I think the reason people are frustrated with Democratic leaders is that they expect these elected representatives to act like a real disaster is happening, which it is. Four-day weekends and bratwurst junkets in Munich kind of undercut that
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I live in a red state. I call my reps daily. They don’t care. I’m frustrated at the Dems because many of them are not meeting the moment. It’s a five-alarm fire. Put some pep in your step.
We’re incredibly angry at them. Because Republicans get whatever they want done: regardless of the legality, with no consequences
We’re here because Republicans are traitors, and Democrats are neoliberals who don’t want to actually do anything real about it. Just empty statements and excuses.
The question they need to ask themselves is, what would they be doing if Russia or China had troops on the ground in DC. If they wouldn’t be taking 4-day weekends or going to Munich or providing UC in that scenario, they shouldn’t be doing it now.
We are afraid they will kill us if we protest so we are keeping it low key. Also, we will confirm a bunch of folks via unanimous consent so we can have a long weekend and drink beer and eat sausages in Munich. Cool
Well that may be because the Top Dems have been acting like the Washington Generals vs the Harlem Globetrotters since Reagan….. I wish that the Dems fought against the Right as hard as they fight against the Left
I think the reason for *this level* of frustration is largely because the inaction and "yeah whatever it'll be fine's" come after a two-year campaign war based on a "he's going to be a dictator!" message.
They're just providing the stereotype of politicians as liars, one way or the other.
They are speaking up, what can they do? The Republicans are the majority in Congress. The problem is that no mainstream media outside of MSNBC interviews them. This will all be decided in the courts now. Judicial needs to push back, or it's over. People need to start protesting in large numbers.
The democrats need to be working on mid-term elections. The republicans are already working on voter suppression. If the democrats flip Congress, Project 25 will die.
We need people like John Lewis willing to get beatened at protests. He said they made the biggest progress only when they got beatened. Peaceful protests got them nowhere. They needed the police to over react and beat them on TV.
Is anyone listening to Bernie Sanders or AOC or Pete Buttigieg? They're yelling into a void because, according to Trump's approval rating, voters don't care. Hopefully people will wake up as they start to see the catastrophic impact of what's happening but racism and xenophobia seem to trump all.
Of course not. We don’t *listen* to Dem officials when they say things. We just get VERY MAD that they’re not saying anything (whether they actually are or aren’t is kinda beside the point 🧐)
Felt the same about all of the “Trump is a dictator” discourse. If his election spells the end of democracy then let’s spend 4 years identifying the best spokesperson to take him on. Instead we had to wait until the 11th hour for Biden to drop out.
Unfortunately for many Dems career>country.
My rep is making an effort at regular comms (IG Live etc) but is smiling and laughing with colleagues like they can't believe What's Happening either and have as much power as you or I to do anything about it. It's so tone deaf it's kind of worse than nothing. I feel totally defeated
Like the old Almost Live sketch we used to laugh at in Seattle, the Ineffectual Middle Management Suckups, except it came to life and is now in Congress
Mine sent a Valentine's Day message that included photoshopped "greeting cards" that I'm sure took someone in her office quite a bit of time to create.
Like, "Thanks?? But I'd prefer a message that details exactly what anti-fascism efforts you're spearheading."
I don't disagree at all, but if you shut yourself off from bsky and other progressive websites for a day or two and just occasionally catch the local news or CNN you will have no idea most of this is even happening.
They'd earn a little of my grace if they hadn't spent a whole two-year election cycle shouting "he's going to be a dictator!" only to say "we had no idea!" once he was in office.
Establishment Democrats suck at strategy, which is even more apparent vs. an org that literally published a game plan
I think the problem is that we expect the Democratic Party to be the instrument of a popular movement for democracy.
The movement we oppose didn't make the analogous mistake about the Republican Party. It took it over in an organized campaign, from the local committees on up.
I get it, we are only a little over 3 weeks into this shitstorm and, with nothing much happening in Congress yet, are still trying to get their feet under them. But we need more people than Jasmine Crockett (who is great btw) to find their voice and effectively push back.
I have voted Dem for 50 🤬🤬years, hoping they would STAND the 🤬UP and PROTECT LIFE on EARTH w Environmental Responsibility, Responsible Gun regs, LIVING WAGES, EQUITY! They stand aside as “conservatives” LOOTour Natl Treasury, steal elections (I saw machine votes change from Kerry to W 20 yrs age.😤
I have the impression that the Democrats are scared of Trump, if any of them make too much noise or trouble for Trump, something bad will happen to them. Not a great situation for USA when people are conforming and scared of retribution. No longer the land of the free.
The assumption here is that the only potential opposition is a vote.
