Without hyperbole, where are we sitting after the next election?

[kentuck]

Are we dependent upon the Supreme Court to save American democracy as we have known it?

Without exaggeration, what could we expect if Trump defeats Biden in November?

What should the American people do to prevent the catastrophe some believe is coming?

How confident are you that the Democrats will win the next election?

Should Democrats, Republicans (not MAGA), and Independents try to work together to defeat this threat that is on the horizon?

Or is it all simply "the sky is falling" talk?

[Initech]

1. Considering how close the US is to going full fascist authoritarian....

We can't keep fighting with each other over stupid minute bullshit. We have to look at the bigger picture. There's too much at stake. We saw what happened when we weren't looking and the MAGA Christian Taliban decided to take over our school boards as part of that 7 Mountains bullshit. We cannot let these scumbags win under any circumstances, and we can't let Fox News steal any more elections.

[Runningdawg]

2. With a Trump win OR loss, we move onto my tribes land a few blocks away to make our final stand there.

We know our MAGA governor wants us dead, when TFG gives the nod for the purge to start, we KNOW where it will start in OK.

[J_William_Ryan]

3. "Should Democrats, Republicans (not MAGA), and Independents..."

The problem is that non-MAGA Republicans constitute such a tiny minority that they are in essence useless.

And non-MAGA Republicans are cowards who wouldn’t join such an effort, anyway.

Last, Trump defeated in 2024 doesn’t necessarily mean the end of Trump, MAGA, or the danger they represent. Trump is a product of the GOP; the idea that Trump came along in 2016 and misappropriated a slightly right-of-center political party interested in sound governance and responsible public policy is a myth.

[kentuck]

5. I do not believe the Republicans will concede the election if they lose.

Win or lose, it doesn't look good for our country, in my humble opinion.

Unfortunately, they believe it is all about owning the "libs" and they worship Trump as if he were a Cult Leader. They see double-meaning in everything he says. They think it is all a joke.

[former9thward]

4. Not much will change in 2024.

A slightly better than even chance Democrats take the House.

A better than even chance Republicans take the Senate.

A slightly better than even chance Biden wins over Trump. If Trump is not the nominee all bets off at this point.

So a divided government. Foreign policy will remain about the same no matter who wins. Since the end of WW II it has been about the same no matter who is in the WH.

[Lonestarblue]

6. I'm not sure what we can do other than vote, help people register to vote, and encourage people to vote.

Most of us already do that. What we do not have the power to do is affect the disinformation coming from right-wing media and the internet. We can try to publicize what Trump and the Project 2025 plan to do, but we woukd reach few, if ny, of the Trump cult.

David French, a conservative NYT opinion writer (of which they have many), recently wrote that Trump voters favor him because they were better off economically the first two years of his presidency, and that is true for most people because Trump inherited the Obama’s robust economy and made few changes that would immediately impact the economy or the stock market. Trump supporters do no give Obama any credit for the economy he created and for which Trump took credit.

Then the pandemic hit, and the bottom fell out of the economy for many people. Following right-wing media lies, Trump voters blamed liberals for closing businesses and schools. By the time of the 2020 election, we looked headed for a recession. Biden inherited an absolute mess from Trump, plus his team got a delayed start because Trump refused to give them the normal months of access they should have had before the inauguration. Presidents usually have little to do with whether we have a recession, but Biden’s policies have certainly improved the economy, increased manufacturing jobs, and kept unemployment down, so fr without a recession.

He gets no credit from Trump voters because they are mostly rural voters and they are paying higher prices for food, thus Biden is a bad president for them. We know that predatory pricing by big corporations is a big part of our inflation, plus huge rental increases, but voters don’t care. They blame the Democrats’ policies. And it’s entirely possible that the US food giants would indeed lower prices if Trump were president in return for massive tax cuts that would more than offset their profit loss.

Tax cuts also appeal to a lot of suburban voters who may not like Trump but will vote their pocketbooks, refusing to believe that anything bad would happen if he is elected again. After all, he was unable to do huge damage during his first term, other than the thousands who might not have died had he not denied the pandemic.

Trump is a showman, and too many voters want the image he portrays of caring for them and making their lives better. I know many here think Biden will easily win the election. I am not one of them.

[limbicnuminousity]

7. Rough questions

1. Are we dependent upon the Supreme Court to save American democracy as we have known it?

A. Partially. There's the military if the SC fails. I don't envision a military coup. There would be a higher probability of a high ranking officer intervening if a president was "going to cross a line." Milley may have been close, I suspect.

2. Without exaggeration, what could we expect if Trump defeats Biden in November?

A. A likely end to the American experiment in democracy. Severe internal strife, hopefully falling short of a Civil War. Won't happen, but would be a nightmare.

3. What should the American people do to prevent the catastrophe some believe is coming?

A. Get the coming election done and settled and then it's time for the entire country to do some soul searching. Left, Right, and every point in between.

4. How confident are you that the Democrats will win the next election?

A. Highly confident. There is no viable path forward for Trump. If the courts don't stop him one of his lunatic followers or some disaffected proud boy-type will kill him. Haley can't win. DeSantis can't win.

5. Should Democrats, Republicans (not MAGA), and Independents try to work together to defeat this threat that is on the horizon?

A. It will be essential. Only by working together is it possible to prevent another MAGA-like cult from gaining ascendancy. Not fond of the idea at all, but there's merit in trying to understand when a person has a legitimate gripe.

6. Or is it all simply "the sky is falling" talk?

A. The sky has been falling for some time. Look at what's going on around the globe.