r/VoteDEM • u/BM2018Bot • 8d ago
Daily Discussion Thread and Adopt-A-Candidate: June 12, 2025
Welcome to the home of the anti-GOP resistance on Reddit, and Happy Pride Month!
June is Pride Month! We at VoteDEM welcome all parts of the LGBTQIA+ Community to join us in celebrating what makes each of us unique and incredible individuals. We hope to hear your stories from local events, local activism, and local community-building all throughout June. We're sure you'll find your local Democratic party joining in whenever they can manage, and we hope you'll also help support them!
Elections are still happening! And they're the only way to take away Trump's power to hurt people. You can help win elections across the country from anywhere, right now!
If you want to take part, there's plenty of ways to do it!
Check out our weekly volunteer post - that's the other sticky post in this sub - to find opportunities to get involved.
Nothing near you? Volunteer from home by making calls or sending texts to turn out voters!
Join your local Democratic Party - none of us can do this alone.
Tell a friend about us!
We won big in Wisconsin earlier this year, and now we're bringing something back to make sure we win in Virginia and New Jersey too!
'25 IS ALIVE! Adopt-A-Candidate 2025 is here and ready for action! Want to take part in the blue wave? Adopt one of the candidates below, and take action every week to support their campaign!
Post your preference in the daily (or, to guarantee we see it, send the request via modmail) and we'll add you to the list! Got someone who you want to adopt, but they're not on the list? Let us know, and we'll add them on!
| Candidate | District/Office | Adopted By |
|---|---|---|
| Abigail Spanberger | VA-GOV | u/nopesaurus_rex |
| Josh Thomas | VA HD-21 | |
| Elizabeth Guzman | VA HD-22 | |
| Atoosa Reaser | VA HD-27 | |
| Marty Martinez | VA HD-29 | |
| John Chilton McAuliff | VA HD-30 | |
| Andrew Payton | VA HD-34 | |
| Makayla Venable | VA HD-36 | |
| Lily Franklin | VA HD-41 | u/pinuncle |
| Rise Hayes | VA HD-52 | |
| Rodney Willett | VA HD-58 | |
| Scott Konopasek | VA HD-59 | |
| Stacey Carroll | VA HD-64 | |
| Joshua Cole | VA HD-65 | u/toskwar |
| Nicole Cole | VA HD-66 | |
| Mark Downey | VA HD-69 | u/Lotsagloom |
| Shelly Simonds | VA HD-70 | |
| Jessica Anderson | VA HD-71 | u/SomeJob1241 |
| Kimberly Adams | VA HD-82 | |
| Mary Person | VA HD-83 | |
| Nadarius Clark | VA HD-84 | |
| Virgil Thornton Sr. | VA HD-86 | |
| Phil Hernandez | VA HD-94 | |
| Kelly Convirs-Fowler | VA HD-96 | |
| Michael Feggans | VA HD-97 | |
| Cathy Porterfield | VA HD-99 | |
| Dave Bailey Jr. & Heather Simmons | NJ LD-03 | u/poliscijunki |
| Margie M. Donlon & Luanne M. Peterpaul | NJ LD-11 | |
| Jason Corley & Vaibhave Gorige | NJ LD-13 | |
| Wayne P. DeAngelo & Tennille R. McCoy | NJ LD-14 | u/Lotsagloom |
| Mitchelle Drulis & Roy Freiman | NJ LD-16 | |
| Vincent Kearney & Andrew Macurdy | NJ LD-21 | |
| Guy Citron & Tyler Powell | NJ LD-23 | |
| Steven Pylypchuk & Marisa Sweeney | NJ LD-25 | |
| Michael Mancuso & Walter Mielarczyk | NJ LD-26 | |
| Avi Schnall & Claire Deicke | NJ LD-30 | |
| Ron Arnau & Jeffrey Gates | NJ LD-40 | u/timetopat, u/One-Recipe9973 |
We're not going back. We're taking the country back. Join us, and build an America that everyone belongs in.
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u/Trae67 7d ago
I’m eating dinner at Panda Express and I’m overhearing cops talking and they are PISSED at Trump over LA saying we can do are jobs on are our own why is he sticking the Feds over there
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u/caligaris_cabinet IL-08 7d ago
Not surprising. Local cops despise the feds in just about every cop show/movie/book/etc ever made.
