactionary beliefs, attitudes, and actions as they age.

So where does this leave us as Americans? The same place it always does; the inheritors of great ideals and promise. Great ideals and promise that are all to often unfulfilled or more often than not paid lip service, rather than actualization. If we fall to pieces now, if we turn on each other out of fear and panic, then the Republic really will fall. If we hold fast, hold to the ideals, hold to the promise, then we may make it through this even if doing so is emotionally, mentally, and physically painful.

I leave you with the painting of Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, Commander II Corps, the Army of the Potomac placing himself in the line of fire near what would become known as the high water mark opposing Major General George Pickett’s charge on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg.* When MG Hancock’s subordinate’s asked him to remove to a safer location, he responded with: “There are times when a corps commander’s life does not count.” Shortly thereafter he was wounded in action, but not fatally, and remained at the front until the attack was over and the Confederate assault had been repulsed. If you are concerned for the Republic, then I recommend you take Major General Hancock’s example to heart and hold the line.

allie3

Reader Interactions

126Comments

  2. 2.

    BR

    In line with that — folks, Josh Marshall at TPM is reporting about the upcoming Ryan attempt to completely eliminate Medicare. Not just for future recipients, but it looks like possibly even for current ones. Time to hit the phones — apparently even Dems in the house and senate aren’t aware of this, and it could be rushed through with no opposition and no debate if we don’t make noise now.

    Might be time for some Tim F. Obamacare-like phonebanks.

  4. 4.

    Corner Stone

    We are a second or third world power come January 2017. We can still destroy the physical world but have no power to lead it any longer.

  7. 7.

    mai naem mobile

    I was going to call on the ACA and Medicare for my mom. My plan is to call not in a political way but a constituent services way. I called Jeff Flakes office on Fri to let them know that I got my insurance on the exchange and did not know what to do if the ACA wasn’t there.. This time I am going to call McCains office and ask them specifically how Ryans plan was going to work and that u need to know so I can plan ahead for it.

  10. 10.

    Adria McDowell (formerly LurkerExtraordinaire)

    Adam, I’m pretty sure you wrote this in response to my question, said in jest, on another thread. Even though the question was in jest, I think this response is perfect. Thank you again, and I’m sure your words will help some here set aside their grief and anger to turn those emotions into action.

    @BR: They really want a political fight, huh? Okay, MFers, you’ve got one!

  12. 12.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Capri: You’re welcome. I put (most of) this in a comment reply in an earlier thread just a moment ago. Hope is not a strategy, but hope is not lost.

    I get that you’re upset. I get that you’re processing in the comments. And its not my place, nor would I ever suggest you stop. But I would like to suggest that things are not as bad as your reactions seem to make them out to be. And that’s not to suggest that things are good. This is not last Tuesday at noon with all the promise that day seemed to hold. But its also not the fall of Rome either.

    Right now, between the most senior of the President Carter appointments, as well as the much younger still President Clinton and Obama appointments, the Federal judiciary at the district and appellate levels maintains a majority of judges appointed by these three Democratic Presidents. That isn’t going to change any time soon. Trying to pack the district and appellate courts isn’t going to be done quickly or easily. And even with a Supreme Court justice, provided the Senate Democratic caucus doesn’t slow things way, way down and the nomination, advise and consent occurs at a normal pace we’re talking March or April before whoever is nominated gets their final vote. This means that the Supreme Court will be 4-4 this term and if the nomination can be slowed into the summer, then at least the first half of the 2017-2018 docket will be chosen by a 4-4 court. So few momentous, major change of direction cases, because neither side wants to risk a 4-4 tie that affirms an appellate decision the other side can’t live with. And even with a 5th conservative justice we’re just back to where we were before Associate Justice Scalia died.

