The pandemic kind of wallpapered over it, but at the time we were looking down the tubes at a recession and a trade war, and Trump had by that point gotten rid of most of the competent cabinet that kept him in check.

If a 2008 crisis hit, it would have been bad.

People tend to forget how badly he fucked up the pandemic response. Imagine his cronies instead of Bush and Obama's people in '08. We'd be in a depression by now.

He's a chameleon, but his favourite colour is green.

They are playing the same game they always have: use carrots like this to get voters to the polls, and hold off on those carrots until an election year.

The problem is that it doesn’t reliably work. Progressive voters just see three and half years of very little progress and six months of fearmongering and pandering, which causes as much or more apathy than it does engagement.

If you look at what the Right does, by comparison, it’s interesting. They throw red meat to their base on day one, and keep it up for the entire term. They know that they need to keep the base pumped and expecting results, which is a big reason why conservative voters turn out at much higher rates: they feel listened to.

It's because he's their creepy fucker.

If Jesus came down from heaven and ran as a Democrat, these people would all still vote Trump.

Do not underestimate the power of tribal instincts in social primates.

You're forgetting 3. If people who are in an out-group aren't suffering more than I am, I feel oppressed.

Thinking more about this: the gap between the rich and the poor is the highest it's been since 1920, and it's increasing every day, and the investor class as done very, very well with no end to the party in sight.

And they somehow think they don't haveenough yet? That they're entitled to even more? That even a small impediment on the path to oligarchy is unacceptable?

Jesus only physically attacked one group of people.

Religious capitalists.

There are Republican representatives who were hiding and cowering on that day and are trying to rewrite history now.

So it's not a stretch to say that he'd certainly suffer any indignity and still excuse his team's malfeasance.

If it weren't tragic, it would be funny.

So, they feel that Israel needs "living room?"

You assume they want electoral reform at all

They don't.

They'd rather lose now and keep the system that would net them another majority of seats (without a majority of votes) in the future, then implement a system that would see them never realize another majority ever again.

The Liberals would rather lose every seat in Parliament and be reduced to zero than implement real electoral reform.

Maybe if they cut back on Disney+, lattes and avocado toast they could sell these for less?