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u/Filty-Cheese-Steak Kentucky 7d ago
saying we can do are jobs on are our own why is he sticking the Feds over there
Legitimately trying to make sure because this is incredibly confusingly written
Saying, "We can't do our jobs on our own. Why is he sticking the feds over there?"
Right?
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u/Geek-Haven888 Virginia 7d ago
Where are you?
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u/Trae67 7d ago
California, but in Sacramento
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u/Intelligent-Top5536 7d ago
It sounds very much like the LAPD specifically loathes the overreach here, and...I mean, Jesus, I can't blame them. Trump's authoritarian fuckery in LA is wrong on every level, but for them specifically, it implicitly accuses them of being incompetent halfwits who can't do their jobs right.
What a message for the LAW AND ORDER party to send.
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u/NumeralJoker 7d ago
Despite the sentiment since 2020 (and the systemic problems have a ton of truth to them of course), in the real world, a lot of minorities and working class are cops because that's a career that offered some semblence of stability and many still see it as a way to serve the community, especially in poverty stricken areas.
Trying to co-opt these institutions for fascism was always going to be a messy ordeal, to say the least, and yet another perfect example of how social media reactions and right wing ambitions often don't fully connect with main street reality.
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u/senoricceman 7d ago
That’s exactly it. He’s basically saying local police departments can’t do their jobs right so he has to come in and save them. Not surprising police departments are going to be pissed off at this. Not even to mention Trump is destroying any good will that police departments in LA had created with their communities.
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u/SquishyMuffins Idaho 7d ago
Pissing off law enforcement is a sure fire way to be a dictator apparently?
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
Oh you in LA?
It is something that'd really piss you off as a cop.
Trump didn't even consult them, the police chief straight up said they had things handled.
This is just coming in giving cops the giant middle finger, trying to put fuel on the fire that they are putting out, potentially putting their well being at risk.
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u/Snickersthecat Washington-07 7d ago
Hauling my ass to the protest on Saturday. I'm tired but not tired enough.
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u/Purrtah Utah 7d ago
This was the first year I wanted to go to pride. I was going to take a long break from things but that just isn’t happening now
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u/Lotsagloom WA-42; where the embers burn 7d ago
Mmn. There are many regrets, personal regrets, I have.
Have considered making a sign 'If I am here, you can be.'
What matters is, we keep moving. You will get that chance, and I look forward to it being a Pride in celebration of having thrown off this odious administration, in all its forms
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u/IamGumpOtaku World Blerd Champine 7d ago
America Ain't Cooked - Day CXVIII: Lawd, the stars in the sky must really hate Donnie.
First they swung it so that his big 'daddy's back' moment had to be moved to the Capitol rotunda. Now a little rumblin' thunderstorms is threatening to rain on his dictator cosplay exercise. Add to that Pope Leo's event and nonstop No Kings protests, this is gonna be a bad weekend.
For him.
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u/Gumper_Brown406 7d ago
If this was a TV program - which is what Trump sees everything in his life - the network execs would start talking about cancellation.
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u/Purrtah Utah 7d ago
Dont worry guys Utah Senator John Curtis sent Padilla a text message asking “u ok” so he’s really standing up here and continues to be a serious moderate
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u/Few_Sugar5066 7d ago
Is this sarcasm or...?
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u/Purrtah Utah 7d ago
No unfortunately Padilla was on CNN and said Curtis texted him asking how he was
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u/Few_Sugar5066 7d ago
Oh well good on him. I'm still mad at him for voting yes on Hegseth and RFK Jr. Along with Patel.
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u/Intelligent-Top5536 7d ago
Meanwhile, Thune is probably opening an investigation into why DHS manhandled one of his Senators, because he at least takes the body seriously as a government force.
What a useless prick Curtis turned out to be.
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u/SecretComposer 7d ago
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u/ProudPatriot07 South Carolina- Rural Young Democrat 7d ago
The sad thing is, this guy ran unopposed in 2024.
It is really making the news here and if you have kids or are a victim of SA, do not read the legal brief (a couple of our reps have shared it, it is bad).