    From what I’m observing things are going to be a shitshow. Even the folks around the President Elect with government experience don’t seem to actually have a clue what they’re doing. This too will slow things way, way down. Right now inexperience and incompetence are good things. Remember, our system of government is not meant to be efficient – as in quick – even in a crisis. Its a high veto point system, and inherently ademocratic to anti-democratic specifically because the Founders and Framers were concerned with something like this happening. They wanted to make it as hard as possible for the system to be turned against the citizenry, to be turned toward autocracy. That works in the favor of the loyal (to the Constitution) opposition.

  13. 13.

    Omnes Omnibus

    I think I posted this too deep in a previous thread, so, since I am so damned proud, I will do it again here:

    My nephew is a 15 y/o high school freshman. A popular kid – good student, good athlete, all the fixing. Last week, he saw some white students giving a Latina classmate some shit about going back to Mexico. He walked up to the white kids (he looks like someone who could be on a Waffen SS recruiting poster) and said, “Go fuck yourselves.”

    The best part is that he admitted to me that he didn’t understand why everyone was so proud of him.

  16. 16.

    gbear

    I was looking for something to watch on YouTube over the weekend because I couldn’t stand to read blogs or news sites. I wound up binge watching all of Ken Burns’ Civil War. It was hard not to compare it with what’s going on now when it talked about how Lincoln was on the verge of losing his second term election.

  17. 17.

    Hkedi

    Just finished watching the “Arrival” move, Really good, felt a bit better after the movie was over.

  18. 18.

    WaterGirl

    @Omnes Omnibus: Reading that made me happy. Good on your nephew.

    I called my niece on Friday to follow up on something she had written to me on Wednesday – about how she is trying to raise good kids and Trump will now be a role model. I suggested she talk with the girls about taking care of the vulnerable kids, sticking up for them, maybe making friends with a kid they wouldn’t have thought to otherwise, etc. I will have to share your story with her for inspiration. thanks.

    edited

  19. 19.

    enplaned

    There are a lot of big black clouds right now. A silver lining is that it’s becoming apparent to many people who were previously sleepwalking through life just what is at stake. The mask has slipped off the beast and people see the full horror.

    It’s interesting to see. There are people who have woken, and others who are, so far as I can tell, almost actively resisting awakening. That is to say, they know something is deeply wrong, but man, they’re almost pissed at having to react to it. There’s a Jewish acquaintance of mine, and it’s “well, hey, let’s see, maybe Trump won’t be as bad as…”, and all I can do is roll my eyes, and then Steve Bannon occurs and suddenly it’s “oh fuck, really?” And all I can think of is, yeah, motherfucker, were you not paying attention previously?

    So maybe as this process of awakening occurs we’ll get somewhere.

    It’s been too easy for too long to sleepwalk through American life if you’re of even moderate means. Reality is suddenly impinging, bigtime, into the beautiful lives that cocoon a lot of people. Guess what, politics matters, hugely, and there have always been people trying to do bad things, and now the curtain has been ripped back on that in a way never before in my lifetime. And we need the sleepwalkers to wake, because they have money and they have organizational skills.

    It’s a small measure on the other side of the balance from the thumping big ugly mass of Trump that’s been dumped there. But you take what you can get.

  20. 20.

    PigDog

    I had to take a week off from reading about politics. This is the first thing I’ve read on BJ since 11/9. thank you for this.

  21. 21.

    socraticsilence

    @BR:

    I mean I know Ryan is a true believer but it’s hard to think of something stupider politically than cutting Medicare for current recipients- Jesus, he’d get less of a backslash for reinstituting the Draft.

  22. 22.

    jenn

    Brought up from downstairs:

    There’s been several discussions in here about what we can do, but I didn’t know until Perfect Tommy just commented, that the 2016 election isn’t over yet. There’s an election in Louisiana on December 10, and Foster Campbell needs support. If he wins, the Senate will be 51-49. Campbell needs support of both money and phones/canvassing. His website is here: http://www.fostercampbell2016.com/

    This is something helpful we can do! Let’s do it!

