I see a lot of Trump bashing on social media, and that’s ok. But I got thinking about the value of that.
Raising concerns about … and opposing … policies and programs is fine; that’s what the loyal opposition should do. And in this time of declining mental health, maybe venting makes some of us feel better.
I’m thinking out loud. Is there a better, more effective use of some of that writing and reading time, energy, and emotion? There could be.
The practical matter is that Trump is the President for the next 4 years. How do we strengthen the checks and balances in our system to eliminate or minimize what some of us might see as damage?
The judicial check and balance. Certainly, legal challenges can slow, stop, or moderate executive branch actions you don’t like. Give money, time, and/or support to advocacy groups that might mount those legal challenges. Advocacy groups are always short on $$, volunteer time, and public support.
The legislative check and balance. We should try to elect a centrist super majority in the House and Senate in the upcoming 2026 mid-terms, which are right around the corner. To my mind, more centrist legislators protect us from extremists on the right and on the left. Again, invest your money, time, and/or support in centrist candidates, centrist Democrats and centrist Republicans. Example: Last summer, I sensed Harris was going down the tubes. So, I decided to donate $$ to centrist Congressional candidates. Another example: I spend a fair amount of time advocating for open primaries. Open primaries will make it less likely that hyper-partisan candidates win primaries and then the general elections.
I hope this is something you will think about and maybe act on. If a lot of us did just a little, something significant might happen.
Feel free to push back if you see a flaw in my thinking. Because I’m thinking out loud, there might be. Hearing push back is how my thinking and writing get better.
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The last few weeks are unacceptable. I agree that venting in social media is unlikely to help, but it is a way of letting off steam before we think more seriously about next steps.
We all agree we need to do something ASAP. Not sure we can wait until the midterm. I think we are stuck with this Congress for the next two years. We need to convince Trump’s base to be reasonable.
“It is the price of eggs, stupid!”
We need to stay on message.
What has Trump done today to help with the price of eggs? Cut CDC? Just exactly how does that help with the price of eggs? What is https://dogegov.com/ doing about Bird Flu? It looks like DOGE is increasing the price of eggs, doesn’t it?
How does an invasion of GAZA help with the price of eggs? It looks like Trump is trying to change the subject, doesn’t it?
We cannot let Trump’s latest outrage distract us from the price of eggs.
If we stay on message, then even this Congress will appreciate that their districts care about the price of eggs.
Venting is fine by me. Maybe healthy for the authors … not so sure that it’s healthy for the majority of readers.
My main point is to consider re-directing some of that time, effort, and energy into some things that might “bend the curve.”
Convincing Trump’s base to alter their views is a tall order. So far, the Democrats have not figured out how to do it. I’m skeptical that they can or will.