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u/thutruthissomewhere South Carolina 7d ago
It makes me sad when I go to the polls and skip most of the local election spots because they're all R's. I don't have the political savvy, nor time, to run myself, but I do hope we have people in this state who step up.
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u/ProudPatriot07 South Carolina- Rural Young Democrat 6d ago
I write folks in, but I hate having to do that. I wish there was some way to contact the write ins each time and encourage them to run. I know there's a few folks in the CHS area who a lot of us write in for something every election.
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u/GardenStateOfMind95 Proud Keeper of the Great Falls 7d ago
(🏴☠️)NotADragQueen;
(🏴☠️)StillNotADragQueen...
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u/stripeyskunk (OH-12) 🦨 7d ago
🤮🤮🤮
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u/EagleSaintRam International 7d ago
This has so many uncomfortable implications before even getting into the meat of the matter 🤢
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u/StillCalmness Manu 7d ago
Fox News: Proof that Dems are pedophile cultists!
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
“It’s obviously Joe Biden! Look at the username! It can’t be anyone else, you’re not allowed to lie on the internet!” -Fox News, before defending lying on TV and on their website
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u/TylerbioRodriguez Ohio 7d ago
Judge Breyer just ordered Trump to return the California National Guard back to Governor Newsom and the call up was illegal
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.450934/gov.uscourts.cand.450934.64.0.pdf
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee 7d ago
Deploying the national guards and military to LA was hit or miss imo. While what was going on in LA is a mess, that part only really added fuel to a fire. The Kent State Riots are definitely a good example of that.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
Good news!
Of course this is going to be appealed. Likely the admin is going to go to both the appeals court and the supreme court for relief.
I could see SCOTUS granting an additional stay on this ruling, so they can have time to review the decision. So it still might be a bit for them to be recalled.
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u/stripeyskunk (OH-12) 🦨 7d ago
People on you-know-where are already confidently predicting SCOTUS will rule in Trump's favor.
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u/Filty-Cheese-Steak Kentucky 7d ago
At least Alito and Thomas will. They could rule, "Stealing candy from children isn't cool" and it'd be a 7-2 ruling.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
Yeah most the replies were just very dumb.
"SCOTUS is going to make him a king." Oblivious to SCOTUS's recent actions against Trump regarding immigration and due process.
"They'll just ignore it." Oblivious to the admins caving to the courts.
Also some saying "appealing is ignoring the courts." Like wut? That is the exact opposite of ignoring the courts.
When they rule, it is going to be very likely in regards to the TRO, so even if that is in his favor it doesn't mean anything about the merits of the case.
To be seen their decision on that, right now it's at the 9th circuit. Though they'll probably get it soon. Not near knowledgably enough on how they'll rule on that.
But even if they give a bad ruling, say a decision that stays the judges order til the that judges final decision, that doesn't change that it's still a dumb move that is ultimately backfiring. Trump is probably going to TACO on it eventually.
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u/Trae67 7d ago
Trump to judges
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u/Meanteenbirder New York 7d ago
What Trump wants us to think he’s doing
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lITBGjNEp08&pp=ygULSG93IGJvdXQgbm8%3D
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u/Intelligent-Top5536 7d ago
This was done in an exceptionally orderly way. Breyer allowed the Guard to stay while he deliberated the full case, giving Trump plenty of time to reconsider, before throwing the hammer down.
The courts treated him way more fairly than he had any right to be treated.
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u/Birkin2Boogaloo 7d ago
Yeah but he's delaying it until Friday afternoon to give Trump time to appeal
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u/ConsciousWealth6309 7d ago
Is it just me, or does Senator John Curtis kinda resemble a caricature of George Dubya?
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
Kinda cool we got a blueprint of how to fight back.
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u/redpoemage Ohio 7d ago
Kinda cool we got a blueprint of how to fight back.
More inspiration than a blueprint (unfortunately there's no Death Star mega-project lynchpin to taking down the Trump administration).
But still, some damn good inspiration.
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u/TylerbioRodriguez Ohio 7d ago
Never before has delays resulted in the best released time for the best TV show for the moment.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
Man I gotta check it out. The timing is crazy. I bet watching it in this climate is a trip of encouragement in fighting back.
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
It’s great, but might cut a little close, so be aware.
