Optimist does not mean being blind to encroaching darkness. Optimist means being the change you want. It means seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

sit back because, "Everything will turn out alright."

not them.

I see way too many people who still unflinchingly support the orange buffoon.

Or are they the Swifties who will rise up by the millions because Trump insulted the hero?

Or are they the Latinos who will rise up, aghast at how Trump treats immigrants?

Or the families and friends of LBGTQ+ folks who are being demonized?

Or are they the "law and order" adherents who will not abide Trump stomping on our laws?

Are they the poor being cut off from food and health assistance, the disabled that Trump mocks, the patriotic veterans getting their well-earned benefits cut?

I've been hearing for a decade now that the American people will not put up with this crap, that they will come together to run the conman out of town on a rail, that when they see the damage being done, they will rise up.

So far, I see nothing. We actually had LESS voters for the Democrats in 2024 than the last election. Life around here in small-town America is going pretty much like it always has. I talk to fellow citizens every day, and I don't hear much alarm., even from non-MAGA. I can watch YouTube videos all day long of Republicans who "regret their vote", but I have never run across one.

I'm sorry, but it has been ten years, Trump is a known quantity among the voters, and I still see little meaningful resistance against him.

The reality of the slow motion train wreck tRump is engineering has not impacted many maga yet. When it does, their emotions will turn and that is the key to turning them.

They have been programmed with talking points to counter any fact presented to them about democracy or the economy. But when they have to forgo a new deck so they can get a new truck that is $5,000 more expensive or vice versa, then their emotions get engaged.

Push emotional buttons about regime participants living the high life at their expense: Blondi's Rolex, Kash Patel partying at Vegas casinos, tRump's jet, Lutnick's mother-in-law not worrying about Social Security.

There are many other emotional buttons to push with veterans, truckers, farmers, tourism workers, etc. Listen carefully and then push.

nothing has yet changed too much. Thankfully SS checks are still arriving, ICE is a minor threat at this point to the majority of citizens. Warnings about empty shelves due to tariffs had heads turning for weeks, but even today as I walked through stores, everything was plentiful and there were many items on sale.

Believe me, I’m certain the reckoning will come, but I think republicans are banking on smoke and mirrors to continue to flim flam the public, and as long as the media plays along, they can keep up this deception for a long time, perhaps past the midterm election. This is what worries me the most.

He even received 2% more of the Black vote.

And the 50% who voted for the Mango Mussolini don't understand that protecting the rights of people they don't like is protecting their own rights. Explaining Putin's involvement causes eyes to glaze over.

Commiserating (yes, it's an act) with them on how dolls are more expensive for christmas makes inroads.