Are Democrats sleepwalking toward democratic collapse?

[StrictlyRockers]

So what’s your current level of concern?

David Faris
My current level of concern is exploring countries to move to after 2024. I’m deeply concerned about the direction that the Republican Party has taken, especially over the last year or so. Things were bad in 2018, but the basic problem in 2018 was that we had structural factors working against the Democrats and you had a Republican Party that was fundamentally trying to keep people from voting.

The most destructive thing that Trump did on his way out the door was he took the Republicans’ waning commitment to democracy and he weaponized it, and he made it much worse to the point where I think that a good deal of rank-and-file Republican voters simply don’t believe that Democrats can win a legitimate election. And if Democrats do win an election, it has to be fraudulent.

So 2020 felt like a test run. The plot to overturn the 2020 election never had a real chance of working without some external intervention like a military coup or something like that, which I never thought was particularly likely. But the institutional path that they pursued to steal the election failed because they didn’t control Congress and they didn’t control the right governorships in the right places.

So I worry complacency has set in on the Democratic side and people are lulled into thinking things are normal and fine just because Biden’s approval ratings are good.

Sean Illing
2020 was a “test run” for what, exactly?

David Faris
It was a test run for a way to overturn an election with the veneer of legality. You have to give Trump and Republicans some kind of dark credit for figuring out that this is really conceivable. I think they now know that, even though it would cause a court battle and possibly a civil war, that if they can’t win by suppressing the vote and the election is close enough, they can do this if they control enough state legislatures and the Congress.

If Democrats don’t make some changes to our election laws and if they lose some races that they really need to win in 2022 and 2024, then we’re in real trouble.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22432229/democracy-america-democratic-party-reform

[brooklynite]

1. Who is David Faris?

[StrictlyRockers]

9. From the linked article: a Roosevelt University political scientist

Back in 2018, I spoke with Roosevelt University political scientist David Faris about his book It’s Time to Fight Dirty. His argument then was that Democrats had to play constitutional hardball and basically do whatever was necessary to win.

The situation today is even more dire than it was in 2018. “I’m not sure people appreciate how much danger we are in,” Faris wrote in a recent Twitter thread. “If Republicans succeed [in rigging the rules to take the presidency in 2024], they will crack this country in half.”

[WarGamer]

20. Author of fictional works?

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

2. I have your same concern

I think Republicans are going to lie, cheat and steal there way to wins in 2022 and 2024....and if that doesn’t work they will just throw out the votes they don’t like....and when Democrats try to call them out for it, the MSM and Republicans will say both sides cry when they lose and now the Democrats are just doing the same thing that Trump and the Republicans did

[TheRealNorth]

3. You can run if you like....

Some people in Germany tried to run away from the Nazi's too.

If worse comes to worse, I plan to keep fighting, and eventually, you will have to fight them too- just like those who fled Germany that ran away to France, the Netherlands, or the United States.

[doc03]

4. They were planning a January 6th event in

2016 but to their surprise they won. In Trump's 2016 campaign he repeatedly said if I lose the election as rigged. I am afraid they may succeed in 2022 and 2024.
I think a lot of our leadership is asleep at the wheel.

[ShazamIam]

5. I agree that our margin to survive as a democratic republic is so thin it can be seen through.

Please note, the media is not our friend and only makes a shallow pretense at informing, mostly they are engaged in controlling the narrative and dialogue and it is not strongly democratic.

example: They covered for the Republican voter suppression for years with the same old lies.

First the Republican states would purge voters then after the election the so called news providers would all carry on about how those Democratic just don't show up and vote. Never mentioning the purged voters, the closed polling stations, ballot disqualifications and all the other tricks of the game.

Florida in 2000 was their first huge success with the voter registration purging.

[RobinA]

6. My Level Of Concern

is through the roof. I am 63 and have been following politics forever and I have never been this afraid. I always had confidence that our checks and balances would protect us and that most voters would be more or less sane. These people have no limits in what they will try. I don't think it's very realistic for most people to plan on moving to another country. There are rules upon rules involving settling down anywhere you would want to live. I have nothing that would make me able to live permanently in another country, we've been here since 1760 at the latest.

[Cosmocat]

23. As well it should

I am pretty much resigned that this is not going to end well.

Rs are HELL bent on this path, and Ds just don't have the street fighter mentality needed to stop it.

[SoCalDavidS]

7. I'm Thinking About Denmark nt

[CrackityJones75]

8. Every. Single. Day. Can we stop?

Every day this type of thing is posted here by someone about our impending doom.

Stop.

[StrictlyRockers]

10. No

This is a real problem. Can you read One. Single. Article. about it?

[PortTack]

11. Yes..the doom and gloom posts with no real plan of action just whining are not helpful!

What if President Biden,Stacey Abrams or others took this terrible attitude? Seriously

These kinds of posts are exactly what the qgop want, and don’t think for a moment they they don’t read what we write here. They look at negative posts and think that worked, let’s magnify it.

Y’all act as if we have no power or options..again you play right into their hands!!

[CrackityJones75]

12. Thank you!

This type of stuff used to not be allowed here.

The goal of these types of articles is to drive down enthusiasm and create dissent. Whether the author realizes it or not. That is what these types of pieces intend.

[PortTack]

13. Welcome...thank you!! I just cannot stay silent. And yes... it tamps down enthusiasm

The last thing we need

[Fiendish Thingy]

14. The point of these articles is to illuminate the cold, stark, reality facing democracy

To make the dire stakes at hand undeniable.

