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What The Democrats Need To Do Now

  

Category:  Op/Ed

By:  john-russell  •  3 years ago  •  49 comments

What The Democrats Need To Do Now


I'm not going to write a long prescription to get the Democrats on the path to victory , and I'm not even going to claim a unique take. I've heard tv and internet pundits saying this from even before last Tuesday's Virginia election. 

The Democrats will pass some version of both the infrastructure bill and the social spending bill. It may not be all everyone wanted but it will be bigger than most social spending programs in the past and there will be a number of things in there that appeal to most Americans. Polling has consistently showed this. They need to talk this up for the next year. 

That is the first part. 

The second part is also simple, and probably more important.  The Democrats need to push the investigation of the Trump campaign's traitorous post election behavior to the hilt. They need to make the Jan 6 committee public hearings must see tv. They need to go after Donald Trump. Nothing short of that will exorcise Trumpism from our politics. This needs to be a major production.  They also need to attack right wing media and the right wing conspiracy factories, and do so on a constant and continuous basis. We need to take back our messaging and take back our country from these wacko traitors and mental misfits. 

One of these two paths would not do it, but both in combination will. 

Oh , one more. They need to fight against right wing America's desire to demonize the true teaching of American history as regards race. To this point the Democrats have been pretty silent in pushing back against the "anti-crt" information, and that needs to change too. 


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JohnRussell
Professor Principal
1  author  JohnRussell    3 years ago

Point out the many benefits of the Build Back Better legislation that will soon pass Congress, and attack the Republicans on their absurd fealty to the criminal ex president. And do it all the time. And push back strongly on the right wings attempt to dictate a whitewashed version of American history. 

Then we win. 

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
1.1  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  JohnRussell @1    3 years ago
"And push back strongly on the right wings attempt to dictate a whitewashed version of American history. "

I thought it was the left wing that was trying to whitewash American history by removing statues and renaming facilities.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
1.2  Texan1211  replied to  JohnRussell @1    3 years ago

To point out good things in the Build Back Better Bill, first you must actually PASS something. Democrats refuse to to do. Hell, it took those House clowns how long to pass the real infrastructure bill AFTER the Senate passed it?

Attacking Republicans and trying to tie every single Republican to Trump is a failing strategy, as evidenced Tuesday, but if Democrats are stupid enough to keep on doing it, Republicans are smart enough to let them embrace losing strategies!

Democrats should worry about independents. They lost them BIG TIME on Tuesday. Telling voters they are simply too stupid to know what they vote for is really, really dumb, but Democrats insist on persisting in doing just that.

The flap over CRT will end eventually. 

The real questions for Democrat are these:

Did you learn anything from Tuesday, and how will you make Democratic candidates more palatable to the independents without losing the base of your party?

Will Democrats realize that a razor-thin majority is a far, far cry from a mandate, and start acting like it?

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
1.2.1  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Texan1211 @1.2    3 years ago

No one has ever held Trump responsible for his behavior after Nov 3 last year. This is undoubtedly because US media is based on a "both sides" style of presenting the news. There is always an assumption that both sides , in this case traitors, conspiracy nuts, white supremacists,  (and even some outside of the Trump White House) , have an equal claim to credibility as normal people do. 

This should be seen as an absurdity,  but our current climate embraces absurdity. 

I dont think attacking the traitors in itself would win the election next year, but in combination with better economic news and a successful passage of some social spending bill (doesnt have to be all of it) will be enough to win the majorities for the Democrats next year. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
1.2.2  Texan1211  replied to  JohnRussell @1.2.1    3 years ago
No one has ever held Trump responsible for his behavior after Nov 3 last year. This is undoubtedly because US media is based on a "both sides" style of presenting the news. There is always an assumption that both sides , in this case traitors, conspiracy nuts, white supremacists,  (and even some outside of the Trump White House) , have an equal claim to credibility as normal people do.  This should be seen as an absurdity,  but our current climate embraces absurdity. 

That certainly is one strategy. A failing one, of course, but it IS a strategy. You can keep trying to put Trump on ballots he isn't on, but we saw how that didn't work in VA.

Are Democrats really silly enough to believe that America is just waiting for Democrats to finally pin something on Trump?

Good luck with THAT silliness!

Democrats are going to get their asses handed to them next November.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
1.2.3  Jack_TX  replied to  JohnRussell @1.2.1    3 years ago
No one has ever held Trump responsible for his behavior after Nov 3 last year.

The number of American voters who care about that is already small and dwindles every day.

Nobody cares.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
1.2.4  Jack_TX  replied to  Texan1211 @1.2    3 years ago
The real questions for Democrat are these:

Did you learn anything from Tuesday, and how will you make Democratic candidates more palatable to the independents without losing the base of your party?

Will Democrats realize that a razor-thin majority is a far, far cry from a mandate, and start acting like it?

I think you're spot on here.

It seems like we go through this every time a Democrat wins the WH.  The far left runs off down the road thinking the election of a fundamentally moderate president is some sort of endorsement of their foolishness.  Then the midterms kick them in the teeth and the country resets to some semblance of normalcy.  I suspect we'll have to wait for that again.

