What the folks who attended or tuned into this speech beheld was a long rally speech--not really like a State of the Union speech at all. Trump called out the head of DOGE, Elon Musk (who isn't supposed to BE the head of DOGE, allegedly, for some sort of legal reason). He dwelled on the ideas of immigrant crime and trans people in sports for some reason. (Divisiveness. Feeding the bigotry beast.)
There will obviously need to be heroic fact-checking. This is a speech where Trump blamed Biden for the economy that he has actually contracted, threatening higher prices and a recession. Economists were not predicting a recession with Biden's policies--only with what Trump has been doing so far.
But we aren't new to this game. Trump lies. Trump blames other people. Trump comes up with proposals that might just be a puppet show in a madhouse. We are in a trade war with our North American neighbors. Trump has openly sided with Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
This is, in fact, not normal. A ketamine-fueled megalomaniac with poor sleep habits is Peter-Panning his crazy ass through our government with his Lost Boys, looking to move fast and break stuff--not really understanding what he's breaking, just hoping to get the contracts to fix whatever it is. Daddy Ourbucks rose for a little applause during the speech.
One could almost wonder why he didn't give speech himself. Shy?
I saw Democratic congresspersons with little paddles that said "False" and other phrases and ssssiiiiiiiggghhhh. They looked like they were at an auction where they were going to bid on a few things and come home with nothing. And they utterly failed to understand how these optics work in the fucking internets:
See how the internet works? Pure fumblefuck idiocy. (See also, this video thing they did.)
Some wore hot pink as a form of completely inexplicable protest. I like that color myself. Rep. Al Green was hauled out for shouting about Medicaid cuts, and is now writing articles of impeachment because, well, he does that.
In my opinion, those Democrats who never showed at all had the right idea. They offered the experience the respect it was due. Those who walked out had the next best idea, to demonstrate the disgust at the shallow, shitty mendacity, culture war depravity and all around Not Normal nature of the administration we are dealing with.
We are not in normal times, and this isn't about doing little stunts and trying to get seen. Address the GOP directly. Follow what Tim Walz said about the GOP not doing townhalls--if they won't hear the people, you will. Remind them that if their congressperson is too busy licking Trump's behind to hear them--you will because the thing they are getting is taxation without representation. Remind them that democrats are standing on our founders' principles when we support the fight in Ukraine as being them saying "Life free or die." Because we understand. Trump and them soft-handed shitweasels DON'T.
This isn't about cute or branding or forgettable gestures. You have to make it count for something. Because it does--and NEVER forget it.
You have to enter the leadership vacuum and come direct to the people because their sense of grievance at government is they aren't getting heard. It's not you giving your message: give theirs. Stop talking at these people--be their voice. They hate elites talking down to them so talk UP for them. I don't know how else to put it--stop stunting and do the work. Don't signify with colors, don't expect your little sign to be anything but litter.
We are literally fighting for lives out here. Act accordingly. The party has been communicating that this is fascism for a while, but it never sank in. It's time to try and understand why.
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