I do not feel like I did in 2016...

[Pluvious]

... I feel like I did when the second plane hit the World Trade Center's other tower.

We all knew what was happening.

[Upthevibe]

2. Pluvious...........

I feel much worse than I did in 2016 because I wasn't surprised that he won. I've been keeping up with the character assassinations on the Clintons since the early 90's and I knew how much the right had ginned up so much hatred for them.

This year, I honestly thought V.P. Harris would win. I really did. I would have bet on it. And, looking toward the upcoming year (I refuse to say years because I can't handle the thought that he'll be in office for all four years) I just get the sickest feeling in my stomach.

Fortunately, I have a group of very close like-minded friends who have committed to being together the third Sunday of every month to do fun things like going to plays, going bowling, etc. and then going out to dinner.

Also, one of these friends and I are going to take a class together at one of the community colleges here in Southern California. We're also thinking about joining an improv group (I was in one over the Summer last year when I was working in Dallas and loved it).

We have to have a plan so we won't sink into depression.

[erronis]

4. Those are some great things to look forward to. Also look at "Stammtisch"

Last edited Sun Dec 22, 2024, 02:11 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/22/nx-s1-5233033/holidays-loneliness-cure-stammtisch

More than just for the holiday blues....

[CTyankee]

7. I seriously need a group like yours. I, too, was certain Harris would win. I was devastated when she didn't.

So I decided to create a wall full of art for my little office in my house. I've given away a poster I've developed hatred for. I have decided on four works of art, copies of which will go on my wall. Centered, right above my computer screen will be Da Vinci's angel from his "Virgin of the Rocks" (Paris version). Klimpt, Matisse, Monet and Van Gogh prints will be there also, in differing sizes. Like all great art, they welcome you in to their world, their vision. More of an uplift than a fight back...

[AllyCat]

9. It amazed me when I found out after the election that

The Dems KNEW she wasn’t going to win. I can understand why they wouldn’t broadcast that, but I had no idea how deeply seated misogyny and racism were in this country.

To the point of burning it all to the ground to keep a perfectly capable black woman from running the country for the 99%.

[CTyankee]

10. That is stupefying!

I dearly love Joe Biden but I wish he had backed out earlier and before that awful and sad moment in the debate. I understand how much he wanted to stay in the fight but ....

I was sad when Hillary lost, even tho she won the popular vote. And I remember having high hopes for John Kerry. And so happy for the Mondale-Ferraro ticket (there's an old photo of me and my daughter wearing our campaign buttons from that one).

[Hekate]

42. Misogyny is even more powerful than racism in this country. We broke the race barrier w Obama...

The backlash to Obama becoming POTUS was ferocious — but we elected him twice, didn’t we?

It was misogyny that killed off Hillary, even tho she won the popular vote. Trump had help from Russia and from their American — how do you say it — running dogs.

So Biden, having recovered enough from the death of Beau, ran against Trump and he won.

But when Kamala Harris ran this year in a flawless campaign — she lost by the narrowest of margins to a physically & mentally decaying felon.

Remember when Bill Clinton’s campaign put up a banner in their offices? : IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID

Only this time, once and for all: IT’S THE MISOGYNY, STUPID.

You know, I really did think Kamala would win — narrowly, in a nail-biter, but win.

But consider how well funded and well organized the forces of regression have become. So much money in play, and so much help from outside. Yes, Al Gore was killed off by the same forces and he was a white man — but going forward I think the cherry on top, the thing that energizes the basest of the base, even more than racism, is hatred of women and fear that we can excel. There’s a certain mentality that needs for a whole class of people to be subservient, and in that twisted thinking, having one’s own personal woman fills the bill. To the basest of the base, how dare we think or act otherwise.

Sorry I’m rambling on.

[Orrex]

8. I'm looking on the bright side.

When he dies, which incidentally can't happen soon enough, I'll have my big moment on national tv when you all get to watch me take a shit on his coffin while he lies in state in the rotunda.

[soldierant]

31. I've seen the suggestion

that he should be excluded from the rotunda. How those who are suggesting it hope to accomplish it, I don't know.