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
2  Sean Treacy    3 years ago

Call everyone racists, give tax breaks to the rich.  The Democratic playbook. 

Even an economic advisor to Obama can't believe what they are doing on the SALT Tax loophole:

"Just the value of this 7.5K increase to the original $72.5K cap is larger than the entire child tax credit expansion for a middle-class family with two children. And this increase alone will go almost exclusively to households making over $1 million. Why are they doing this?"

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
2.1  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Sean Treacy @2    3 years ago

Oh the SALT tax loophole. ok.

Donald Trump is the biggest political criminal in American history.  He needs to be presented to the American people as such, and I dont even think it would be hard to do. 

Many Democrats adopted a live and let live stance toward Trump following Biden's inauguration , hoping he would fade away. He is not going to fade away, and certainly not prior to next years mid terms. There is already more than enough uncovered information to show that Trump is a traitor against America. What needs to be done now is it needs to be weaponized and presented to the American people on an ongoing and constant basis until Trumpism is gone.  Without the Build Back Better passage people could object to attacking Trump on the basis that doing so was ignoring doing something positive for the American people, but soon it wont be possible to say that. 

Half the time talking up the benefits of Build Back Better, and half the time burying Trump.  The Democrats just need more fight and energy. 

 
 
 
GregTx
PhD Guide
2.1.1  GregTx  replied to  JohnRussell @2.1    3 years ago

I agree, they should spend half their time taking responsibility for that progressive tax grab and the other half focused on Trump. I'm sure that's a winning proposition. jrSmiley_82_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
2.1.2  author  JohnRussell  replied to  GregTx @2.1.1    3 years ago

Of course Republicans and conservatives dont want Trump's traitorous behavior exposed. They are depending on the Democrats being milk toast about it. 

This makes absolutely no sense. The Democrats need to stop playing by the right wing playbook and go on the offense.  

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
2.1.3  Jack_TX  replied to  JohnRussell @2.1    3 years ago
Oh the SALT tax loophole. ok. Donald Trump is the biggest political criminal in American history.  

Explain what those two things have to do with one another.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
2.2  Texan1211  replied to  Sean Treacy @2    3 years ago

Democrats SAY the rich don't pay their fair share. We have all heard it many times. So what do Democrats DO? Give a huge tax cut to the wealthy!

One good thing, Bernie Sanders already has said he doesn't want that cap lifted. It will be taken out. Just like family leave, which Manchin said specifically he didn't want. House Democrats KNEW that but Nancy insisted on including them in a bill she already knows stands no chance in the Senate as written.

Could you even imagine the campaign trail next year if they were included and it passed?

Democrat: "The rich aren't paying their fair share!  We must tax them more!"

Reporter: "Is THAT why you voted to give them a HUGE tax cut?"

LOL!!!

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3  TᵢG    3 years ago

I suspect any actions by the Ds will simply embolden the current Trump supporters.   After all, it is not as if the Trump supporters are unaware of what Trump did;  they want him back in spite of his abysmal character.    And those who somehow are NOT aware are not going to listen (obviously) to any reason.

Expect the Trump supporters to dig in.   No change.   But this might dissuade the few non-Trumpers who might have considered Trump.   I do not think many of those creatures exist.   Seems to me we have those who will vote for Trump no matter what and the rest of the electorate who likely would not give Trump a second chance.   I do not think that will change by D actions.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
3.1  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  TᵢG @3    3 years ago

Seems like the only way to be sure that Trump will never be POTUS again is for him to be convicted of a crime that would prevent it, so the Dems had better apply some WD40 to the creaking wheels of justice if they want to be sure.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.1.1  TᵢG  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @3.1    3 years ago

Seems like his supporters (those who remain today) will support him no matter what.  

 
 
 
Nowhere Man
Junior Guide
3.1.2  Nowhere Man  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @3.1    3 years ago
Seems like the only way to be sure that Trump will never be POTUS again is for him to be convicted of a crime that would prevent it, so the Dems had better apply some WD40 to the creaking wheels of justice if they want to be sure.

You know Buzz, if they had any real proof, they be doing it already... (and it would be posted all over the internet)

At this point a firehose of WD40 wouldn't work....

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2  author  JohnRussell  replied to  TᵢG @3    3 years ago

The Democrats have been far far too meek in pursuing Trump, and others, over the travesty they made of our last national election. They have made themselves look weak to their own constituency. Why cede the stage on this issue to Trump and the lapdog Republicans in Congress?  The American people arent "tired" of this issue, it has never been presented to them as a matter of grievous national security. 

What we have now is a  previous presidency that INTENDED to immorally and probably illegally seize control of a government that it had lost in a fair and free election. I dont know how many people understand this but Donald Trump intended to , at the least, disenfranchise tens of million of voters , on the basis of nothing but his own lies and desires to remain in office no matter what. He was offered a plan to have Pence either declare him the winner of the election on the basis of not counting "contested" electoral votes (there were no "contested" electoral votes. In order for there to be contested electoral votes there would have to have been alternate slates of electors in various states sent to Congress) , or failing that, Trump wanted the Congress to send the election back to the states where he intended to coerce republican majority statehouses to declare him the winner of their states election based on, nothing but his personal desires. 