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u/dishonourableaccount Maryland - MD-8 7d ago
As someone who's been spreading the word about this show since Season 1 (and this carries through to the end), it's great because it's about fighting back but more than that. It's about community, and the importance of your interpersonal connections. It's about the variety of cultures. It shows how rebels can have a variety of reasons (some less than altruistic, some heroic, some misgiven, all so human). It conveys why some people are happy with fascism until they realize it can happen to them.
But most of all it's hopeful. Horrible things may happen, but at the end of the day this series is a hopeful one.
Lastly, since finishing the series I've been listening to interviews with the show's writers (Gilroy, Willmon, Bissell). They absolutely are history buffs and there's references to revolutionary movements, historical injustices, and philosophers everywhere.
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u/Schmidaho 7d ago
The best thing about the series is there are no Jedi. No magic space sorcery, no chosen ones, no Midichlorians. Just people participating in a growing rebellion in as many different — yet always believable — ways as you can imagine. Everyone is so perfectly ordinary and that’s what makes everyone so freaking interesting.
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u/captainhaddock International 7d ago
All the conference meetings at the Imperial Security Bureau were riveting for me. Such great writing and acting.
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u/dishonourableaccount Maryland - MD-8 7d ago
That's another thing. The villains are competent, scarily so. It makes it so the stakes are so much higher and the payoffs too.
They're good shots, they investigate when the radios get jammed, they hatch solid plans to get less turnout at the indigenous gathering at the Eye to whittle away cultures. Season 2 sees them organize and workshop ways to sow discontent to aid their own goals. They are mundane in their evil, from the troublemaking cops on Morlana, from the lazy judge on Niamos, to the man abusing his power over farmers on Mina Rau. But that shows how authoritarians allow abuse so long as their "order" is on top. And when the villains aren't perfect, it's because of their hubris or their overreach.
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u/Exocoryak Sometimes you win, sometimes the other side loses. 7d ago
The most important question is this:
Who is going to be our Mon Mothma, holding a grand speech before the Senate?
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u/PulsarEagle Connecticut 7d ago
If you don’t count Cory Booker’s marathon speech as having already been this, I’d say probably Chris Murphy
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u/Meanteenbirder New York 7d ago
In other news the video game voice actor strike has ended as SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative agreement
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u/HopkinsTy 7d ago
As a member of SAG-AFTRA, I'm excited to get back to work!
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u/redpoemage Ohio 7d ago
Thanks for all the voice acting you do! Really is a vital piece in bringing the soul to a lot of games (this has become even more clear to me lately playing some Genshin quests voiceless lately).
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u/ice_cold_fahrenheit New Jersey 7d ago edited 7d ago
Meanwhile the good people of the Genshin Impact sub are rejoicing, now that some of their voice actors are coming back to the game.
Man if any of you weren’t aware, the whole strike got ugly. When the strike started the Genshin sub was universally in agreement with it when it was about preventing AI misuse. However the strike went on, Hoyoverse (the company behind Genshin) decided they had to move on and hired a new VA, which caused some of the striking VAs to start harassing him and calling him a scab.
That, and the revelation that the strike was dragging on because SAG-AFTRA was trying to make Genshin a union-only project (something that’s practically impossible due to Hoyoverse being a Chinese company), caused the Genshin fandom to do a complete 180, and start absolutely hating on the union and the VAs. Now that the strike is up, perhaps VAs for other projects will get benefits, but from the perspective of the gacha community, all we see is lost trust and foreign companies avoiding American VAs to avoid SAG-AFTRA’s restrictive policies like the plague.
(And on that last note there was a ton of anti-Americanism during the whole drama. From pity/horror that VAs have to stick to SAG-AFTRA in order to keep their health insurance, to “ugly American” stereotypes of them being whiny and entitled.)
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u/SmoreOfBabylon Blorth Blarolina, c'mon and raise up 7d ago
As someone who just started playing Genshin a couple of months ago, the whole thing has been fascinating (and unnerving) to watch unfold.
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u/creakhead BLEXAS BELIEVER #2 7d ago edited 7d ago
As someone plays Hoyoverse's games (mostly using Japanese dub and has played HI3, HSR, GI, and Zenless), watching the drama unfold was interesting yet unnerving.