Meanwhile, less than a month in, there are everyday-person stories that should scare the shit out of any Republican in a swing district that just aren't being told by anyone.
Republicans did a pretty effective job at obstruction and negative messaging about the Democrats when they were in the minority, no? I mean, they won a pretty decisive election because of their strategy, as opposed to no significant change in Republican approval so far in polls.
The voters of the states voted for Trump and now the world is in peril. JD Vance made the Chancellor of Germany cry because JD chose to go visit with Nazis instead of being at the conference. This sent the direct message the states are no longer a democracy and a danger. He cried for the end of it.
If the Democratic party had fully cared, they would have found a person to promote as soon as Biden was pulled out of moth balls to run against cheeto in the 2020 election. They had four years to move someone else to the front. They didn't and then tried to put Kamala at the last minute.
We expect leaders to speak for us. I am not seeing that from the Democrat Party. New chair of DNC is MIA. only a few representatives are loud and vocal, while the rest are in a coma.
Even from the standpoint of pure electoral survivability you would think they'd want to make sure every single one of their constituents was aware of the magnitude and severity of what's going on. A few are doing this but it's only a few
Can't think of a better dumb obnoxious stunt than getting arrested for trying to go into the Treasury. Alas, they gave up that battle for a long weekend.
If making noise is so so important then why is it that nobody seems to ACTUALLY give a fuck when Dems are ACTUALLY doing things? Spreading the narrative that nothing is happening is apparently 100x more important than ever commenting on what they do
Accounts with 50-300 thousand followers excoriating Dems every day while Dem senators like Patty Murray are ACTUALLY doing interviews with fired federal workings and getting 1500 views for their trouble
not a lot of point in yelling at them, is there? take a glance wherever they hang out and they are loving everything that's happening. they do not share the same reality and only see anyone yelling at them as an enemy/snowflake/"far-left" liberal.
exactly. you can't yell them out of it because you don't share a reality, a set of facts or values. things that seem obvious to you as something bad, they think it's great. you explain why it's bad, they think you're insane because their whole basis of "fact" is from another planet
Some Democrats have been concerned about their own safety as well. The only reason I would vote for them is that they are not the Republicans. No one has been impressive in the fight against Trump.
At the Warner/Kaine townhall they talked about how excited they were to get dinner with their Republican colleagues and talk about the upcoming nominees. Dunno what happened next because I think I had a stroke.
Yelling at Republicans only goes so far. The Democrats are the people we’ve elected to represent us in the places we can’t easily go, and they’re doing a shit job of it.
We wouldn’t tolerate a firefighter who is scared of flames and figures it would be easier to just let the house burn down.
Ds need to try to turn some purple and red electorates by targeting them continuously about how xyz is Trumps fault. Costs, safety, infrastructure, tax cuts to billionaires. Anything that impacts them or anything he’s doing instead of focusing on making their lives better. Every day and week.
It's wild how many people think the Dems stalling for time by repeatedly adjourning the Senate to go home to talk to angry constituents in packed town halls is some sort of vacation.
It would be cool if people protested in front of R's houses too, since few of them are holding town halls
I am upset because they are still texting me for money every single day while our country is being taken over by literal Nazis and some of them are still voting yes on some of Trump’s appointees. Looking at both of my Democratic senators!
They need a war room approach. They need an end of day briefing about everything Trump/musk did that day and about what has been done to stop it. They need to be poring over senate and house rules for every procedural tool. They need to work with progressive groups to lift up protests
They are in Munich to represent the US in a non-Nazi manner. People keep asking them to do things while they are doing things and then say they aren't doing things.
The Democrats lost any remaining shred of credibility when they put Biden forward for re-election. They have no direction, no centre and no defining characteristics. Sound bites do not policy make.
This seems so obvious, yet we've got countless Democratic diehards who can't imagine why we're angry at these people, and not all of them are bots either
This fight requires new energy and perspective. It’s a whole different kind of battle. If current democrats can’t rise to the task at hand step down for someone who can.
I don’t even need them to act like a disaster is happening. Even expressing a Susan Collins level of concern would be an enormous upgrade over the impotent response from so-called party leadership.
It’s hard because quite literally their political hands are tied. The courts can rule all damn day but if they are ignored, what can anyone do short of a Coup.
When elected Dems tried to tell people what would happen many said they were over reacting. Blame those who would not listen not those who tried to warn.
Dems should be doing more, but the Munich security conference is a paramount security event. Smoothing things over with allies and reminding them that many Americans still stand by Europe and Ukraine is essential in keeping heads above water for the next to years
Why not ask what they’re doing in the floor? Why not ask why Schatz is the only one who decided to put blanket holds on nominees or why there’s a startling lack of conference discipline?