In the course of intending all this utterly immoral behavior Trump incited a deadly riot at the capitol , where his enraged followers intended to intimidate Congress into following Trumps plan to steal the election. 

This is all national disgrace at the very highest level. The mainstream media has been derelict in the way it has presented these events to the American people. This was a far bigger story and scandal than Watergate or any other previous American political scandal. Has it been presented as such to the American people? Of course not. The Democrats need to do that now. And it will help them get rid of Trump and win the mid terms. 

By itself it would not have, but in conjunction with good economic news and the passage of the spending bills which will help tens of millions of Americans it will. 

 
 
 
Greg Jones
Professor Participates
3.2.1  Greg Jones  replied to  JohnRussell @3.2    3 years ago

Most Americans don't give a flyin' fuck about about this so called scandal.

The recent election results should made that clear

afb110521dAPR20211105044502.jpg

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.2  TᵢG  replied to  JohnRussell @3.2    3 years ago
I dont know how many people understand this but Donald Trump intended to , at the least, disenfranchise tens of million of voters , on the basis of nothing but his own lies and desires to remain in office no matter what.

How is it possible for people to not know this?   Anyone who cannot recognize what Trump did at this point is not going to be influenced by facts and reason.   My concern, John, is that there are countless millions who fall into the category of entirely unreachable.   They will support Trump no matter what.   Take an unnamed member here as your exemplar for this group.   Do you think that this individual will ever, under any circumstances, drop his "love" of Trump and recognize the reality that I quoted from you above?   I do not.

I agree with pretty much everything you wrote except for your expectation that a greater push would be effective on existing Trump supporters.   It would, however, likely influence those who are not paying close attention and help ensure that they never consider supporting Trump.   I just do not have a good feel for how many people are in that set.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
3.2.3  TᵢG  replied to  Greg Jones @3.2.1    3 years ago
Most Americans don't give a flyin' fuck about about this so called scandal.

Do you consider that to be a good thing?

Do you support Trump for PotUS?

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
3.2.4  Sean Treacy  replied to  JohnRussell @3.2    3 years ago

 Democrats have been far far too meek in pursuing Trump, and others, over the travesty they made of our last national election

You imagine not enough of an obsession with Donald Trump is what drove independents to the Republicans? 

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2.5  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Greg Jones @3.2.1    3 years ago
Most Americans don't give a flyin' fuck about about this so called scandal.

Traitors at heart dont. I do agree with that. 

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2.6  author  JohnRussell  replied to  TᵢG @3.2.2    3 years ago
I agree with pretty much everything you wrote except for your expectation that a greater push would be effective on existing Trump supporters.  

I dont think I said a greater push on Jan 6 would convince Trump voters. I do think it would help the Democrats win next year, and a Democrat win next year would go a long way towards ending Trumpism. 

We dont, or shouldnt , decide what is right or wrong based on what the criminals fans think about it. 

The mainstream media has done an immense disservice to the country by downplaying what Trump did in December and January. Our society is so disconnected from political reality by the deluge of lies, fantasies, conspiracy theories and just plain old fashioned bullshit that the right has subjected the nation to for the last 6 or 7 years that nothing is taken seriously any more. 

We have to stop this disastrous trend. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.2.7  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Sean Treacy @3.2.4    3 years ago

Sean,

I think you got that wrong. This from Forbes:

Study Confirms Big 2020 Takeaways: Biden’s Gains With Suburban Voters, Independents, Won Him Election

KEY FACTS

Biden won 54% of suburban voters, a 9-point increase from Clinton’s performance in 2016 (45%), the   study —based on a survey of 11,818 people conducted November 12 to November 17—found.

While Trump won white suburban voters by 16 points in 2016, he edged out Biden by just 4 points with the same group in 2020 (51% to 47%).

Independent voters swung to Biden by a 9-point margin (52% to 43%) in 2020, a major shift from 2016 when Trump won the bloc by one point over Clinton (43% to 42%).

 
 
 
Greg Jones
Professor Participates
3.2.8  Greg Jones  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.2.7    3 years ago

The vote was anti-Trump.....not pro-Biden

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.2.9  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Greg Jones @3.2.8    3 years ago

Greg,

Maybe... But that says a lot, too.

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
3.2.10  Sean Treacy  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.2.7    3 years ago

I'm talking about what happened last week and the current state of polling, not what happened in 2020.  Republicans haven't made massive gains because the Democrats are too soft on Trump. 

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.2.11  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Sean Treacy @3.2.10    3 years ago

Sean,

I think what happened is all this CRT BS mixed in with mask mandates freaked out suburbanites. Add to that a great turnout from the Republicans and it was a win for Team Red. 

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2.12  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Sean Treacy @3.2.10    3 years ago

Winning one state election is not "making massive gains". 

The Democrats need to make the insurrection , led by Trump and supported by, particularly afterwards, major republican Party figures, a major if not the major national political issue. Right after the insurrection most Republican leaders blamed Trump in very strong language. As soon as they saw he had no intention of fading away they changed their tune and now support his potential 2024 candidacy.  This is absolutely disgraceful and the Democrats need to make a major national issue of it. 