[BOSSHOG]

36. You are right My Friend

Where else would trump end up but in the ROTUNDa. Tacky attempt at humor when humor has been in short order. Because of him.

[keep_left]

15. Yeah, it really started in the early '90s when Clinton won the election...

...against GHW Bush. The neocons were just furious, and it was abundantly clear that they felt their rule should be perpetual. They never expected to have to share power with anyone else, ever again. Remember the whole "end of history" nonsense? That entitled mentality was just the "logical conclusion of the logic", to steal a quote from Richard Pryor.

The far-right back then had already built up their army of "think" tanks and phony foundations in the '80s, and so they quickly got to work attacking the Clintons 24-7. It was relentless. They also started the "female eye candy" trend that made Fox News infamous. I remember when the stuffed-shirt types that ran the "think" tanks all decided to hire attractive blonde women, apparently realizing that they needed better-looking representatives to go on cable news TV and Bill Maher's show. That's how we got the "blonde Fembots", as Randi Rhodes called them (Barbara Olson, Monica Crowley, etc.).

When it comes to the media, I fear that the Democratic Party is still playing catch-up.

[love_katz]

19. I refer to them as the crotch couch.

to Blue Gal on their podcast, The Cornfield Resistance (The Professional Left) for the phrase.

It is a perfect description for the blonde bimbos hired by Faux.

[keep_left]

21. Have you seen the "Fox Newsbabe Starter Pack" parodies?

I can't get any of the pictures to post properly here, but I've added a couple links where you can find them. It really shows how blatant the T&A nonsense was--and probably still is--at Fox News. It also explains why they have had to pay out so much in lawsuit settlements for sexual harassment, etc.

https://old.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/29q6rb/the_diversity_of_fox_news_anchors_fixed/
https://old.reddit.com/r/starterpacks/comments/nztdh0/female_fox_news_host_starter_pack/

[love_katz]

34. I haven't seen those before.

I'm not on Reddit, so thank you for sharing those.

[slightlv]

16. I commend you on your plans,

Sounds like a lot of fun to me. My group, unfortunately, is comprised of those still working... and working much overtime, as well as several of us who are disabled. The classes sound like fun, and not to hard to handle with our bodies, tho. Would that I could still bowl. I used to be pretty good... enough to bowl in a league, anyway. Also did a lot of roller skating... on four wheels, two in front, two in back. Was good enough on them I used to couples dance on skates. Oh, to be 30 years younger for the energy and physical strength! As it is, I don't even think I'll be around when we finally get the facists out of the WH. I'm just hoping to retain a bit of sanity til then.

[Pluvious]

17. That sounds really awesome...

... thanks for sharing

How I feel pretty much mirrors your expressed feelings as well

We really are relegated to just hanging on for the ride, and all we can do is take care of our own spirit

Best of luck to you, friend

[Meowmee]

32. Yes, I agree. It's so awful.

It’s much worse this time, and the uncertainty of not knowing what the heck is going on with someone else who is obviously controlled by Putin, pretending to be the president now, etc. is beyond belief.

Thank goodness, I have my kitties who are so loving and my friends and family, what’s left of them anyway. I just did a FaceTime chat with a friend which was nice. He said if I see a concert of someone I want to see he’s gonna buy me a ticket or maybe we can go together if he comes here because I said I can’t afford to go, and I always regretted that I never got to see them.

So I plan to try to just to keep living and enjoying myself while still protecting myself both physically and emotionally from all of this stuff. Once your life and the time is gone, you can’t get it back. That’s something I’ve learned the hard way many times.

[Sneederbunk]

3. In 2016 we did not know how incompetent he and his administration would be.

Now it is round two for Art of the Botch.

[Runningdawg]

6. It's like watching a woman return to an abusive husband.

[Karma13612]

38. For me,

It's more like being a child returned to the abusive foster family. The child has no say where as USUALLY the abused wife can try to get to a shelter, and escape.

I didn’t vote for Musk/Trump and I’m being forced to endure their abuse for four years +.

