Rayvin

Don't always have time for TYT but I think they're spot on with this. they are fucking raging at the Democrats.

The scale of our failure to contain this is actually quite hilarious when you think about it. We're sat here playing by the rules while they're running rings around us.

I struggle with this idea of blaming the voters because I absolutely do blame people in this country who refuse to acknowledge the disaster that Brexit has been. It winds me up no end. But that said... I don't think it's the most effective medium for changing anything, cathartic as it is. I would rather argue that throwing my hands up and yelling at them is something I can do because I've given up, not because I'm trying to change anyone's mind. Changing minds has to be done with a fully inclusive approach that speaks to even some of the murkier concerns that people have, if only to move them beyond their current thinking. It cannot be done by just calling them names and chastising them for being weak or pathetic. The difference there is what we want to do vs what we need to do.

It's not about Harris, the failure is far bigger than her. Though I think one could argue that dithering over Biden being able to run or not and then airdropping her into candidacy without any internal democratic process was probably not the play. In my view though, this wasn't lost in the campaign. It was lost in the 4 years of Biden in power. Its the longer term systemic rot in the Dems that is the issue. Simply defining themselves by not being the other side worked once, but doesn't appear to work twice. Hence my view that Labour should take note.

Exactly, exactly, exactly. We need to wake the fuck up to this.

This is complete nonsense. When Corbyn lost to Johnson, i seem to recall him being blamed for that here. Why are the Democrats lifted up to some level where their actions and choices don't matter, they're just helpless little centrist victims? I don't even think this is about her being a woman, neither side made any fuss about that at all really. I think once the demographic data comes out we'll have a clearer view on things but I watched a lot of content overnight from actual Democrat politicians chastising their party over disinterest in the groups they have "lost". Minorities, men, people of colour in general. It's a huge, well funded, corporation friendly, media supported political party. It is not a victim, it's a fucking joke. And it's been in power for the past 4 years, it had the ability to make a difference, it just chose not to. Biden would have been annihilated if he ran too. 4 more years because of their hubris...

Biden was worthless. All that lack of achievement to avoid rocking the boat and we lose anyway. This is my exact fear with Labour. May as well have had Trump last time tbh, least it would be over by now. The West needs a progressive vision that can appeal to people, we can't just scream "incel' at everyone and call it a day. Our entire civilisation is starting to come into the crosshairs now. I'm so fucking done with the Democrats. Worthless party. Absolutely fucking useless, they've had absolutely fuck all to offer since Obama. Now they've lost all 3 chambers potentially, meaning God fucking knows what Trump manages to get through. Heaven help the USA. The combined political acumen of the Democratic party undone by a TV madman. Hopeless. Agreenwith Gemmill though, just need to turn it the fuck off and give up.

North Carolina to Trump. That was a state that was in play to swing, so that's a big win for Trump.

I mean I'm listening to TYT as I go along here so it's possible that I'm feeding off their panic, but they are definitely starting to panic. We'll see I guess but... fucking hell.

CNN calling Iowa for Trump... This feels like yet another centrist masterpiece.

North Carolina starting to look Trump destined... I think we might be fucked here.

Florida goes to Trump with higher numbers than expected. I would call that a bad sign.

It's going to be a long 2-3 days while this shitshow is sorted out. The close nature of the polls might scare Dem voters into action at least. Trump voters probably didn't need the push so much.

That is a top quality post and I applaud the commitment to it

Don't say that ffs... god that's a Sophie's Choice right there. Trump or EU.. Actually if it was that simple, it'd flip me pro-Trump. Thank god it isn't.

I mean part of it is definitely a desire to stand up for my principles I guess, but perhaps it's easier with the US as my only real concerns are that they don't abandon Ukraine, and they don't collapse internationalism. It doesn't really bother me what they're doing domestically, though perhaps it should.

The most pathetic part of that entire thing is "Other fans love us because..." The complete obsession with the need for external validation is beyond cringeworthy. I've not seen any 'group' do this in quite the way mackems do, both within football and outside of it. Or maybe it's just RTG, but either way it's extreme "pick me" energy, as the Zoomers would say.

I mean if it was a straight run off between Starmer and anyone to the right of him I guess I would. Not sure what it is about our system that makes me want to resist that though, suppose part of me falls for the illusion that it isn't a binary choice.

Something I've been struggling with a bit on my end in all this is that I seem to be applying a different standard to the US race compared to the UK elections. Harris is essentially a New Labour style candidate, a moderate who won't make any significant changes or address the things that I would argue are important. And yet in her case, I absolutely would vote for her without caring about any of her policies, simply because she's not Trump. I suppose it means I see Trump as a bigger threat to 'everything' than the Tories ever could be, but it's still somewhat hypocritical of me. I'll need to submit myself for some self flagellation, not sure I can have this one both ways.

It honestly feels like it doesn't matter if Labour's budget is left wing or not - it'll be called as being such. Same state of affairs in the US atm where everyone to the left of Hitler is a radical communist. Which does rather beg the question why we don't just own it.

I remember when a sizeable contingent of lefty people thought this guy was gonna be some sort of Tony Stark style figure. Fairly safe to say at this point that no one that rich is ever going to be looking to do any of us any favours.

Feel like Badenoch is good news indeed but I think I must have missed her framework of beliefs... what are those then?

America just has to dodge this bullet one final time and then the spectre passes. I don't think they've got anyone waiting in the wings who could achieve quite what Trump has in terms of mobilising support.

Anyone see this point that the IFS have criticised the budget for not being realistic about spending? Apparently they think we're going to end up spending far more than the budget suggests we will, and have consequently accused Labour of 'playing the same stupid games' as the Tories. Still no truth in the room I guess, not that I don't understand why they're doing it.

As I've alluded to before, it's definitely in Gen Z - social media is saturated with it. I hope you're right but I remain worried about it. My younger sister was showing me a video on tiktok the other day about a female influencer who was pushing the idea of being a 'tradwife' (traditional wife), and she's got millions of followers... she's not even directly speaking to the politics of it, and yet she is a soldier in the culture war ultimately.