Whatever happens next Tuesday...

[oggbashan]

...half of Americans are going to be pissed off.

That isn't good, whoever is elected.

The divide between Americans has to be bridged somehow, if not after next Tuesday, when?

 

[naughtymind]

Well it won’t be half, it will be significantly less than half, possibly only 30-40 percent? We shall see. You are very correct about the dangerous, and counter productive polarization of this country. I do see one candidate who shares this concern, and one who takes every single opportunity to further divide us. I don’t think any president can heal this divide, but as the last four years have shown, they sure do have the power to make those divisions much worse. The real work will take some time, but I do have some hope given that, despite our political differences, most Americans across the political spectrum value relationships with people on other parts of that spectrum. Most of us recognize the mutual benefits of having different perspectives and opinions, and most do not want a civil war. The extremists always get the attention because they scream the loudest and act the most offensive, but they are not representative of most Americans.

 

[Lazaran]

.
Yeah, there's only a few truly unhinged groups that would raise the level of civil disobedience to unmanageably dangerous levels.

I would wager that the FBI and state agencies are monitoring them very closely. I have no doubt that the national guard may have to be deployed if violent protests erupt from one side or the other not accepting the results of the election, but that has become the new normal so......

The mere fact that the status quo in America has brought us to this point should be enough to convince all Americans that some major changes need to occur in the areas of gross wealth disparity and social justice, but there seems to be an excess number of ignorant sociopaths in the general population who think "everything's fine".

SAD!!!

 

[AlexBailey]

Truth is not a value of the current American Republican Party. The ones who support Donald Trump have sold their integrity to further their political agenda. They have chosen this as the way to win a culture war of ideas by justifying any tactic to win.

They are actively circumventing democracy and doing so believing that they are defending American values, regardless of how much of the population disagrees with them.

How do you bridge the gap when idealists in power refuse to enforce laws, when breaking them furthers their political goals?

As a single example, the integrity of our election is in shambles. The Trump administration has sabotaged parts of the post office and had some courts declare that ballots postmarked by the election will not be counted if they do not arrive on time. This is forcing voters in the affected areas who want to guarantee their votes are counted to physically go to polling stations during a pandemic. Some how the bulk of the GOP still believe that the Trump Administration is good for the country.

Trump has been goading his supporters to believe in the culture war and is doing all he can to get them to believe that he can only lose if the other side cheats.



2020 has been a nightmare and there is still more to come.

 

[Wrong Element]

No compromise is possible with people who want to destroy democracy.

 

[coati]

...half of Americans are going to be pissed off.

That isn't good, whoever is elected.

The divide between Americans has to be bridged somehow, if not after next Tuesday, when?

If Biden wins, almost all Republicans will accept this without resorting to violence, just as almost all Democrats accepted the results in 2016. However, we are in a different situation now because the current President has provided support to armed insurrection groups and their sympathizers.

There is actually some fairly recent history in the U.S. regarding how long it takes to counteract an armed extremist movement. I lived through the era of armed left wing extremists in the late 60s and early 70s. It took about 10 years to round up leaders of all the armed extremist groups and process them through the legal system. The whole time this was going on, the sense of societal conflict gradually diminished due to the efforts of those who were seeking peaceful solutions.

I expect the current situation will take longer to resolve, because there are so many more armed extremists, but it will be resolved. The vast majority of American people will not put up with armed insurrection.

 

[Liar]

...half of Americans are going to be pissed off.

That isn't good, whoever is elected.

The divide between Americans has to be bridged somehow, if not after next Tuesday, when?

Most of America is pissed off in one direction or the other now.

 

[phrodeau]

Constitutional originalists will start to insist that the candidate with the second most electoral college votes becomes Vice President, like it says.

 

[HarryHelper]

The two positions between an empowered National Social State the more Libertarian leanings of the Conservatives who feel that there is a war upon their more traditional way of life are too diametrically opposed to ever reconcile at this point; it's more likely that things like free speech and guns will be criminalized now that the Progressives have won control of the Democrat Party and now, the election. I am assuming that here will be more riots (what am I saying? that's so wrong. Peaceful Protests that only turn violent when any opposition and counter-protestors show up. They will make it a riot.) after the election and the counting and recounting of ballots is over as the victors press home their claims and the fruits of their victory.

 

[HarryHelper]

Constitutional originalists will start to insist that the candidate with the second most electoral college votes becomes Vice President, like it says.

I assume that you are quoting the Constitution.

 

[phrodeau]

I assume that you are quoting the Constitution.

Article II Section 1 Clause 3, which was the law of the land from 1789 to 1804.

 

[ThePlumTiger66]

...half of Americans are going to be pissed off.

That isn't good, whoever is elected.