  23. 23.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Aisling McDonough @ AislingMcDL
    20 minutes ago I asked a facebook group what would happen if they lost Obamacare or Medicaid. I currently have 108 responses.

    ETA: Meant this for the thread below, but what the hell

  24. 24.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Adam L Silverman: Yes, I do.

    ETA: He is my godson, so I will try to take all the credit. Seriously though, my brother and my sister-in-law have raised two extraordinarily decent children.

  26. 26.

    dmsilev

    @socraticsilence: I imagine that he’ll back down to the point of keeping Medicare as-is for current recipients. That would short-circuit a lot of the blowback; the people who really like Medicare are the ones already depending on it…

  27. 27.

    Jeffro

    This is awesome, thank you Adam. Couldn’t agree more. We’re going to get through this together and come through it stronger (and keep bending that ‘arc of the moral universe’ something fierce).

    We didn’t nominate this kkklown, we didn’t vote for him, and we’re sure and hell not going to let him and his twisted entourage do their thing. No way.

  28. 28.

    Miss Bianca

    @dmsilev: this is what we were talking about tonight at the Democratic Party meeting – that if he’s smart/dumb enough to do that, then he might be able to get it thru’. But folks, we’ve seen this before – that’s how they destroyed unions, back in the day, by that “Tier A/Tier B” salary crap. We have to make a noise about it, and we have to get Republican friends and family to make a noise about it too, if we can.

    ETA: I’ve been thinking about joining the AARP just because I’m pretty sure they’d be *all over* shit like that. It’s not just current retirees that are their base – they’re depending on people like me (not that I’ll be able to retire, but still), coming up to fill their ranks in five years or so.

  29. 29.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Miss Bianca: Actually, I intend to be me and tell him about the Milgram experiments at Thanksgiving so that he understands that his response is not the norm.

  30. 30.

    satby

    Everyone I meet in Delhi asks what happened and how could the one with most votes lose? I explain, but they think it’s crazy. It is.

    Could someone post a link back to the thread that had the address to send a thank you to Secretary Clinton? I met a man here in Delhi who treasures the memory of meeting Bill Clinton when he was President and showed me the picture taken of them together. By the Secretary of State, he also proudly told me, who Cinton told to take three pictures to be sure one would be good. That kindness has never been forgotten, neither was the fact that Clinton was the first sitting President to visit India, so he’s still well remembered. This man wants to write to Hillary Clinton to thank her too.

  33. 33.

    Zinsky

    Steve Bannon is a filthy, alcoholic piece of shit who habitually looks like he just woke up in his clothes. He is pure evil. He makes Trump look Iike Prince Charming, which is sayin’ something!

  35. 35.

    Mary G

    @Omnes Omnibus: Props to the nephew, and you as godfather.

    I wonder if they are putting it out that they are pulling the plug on Medicare for everyone and then planning a “compromise” to keep it, probably in some HMO-like form, for those of us already on it and completely screwing anyone younger than 64 years, 364 days old>

  37. 37.

    WaterGirl

    @satby: Hey satby! I just tried to google for the BJ thread with the address, no luck. We need Steeplejack and his google fu.

  38. 38.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Miss Bianca: Not at the dinner table, but at some point over the weekend. Speaking of T-giving. My family does an embarrassing thing of having everyone say something they are thankful for. This year. I am going with “I am thankful that none of you at this table voted for that asshole and, as a result, I don’t have to eat a turkey TV dinner alone in my apartment to avoid screaming at you.”

  39. 39.

    Achrachno

    “I recommend you take Major General Hancock’s example to heart”

    The way I’m feeling about these confederate sympathizers, I’d rather take General Sherman’s example to heart.

  41. 41.

    debit

    I’m still having trouble talking about politics. Bright spot: I caught Walter on the couch and he held still long enough for me to capture it instead of bolting. Maybe someday he’ll realize that it’s okay for him to be on the couch, or, really ,any piece of furniture he wants to sleep on. I’m not going to yell.