It's appalling, though I'd just say (extremely minor point) that if they learn something about how to speak with huevos from some of the badass comments by European leaders on some of the panels, it'll have been worth the bratwurst junket.
Still, though, our lot are horrifyingly complacent & comfy.
Exactly! They boxed out the handful of Congressional Democrats who are sounding the alarm from leadership positions. And the ones at the top are failing to show leadership in this dire moment.
We don’t select leaders. We select policy wonks, and that’s what’s built—overbuilt sometimes, I admit it—our bureaucracy, and it mostly works. But that leaves us without firebrands, and we’re certainly feeling that now.
Yes Mr. Booker, I will endeavor to be more like the lobster, waiting in a small enclosure with my claws bound until the powers above decide it's my turn to be boiled and consumed.
It is not just that they are taking weekends. It is that they are making deals with fascists in order to take weekends. And that Musk has explicitly stated it is his strategy to do the most damage while Dems are taking weekends, and that is what he has actively done every weekend thus far.
They lack a sense of urgency. They knew this was coming since November. I assumed they had a plan in place. They should have taken legal action the first day Trump was signing executive orders. It's disheartening.
They have been doing everything they can. Trump has the house, senate and Whitehouse and of course the police, military and supreme court. Tank you for being nice, many people just resort to insults when challenged on this subject.
This is orders of magnitude worse than 9/11, and too many Dems are speaking in small ball.
If the towers had just been dropped and Dem senators came on the Sunday talkies to criticize the high cost of living, they’d properly be seen as having a screw loose.
or maybe put more succinctly, we expect our emergency to be their emergency, and eventually it will be, but they are incapable of noticing while the Totenbergs are still hosting squirt gun socials
The fundamental problem is people expect the Democratic electeds to do the job that civil society would usually do, and people are mad that this expectation is going unfulfilled.
I think it’s hilarious that we are told to reach out to these people because they need to hear what they can see with their own eyes. Here in Texas Cornyn and Cruz don’t give a shit, they’ll win because everyone is afraid of transgender immigrants.
"why aren't you angry at republicans?" buddy I am, I am fucking livid at republicans, I thirst for their blood, and I'm yelling at dems because they are my representatives in congress and not representing my anger or concerns at all.
"why are you so mean to dems, they're doing everything a minority party could"
brother, the democrats have been approving trump's nominees at a faster rate than any president since GWB, they take 3 or 4 day weekends every week, & a bunch of top dems left the country for a swanky european junket
My senators/reps are all GOP. I contact them for what it’s worth but they aren’t going to do a damn thing barring some massive change and they for sure want unless Dems stand up to them
Demonstrably untrue, every times the Republicans are out of power they become an obnoxious pain in the ass and slow things down as much as they can. After being an the receiving end of that my entire adult life it’s time for the Dems to do the exact same thing back at them or we’ll primary them
As a Red State denizen, I can tell you -- I've yelled at my reps and gotten form letters praising Trump back. Yelling at GOPers from a deep red state does nothing visible.
I emphasized the loss of NIH funds to the district and the state, since we're talking billions in a state with lots of sick constituents, & that Musk was doing it w/o legal standing. One form letter from Hawley was "thnx4writing," the other from Schmitt was full of "Trump's saving u $$!!"
Like if I can’t be angry at the opposition party for not looking opposing enough, wtf is the point of them then? Have the losing party go home every 2 or 4 years and let the others run the show without pushback?
We need a strong woman leader to run the Democratic Party. I think AOC is that woman. We need a woman who’s not afraid to speak truth to power. We need a woman who is willing to go toe to toe with the orange idiot and his minions. What is going on now is not working.
That and I think the least we could expect is some sort of organized movement. Is it because they can’t connect it to some specific election that they aren’t putting any coordination, $, effort into this. People are begging for leadership, action and something to direct this energy towards.
Anyway, I saw some blue wave people on Facebook arguing that the Democrats need breaks and vacations because it helps them stop trump by being well rested.
These people have the survival instincts of a moth circling a campfire.
extreme privilege. such as knows no real threat, or doesn't have everything end with a happy ending, like all the shows on the tv they believe is real life. you can see it in ppl who don't understand that they are already well and truly fucked. A little propagation time and reality hits.
Honestly they're 365 except for PTO. Staffers and elected. They may have three days in DC but then go home and have town halls and attend events and all that.
I once saw someone say that it was actually a good thing that most politicians were wealthy because they'd be less tempted to take bribes...and I honestly think they might have been born the day before. Nothing else makes sense.