The problem is not that Trump did nothing wrong, or the insurrectionists did nothing wrong, the problem is there hasnt been enough outrage over it. We are living in a degraded nation. 

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
3.2.13  Sean Treacy  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.2.11    3 years ago

Regardless, there is no evidence that Dems not talking about Trump enough somehow led to voters flocking to Republicans. 

Plus 7 on the generic  Congressional Ballot  is an absolutely massive switch in a year. 

McAullife tried the Trump Trump Trump card.  I hope Democrats nationwide do the same

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
3.2.14  Texan1211  replied to  JohnRussell @3.2.12    3 years ago
Winning one state election is not "making massive gains".

It damn sure is in that state!

The GOP hadn't won a statewide office in VA since 2009. Now, they have the Governor, Lt. Governor, AG, and the state legislature. You and I both know Democrats will be boasting when they win even one state wide office in Texas, and how that will mean that the tide is turning!

The GOP also unseated a popular State Senate Leader in New Jersey.

And to top it all off, the voter turnout was large on Tuesday, going to disprove the old Democratic mantra of "We win when turnout is higher!"

But don't you worry, the massive gains you are worried about will be during the midterms next year.

Attacking Trump will placate some of those who hate Trump, but astute political observers will recognize that failed strategy after Tuesday's results. Besides, that strategy does NOTHING at all to energize independents to vote for Democrats. Without independents, Democrats don't stand a chance in many places.

 
 
 
Perrie Halpern R.A.
Professor Principal
3.2.15  Perrie Halpern R.A.  replied to  Sean Treacy @3.2.13    3 years ago

Sean, I have no idea what you are talking about. I never made such a claim. I only correct the idea about indies, since I thought we were talking about the presidential election.

I still stand by the comment that this election was driven by CRT BS mixed in with mask mandates. Talking about Trump is a folly. Hopefully, he will just disappear.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2.16  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.2.15    3 years ago
Talking about Trump is a folly. Hopefully, he will just disappear.

Donald Trump has psychological malfunctions dating back to his childhood. Mary Trump, a trained psychologist, has talked about this. 

Trump is addicted to attention. The only attention level he will accept now is a presidential campaign. Only serious illness or the justice system will stop him from running again, imo. 

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
3.2.17  Sean Treacy  replied to  JohnRussell @3.2.12    3 years ago
inning one state election is not "making massive gains". 

Sure winning statewide elections in a plus 10 Democratic state, almost winning the governorship in a plus 15 Democratic state, seeing Biden's approval rating crater to the low  40s, with the republicans enjoying leads in the generic congressional ballot is exactly where we were in November 2020.  

If the midterms were held today the Republicans would picks up dozens of seats in the house and control the senate. If you don't think that's a massive change from where things were in January, I can't really help you.

ed to make the insurrection , led by Trump and supported by, particularly afterwards, major republican Party figures, a major if not the major national political issue

How well did that Trump obsession work for McAullife?  Everyone knows what happened. Repeating the same thing over and over isn't going to change anyone's votes especially as it recedes into the past.  People  care about what effects their lives, not that Trump wanted to engage in a stupid legal challenge of the election and sat back and didn't do much as a riot occurred. Everyone who cares knows what happened and has already factored it in. 

It would be like the Republicans deciding the only issue the Focus in  2022 should be the Steele dossier scam and the Democrats corrupt manipulation of the FBI.  Bad as it was, it's not going to drive independents to the polls years later.  

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
3.2.18  Sean Treacy  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.2.15    3 years ago

eean, I have no idea what you are talking about.e

The article.  The point of the article is that dems need to focus on Trump. I addressed that. Not sure how that's confusing. 

I only correct the idea about indies, since I thought we were talking about the presidential election.

And I'm talking about the situation now.

Talking about Trump is a folly. 

Yes, that's my point. 

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2.19  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Sean Treacy @3.2.17    3 years ago
How well did that Trump obsession work for McAullife?  Everyone knows what happened. Repeating the same thing over and over isn't going to change anyone's votes especially as it recedes into the past.  People  care about what effects their lives, not that Trump wanted to engage in a stupid legal challenge of the election and sat back and didn't do much as a riot occurred.

Donald Trump tried to steal the election. He wanted to steal the election. He intended to steal the election. Somehow, but not surprisingly, that fact didnt make it into your paragraph. 

One can say he had little to no chance of success, but that is hardly the point.  If America wasn't such a degraded nation right now, ethically, this story would have dominated the news for the past year . 

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2.20  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Sean Treacy @3.2.17    3 years ago
It would be like the Republicans deciding the only issue the Focus in  2022 should be the Steele dossier scam and the Democrats corrupt manipulation of the FBI. 

Ridiculous, for numerous reasons.  But check in with Vic in a few months. He may be going for it. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
3.2.21  Texan1211  replied to  JohnRussell @3.2.19    3 years ago
Donald Trump tried to steal the election. He wanted to steal the election. He intended to steal the election. Somehow, but not surprisingly, that fact didnt make it into your paragraph. 

If only Trump had been on the ballot Tuesday.