  42. 42.

    Corner Stone

    People trusting in the system, law and order, rules and regulations to stymie this administration. I do not get it. Of course the P-Elect is incompetent. It’s not going to slow the agenda. We are not even a week out from the election. Pence is in charge of the transition team. And a white nationalist racist bigot is the top advisor to the incoming president.

  43. 43.

    debbie

    @gbear:

    If you really want a comparison, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I recommend reading Stacy Schiff’s Witches. It shows what happens when you let malevolent incompetents take over.

  45. 45.

    japa21

    Many times over the last several years, a common statement was that this country didn’t deserve a President like Obama. Sometimes I wonder what we did to deserve your presence here, Adam.

    Omnes, your nephew is special. Hopefully more and more kids will step up and do what he did. Bullies will generally back down when pushed. They want easy victims.

    My son, the HS teacher, has let it be known that if any kids get harassed or intimidated, they can feel safe coming to him to discuss it. Not all the teachers there are willing to support the kids that are the victims.

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    @Omnes Omnibus: Perhaps I should say something like “I’m grateful that I haven’t screamed at anyone yet for your stupid vote – I’m looking at you, my sister, and possibly you my BIL. Also grateful that I have not screamed yet at those who didn’t vote at all – I’m looking at you, my 22 year-old great nephew.

    Pretty sure it wouldn’t go over well. I spent the day with a trump voter and all I can say is that I wasn’t overtly hostile.

  50. 50.

    Jeffro

    @Mary G: funny you should mention this (well you and Satby) – I sent Secretary Clinton our family’s thank you note just this morning, thanking her for fighting so hard for kids and families, and alerting her that my daughter is both inspired and yet a little bummed. After all, by the time she runs for president herself in 2040 or so, she’ll only be the 3rd woman president. She promises to deal with it gracefully, just like the Secretary always has.

    Thanks HRC! ;)

  51. 51.

    Zinsky

    @socraticsilence: Oh, they will cut Medicare alright. And Social Security too. And smile as they are resuming out your assholes. These people are sick, degenerate perverts and we must fight them with all our power and all the rotten eggs and tomatoes we can hurl at them.

  52. 52.

    Suzanne

    @Omnes Omnibus: That’s my thing I’m thankful for, too. We may be grouchy, crazy, and passive-aggressive here in my family, but we DO NOT VOTE REPUBLICAN.

    A friend of ours is hosting a get-together on Thanksgiving for liberal refugees. I am also opening my doors. We’re doing Cornish game hens rather than turkey, though. Turkey just kind of sucks.

  53. 53.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Miss Bianca: I am serious. I know that several people on this blog now are planning being alone for the holidays because of appalling relatives, and I really am thankful that I do not have to be one of them.

  55. 55.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Suzanne: My dad and I lobby for goose every year. My grandmother never wanted goose, and, since her death, my brother has volunteered to host the event. That son of a bitch actively likes turkey.

  56. 56.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Omnes Omnibus: That son of a bitch actively likes turkey.

    Me, too. Isn’t goose like duck, hard to cook with all the fat? and I’m not sure about left-over goose. Turkey sandwiches for a week being the best thing about Thanksgiving

  57. 57.

    debbie

    @Suzanne:

    My whole family went for Trump so that proverbial TV dinner will be found in my oven. I’m still trying to work out how I’m going to tell them I’ll also be skipping Hannukah and Christmas too.

  58. 58.

    Miss Bianca

    And thank you, Adam. You and everyone here have really helped to keep me sane thru’ one of the most crushing disappointments I’ve ever felt in my life.

    I was out on the hunt last weekend, and we ended up with several exhilarating runs thru’ God’s own backyard. Taking off after hounds in full cry is an exercise in instant present time – there’s no room for chatter in your head, for brooding. It concentrates your mind as wonderfully as hanging, tho’ without the certainly lethal consequences.

