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everyonematters

(3,731 posts)
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 09:56 AM Jan 14

Looking at the current political landscape.

Smith has released his report. The left-wing media is going to be all over it, but it won't make much difference politically because the voters have moved on. They are concerned about making ends meet, getting thru with their lives. What will make a difference is what the policies and actions of Trump and the Republicans have on our society and economy. The two big issues being deportations and tariffs. One thing to keep in mind is you can't believe anything Trump says.

On the mass deportations, it looks like they are having problems getting the funding for now. As long as this is the case, the Republicans can blame the Democrats for whatever. If they ever do go thru with this to the extent that Trump portends, it will cause labor shortages in certain sectors and that will result in a rise in prices. The only way to avoid this would be if they took a gradual approach where legal immigrants are processed in as the undocumented are deported. I doubt they are smart enough to do that. The Republican base wants to see swift action. It's possible that it will never happen to the extent that Trump expresses, but he will just lie about it like he did on building the wall. Again, you can't believe anything he says.

On the tariffs, Trump doesn't have the same funding problem, apparently, he can do it without congress because it involves foreign policy. The immediate effect of raising any tariffs is a spike in prices. Tariffs can be part of an economic strategy, but you have to be careful. You have to give time for the economy to adjust. Once you have the situation with low wage countries flooding the market, , reversing it is like putting toothpaste back in the tube. Trump does not seem to understand that. It needs to be an incremental approach.

I believe that if Trump goes thru with these policies on tariffs and mass deportations to the extent that he conveys, it will throw the country into a recession. The big question is, how honest has been. How much has he been just playing to his base. To what extent is he really planning on going thru with all of this.

There are some issues where the Democrats have an advantage. On womans reproductive rights, the Republicans are viewed as hostile to many Americans with the GOP base eyeing a national ban. They take very little interest in expanding affordable healthcare to more people . Democrats need to push on these issues. They need to concentrate on the kitchen table issues that every family is thinking about.







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Blue_Tires

(57,596 posts)
1. Dems went all-in on reproductive freedom during the campaign...
Tue Jan 14, 2025, 10:01 AM
Jan 14

yet white women still voted for the angry orange idiot...

Folks need to understand that elections are not decided on the so-called "issues" anymore -- Otherwise, Harris would have won in a landslide. So the real reasons must lie elsewhere...

everyonematters

(3,731 posts)
3. I disagree. We lost this election because of inflation. The reason it was as close at it was,
Wed Jan 15, 2025, 10:39 AM
Jan 15

was Trump's character. If we were able to nominate someone who could separate from Biden's record, we might have won.

 

Blue_Tires

(57,596 posts)
4. If people really gave a shit about inflation
Wed Jan 15, 2025, 01:52 PM
Jan 15

Why on earth would they vote for Donnie, who had zero concrete ideas how to fight it? Oh, I forgot -- Evidently heavy tariffs and mass deportations are going to magically fix everything...

Besides, has everyone fucking forgotten that there was widespread inflation and unemployment during Donnie's first term?

Nevermind the fact that since the election, the daily Trumper complaints about inflation and grocery prices have dropped somewhere in the neighborhood of 100% so I presume the problem mysteriously solved itself?

everyonematters

(3,731 posts)
5. Inflation got really bad during the recovery from the pandemic. Most voters don't care about
Wed Jan 15, 2025, 05:09 PM
Jan 15

the history or the reason. They just know it's bad. It might as well have been a recession.

Arazi

(7,638 posts)
6. Until Dems break thru into the RW propaganda silo, we can't win
Wed Jan 15, 2025, 06:16 PM
Jan 15

Traitor and the GOP will just lie and their cult will believe it.

Also we need to stop trying to run minority candidates. It 1000% sucks but we need a vanilla white guy next time. Harris was never electable as a black woman.

Preferably some kind of billionaire or tv/movie star cause obviously that’s also the only way to break thru to the GOP cult

everyonematters

(3,731 posts)
7. That cult makes up only maybe 25% of the electorate. We lost because we ended up with a candidate
Thu Jan 16, 2025, 08:08 AM
Jan 16

who couldn't separate herself from Biden. She was his Vice President.

 

Blue_Tires

(57,596 posts)
10. That means absolutely nothing
Thu Jan 16, 2025, 10:49 AM
Jan 16

Since Biden was for the most part wildly successful...

Besides, Donnie did Jack Fuckin' Shit to "separate himself" from his disastrous first term -- Did the voters care about that?!

Just admit to yourself that too many white folks would rather let the whole damn country burn down instead of vote for a black woman...

 

DeepWinter

(931 posts)
8. I have 10
Thu Jan 16, 2025, 08:33 AM
Jan 16

nephews/nieces in their late teens, 20s, 30s. Not a single one of them cared in the slightest about reproductive freedoms. It wasn't even a talking point among them. Not even the nieces.

Rent, utility bills, gas, groceries, Ukraine, Hamas was where it was at with them. It was that simple.

 

Blue_Tires

(57,596 posts)
9. Why Hamas and not say, Darfur?
Thu Jan 16, 2025, 10:45 AM
Jan 16

Especially since the death toll in Sudan absolutely dwarfs Gaza? Just curious...

And are they still 'concerned' about affording groceries and gasoline since the election?

 

DeepWinter

(931 posts)
11. Darfur/Sudan
Thu Jan 16, 2025, 10:54 AM
Jan 16

is so rarely mentioned in the media, I'm always surprised anyone even knows about it. I'd be more than half of DU knows next to zero details. I myself am much more concerned about Sudan than Gaza,

Yes, the topics of their conversation are still financial issues. Their voting was a very mixed bag. Trump, not voting, protest voting for someone I never heard of, and reluctant Harris stragglers. The youth vote is a mess, as it's always been

 

Blue_Tires

(57,596 posts)
12. I give up...
Thu Jan 16, 2025, 11:04 AM
Jan 16

Folks just need to admit that this election had nothing to do with the so-called issues. Harris had to be this always-perfect, all-things-to-all-people candidate while all Donnie ever had to do was show up 😞

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