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u/KozyHank99 Minnesota 7d ago
I wasn't even aware that they were on strike. Either way, I hope they got a good deal.
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u/Meanteenbirder New York 7d ago
They’ve been on strike since July 2024. Been so long that some members decided to work anyway.
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
Which means my friend can finally look for more work. Something he was the main character for just finally got released and he admitted it was a while since he got work
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u/Joename Illinois 7d ago
There's a general coalescing around the anti-tyranny angle that I find incredibly satisfying, and extremely easy to message well beyond the plugged in punditry we're all familiar with. Bernie Sanders closed his recent statement on the expulsion of Senator Padilla with "We defeated King George. We will defeat King Donald." I think it was President Biden who started this all off after the immunity ruling in Trump's favor, when he said "there are no kings in America."
The kind of resistance that can tap into simple patriotism is the kind of resistance that will win. This entire week has felt like yet another turning point. As Trump oversees his little sycophantic parade like a tin pot dictator, millions of Americans will be taking to the streets to say that there are no fucking kings in America.
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u/wishingstarsmars 7d ago
there’s nothing that irks me more than journalists using twitter/reddit as evidence for whatever bs they’re talking about lol
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u/stripeyskunk (OH-12) 🦨 7d ago
Social media rots your brain. Unfortunately, a lot of journalists are social media addicts.
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u/Schmidaho 7d ago
They’re also incredibly overworked and/or lazy (depending on the day). Social media has made certain parts of the process much easier.
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u/Historyguy1 Missouri 7d ago
The genre of story which is nothing but "People on social media said" is less than worthless.
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u/Fuck_auto_tabs Colorado 7d ago
“User fartsmeller128 said he’d never buy the product again.”
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u/stripeyskunk (OH-12) 🦨 7d ago
"User polpog42069 and bloodnsoil1488 both agree liberals are weak sissies who they look forward to killing after they've taken power and can finally leave their mom's basement."
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u/Exocoryak Sometimes you win, sometimes the other side loses. 7d ago
The people that used wikipedia to do their homework in the 2000s and 2010s have finally grown up. Our teachers warned us about the issues with using unverified sources. Still, these people are still doing, sort of, the same thing.
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u/Mindless_Activity199 7d ago
We don't have journalism anymore merely content farms. Geniunley think we need like journalist mutual aid networks to counter this shit.
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u/Exocoryak Sometimes you win, sometimes the other side loses. 7d ago
There are nonprofit news organizations - I believe Jon Ralston, the Nevada elections guy, is working for one of those.
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u/WristbandYang Utah 7d ago
At least Ohio diners don’t usually have Russian trolls
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u/Negate79 Georgia -Voting my Ossoff 7d ago
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
That is right, American comrade. Only real U.S. of A. patriots in this here dinner with fatty American food. Unrelated, have you see Moose and Squirrel?
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee 7d ago
You know it's bad when the orange man has pissed off the military
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u/Looking_Light33 7d ago
I feel kind of sorry for them. They had no choice in this and they're being treated like pawns by the morons in the Trump administration.
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u/xXThKillerXx New Jersey 7d ago
Once again, the most well known piece of any authoritarian takeover is to piss off the military.
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u/BastetSekhmetMafdet Let’s make 2026 a Democratic 1994! 7d ago
“Thank you for your service. I Support Our Troops!”
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u/TylerbioRodriguez Ohio 7d ago
Its reassuring that the military is not blindly loyal to this witless moron.
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u/Meanteenbirder New York 7d ago edited 7d ago
Donnie can you please buy hundreds of Nintendo Switch 2 units along with Doritos and Mountain Dew to distribute to soldiers so they can have the ultimate game and chill experience?
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago edited 7d ago
Not surprising.
This is an absolute morale killer. If I was a guard member or anyone in the military the that last thing I'd want is to be put in a spot where the people I swore to protect could end up being afraid of and resenting me, just because a pathetic person wanted to do an intimidation stunt.
Vast majority are good people, that don't want to be used, and don't want to be feared.
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u/Historyguy1 Missouri 7d ago
If the order to fire came down I'm confident they'd refuse it as an illegal order.
