Warner Crocker
People, please. Stop wringing your hands, proclaiming Musk doesn't have authority to do the things he's doing because he wasn’t elected.
Doesn't matter. Trump won, Musk owns him, Musk can do what he wants until Trump says stop, and then Trump will be replaced. Musk won't be.
Get a clue. #politics
Warner Crocker
If the Democrats wandering around trying to find a message to fight back just kept repeating that Musk is running things and Trump and the GOP are just pawns over and over again, it probably won't solve the problem, but it would be a hand grenade worth tossing.
Put them on the defensive. For a change. #politics
Warner Crocker
@Steve True about breaking laws. I just don't think that matters any longer. Sure there will be suits filed and perhaps some victories. Good. But the evidence suggests that's playing a game with rules that the other team doesn't care about any longer. Gosh, I hope I'm just paranoid and wrong.
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve I disagree with the "slow things down in the courts" approach as THE ONLY viable alternative. The court of public opinion carries more sway than the legal system does at the moment.
So, fight that velocity with velocity on that field (start calling Musk President relentlessly) and watch Trump skunk up the works himself, giving the courts time to catch up.
There are people who would rally to any public opinion cause if there was a leader to lead. Waiting cedes too much ground.
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve And BTW in the court of public opinion, I wholeheartedly believe it's time to stop fighting fair. We lost doing that. We're going to loose even more if we don't fight with the same tactics.
Warner Crocker
@Steve I don't disagree there. I just don't have faith in the legal system under this administration.
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve Sure. I'm about to run out for several hours but will reply later today. Do me a favor and clarify which "hear this a lot" you're referring to in the meantime. There are a lot of "a lots" out there.
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve Thanks for the clarification. Here are some initial responses. (Good conversation by the way.) 1. I think the lesson that should have been learned is that while policy does indeed matter in the long run, in the short term rhetoric matters more when the voters you're appealing to generally only want to change things.
2. I don't think there's a magical school of rhetoric out there either. But I think there needs to be recognition and shift in tactics when I believe we've discovered.../more
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve /con't.
that this battle is playing on an emotional battlefield not a logical or intellectual one.
3. What I mean about playing fair or not is on a bigger canvas than that though. There's no high rhetorical or policy road that can win when the opponent keeps (successfully) dragging you into the mud. Yes, we can play the "the don't stoop" game, but the playing field has changed and all entrances to the high road are blocked. /more
Warner Crocker
@Steve /con't
4. I'm disgusted that I have to say things like this, I'd prefer the opposite, but the world is different now and it's time we through more mud than we're taking. It won't and shouldn't be pretty, but the targets are too easy at the moment and shame on us for not hitting back harder and faster.
Warner Crocker
@Steve Starting at the end of your post and working backwards. At the moment we aren't fighting a "campaign" in the traditional electoral sense. We should be fighting as an opposition party. Gum up the works. A simple, perhaps too simple, suggestion is just start talking about "President Musk" over and over again from all levels. It'll upset the egos that we know drive many things and gum up the works.
I actually am starting to believe the attack on fascism failed /more
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve /con't because it never seemed to have a negative impact Use less big labels like GOP, Fascists, Oligarchs, etc... and focus on individuals. Name names and point fingers. Turn their tactics against them.
The GOP infrastructure that has been put in place starting in the Gingrich era made a large, very true assumption and gamble the vast part of electorate is easily manipulated by fear and can be taken advantage of through that. Those doing the manipulating have larger goals, but /more
Warner Crocker
@Steve / con't
But need the larger masses to achieve power. Now that they have that power, those masses will mostly get left behind with the rest of us, until the next time they are needed.
If you read Project 2025 you'll note that most of the polices target those in red states as well as blue states, which reveals the lie we were never able to expose successfully from the high road.
I agree with your diagnosis of the Dem failings.
/more
Warner Crocker
@Steve /con't.
In sum, it's about being too nice and not understanding reach. But it's also about not having anything that tapped into voters emotions the resonated.
Warner Crocker
@Steve Depends on how you define the party. The donor ears (that's what actually rules the party) despises the far left/progressive wing. Those that have gotten elected from that wing have to be listened to by elected centrists that largely carry out the wishes of the donor class, but they are largely kept on a short leash historically (recent 10 years).
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve I largely concur. Although I'll add many of the Republicans are governed by their donors as well and don't believe half of the stuff they push out of their mouths. That's truly a both sides issue.
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve I agree with are largley in agreement. Perhaps I was unclear, the meme grenade throwing is to upset the opposition. I also concur with your thoughts about the Dem coalition(s) except to say whether it's party orgs or ground roots orgs they need to get their shit together on messaging. BLM was the perfect example, leaving the door open for All Lives Matter to cut it off at the knees.
/con't
GaySteve🏳️🌈
Warner Crocker
@Steve
As for my Dem rep, who's local office I stroll into once very 2 or 3 days, the only message they are willing to share is be patient.
Warner Crocker
@Steve I'll disagree there. I know several folks who work on the the Hill as staffers who tell me different.
Meta donated to keep Zuckerberg out of jail and to fend of anti-trust. That was a bribe pure and simple.
GaySteve🏳️🌈
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