Contrary To Trump's Tweet, Russian Hacking Came Up Before Election (A Lot)

[elialshadowpine]

On July 27, Donald Trump created one of the most surreal moments of the presidential campaign, when he encouraged Russians to hack his opponent's email

Comments

[elialshadowpine]

I certainly don't point to it as the "OMG THIS IS WHAT GOT THE TANGERINE TERROR ELECTED". It's a factor, but only one of very, very, very many. I don't know if it's just me, but this election year has been unlike anything in my memory. Granted, the first election I actually followed, though I was a year or so too young to vote, was Shrub 2000.

But, the primaries were vicious for both parties. You had Bernie and Hillary and their supporters getting into it (I'm a Bernie supporter, but man, some of the stuff said, even in this community, was just not on), and then you had the Republican clown car of, what, twenty or so in a competition to see who could earn the award of "Least Mature Individual." Obviously, the Orange Tornado won that award, no surprise.

All through the campaign season, it's been... far, far more contentious and playing dirty than I have experienced with the elections that I have followed in my adult life. I don't know if the political elite just lost their collective marbles or what, because it was just batshit.

The loss has many different factors at fault. Not enough people turned out to vote, for one. I have literally heard people say, and my jaw actually dropped, that they didn't bother to vote because they were so certain Hillary was going to win. I just... the actual fuck, people? I don't know whether or not that would have changed the Electoral College outcome, but that's not the point. The point is that people stayed home because they were so sure that there was no way the Tangerine Twit could win.

There's just a whole slew of factors, and I would honestly probably end up with a middle-sized novella if I tried to list all of them. Suffice it to say, though, I am absolutely with you that this was not the only cause, and treating it as if it were is just not okay. We -- by which I mean progressives and liberals (I consider myself in the former category) -- need to learn from this because otherwise, it's just going to happen again.

Because you know what is perhaps even scarier than the Orange Orangutan winning? The Republican party now knows a game plan that works. THAT damn well ought be enough to give one nightmares.

[blackjedii]

i see no wrongs in this post. It is 100% wrong-free.

I just really, really have no faith in the DNC - or the Democratic Party in general - being willing to learn from it. Even now the "Russian hack" talk seems like a distraction from legitimately thinking about all the reasons and factors for the bizarre truth that Donald Trump won. Because doing so would mean some serious overhaul of a party that is super-entrenched in their own money-making behaviors.

[lightframes]

Just wanted to let you know I'm going to start saying "100% wrong-free"

[blackjedii]

i am a meme monster oo-rah!

[brittdreams]

I share your complete lack of faith, FWIW. I had this conversation with friends back in June. Like the DNC and the state and local parties have failed in so many places that used to be reliably Democratic in the last 15-20 years and there's no way you can just blame it all on changing demographics. Really, the the Democrats shouldn't be surprised by the outcome because the Republicans control most state legislative bodies and almost 2/3 of the governorships. If that's not a sign that people across the country aren't supporting your party and its candidates, then I don't know what is.

I've said this before but I would love, love, love to see the Dems start building the local parties and local candidates again. School board, city commission, county commission, etc. since that's where state legislators tend to get their start and those candidates go on to run for the US House or Senate. Long-term the Democrats probably want to be able to control redistricting (or really, it should be done apolitically to minimize gerrymandering but that's me wishing for WAY too much) so they have until 2030 to get their shit together. I mean, I'd like to see them make a push for state legislative bodies in the coming years so they can offer some resistance after the 2020 census but I'm not holding my breath for that. But after the 2030 census? Hell yes.