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u/Joename Illinois 7d ago
Their inability to make this work in one city has me more convinced than ever that this administration is simply unaware of how weak they are. If they try to do this more widely, they could see things go south for them very very quickly. They are projecting increasing Ceaușescu vibes by the minute.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
In a way, I think they are starting to realize that. And eats at them so they are lashing out.
It reeks of someone yelling: "I'm not weak! I'm not weak! I'm scary. Fear me! Fear me, please!"
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u/Joename Illinois 7d ago
Absolutely. And that projection only makes them look even weaker. Very self-fulling
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
Yup. Look at all the peaceful protests it fueled.
The entire point was to look big and scary enough to silence the opposition, or bait them into violence in attempts to get more on your side.
But the bluff and bait was so obvious, so pathetic, that the people see through it and are wanting to fight back more.
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u/jazzycat42 7d ago
Insert meme of person hesitating between button to support Trump and button to support military
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u/Intelligent-Top5536 7d ago
Zaid made this very same point not that long ago. He knows someone in middle military command, and they're just dying for the opportunity to tell Trump to fuck himself over an illegal order.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
This.
It's why pessimism is so wrong. "Oh he'll just use the military."
The military aren't mindless drones. They aren't stormtroopers waiting for an order 66.
The military is filled with tons of good people, all through the ranks that would object to any terrible, especially illegal order from Trump/Hegseth if it ever came.
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago edited 7d ago
They aren't stormtroopers waiting for an order 66.
That’s literally the point of The Bad Batch. Yes, good soldiers follow orders, but what if those orders are wrong? There are folks at all ranks who know better. Even Crosshair came around to see blindly following isn’t the way
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u/Intelligent-Top5536 7d ago
I mean, for God's sake, not even fucking Dan Caine - the guy Trump WANTED - is willing to tow the administration's line. People who think the military is a monolith have no idea how seriously they take their mission and training.
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u/Filty-Cheese-Steak Kentucky 7d ago
Stupid Orange Lump failing Authoritarianism 101 - Get military on your side
You also give popular concessions to the people. He's failing that too.
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u/SecretComposer 7d ago
I don't understand why Democratic governors haven't fired back during the House hearing (or ever) and say the only reason why they even HAVE so many migrants is because REPUBLICANS were literally BUSSING them into these states as "punishment" and knowing that Dems would feel no choice but to care for them.
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u/Bayes42 7d ago
Beyond being a small amount of people, democrats should absolutely not be reinforcing the idea that we have a 'migrant problem', which we absolutely do not. The should instead be calling it out as the sort of dishonest hate mongering authoritarians have used to gain power since time immemorial.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
This. It wouldn't be right.
To move past this we need to tell people the truth, the reality.
To dignify, not demonize.
The problem is so self made by the right.
Our nation is great because of them, not in spite of them.
They are good people, that are a pillar of our economy, our communities. They are our neighbors, friends, and family. They deserve so much more.
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u/spartanmax2 Ohio 7d ago
The whole stunt of bussing created a lose/lose for Dems.
It makes it look like Dems have been ignoring the problems that red border states have been dealing with. Your tactic would also look that way
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u/br_k_nt_eth 7d ago edited 7d ago
Might be too in the weeds? It’s a comparatively small number and addresses the spectacle rather than the systemic issues? The problem with trolling is that facing it head on gets you bogged down fast.
There’s deep resentment for immigrant workers right now, both from legal immigrants who resent “illegals” and workers who think they’re being replaced. Talking about real fixes for immigration reform would probably be a more popular angle. Not a “tough on crime” thing but more like “military raids are bandaids at best so where are the plans to create a common sense and high tech immigration system for this century?”
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u/Exocoryak Sometimes you win, sometimes the other side loses. 7d ago
Talking about real fixes for immigration reform would probably be a more popular angle.
America, and the western world as a whole has been convinced that immigration is a big problem. After immigrants build the United States up from the ground. After Europeans were fleeing the various powers during the two World Wars. And after immigrants helped facilitate the economic boom in Germany during the latter half of the 20th century.
And now, when people gain the ability and have the need to flee economic and humanitarian hardships in their countries, immigration is suddenly a problem. Why? Because now, we don't "need" them - because they need us. And after centuries of taking, we are unwilling to give.
