General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI've said it before, but it needs to be said again:
The Founding Fathers envisioned a Trump. What they didn't envision was an entire political party giving up their power of checks and balances and allowing the president to commit multiple crimes and violations of the Constitution.
They also couldn't fathom that 6 partisan hacks in robes on the Supreme Court would rule so blatantly in favor of a president and against any oppostion, and that they would literally invent law out of thin air to aid a criminal president.
This is what we are up against in 2026.
in2herbs
(4,502 posts)Lokee11
(414 posts)I may not know how to fix everything, I may not know what could have been done to explicitly prevent it, but money is why we got here.
Nobody's motivating factor to go into politics should ever be to become rich, and for most (cannot convince there is even one with an R next to their name) that is why they are / became politicians. Not to represent and help their communities but to benefit themselves and only themselves.
Martin68
(28,030 posts)largely rural. Nor did they anticipate that the Electoral College system would backfire if a totally corrupt party gained control of enough states.
Mr.Bee
(1,902 posts)Should have been eliminated the first time is was proven to be manipulated.
Electronic voting machines should have been removed the first time it was
proven they could be hacked.
popsdenver
(2,544 posts)should have been beaten down badly , the first time they literally THREW an election, without any authority, what-so-ever, in 2000
HWBush should have been beaten down badly, when he committed Treason in 1980 to install Reagan as a pawn of his......
ETC ETC ETC
The Dems have missed countless opportunities to confront the Republicans......
RainCaster
(13,854 posts)Or are there Epstein Files that mention these august justices?
Martin Eden
(15,842 posts)States wanted to be a bigger prize, to garner more attention and perhaps concessions from candidates.
The Electoral College has become an anachronism. Back in the day it was necessary for actual electors to travel to the Capitol, sometimes taking multiple votes before a winner could be declared. Also, large segments of the populace (women, blacks) were not allowed to vote.
Today, counting all eligible voters, we do not have 1 person = 1 vote. Because of the Electoral College, one person's vote in Wyoming carries the weight of nearly 4 voters in California.
This is just plain wrong, especially since smaller population states are grossly overrepresented in the Senate. California and Wyoming both have 2 senators.
eppur_se_muova
(42,377 posts)The argument is often framed in terms of big/small states, rural/urban states, but it was the *plantation* states like VA (home of many of the FF, especially the ones that owned slaves) that forced the creation of the EC. It should have been abolished as part of Reconstruction. But then, Reconstruction was sabotaged by the infamous Compromise of 1877.
question everything
(52,329 posts)are now main players; where influencers are courted and quoted without being challenged.
walkingman
(11,107 posts)voting in mass, no matter the obstacles. Until the people stand up for their rights themselves it will never happen. We have to remember this is how they (the GOP) was able to roll us back to the 1950s in the last 60 years.
The GOP incorporated religion, racism (segregation), misogyny, and white supremacy into their party since around 1980. It was a deliberate slow movement that began at the Local and State level which led to finally the National level.
America will a minority majority nation (around 2040) and the battle will intensify.
Voter suppression, selective immigration, white Christian nationalism, and concerted effort to shift away from a pluralistic, secular democracy toward a more homogenous, white Christian-influenced state is there way to maintain power.
We have to unite for the common good, otherwise the oligarchs will continue this push towards servitude - history is pretty clear about this.
JT45242
(4,103 posts)Don't be fooled -- SAVE is a way to get rid of the 19th amendment
13, 14, & 15 will be voided soon. They will come up with reaosns to arrest people and then the slavery in jail is OK will be applied
They want to get teh 16th as well so the rich pay nothing
hadEnuf
(3,647 posts)on getting us to where we are today by giving the Right the vehicle to peddle their propaganda non-stop. So many are misinformed or are literally brainwashed it's not even funny anymore. Yet we are trying to use these same vehicles to try and get our messages of sanity out as well, and it just isn't going all that well.
The fact that Trump and the GOP have approval numbers that are higher than one digit is amazing.
ouija
(468 posts)Joinfortmill
(21,564 posts)FakeNoose
(42,218 posts)Also the Founding Fathers couldn't anticipate that over half of our citizens would be so disengaged that they wouldn't bother to vote, even if it meant preventing a crazy despot from taking power.
DemocracyForever
(133 posts)which is what happened with the Rehnquist 5 in 2000. This is what started this nightmare. The corrupt, sexist, racist, anti-democracy behavior of the GOP is exactly why George Washington hated political parties.
Chasstev365
(8,069 posts)BannonsLiver
(20,811 posts)betsuni
(29,246 posts)BannonsLiver
(20,811 posts)And it's also evident by the many avenues in which the system can be manipulated, abused, shaped, etc.
mr715
(4,054 posts)A head of state that wore a lot of makeup and had a developmental disorder.
They had read Hobbes, etc. They knew a Trump could happen, they just never expected such a compliant legislature.
And even if they could imagine a Trump, he would be heavily on the side of theoretical.
AnotherMother4Peace
(5,179 posts)flashman13
(2,548 posts)In Federalist No. 10 Madison said that factions (parties) could threaten the public interest. He felt that diversity (novel concept) over a large republic would best serve the public interest and prevent factionalism.
Wednesdays
(23,035 posts)That wouldn't abolish political parties, but it would allow far more parties to be participants. And more closely represent the real will of the people.
Good luck in getting red states to adopt such a system, though.
flashman13
(2,548 posts)mr715
(4,054 posts)they also couldn't envision a jet engine or a woman.
It is amazing to me how the legislative branch which is so compromised by the promise of payouts and quiet power, gave up its governing authority. The GOP has made Congress into a bad faith debating society. It is Robert's Rules of Order cosplay.
Regarding the Court, they have empowered the legislature to correct problems with the judiciary. A very simple solution would be to expand the court.
And, to allude to the title of this post, with respect to our founding fathers, they did envision the people fighting back against an oppressor and doing the unlikely.
You are correct, but we're going to be able to at least stem the damage being done.
BurnDoubt
(1,857 posts)THAT IS ALL!!!!!!!!!!