how do we climb out of this hole?

[louis c]

By we, I mean Democrats and like minded, decent people.

First off, let's look at this dark cloud. Donald Trump will remake the Supreme court and it will strip rights away from our long standing constituents. The is no doubt that Roe will be overturned, or rendered impotent. LGBTQ rights will be rolled back and endangered. Union rights have already been eviscerated in the public sector, and probably will be under attack in the private sector. Affirmative action will be turned on its head, just like the U of Texas case. This was achieved with majorities in Congress elected by minority votes of the people, signed by a President* who was elected by a minority vote. The other side accomplished this by breaking and changing all the rules and norms of Democracy.

That's the dark cloud. Here's the silver lining. We should never lose another election for president again and there is no doubt we will win the House in 2018, and maybe the Senate. In 2020, we should be able to gain control of all the levers of government, save the Supreme Court. At this point, an angry electorate will want action, and Republicans showed us the way. Rules can be changed and norms can be broken. We, the angry electorate, will stand overwhelmingly behind the expansion of the supreme Court to 13 members. Those appointments will come off our lists. The simple majority of the House and Senate will pass that bill and the new, Democratic President will sign it into law and start appointing.

The right wing assholes and corporate masters started this political war, let's fight it with everything we have.

And when the right wing assholes start complaining, it will be our turn to remind them, "elections have consequences!"

[dalton99a]

1. I don't see how we can reverse the damage without expansion

[louis c]

2. I can't see how we expand the Supreme Court with overwelming election victories

[AlexSFCA]

3. agree

besides even if we have the majority and the president, SC can overturn all of our progressive legislations...
Not to mention that it is far far from gurantee that we’ll get the house back, let alone senate in 2018. Expansion may be the best option but will dems be brave enough to do it? Based on our history - highly unlikely.

[dalton99a]

4. Precisely. The fascist functionaries aka "conservative justices" will veto everything

They must be outvoted.

[mythology]

5. The same way you get out of any hole, one step at a time

The answer isn't to become as dark as Republicans. If you actually think the U.S. electorate as a whole would support radically expanding the Supreme Court, you should provide some sort of evidence. It wasn't supported the last time it was tried.

[louis c]

6. If we play by the norms (9 Justices) we're fucked for at least a generation

Do you know why the British bombed Berlin?

It was because the fucking Nazi's bombed London first.

This is not military war, but political war. If they change the rules and their supporters are OK with it, we better be prepared to fight the same way, or be prepared to get run over.

By the way, when FDR tied this tactic, it died in committee, it never came to a vote and we don't really know how the average voter felt.

[saidsimplesimon]

18. great answer, "one step at a time"

nt

[mountain grammy]

21. Expanding equality took one step at at time..

All steps now being erased... no way can we start over.

[beachbum bob]

7. we climb out by all doing more than just talking. register new voters for starters

we can take our country back but sitting on our asses is no longer an option

[louis c]

8. No shittin. I register voters for a living.

Just an example. My union swore in 375 new members last week. Every one of them filled out voter registration cards and returned them to us. I spoke to the group on why we should not register as Republicans, although, in the end, it was his or her decision.

225 Democrats, 150 unenrolled and not a single Republican.

I know what to do to gain a majority, I've been doing it for 20 years in Massachusetts (you know, 2 Dem Senators, including Liz Warren, 100% Dem congressional delegation, 30 point margin for Dem Presidential candidate, super majority in State House). The most anti-Trump Republican Governor in America (hay, you can't win 'em all). So, sitting on my ass has never been an option.

What I'm advocating here is to use our majorities (when we get them) to make real change.

[struggle4progress]

15. +

[uponit7771]

9. Get one more non voter to vote

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[LBM20]

17. Vote Out Republicans At Every Level. Period.

Good candidates. Strong clear appealing message. Political action. Vote! And bring ten friends with you.

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[struggle4progress]

22. Politics is war by other means, and war is surrounded by a shifting fog. Use that fog

to your advantage. Do not let your opponent know your strength or your plans, and do not be provoked into a disadvantageous attack or forced into a careless defense. Resolving not to surrender should not prevent you from choosing which battles to fight. A timely appearance of strength may prevent an attack; and a carefully chosen appearance of weakness can lure your enemy into a trap. The daily politics of power require us to build some base from small interactions and some confidence from small victories: do not despise the small steps that make up a long march, or small kindnesses, for they may may lead to surprising alliances. Do not become too fixed in your ideas, because the situation is always changing: whatever we do changes the world somehow; whatever our enemy does changes the world somehow; and it is far too easy to have a view of the present that is years and years out-of-date. Never forget where you are trying to get, but remember that some roads you would like to travel may be impassable. Never ever abandon hope