At my age, 70 years and 9 months old, there’s also a chance their term could outlast me. I’ve told my 77 year old husband he is not allowed to die and leave me alone while we are under this coming regime.

[C Moon]

11. Same

[usonian]

12. The 9/11 attack was a follow-up. There was previously a car bombing in the center.

But unlike ISIS, this return performance is not the "thrill" of the first so-called win.

It's a power grab by every damn greedy, selfish, hateful one of them.

You see it in the power struggle that's going on now, and please share those memes!!!

With any luck, they will shred themselves to ribbons, and return the country to the people.

[TBF]

13. Absolutely. nt

[SleeplessinSoCal]

14. Excellent observation. n/t

[MineralMan]

18. Very Good Point!

[BadgerMom]

20. Great analogy.

And I’m right there with you.

[proud patriot]

22. it IS a similar feeling

[Asarchus45]

23. My Sentiments Exaxctly

When the second tower was hit, i told my wife, “it’s terrorists.” When trump won on Nov. 5th, I said, “Now there’s nothing to stop him.” I hope I’m wrong this time, but….

[Initech]

24. Seriously, I felt the same on election night as I did on 9/11.

We are under attack. But this time it's from the billionaire terrorists on American soil.

[Pluvious]

25. The "enemy from within" we were always warned about... (nt)

[Initech]

27. The enemy from within is the billionaire criminal class.

They are about to do to the US what Osama Bin Laden only dreamed of.

[yellow dahlia]

26. Exactly. No mystery about the intentions and possibilities.

We know the worst case scenarios are within reach.

[mucifer]

28. Actually, we didn't know how far it would go after the 2nd plane . I guess it's similar now.

[Johonny]

29. In 2016 there was hope a lot of Americas were naive

Now we know a lot of Americans hate America, are bigots, misogynistic, and are hopelessly fucking stupid.

[Mike Nelson]

30. I like your comparison...

... also, we can hope that knowledge is empowering.

[roamer65]

33. This time they don't have a 40 seat majority in the House.

With appointments and the latest caucus defection, 216-215 on Jan 3rd.

[Xipe Totec]

35. Apt. nt

[Martin68]

37. I get that reaction, but I'm thinking Trump is so fucked up it's going to be a shambles. He's surrounding himself with

morons. The first time around he had advisors who knew what they were talking about, but that time they don't know where the levers of government are and how to use them. He will do some damage, but I don't think he can bring about irreversible change.

[Karma13612]

39. He has 6 out of 9

SCOTUS in his camp.

He’s already killed women indirectly and has no qualms about ending same sex marriage. All he needs is the right test case to make it to his SUPREMELY EXTREME COURT.

[Ohioboy]

40. I hope you're right about not causing irreversible change

But I am worried.

[Cosmocat]

41. They have had the last four years to plot out what they are going to do

His cabinet is a list of who is from Project 2025, and they will have PLENTY of down the line psychophants working the agenda.

He doesn't have a grand plan to what he does, but he most certainly does know what he is doing with all of the drama and circus crap. That is him purposefully degrading everything around him.

And, they have absolutely no checks this time - including that the SC has proven it will do wtf it wants to back his plays.

The best example I can make is that this is like the second Bush Iraq War.

W felt his dad blew it by stopping short of going into Iraq. Given the opportunity he went and took Saddam out.

DT is getting a second bite at the apple, he is going not going to need a third.

[Martin68]

43. The contradiction point to a total lack of planning. Trump favors the Covid vaccination, RFK is against all

vaccinations. Musk makes electric cars, Trump hates electric cars. Project 2025 and Musk want to drastically reduce government debt while Trump wants to eliminate the debt ceiling. There are just a few examples. I could be wrong, but I foresee a lot of self-inflicted difficulties coming their way.

[Cosmocat]

44. Definitely

But, that won't derail their overall goal - deconstruct American democracy and set themselves up to be like Putin - a strongman running the country who along with the oligarcs plunder it with a barely operating government aparatus, leaving the other 99.9% to fend for themselves.