    I realized afterwards that there were lessons to be had from my experience. That when things begin to move fast – faster than I might like, faster than I might have expected – that the worst thing I can do is go into a fetal crouch. This is what instinct clamors for when my horse wants to take off, and it’s a recipe for disaster. For losing my balance. For falling. That the way to ride it out is to sit up tall, dig my heels in and down. To lay back when we’re slithering downhill. To CHARGE uphill – let go, let God, get to the top of the hill and look around. Find your friends and ride like hell.

    Crack down when your hounds go after the wrong quarry.

    And that afterwards the things that matter – friends and family, both human and animal, and this heartbreakingly beautiful country – are still there. Still worth living for. Hell, worth dying for, if it comes to that. Certainly worth fighting for.

    v/r,

    MB

  60. 60.

    NotMax

    As I’ve said to acquaintances toying with moving out of the country or changing citizenship:

    I strive not to be a fair weather friend and refuse to be a fair weather American.

  62. 62.

    Suzanne

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    That son of a bitch actively likes turkey.

    WHUUUUT.
    Was he raised by wolves?
    I am not big on the classics for holiday meals (turkey and ham). Spatchcocking the turkey does make it better, but it’s still a turkey, and all the rest of the Thanksgiving food is better.

    I said “spatchcock”. There ya go, Corner Stone.

  63. 63.

    NotMax

    @Omnes Omnibus

    Not much meat on a goose. Not much taste either. Nice as a one-time Dickensian novelty, maybe.

    @Suzanne

    Just FYI, Cornish game hens can be cooked very successfully in the microwave, then browned and finished in the regular oven.

  65. 65.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Omnes Omnibus: My brother’s in laws do that. I got home from Iraq just before Thanksgiving 2008. When it got to me I tried to pass. They kept trying to come back to me. I kept trying to have my mouth full. None of them even sent me a birthday card while I was downrange.

  66. 66.

    Suzanne

    @NotMax: I am concerned for my daughters (Spawn the Elder is realizing some things about her orientation), and my cousin and her family (her husband is black and their daughters are biracial), and Mr. Suzanne’s uncle, who I absolutely adore, and who is also married to a black dude. And my transgender next-door neighbor, who just got some bad health news, and my Muslim friend at work, who lives a couple of miles away and whose family keeps getting harassed. I could go on. But the point is that all these people are dear to me and they are now in greater danger. I do not ever want to leave, but I also need to protect them first. I don’t know where to go that would be safe for them,

  68. 68.

    satby

    @WaterGirl: hey lady! Thanks!

    @Mary G: Oh thank you Mary G! The man was touched when I said I’d get him the address, and I think the Clintons would be touched to hear from their far away admirer.

    @schrodinger’s cat: My fun factor improved as soon as I knew the dog situation in my house was stabilized. Yes, so far it’s been enjoyable, aside from the currency thing which left everyone without cash for a few days. The ATM lines have been hours long and they frequently run out. I’m going to need to brave one today, or try a bank itself.

  69. 69.

    Adam L Silverman

    @japa21: John helped me, from this blog, and without knowing it, save the life of one of the Soldiers in my brigade that a Wall Street Journal reporter had put at risk by a story he published. Had I not seen the story highlighted in one of John’s posts here after I’d gone back to my quarters to rack out for the night, that Soldier would have been in a world of hurt. This is me working that off.

  73. 73.

    Miss Bianca

    @efgoldman: love goose, love duck, love turkey, love Cornish game hens. Now I’m trying to think of a joke, but all I can come up with is a vile clench like “fowl weather friend.” Pah, humbug!

  75. 75.

    Percysowner

    I appreciate what you are saying, I do. But I didn’t panic when Nixon played dirty tricks and won an election based on a “secret plan” to end the war in Vietnam. I didn’t panic when Regan made a secret deal with Iran a
    nd had our citizens imprisoned so that e could win an election. I didn’t panic when George W. Bush’s brother helped make a confusing ballot and a partisan Supreme Court threw the election to him. I didn’t panic when he ignored 60+% of the country who didn’t want to go into Iraq and when he provided false intelligence to make a war happen.