I get the general complaint here and have some sympathy for it. but specifically a security conference in Munich the same week Trump blows up NATO is not the thing you’re mad at here
I called Mark Warner's office Friday and they wouldn't even confirm he was there. Yes I am aware there's likely a blanket "don't tell random cranks where the senator is" policy but you should be making an affirmative case why this is worth vacating the senate for 4 days.
Lots of families like mine where both partners jobs are in danger from Musk's groyper squad. And while we are panicking, even if there is nothing our reps can do, sometimes just hearing that they hear you, and understand is better than Schumer schedule tweeting about eggs or tomatoes.
They might be the only thing that kept our allies from totally turning on the US. Right now they're pissed and disappointed, for good reason. The next stage is open hostility...
Okay but open hostility would be the right thing to do. Democrats are playing cover for Trump at this point and helping his goals of undermining the rest of the world for his own gain
I sure have a lot of disappointment in the elected Dems, too. I just don't want MAGA goons going anywhere among our (usual) allies without adult supervision. Dems gotta walk & chew gum at the same time. Makes it worse that they have to scream 5 times louder than the GOP to get media attention...
What the fuck does this have to do with them whitewashing Trump’s actual foreign policy to convince countries to not react appropriately to the current situation?
You think they were whitewashing it? Not getting together with their peers from other countries, many they've known for years, and saying "Turnip is nuts!" Trying to mitigate and impede the worst Turnip actions? Europe has a teensy fascist problem, too. We need some elected Dems to look after NATO.
I keep saying the DOGE dismantling of the Federal government is bigger than 9/11. It effects more people. It will cost the whole nation economically. But there's no visual spectacle to back up my argument.
Even when they're the ones being fired they're like "please sir, I voted for you, I know you'll personally reinstate my job, I am definitely not an incredible dipshit"
Don't remember who I heard it from, but to paraphrase something I heard during election season, I believe Republicans are an existential threat to the country; I don't believe Democrats believe that.
I want to see fist fights in Congress. I want chairs flying and weeves getting snatched. Some claw and bite marks. Let's see some effort, bare minimum.
They don't really care about the democracy dying part, because that will only affect the little people, not them. They can retire quite comfortably in an Orban-style soft authoritarian state, and even get their memoirs published. They've already weighed the odds and made their decision.
I think it’s also because we would’ve expected that by now they could’ve convinced some Republicans to join their side and fight for our country and our democracy.
My new Senator, Ruben Gallego is going to hold a PAC retreat weekend in Sedona on the wonders of crypto. Very convenient that he sits on the committee that regulates crypto. He also voted in favor of several Trump cabinet picks. Maybe that particular seat turns people into Krysten Sinema.
i get the argument that 'all you want us to do is perform panic more' but like yes actually sometimes its necessary to perform panic and urgency if the situation is worth making people panicked and urgent over
I am sick to death of their attempt to address everything via a policy of issuing strongly worded memos.
The party is completely bereft of any leadership ability, ethics, spinal fortitude and the ability to actually face their ongoing failures of the past 40 years which have led us here.
It is so incredible how, when something happens, like-- existentially threatening things, like January 6th-- lawmakers still put on that performative air and I still get the exact same email with all the boxes of different amounts of money they want me to give. The message is "This isn't important."
THANK YOU. I’m exhausted by being told I’m the problem for calling this out while all I’m demanding is better.
Better representation. Better defense in “the zone.”
Better solutions.
Ian, I’m going to give you grace, because I know you, but could you please save your smoke for Republicans who could actually stop all of this if they wanted?
Ukraine is literally fighting for its survival and the European continent and allies are coming together to discuss how to handle the crisis but yes, let’s accuse Dems of going because it’s some vacation.
i mean especially after all their "he's a BAD MAN and this might be the LAST ELECTION in american history" then they lose and it's back to farting in their $15,000 leather chairs and fundraising
Sadly, Dems didn’t take the coup on 1/6 seriously enough to go after high level GOP insurrectionists when they had the DOJ. It’s unconscionable that trump wasn’t jailed for stealing top secret documents & inciting a coup. ALL of the Republican coup planners should have been arrested in real time.
100%. Bet if DNC management finally let AOC and Crockett off the leash at the Trip-C mall cops, that boy would be finding another line of work, and we'd have a new Prez and VP lined up.
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After slow rolling any actual results over the FOUR YEARS they held the executive.
We wanted Trump locked up, no excuses. And all they have is excuses.
We’re here because Republicans are traitors, and Democrats are neoliberals who don’t want to actually do anything real about it. Just empty statements and excuses.
They're just providing the stereotype of politicians as liars, one way or the other.