But he wasn't, and running against Trump didn't work, probably because independent voters were smart enough to realize that despite the Democratic campaign against him, Trump wasn't on the ballot. What a smart strategy to run against a non-candidate!

You would have my vote as campaign manager for any Democrat running anywhere!

Just fucking brilliant!

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.2.22  Jack_TX  replied to  Perrie Halpern R.A. @3.2.11    3 years ago
I think what happened is all this CRT BS mixed in with mask mandates freaked out suburbanites.

It's not just CRT.  It's the whole package.  It's the loud angry militant leftist mob screaming about the peripheral issues that most Americans don't believe in.  It's the perception that Biden is a lot more feeble than we thought he was and is not going to be able to keep the Woke Mafia in check. 

It's about people getting fired, banned, and canceled for "misgendering" somebody.  It's about excusing absolutely any behavior as long as the perpetrator claims to be supporting some leftist cause.  It's about demanding that all white people wear sackcloth and ashes while they whip themselves for racism that happened 200 years ago.  It's about mandating masks and high-level Democrats appearing in public without them.  It's about changing the math curriculum to make sure it includes lessons about racism, and it not really mattering because they ignore any math they don't like anyway.

Hell, most people don't even really know what CRT is.  It's just become the current 3 letter phrase representing stupid levels of oppressive woke, replacing BLM and OWS before that.

James Carville knows what he's talking about.

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
3.2.23  Jack_TX  replied to  JohnRussell @3.2.12    3 years ago
The Democrats need to make the insurrection , led by Trump and supported by, particularly afterwards, major republican Party figures, a major if not the major national political issue.

Actually a great idea. 

That should ensure Republican majorities in both House and Senate.  Gridlock will be restored, the government will stop doing stupid things, the rest of us will get on with our lives and the economy will boom.  I like it.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2.24  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Jack_TX @3.2.23    3 years ago

Maybe this short promo can help you regain some clarity in your thinking. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
3.2.25  Texan1211  replied to  JohnRussell @3.2.5    3 years ago
Traitors at heart dont. I do agree with that. 

How fucking ridiculous.

So in your mind, everyone who isn't aboard the "I Hate Trump With a Burning Passion" train is a traitor?

Whoo Boy!!!!!!

That is on par with telling voters they are stupid when Democrats don't win.
Losing strategies and completely silly.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
3.2.26  author  JohnRussell  replied to  Texan1211 @3.2.25    3 years ago

Try to learn something

Timeline of the coup: How Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election

January 6 timeline: How Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election - CNNPolitics

By   Marshall Cohen
CNN Illustration by Alberto Mier

Updated 7:04 AM ET, Fri November 5, 2021

Programming note: A new CNN documentary, "Trumping Democracy: An American Coup," about former President Donald Trump's attempts to subvert the 2020 election, premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, November 5.

Washington (CNN) A full year after the 2020 presidential election, new details are still emerging about former President Donald Trump's unprecedented effort to overturn the results.

Many of Trump's actions were done in public view, including dozens of ill-fated lawsuits and tweets that undermined the electoral process. But congressional inquiries and news reports have shed new light on what happened behind the scenes as Trump tried to cling to power.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of Trump's attempted coup was how he relentlessly tried to weaponize the Justice Department to nullify President Joe Biden's victory. The Democratic-run Senate Judiciary Committee investigated Trump's conduct and   concluded in a recent report   that he "grossly abused the power of the presidency."
Here's a big-picture breakdown of the attempted coup, along with a day-by-day timeline of Trump's efforts to co-opt the Justice Department to help his campaign.

Big-picture summary of the coup attempt

Four days after Election Day, CNN and other news outlets   projected that Biden had won . Instead of conceding, Trump immediately started pressuring local, state and federal officials to overturn the results. Many of these officials rebuffed his demands, concluding they were unethical, illegal or unconstitutional. But some officials and advisers joined the charge and tried to help.
Within weeks, Trump   met with   and   spoke to   officials from Michigan and Pennsylvania who were involved in the election process, hoping they'd block Biden's victory. He   fired a senior cybersecurity official   at the Department of Homeland Security who publicly debunked his lies about voter fraud. And he cranked up the pressure on the Justice Department, even after Attorney General Bill Barr ordered prosecutors to investigate voter fraud allegations.
He tried -- but failed -- to stop certification in key states in late November and December. After that, Trump and his allies filed meritless lawsuits across the country seeking to nullify the results.
Trump called Pennsylvania lawmakers,   urging them   to ignore the fact that Biden won their state and appoint GOP electors instead. He   called Georgia's governor   and pushed him to convince state lawmakers there to do the same. These efforts also fell flat, and members of the Electoral College met on December 14, 2020, to   officially affirm Biden's victory.
Running out of time before the transfer of power, Trump became increasingly desperate and even entertained a suggestion to   declare martial law.   In a   now-infamous call   on January 2, 2021, Trump pleaded with Georgia's top election official to "find" enough Republican votes to overtake Biden's margin. (This phone call is now at the center of   a criminal investigation by state prosecutors in Atlanta .)
Trump and his allies repeatedly urged top Justice Department officials to help them overturn the results -- and Trump   nearly fired   the acting attorney general who refused to do his bidding.
Trump also mounted a private and public effort to   pressure Vice President Mike Pence   into unconstitutionally nullifying Biden's win while presiding over the Electoral College process.
The coup attempt reached a horrifying crescendo on January 6, 2021, when Trump held a massive rally near the White House and incited thousands of supporters to   attack the Capitol   while lawmakers were certifying the Electoral College results. The insurrection was quelled, but it led to five deaths and 140 police officers were injured.   Biden was inaugurated   two weeks later.