    When should we panic? When a Republican House and Senate kill Medicare and suddenly find a way to keep minorities from voting? When a President installs a white nationalist in his cabinet? When the Republicans start talking about packing the court so that liberals will not get a voice in deciding what is and is not constitutional for generations? How about when an incoming President talks about deporting 3 MILLION people? How about when the Vice President is a an who imprisoned a woman for having a miscarriage? We Democrats have spent most of my life “not panicking” We have decided to fight nice. Use the proper channels. Believe that our opponents are misguided and will do the right thing in the end. We have gotten screwed EVERY, SINGLE TIME.

    I’m due to go on Medicare in 20 months. It probably won’t be there. My daughter has a decent job with a municipality. The Repubs will probably destroy it. She wants to plan the size of her family. The people who run our government are about to TAKE THAT AWAY. I’m tired of not panicking. I’m tired of being reasonable. I’m sick to death of being told that we must “understand” why the racist, misogynist, white power voters. (I love you Michael Moore, but REALLY). It is time to panic! Then it is time to do all the things the teabaggers did and more.

    I’m not saying panic for the sake of panicking. I’m saying panic and STOP TRYING TO BE REASONABLE! Stop pretending that these people are “good people with valid reasons” (My SIL is from a very conservative Catholic family, I hear this from him a lot. I bite my tongue because he is liberal and deserves to love his family, but YEESH!)

    It’s time to panic and it’s time to fight.

    I know I sound nuts and like I should be making a tin-foil hat, but I AM panicking and I AM scared.

  86. 86.

    LevelB

    What the nation is going through right now seems to be a political Cold War. Republicans determined to destroy democrats, and now democats getting on board through a sense of self preservation. I’m beginning to think we will be lucky to escape major violence. God help us all.

  89. 89.

    Suzanne

    @efgoldman: Born on Long Island. Hated ham and turkey on Long Island.

    Really, really tempted to move back to Long Island.

    I can tell you this, in all seriousness: red states are out of contention this time. I know that liberals need to live everywhere, but I am just so tired. My boss reads Breitbart and likes Milo Yiannopoulis.

    Hold me, Balloon Juicers. Hold me.

  95. 95.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Adam L Silverman: Yeah, I like it.

    @NotMax: Not much meat on a goose. Not much taste either. Nice as a one-time Dickensian novelty, maybe.

    when I was a kid, I always thought the end of a Christmas Carol was odd, because the Cratchitts had that goose, which was exotic and I thought fancy, even if it was small, and Scrooge sent over a boring old turkey.

  102. 102.

    Timurid

    red states are out of contention

    I wish. I fucking wish,
    I live where the job market tells me I can live.
    Right now that’s in a ‘progressive’ Southern city that is in reality a hive of scum and villainy (64% total vote for Trump, with the population just less than 70% white that is about a 90% white vote for the Donald).
    And all I could do in a blue state right now is starve.

  105. 105.

    schrodinger's cat

    @Mnemosyne: I think initial panic is good, if you go through all the scary scenarios in your head, it feels cathartic. Once your done with the emotional freakout then you can deal with a scary situation more rationally. Denying your emotions is kinda counterproductive. Just my 2 cents.

  110. 110.

    Gvg

    I have a question. Does the Constitution actually specify what happens if the President elect dies or quits before inauguration? After, the VP gets,it but I am not sure about this after election before inauguration period. The reason I wondered is because I know originally they weren’t the same party but 1st place n 2nd and things got changed because that didn’t work. People aren’t really voting for the VP, that’s just a Tagalog for voting for President. I don’t think Pence would be much better I just don’t think Trump is healthy or going to like the job and predict amazing scandals fast. Tabloids are going to love this for awhile at least. I have always hated tabloids and reality TV”…..we have months of this to endure.