Ultimately it didn't do accomplish anything long-term, but at least he did _something_, literally anything.
- @schumer.senate.gov
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/16/politics/democrats-strategy-powerless-trump
Unfortunately for many Dems career>country.
Honestly, I really need something stronger than OH FFS!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬
Like, "Thanks?? But I'd prefer a message that details exactly what anti-fascism efforts you're spearheading."
Reply: [crickets]
Also many of us are well aware of the massive limitations facing the minority party right now, and are not at all frustrated with them.
They're on the front lines and deserve a little grace as they try to address unprecedented times.
Establishment Democrats suck at strategy, which is even more apparent vs. an org that literally published a game plan
The movement we oppose didn't make the analogous mistake about the Republican Party. It took it over in an organized campaign, from the local committees on up.
Meanwhile, less than a month in, there are everyday-person stories that should scare the shit out of any Republican in a swing district that just aren't being told by anyone.
Republicans
They didn't even follow proper procedure with the primary race and propped Joe up again.
They KNEW he was no longer a responsible choice.
The arrogance of the Democratic leaders has cost the people.
I am a big fan of Pete and always have been.
I'm learning more and becoming a fan of Crockett, too.
I'm interested in seeing who else can step up.
It's time for the people to do something.
The government is supposed to work for us, not the other way around.
I get that we aren't Democratic leadership, but ... too many people are distracted by the readily available entertainment that continues non-stop.
When will other people pay attention?!?!!?
ANY effn kind of leadership??!
it's insane that they're still treating the seditionists as their friends across the aisle instead of mortal enemies who betrayed the republic
https://youtu.be/hWykrnAh5I8?si=3LJ2u4yIBmsj7ooH
https://youtu.be/D-z5xlzbf5I?si=T0gA5Srz8Cf_CFaN
First of all I am, and secondly if I said what I think the solution is I would get banned from this website
The delusion that this democracy is alive is wild. Both parties sold us out 20yrs ago.
Vote = Thoughts and Prayers
They are not doing anything because you are not and have not been their funding source (aka constituent) for a long time.
On one hand, understandable, but, OTOH, completely absurd.
Sorry, I guess I just expected the people who spent all year telling us he’s a dictator to fucking act like it?
Repubs have no problem shutting the whole government down as a congressional minority. What’s the excuse this time #Dems?
We wouldn’t tolerate a firefighter who is scared of flames and figures it would be easier to just let the house burn down.
> Bodyguard doesn't want to shoot face eating leopard
> Yells at bodyguard to stop the fucking leopard
WHY AREN'T YOU YELLING AT THE LEOPARD?!?
And they have a lot of experience on how to slowdown democractic processes
Didn't democrats spend a whole campaign saying all this was going to happen?
Wheeling Feinstein into her office nearly right up to the point she drew her last breath said a lot about the party and many were too blind to it.
It would be cool if people protested in front of R's houses too, since few of them are holding town halls
https://generalstrikeus.com
Find the ones who have a clear message (AOC, Crockett, Bernie, Buttigieg) and boost them. The others will figure it out or become irrelevant.
But I'd you're saying the entire party is made up of people who don't care
1) I find that really hard to believe
2) the US is truly fucked
Still, though, our lot are horrifyingly complacent & comfy.
If the towers had just been dropped and Dem senators came on the Sunday talkies to criticize the high cost of living, they’d properly be seen as having a screw loose.
brother, the democrats have been approving trump's nominees at a faster rate than any president since GWB, they take 3 or 4 day weekends every week, & a bunch of top dems left the country for a swanky european junket
Patty
Maria
Adam
and ……. TWO OF THEM VOTED TO FAST TRACK TRUMP’S APPOINTMENTS JUST SO THEY COULD HAVE AN EXTRA EXTRA LONG WEEKEND!!!!!!
" They know they aren't in any danger of losing their seats."
Sheer number of loud calls and emails will change this perception - slowly but surely.
These people have the survival instincts of a moth circling a campfire.
I do think that these time trades in the Senate have been favorable every time so far in terms of calendar though
Sure trump is cutting congress entirely out of the process but that is some how different in a way they won't explain
Or they introduce a bill. Which is why they kept doing that.
And if they're in Washington, then Trump's bananapants group of cabinet members is getting confirmed.
That's the problem.
The Democratic Party doesn't want to take a Canadian approval poll right now.
The party is completely bereft of any leadership ability, ethics, spinal fortitude and the ability to actually face their ongoing failures of the past 40 years which have led us here.
Better representation. Better defense in “the zone.”
Better solutions.
rattle the tin, do nothing, and still get headpats for being "the opposition party"