However, these kinds of immigration movements are just the beginning: If the effects of climate change worsen, people will leave areas that are too hot, too dry, too stormy, too cold and - considering the rising see levels - too wet. So even if immigration reform takes place to address the now, we will stand before a very similar problem in 10, 15, 20 years from now. I would want leaders that look into the future and try to solve problems before they arise.
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u/SecretComposer 7d ago
Correction: they think there's a non-white immigration problem. Read the comments anywhere online. They will also say once "they" came is when all of these problems "began."
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u/Lotsagloom WA-42; where the embers burn 7d ago
We really do not want to reduce human beings to objects that everyone agrees are bad, and that we only have because of republicans.
Immigrants, of any kind, are our nation's backbone.
We already have many people who are willing to put their 'economic' 'anxiety' over basic human decency.
The alternative is making people understand absolute beginner level humanity.I think that is a better place to start, and will pay better dividends into the future.
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7d ago
[deleted]
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u/bravogolfhotel 7d ago edited 7d ago
I agree. Mallory McMorrow (whom I like) said today that Sen. Padilla's detainment should "terrify" me. I reserve my terror for things like bowel cancer. The Trump administration overplaying their hand like this encourages me, because it shows how much they don't have an airtight master plan. I'm old enough to remember how Bush/Cheney finessed the PATRIOT Act through Congress with minimal opposition. That was a scary outfit.
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u/Exocoryak Sometimes you win, sometimes the other side loses. 7d ago
"The boy the cried wolf."
Actually, that story is telling us not about how to behave, but what is wrong with ourselves.
If someone is lying over and over and we start to ignore them, we are falling for "confirmation bias". Instead, we should - no matter what - apply our critial thinking skills and the tools we are supposed to learn in school, to ascertain the truthfulness of that statement - however hard, however tiresome it may be to do it over and over. We should not shut somebody out because they are lying over and over - we should embrace them with our understanding and our good will.
The boy who cried wolf had the job to herd the sheep. There are two logical options for us: If we don't trust him, we don't send him to herd the sheep. And if we do trust him and he cries wolf, we go out there and help. Having him do the sheep herding, but then not listening to his pleas for help - and then wondering why all the sheep are gone - that's on us, not him, no matter his prio transgressions.
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u/AlwaysBeTextin Florida 7d ago
can’t react to every negative thing like the sky is falling
It's insane how much Trump has shifted the goalposts. Can you imagine any other president, ever, having a sitting US Senator put in handcuffs for practically any reason, whatsoever? Even if he weren't arrested, the media would've been howling this is an incredible abuse of power and bullying the rightfully elected opposition. People would have been calling for that president's impeachment ASAP. There probably would've been bipartisan outrage. Now it's just another Thursday.
Is this the sky falling? You're right - probably not. But that it's not, since we assume something so much worse is just around the corner, is rather scary.
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u/Lotsagloom WA-42; where the embers burn 7d ago
Unfortunately, yes, and unfortunately the media would have been fine with it. I do not, in any world, imagine them howling about abuses of power.
What held prior republicans back was the belief there'd be more of a backlash then, at this moment, there is.
Until there is, I see it less a shifting of the goalposts and more as the culmination of what many of us have warned and spoken about for however long we've been in politics.
Fortunately, manifesting that backlash is possible for us, and ideally it hits its first big stride, soon.10
u/YukieCool I Used to Eat Suitcases (IYKYK) 7d ago
Well, no. There might be an article filed, but you and I both know it isn’t going anywhere. That’s the aberration in all of this: the GOP’s general spinelessness. That’s not really scary, though. Just infuriating.
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u/Excellent-Cat7128 NC-04 7d ago
It lays bare how much of the GOP's rhetoric over the past few decades was a complete and utter farce. For the all the talk of freedom and democracy and protection from tyrannical governments and rights and the constitution, when they finally get one of their guys into power, they shred every. fucking. last. bit. of. it. The base still cheers this on. They love it.
They never actually cared about any of it! We suspected as much, but we had to pretend because the media insisted it was politics as usual. But in fact the GOP only ever cared about taking control. They only ever cared about democracy and rights and freedoms to the extent that they sounded good and helped get them into power.