  115. 115.

    CaseyL

    @Richard Mayhew:

    Tomorrow’s posts are focused on outreach

    Very glad to hear that. I haven’t panicked, but that’s only because I’m too goddamned angry. It would be good to do something constructive before I pop like an overheated thermometer. Phone banking elected officials sounds pretty good. My state’s Senators are both Dems, and so is my Representative; hopefully they’re in the mood for a good fight.

  116. 116.

    Mnemosyne

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    Oh, trust me, I’ve had my moments of panic. Finding out that nobody on the Trump transition team knew they would need to hire people to run the White House? That they lack basic knowledge of how the actual day-to-day running of our government happens? Holy. Fucking. Shit.

    But if you’re going to fight effectively, you need to feel that panic and then set it aside, or it will keep distracting you when you’re in the middle of the fight.

  117. 117.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Gvg: It depends when the vacancy occurs. Remember the election hasn’t actually been held, that happens when the electors vote. So if Trump were to kick the bucket before the electors vote, they’d be voting for a dead man. It’s unclear what would happen. If Trump kicked the bucket after the electors voted, Pence would be President and appoint(with the approval of Congress) a VP.

  119. 119.

    Elie

    @Corner Stone:
    I am w you. Time to get subversive and/or blatantly oppositional. Ugly even. I would not ask it or expect it of Hillary but boy would I like her to suit up in chain mail and LEAD us in opposition. Risky? Hell yes so I would not ask it if her. Trump is vindictive and she would be pursued and possibly jailed – or worse. But she would help rally us.
    I love Obama but I have NO idea what he is doing normalizing this fool. As awful as the consequences he should let them fuck everything up since it is quite clear that they would not be able to get it together to run shit by January and that is a good thing. This is a nascent administration that should be smothered dead in its crib.

  120. 120.

    Elie

    @Mnemosyne:
    It’s that panic that numbs the pain in battle and let’s adrenaline allow you to do what needs to be done. Right now I am panicked that the Dems don’t seem to be awake yet and when u have your enemy (yes enemy) this clueless you should set up the traps at least if not worse. Seems like Harry Reid was the only one w a spine and a little juice for war. Sad.

  121. 121.

    Elie

    Maybe Obama thinks he needs to preserve the system. He is wrong. The system is off the rails already and speeding up. You can’t put out this kind of fire with just water. You have to tear it out of the walls as well. Rebuilding is horrid but the alternative is worse. Somebody on our side has to stop fucking around and engage the real deal here before it’s too late

  122. 122.

    ChrisGrrr

    @Adam L Silverman: I did not know this.
    It’s probably beyond your ability, now, but do us ordinary schlubs a favor and be less capable and fascinating from time to time. I’m not snarking (much). Tnx.

  125. 125.

    oldster

    Thanks for the Hancock quote, Adam. Another one from that same era, courtesy of US Grant:

    “Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what are we going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do.”

    Or is it is also quoted in more popularized form (though I suspect without historical accuracy):

    Quit thinking about what Bobby Lee’s gonna do to us and start thinking about what we’re going to do to him.

  126. 126.

    darms

    Adam, you said

    But we’ve come through worse.

    . Unfortunately that is not true. While there have been more than a few right wing authoritarians in the presidency and other positions of power, the power of this particular right wing authoritarian is totally unchecked. GW showed us what RWAs think of the constitution and the bill of rights and the USAPATRIOT act will empower Trump to be the dictator he dreams of. We have in effect elected our first Augusto Pinochet to the US presidency and the only thing that might save us is Trump’s incompetence. And his VP Pence is both a right wing authoritarian & a christian dominionist & unfortunately seems to be competent. All the infowars-style fear-mongering stories can now come true because the people who will be taking power shortly are on the record as supporting such things as massive prison camps, ‘enemy combatants’ w/no civil rights & of course the ever popular drone strikes. I think there is a good chance we will have death squads taking out their perceived enemies here at home…

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