Timeline of Trump's efforts to abuse the DOJ

November 7
  • CNN and other news networks   project   that Biden will win the 2020 presidential election.
November 9
  • Breaking from long-standing Justice Department policy, Barr   issues a directive   giving federal prosecutors more leeway to ramp up voter fraud investigations. The move is controversial because -- for decades -- the Justice Department would wait until elections were certified before taking overt investigative steps, to avoid the appearance of trying to influence the results. The top election crimes prosecutor resigns in protest, and other prosecutors   denounce Barr's order.
November 19
  • Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell hold   a bizarre news conference   filled with lies about fraud and unhinged talk of a worldwide conspiracy to rig the election. Powell says, "A full-scale criminal investigation needs to be undertaken immediately by the Department of Justice."
211028181914-02-doj-2020-election-giuliani-super-169.jpg
Rudy Giuliani, attorney for President Donald Trump, conducts a news conference at the Republican National Committee on lawsuits regarding the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on Thursday, November 19, 2020.
November 29
  • In an   interview   with Fox News, Trump says it's "inconceivable" that the Justice Department and FBI aren't doing more to investigate his voter fraud allegations. "Where are they?" he asks.
December 1
  • Barr tells The Associated Press in a   bombshell interview   that the Justice Department didn't find widespread fraud. After the story is published, Trump confronts Barr in the White House. According to   a book   by Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, an "explosive and crazed" Trump berates Barr for publicly admitting that there wasn't widespread fraud. Barr tells Trump his campaign lawyers are a "clown show" and that his fraud claims are "complete nonsense."
December 10
  • Trump   retweets a post   from a Republican congressman who said Trump should order Barr to appoint a special prosecutor to "investigate irregularities in the 2020 election."
December 14
  • Trump's assistant   sends   Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen a document about alleged irregularities in Michigan and says it's "from POTUS," according to emails released by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Later that day, while the Electoral College meets in state capitals, Trump announces that   Barr will resign   and Rosen will soon replace him in an acting capacity. CNN reported that Trump seriously considered firing Barr, but Barr decided to quit.
original
Jeffrey Rosen, deputy attorney general, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C.
December 15
  • Trump summons Rosen to the Oval Office and pressures him to take action regarding supposed irregularities in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia, according to Rosen's testimony to the Senate. Trump also urges Rosen to file legal briefs supporting GOP-backed election lawsuits and to appoint a special counsel to hunt for fraud, according to   The New York Times.   Rosen refuses to do Trump's bidding.
December 18
  • After failing to persuade Rosen, Trump turns to some of the most extreme members of his coterie, including Powell and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. (Powell represented Flynn in his criminal case for lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts. That case ended when Trump pardoned Flynn a few weeks before the White House meeting.) CNN reported that Flynn and Powell push Trump to consider   declaring martial law   or signing executive orders to seize voting equipment. Trump also thought about circumventing the Justice Department and naming Powell as a special counsel within the White House to investigate bizarre vote-rigging conspiracies.
December 21
  • Trump   falsely claims   -- yet again -- that he won "in a landslide" and says "we need backing from the Justice Department" to uncover the supposed fraud and keep him in power.
December 23
  • Barr officially resigns, and Rosen becomes acting attorney general.
Shortly before December 24
  • Trump meets with Jeffrey Clark, the acting assistant attorney general for the Civil Division, who later will play a key role in the effort to use the Justice Department to keep Trump in power.
December 24
  • In a phone call, Trump tells Rosen to "make sure the (Justice) Department is really looking into" voter fraud claims in Pennsylvania and Arizona, according to Rosen's testimony to the Senate.
December 26
  • In a   series of tweets , Trump bashes the Justice Department and the FBI for having "done nothing" about supposed voter fraud. He says "history will remember" their inaction and   promotes   his upcoming rally in DC on January 6, when Congress will affirm the Electoral College results.
December 27
  • Trump continues pleading with Rosen to intervene in the election. In a phone call, Trump tells Rosen and his deputy Richard Donoghue that they should "just say that the election was corrupt" and "leave the rest to me and the (GOP) congressmen," according to Donoghue's   contemporaneous notes , which he later provided to the House Oversight Committee. Rosen informs Trump that the voter fraud allegations are unfounded and that the Justice Department "can't, and won't, just flip a switch and change the election." After that, Trump mentions that he's thinking about getting rid of Rosen and putting Clark in charge of the Justice Department.
  • At Trump's request, GOP Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania later calls Donoghue and says the Justice Department isn't doing enough about the election, according to the   Senate report.   Perry was one of the most vocal promoters of the "big lie" that the 2020 election was stolen.
original
Richard Donoghue served as acting Deputy Attorney General for the critical transition period between the Trump and Biden administrations. He witnessed some of Trump's efforts to pressure the Justice Department to help him stay in power.
December 28
  • Trump calls Donoghue for a brief follow-up about his voter fraud claims, per the Senate report.