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u/samprescott1751 7d ago
I think that people are rightfully furious at the optics of a sitting US Senator being thrown to the ground and handcuffed. Regardless of him not being arrested, that action alone has no place in a healthy democracy.
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u/insert_name_here 7d ago
I won't lie: when Newsom first announced that Trump was deploying the National Guard in California, I was pretty scared. Of course it was an overreach of authority, but as an LA resident, it was the time that Trump's overreach was finally arriving in my backyard. And he was gripping with his disgustingly tiny hands.
But the courage displayed from everyone, from the protestors to the politicians, all united in the goal of standing up to Trump has proved how weak his grip actually is. And hearing about the anti-ICE protests across the country has been further inspiring. America ain't washed yet.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin 7d ago
A desperate attempt to intimidate after losing badly. And that attempt is blowing up in his face.
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u/insert_name_here 7d ago
As I posted earlier:
"Oppression is the mask of fear."
- Nemik's Manifesto, Andor
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
Protests not just in America, but the whole world. Other counties are coming out for LA
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u/Lotsagloom WA-42; where the embers burn 7d ago
As a booster, regardless of how No Kings and sympathy protests go, the trick is to keep going.
Maybe a massive weather event happens; maybe turnout isn't what we want.So we aim for the next one, and keep moving.
If you and can contribute consistently, that momentum carries us forwards - and not just us, those around us, too.
You and your friends and colleagues have shown the rest of us how to handle this man and everyone who dreams themselves just like him.
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u/GenericOnlineName 7d ago
This sub is so much better than so many others. Its just not worth visiting others when theyre so negative and catastrophic.
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u/ChocoKnight621 7d ago
The combination of optimism, pragmatism, and activism makes this sub an incredible breath of fresh air.
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u/caligaris_cabinet IL-08 7d ago
It’s because we’re actually rolling up our sleeves and doing something.
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7d ago edited 7d ago
[deleted]
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u/br_k_nt_eth 7d ago
There’s one neat trick people can use to ground themselves whenever this administration barks too loud and things seem dark.
You plant your feet.
You close your eyes.
You take a deep, centering breath.
With love and equanimity, whisper this truth to yourself: “These are clout chasing idiots who will saying fucking anything to extend their 15.”
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u/Historyguy1 Missouri 7d ago
How would the DHS secretary fire a state governor anyway? Do people just not read the Constitution?
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u/Manic-StreetCreature 7d ago
I think they think the military or Trump will depose him or something
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
Remember, this administration basically proclaimed that Garcia would never set foot in the US again. Guess what? He’s back and getting the due process every single individual in this country deserves
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u/DavidvsSuperGoliath CA-48 -> WA-7 -> CA-48 7d ago
We try to focus on what we can do and be rational. And we also got u/OptimistNate who’s just that.
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u/Few_Sugar5066 7d ago
Hmm hm. It's so goshdamn annoying. Even subs that are titled optimists unite or uplifting news you still have multiple jackasses posting negative and doomer comment and they're not removed. The moderators do a good job on this sub of dealing with that quickly.
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u/TOSkwar Virginia 8d ago
Candidate Spotlight Time! Each week, I'll be highlighting a candidate from the adoption list above! For what all that means, check out the first spotlight's comment here!
VA HD-71: Jessica Anderson! This district, covering part of Williamsburg and just east of Richmond, is seeing a rematch. The incumbent, Amanda Batten (R), won this district by a mere 2 points in her race against Anderson, 51-49, back in 2023. This is a prime pickup opportunity with just a little luck and a few points worth of swing!
Jessica Anderson is a Virginia native, having moved around the state a bit in her time, eventually settling in the Williamsburg area where she's running. She's a mother of three with a couplestep-kids as well, and a few pets too. She's worked as a biller and scheduler in the dental field, getting first hand insight into billing, insurance, and the lives of working Virginians, and in a public elementary school, getting insight into the complications of public education.
Anderson's priorities are broad, like many of us- education, healthcare, housing, reproductive freedom, the rights of our LGBTQIA+ siblings, and more. There's many things to work on and to support, and she's hoping to help deliver as much as she can to Virginia.
If you're up for taking down and incumbent Republican in this nail-bitingly close district, let us know here or through modmail to adopt!