Unfortunately, your typical Democratic official—whether it’s Biden or Schumer or Jeffries or House Oversight Committee ranking member Gerry Connolly or the recently elected DNC chair Ken Martin—didn’t get into politics to defeat the Republican Party, to zealously advance the interests of ordinary people, or to protect democracy. They didn’t rise within the party ranks because of their talent for public service. In a functioning democracy, that wouldn’t matter as much. Nobody really cares if a politician’s inner life is absorbed in personal ambition. But at this moment of national and planetary emergency, pathological careerism is unacceptable. People should either step up or, if they don’t fancy the fray, follow the example of Senator Gary Peters, who recently announced, like a normal person in his late sixties, that he’ll retire in 2026.
The sorry truth is that without enormous pressure from the party base, a significant number of senators and representatives won’t have it in them to oppose Trump. We, the concerned citizens, will have to force them to do their duty. We’ll also have to march, sooner rather than later. But that’s a separate topic. For now, these are our guys. We go with what we’ve got. And let’s not forget: Republicans can’t govern, they’re unpopular, and they’re led by the most idiotic president in living memory. They are beatable.
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Sadly I agree with the trumpers on that - neoliberal politicians are grifters, they aren’t trying to improve the lot of the common human as they should. It’s all shady deals, corruption, self interest etc. Where the MAGA crowd have it wrong is that they think trump and his cronies are any better - they’re far worse. They can’t be trusted with anything, not only because they’re completely immoral grifters but because they’re incompetent, only good at manipulating people. They’re the liars who faked their qualifications to get the job and they’re in charge of things which are extremely important for the wellbeing of the population of the world and moving parts of a vastly huge and complicated system.
It’s not going to end well.