  • Clark   circulates a draft letter   among Justice Department leadership that he wants to send to officials in Georgia. The letter would've done exactly what Trump wanted: It says prosecutors found "significant concerns" with the election results and urges the Republican governor to "immediately call a special session" of the state legislature to appoint pro-Trump electors. Clark calls this a "proof of concept" that could be replicated in other states Trump lost.
  • Rosen and Donoghue refuse to sign the letter and it is never sent. In an email, Donoghue bluntly tells Clark that "there is no chance that I would sign this letter or anything remotely like this."
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee   report   concluded that "Clark's proposal to wield DOJ's power to override the already-certified popular vote reflected a stunning distortion of DOJ's authority."
  • Separately, Trump meets with a supportive attorney,   Kurt Olsen.   Trump directs Olsen to get in touch with top Justice Department officials about filing a lawsuit that would nullify the results from several key states that Biden won,   according to emails   released by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Olsen later has a phone call with Rosen's chief of staff about the potential suit.
  • According to internal emails made public in the Senate report, Clark starts   promoting pro-Trump conspiracy theories   within the Justice Department, including the absurd claim that Chinese spies used thermometers to tamper with US voting machines.
December 29
  • Trump's assistant sends a draft lawsuit to Rosen, saying Trump wants him to review it, according to emails released by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The lawsuit, which was peddled by Olsen, isn't ever filed. But the draft envisions that the Justice Department would ask the Supreme Court to nullify the results from several battleground states that Biden won.
  • White House chief of staff Mark Meadows emails Rosen for the first time about a   farfetched and baseless conspiracy theory   alleging that Biden supporters at the CIA used Italian satellites to remotely switch votes from Trump to Biden.
December 30
  • Meadows emails Rosen and asks him to "have your team look into" several pro-Trump voter fraud theories in Georgia, according to documents released by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Separately, Trump   retweets a post   about fraud claims in Georgia, and adds, "where is the FBI?"
  • Olsen, the pro-Trump attorney, calls Rosen and says Trump wants the Justice Department to "file this brief by noon today," referring to the potential Supreme Court lawsuit. Trump later speaks with Rosen, who tells him that the Justice Department has no legal basis to file the suit.
December 31
  • Rosen and Donoghue go to the White House for another meeting with Trump, according to the Senate report. Rosen later testified to the Senate that Trump "seemed unhappy" that the Justice Department still had not "found the fraud." Donoghue later testified that Trump mentioned he was considering firing Rosen and installing Clark as the leader of the Justice Department.
January 1
  • In a series of emails over a few days,   Meadows encourages Rosen   to investigate several voter fraud theories, according to documents released by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Meadows brings up alleged irregularities in Atlanta, and even in New Mexico, which Biden won by 11 points. Rosen takes no action, and Donoghue brushes off Meadows' latest fraud theories as "pure insanity."
January 3
  • Rosen and Clark go to the Oval Office for an   "Apprentice"-style showdown , according to testimony from top officials. Trump considers firing Rosen and installing Clark as acting attorney general, because Clark is willing to send the letters to Georgia and other battleground states telling them there were "irregularities" with their elections. Trump opens the three-hour meeting by saying, "One thing we know is you, Rosen, aren't going to do anything to overturn the election." CNN previously reported that about a half-dozen senior department officials are prepared to resign in protest if Rosen is deposed, but   Rosen survives the meeting.
  • Later that night, after the meeting, Trump calls Donoghue to tell him about new fraud claims.
January 4
  • The US attorney in Atlanta, Byung Jin "BJay" Pak,   abruptly resigns , citing "unforeseen circumstances." According to Pak's testimony to the Senate, Donoghue told him he needed to quit because Trump was going to fire him. Trump said during the Oval Office showdown a day earlier that he believed Pak was a "never Trumper" and that Pak wasn't doing enough to find fraud. Trump then changes the line of succession to replace Pak with a US attorney who he believes will "do something" about the election, according to the Senate report.
  • Separately, Trump meets with Pence in the Oval Office. Also in attendance is right-wing lawyer John Eastman, who pitches Pence on a legally dubious scheme to declare Trump the winner while Pence presides over the counting of the electoral votes, according to a   bombshell book   from Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. (Eastman later told CNN that he sought only to delay certification, not to throw the election to Trump.)
January 6
  • Tens of thousands of Trump supporters descend on Washington for a rally. Trump delivers a   militant speech   and urges his followers to march to the Capitol and "fight like hell" to stop lawmakers, and Pence, from certifying the election results. Thousand of rioters   attack   the Capitol, breaching the Senate floor.   Five people die   in the chaos and 140 police officers are hurt. The insurrection is   quashed after several hours.   Lawmakers certify Biden's victory, Pence ignores Eastman's scheme and follows the Constitution, and Biden becomes President-elect.
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A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, breaking windows and clashing with police officers.
January 20
  • Biden is sworn in   as the 46th President on the same stage that rioters had ransacked a few weeks earlier. In his inaugural address, Biden says, "We have learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed."