The divide between Americans has to be bridged somehow, if not after next Tuesday, when?

True, but should the Right lose, they'll accept the result with far more maturity, dignity, and tranquility than the Left would, should they lose.

Except for having to pay more taxes, I don't see my life changing much under Happy Hands Biden.

 

[islandman]

Article II Section 1 Clause 3, which was the law of the land from 1789 to 1804.

How then do we have what we have today?

 

[jaF0]

Whatever happens next Tuesday...


... 100% of the population of the world loses.

 

[jaF0]

Constitutional originalists will start to insist that the candidate with the second most electoral college votes becomes Vice President, like it says.

I've suggested some thing like that a few times.

 

[Ziggins]

If Trump wins with a clear majority, then the managerial elite class will be forced to admit they don't speak for and can't dictate the opinions and votes of the poorer and less educated working class majority. Some hardcore shouters and wokesters may splinter away and join third parties or other fringe groups. The rest of the Dems and never-Trump Pubbies may suck it up and start listening to that previously ignored and divided class of voters . Then the elite gradually forget this lesson and get reminded in a few more decades by the next populist movement.

 

[Lazaran]

If Trump wins with a clear majority, then the managerial elite class will be forced to admit they don't speak for and can't dictate the opinions and votes of the poorer and less educated working class majority. Some hardcore shouters and wokesters will splinter away and maybe join third parties or other fringe groups. The rest of the Dems and never-Trump Pubbies will suck it up and start listening to that previously ignored and divided class of voters . Then the elite gradually forget this lesson and get reminded in a few more decades by the next populist movement.

Trump was the fraud populist messiah.

The real one will appear in due time.

Have faith.

 

[AlexBailey]

Constitutional originalists will start to insist that the candidate with the second most electoral college votes becomes Vice President, like it says.

What? Are you implying that the constitution can be amended when it is realized that something in it was not a good idea?


Imagine if the instability if the vice president was usually from a different political party today.

 

[oggbashan]

What? Are you implying that the constitution can be amended when it is realized that something in it was not a good idea?


Imagine if the instability if the vice president was usually from a different political party today.

The UK had a national coalition during WW2. It worked well,

 

[AlexBailey]

The UK had a national coalition during WW2. It worked well,

It would be a great as long as assassination and succession wasn't a thing.

 

[naughtymind]

It would be a great as long as assassination and succession wasn't a thing.

Even better if they had to live together, share meals, share the TV remote, etc.

 

[Liar]

How then do we have what we have today?

The somethingth amendment. Don't ask me which. I'm not Wikipedia.

 

[AngeloMichael]

...half of Americans are going to be pissed off.

That isn't good, whoever is elected.

The divide between Americans has to be bridged somehow, if not after next Tuesday, when?

I always thought it was unfair when a kid who has been bullied finally stands up to the bully and both kids get in trouble for fighting. Then when told to shake hands the bullied kid usually is quite ready to do so and put this behind them and just get on with life.

The bully, however, is usually scheming his next ambush attack.

When the fight happens again both kids "disappoint" the adult who tells them they need to end this behavior.

The bullied kid is left with two choices: stop fighting back and take the unending abuse or keep fighting and keep getting both of them in trouble until eventually one way or another the bully isn't around any longer.


I'm ready to understand and give due respect to any conservative...within reason (the ones that brandished confederate flags or swastikas and such can go suck my dick) and peacefully coexist.

I'm not ready to let right wingers run roughshod over everyone else, continuing to enact policies that damage the environment, increase wealth disparity, erode civil rights, reproductive rights, and prevent decent healthcare.

I'm not willing to let the right get their way just to avoid them throwing tantrums.

 

[AlexBailey]

I always thought it was unfair when a kid who has been bullied finally stands up to the bully and both kids get in trouble for fighting. Then when told to shake hands the bullied kid usually is quite ready to do so and put this behind them and just get on with life.

The bully, however, is usually scheming his next ambush attack.

When the right happens again both kids "disappoint" the adult who tells them they need to end this behavior.

The bullied kid is left with two choices: stop fighting back and take the I unending abuse or keep fighting and keep getting both of them in trouble until eventually one way or another the bully isn't around any longer.

This reminds me of Mark Twain's shorts:

The Story Of The Good Little Boy

And

The Story Of The Bad Little Boy

 

[Dribble]

...half of Americans are going to be pissed off.

That isn't good, whoever is elected.

The divide between Americans has to be bridged somehow, if not after next Tuesday, when?

Never. It simply isn't possible. There is only one non-violent option...passing a Constitutional Amendment allowing states to leave the union. This is the only way to guarantee survival of at least half of the country. The damage has been done and we will never recover from it. When you have cancer...you cut it out. No different here.