Kind of like Greta Thunberg and climate change, except with American democracy.

If you’d rather close your eyes, stick your fingers in your ears and go “LaLaLaLa no doom and gloom! Work really hard and GOTV and everything will be fine!” That’s your prerogative.

Just stock up on some SSRI’s, cause you’re in for one helluva emotional shock if HR1 doesn’t pass.

[CrackityJones75]

15. You miss the point of Greta entirely.

She isn’t just telling people what the outcome is and she is definitely not telling people that there is basically no point unless X happens.

I think we had better be planning that HR 1 WON’T pass and start with THAT in mind and get our ground game i order. Many of the election laws CAN be overcome IF we start working right now. Yes pressure Manchin and Sinema and frankly every sitting politician to put pressure on them to pass it but understand that talk about giving up the game if you don’t get the call you wanted is a loser mentality.

But the statements that the democracy will end and everyone needs to start looking for a new country to live in is bullshit. And it needs to stop.

[PortTack]

17. ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

[uponit7771]

19. +1, do you think GQP will give up power if they get it back again? tia I agree with what you said

... in the rest of the post but I can't see the union ... NOT ... becoming Belarus if the GQP get back into power in any way.

The US is still not at top of Democracy Index because of apartheid like voter suppression

[PortTack]

21. No one is doubting what you are saying..this is very serious

Some are choosing to find a path forward without EVER giving in or giving up..even when we don’t get certain legislation passed

[CrackityJones75]

31. I agree!

I agree which is why I cannot allow the messaging to be that if HR1 doesn’t become law that we have to accept that our democracy is dead. The jig is most definitely NOT up for me if that comes to be. And even still should Republicans take control I will not simply go belly up.

[Fiendish Thingy]

22. Your hearing and reading comprehension appear to be extremely selective

I’ll keep on sounding the alarm that the stakes are extremely high, and that the fight is NOW.

I, for one, refuse to assume that HR1 will not pass, and will not give up on voting rights, as you seem prepared to do, and are too willing to fall back on your comfort-zone paradigm of “work really hard, overcome Jim Crow 2.0 and win in 2022!”

I’ll stick with reality, as stark as it is.

But, I’m open-minded; feel free to outline the steps you see that can overcome voter suppression
laws (court challenges might work, but not in time to affect the 2022 elections, and with the current SCOTUS, might not work at all).

P.S. Greta’s activism absolutely includes discussion of the catastrophic consequences of failure to address climate change...and so does Biden.

If students in WV and AZ went on weekly “democracy strikes”, refusing to go to school, and their parents refused to go to work on those days until the filibuster was killed and HR1 was passed, you’d see Biden sign a new voting rights bill by Halloween.

[CrackityJones75]

29. Ok I am not able to respond in full at the moment.

Having dinner with the family at the moment but I think you misunderstand me. It is not my intention that we shouldn’t push for HR1 to pass. Quite the contrary. What I have a problem with is the message that we are all “Fucked” if it doesn’t that message is NOT helpful in the least. We will not be fucked. We will have to work harder. That is the long and short of it. Of course I have said as much on this topic previously.

[PortTack]

16. Stop pointing fingers or say I'm closing my eyes!

I work tirelessly for the Dems volunteering and back the DNC, the DCC and the ACLU with monthly contributions. I also support various dem candidates for the midterms, democracydocket.com and fairfight.org.

I write, email and call, and yes I have watched the video you posted.

We are all aware how important these bills are and no one is going lalalala!!

We need HR1, but if we don’t get it we cannot give up and just say we’re f..ked, that doesn’t work. ALL of the new voter suppression laws are being challenged, if not all, the most egregious parts will not stand in the courts. If you want updates on those suits follow Marc Elias on twitter and his organization democracydocket.com

I will never ever respond by simply saying we are f..ked..that is giving up!!

[betsuni]

25. +1

[CrackityJones75]

32. Hear hear!

[TwilightZone]

28. What are you doing about it other than making personal attacks?

You're unlikely to gain anything by ranting at people and making it personal. There is zero evidence that your assertions have any validity where the other poster is concerned. Ranting about it and doubling-down on the attacks is a bit childish.

[Fiendish Thingy]

33. I'm not making personal attacks- I seek to confront denial, and shake folks out of complacency. Nt

[TwilightZone]

27. Nah, screeds with no real answers are pointless and counter-productive.

Particularly when they're on as shaky ground as this one. The argument that the Democratic Party is complacent is complete rubbish.

[uponit7771]

18. Hell fuck naw, we don't pass SR1 we're Belarus ... PERIOD. Hell to the naw, call your reps and push

... the passing of SR1 in your sphere of influence that's way more than yelling in the dark with a flashlight in hand.

[TwilightZone]

30. "Dems are complacent" nonsense has been around pretty much since day one here.

And many of the persistent purveyors of same have been around a long time.

[Paladin]

24. As usual, Democrats are clinging to outdated good-conduct rules---thereby forfeiting democracy.

We need to wake the hell up, take a serious look at the degenerates who are now in charge of the Republicans, get really angry, and fight back. Our country is rapidly going down the toilet, and we're not providing anything close to an adequate response.

[JI7]

35. What does that even mean other than things people post online ?

[Grasswire2]

26. And, basically, we are not allowed to offer suggestions for remedies to this stated problem.

Not here.

[Kaleva]

34. Freepers say they are losing their country to Commies, Leftists, Gays, others. Who is correct?