?atr=cnn,CNNpoliticsleafvls

 
 
 
Ronin2
Professor Quiet
4  Ronin2    3 years ago

Can we increase "Let's go Brandon" to include every last damn Democrat, their media shills, and sheeple? It needs to be done. They can wear it like a badge of honor; because they have all earned it.

The Democrats will pass some version of both the infrastructure bill and the social spending bill. It may not be all everyone wanted but it will be bigger than most social spending programs in the past and there will be a number of things in there that appeal to most Americans. Polling has consistently showed this. They need to talk this up for the next year. 

Once again Democrats can't read a fucking poll to save their lives. Individual components of their social engineering reconciliation bill are popular. Know what is not popular? The bill as a whole; especially the tax increases to the lower and middle class; the hyper inflation it will cause (even Manchin is warning about it; of course the left is to damn stupid to listen); the immigration reform (the fact it does nothing for border security); and ending the SALT tax cap (how fucking stupid are they that they are going to increase taxes; yet end one that directly affects only millionaires and billionaires- the very damn people they pretend to want to tax to pay for everything).

The second part is also simple, and probably more important.  The Democrats need to push the investigation of the Trump campaign's traitorous post election behavior to the hilt. They need to make the Jan 6 committee public hearings must see tv. They need to go after Donald Trump. Nothing short of that will exorcise Trumpism from our politics. This needs to be a major production.  They also need to attack right wing media and the right wing conspiracy factories, and do so on a constant and continuous basis. We need to take back our messaging and take back our country from these wacko traitors and mental misfits. 

Seems that the left hasn't learned anything from their staggering losses in Virginia. Voters don't give a fuck about Trump anymore. Making everything about Trump is a losing proposition; but by all means keep on doing it. While the left is fixated on their rampant TDS; Republicans can remind the thinking public that Biden still has US citizens, green card holders, and special VISA holders that he abandoned in Afghanistan that he has done jack shit of nothing to to rescue (his administration has done a bang up job of hindering the rescue efforts of private organizations). People also need to be reminded constantly of the wide open southern border; otherwise known as the single largest super spreader event on the planet; that Biden has done nothing to solve. They also can remain laser focused on increasing gas prices, inflation, and the lack of basic necessities for purchase in the US. If that isn't enough the Biden vaccine mandate is going to force millions of critical workers out of the workforce- when unemployment is already high- and there are millions of jobs to be filled.

Clock is ticking to midterms Brandons. You missed your wakeup call in Virginia. Your worst nightmare comes true when the alarm goes off and Republicans assume power in the House and Senate.

 
 
 
Nerm_L
Professor Expert
5  Nerm_L    3 years ago

Overstating accomplishments and attacking opponents is politics as usual; that's not a strategy.  Democrats are hoping to fool the voters once again.

Democrats cannot develop an overarching strategy simply because that would require throwing some in their coalition base under the bus.  The Democratic coalition base are promoting things that are contradictory and cannot be reconciled within the party.  The best Democrats can accomplish is small incremental legislation that panders to each special interest within their coalition base.  The so called Build Back Better effort is a mishmash of small giveaways directed toward very specific interests within the Democratic coalition of true blue supporters. 

Build Back Better isn't directed towards independents and independents is where the next election cycle will need to focus attention.  Independents are not seeing Trump and Jan. 6 as particularly relevant to what is happening.  Trump has not been promoting the defunding of police or promoting a one sided anti-racism agenda.  Trump was the one who increased taxes on the rich that Democrats have devoted themselves to repealing.  Trump wasn't the President that mandated vaccination as a condition of employment or education.  Trump wasn't the one that determined full vaccination is inadequate and opened the door for never ending need for boosters.  Trump isn't the one that delayed vaccination for children.  Trump tried to be upbeat with a positive outlook on the pandemic; Biden certainly has not been upbeat and has only delivered a dark and dire outlook on the pandemic that will never end.

After months of brinkmanship, Democrats still have not passed any Build Back Better bills to send to the Senate for reconciliation.  There hasn't been any accomplishments on that front, only promises.  The Democratic House stalled the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by the Senate for months to leverage those promises.  And Democrats really think independents don't understand that sort of dirty politics?

Democrats turning out their base won't win the next election cycle.  The Democratic base, like the Republican base, is simply too small to win elections; particularly when turnout is high.  The 2022 election cycle will be all about independents.  And it appears that independents likely will not sit out the election.  Red meat for the Democratic base won't be as persuasive as Democrats are deluding themselves into believing.

 
 
 
Moose Knuckle
Freshman Quiet
6  Moose Knuckle    3 years ago

What The Democrats Need To Do Now?

They need to get the FBI to find Ashley Biden's diary quickly, oops it's already been published. Is it normal to shower with your dad when your 14?

 
 
 
JaneDoe
Sophomore Silent
6.1  JaneDoe  replied to  Moose Knuckle @6    3 years ago
Is it normal to shower with your dad when your 14?

Sure, they were just conserving water and saving the planet.

 
 

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