Townhall ratings: guess who won?

[oxmixmudd]

There was one event where something like three dozen Trump supporters showed up to one of Joe's events. They were cordoned off about a block from where Joe was speaking, but that didn't stop them from drowning him out with loud cheers whenever he mentioned the President's name.

Yes - many Trump supporters are boorish thugs. And yes, Trump gets large numbers of people to come and hate along with him and risk their lives in unmasked, non socially distanced rallies. Trump is a cult leader with a cult following - what more can you expect?

Nevertheless, Biden is polling 10 points or so above Trump, so clearly when it comes to the election he is apparently drawing significantly larger crowds than Trump.

And while we can't predict the final outcome, when it comes to the election, Biden will be drawing at least as big a crowd as Trump - and in reality, that is all that actually counts. So we can talk crowds after the votes are counted. It is my sincerest hope that it will show that Trump's cult is in fact a minority and only a brief yet evil and destructive aberration in our nation's history.

[Mountain Man]

Yes - many Trump supporters are boorish thugs. And yes, Trump gets large numbers of people to come and hate along with him and risk their lives in unmasked, non socially distanced rallies. Trump is a cult leader with a cult following - what more can you expect?

Nevertheless, Biden is polling 10 points or so above Trump, so clearly when it comes to the election he is apparently drawing significantly larger crowds than Trump.

And while we can't predict the final outcome, when it comes to the election, Biden will be drawing at least as big a crowd as Trump - and in reality, that is all that actually counts. So we can talk crowds after the votes are counted. It is my sincerest hope that it will show that Trump's cult is in fact a minority and only a brief yet evil and destructive aberration in our nation's history.

I'm convinced the only reason you bother posting these days is as comic relief.

[Whateverman]

Yes - many Trump supporters are boorish thugs. And yes, Trump gets large numbers of people to come and hate along with him and risk their lives in unmasked, non socially distanced rallies. Trump is a cult leader with a cult following - what more can you expect?

Nevertheless, Biden is polling 10 points or so above Trump, so clearly when it comes to the election he is apparently drawing significantly larger crowds than Trump.

And while we can't predict the final outcome, when it comes to the election, Biden will be drawing at least as big a crowd as Trump - and in reality, that is all that actually counts. So we can talk crowds after the votes are counted. It is my sincerest hope that it will show that Trump's cult is in fact a minority and only a brief yet evil and destructive aberration in our nation's history.

I doubt they're an aberration, suspecting that they instead represent a pernicious adversary of this country's values.

[oxmixmudd]

I'm convinced the only reason you bother posting these days is as comic relief.

And I'm convinced you are just another Trump cult member with all that implies wrt your capacity to reason or be reasoned with.

[oxmixmudd]

I doubt they're an aberration, suspecting that they instead represent a pernicious adversary of this country's values.

My hope is that with Trump gone, many of them will come to their senses. Much like what happened in Germany. Once Hitler lost, once the Holocaust was revealed most Germans were eventually able to realize and have shame over what happened. I am hoping for a similar 'enlightenment' once Trump's spell is broken.

But you could be right - that this is much deeper than just Trump's charisma and narcissism taking advantage of a certain level of dissatisfaction among more conservative and less educated voters.But perhaps whatever that is can find a less destructive outlet once Trump is gone. That will be something Biden will need to shoulder. There needs to be a real reach across the isle as it were, not just words to that effect.

[Whateverman]

[...] this is much deeper than just Trump's charisma and narcissism taking advantage of a certain level of dissatisfaction among more conservative and less educated voters.But perhaps whatever that is can find a less destructive outlet once Trump is gone. That will be something Biden will need to shoulder. There needs to be a real reach across the isle as it were, not just words to that effect.

I agree completely.

[EvoUK]

My hope is that with Trump gone, many of them will come to their senses. Much like what happened in Germany. Once Hitler lost, once the Holocaust was revealed most Germans were eventually able to realize and have shame over what happened. I am hoping for a similar 'enlightenment' once Trump's spell is broken.

But you could be right - that this is much deeper than just Trump's charisma and narcissism taking advantage of a certain level of dissatisfaction among more conservative and less educated voters.But perhaps whatever that is can find a less destructive outlet once Trump is gone. That will be something Biden will need to shoulder. There needs to be a real reach across the isle as it were, not just words to that effect.

I'm more cynical, I think they'll just go underground again until the next time the Republicans put up some equally horrendous specimen who panders to their bigotry.

What should concern you is that Trump has successfully highlighted the flaws and gaps in the system, and unless the Democrats can successfully close these gaps then they're open to exploitation by the next Republican candidate, who is unlikely to be a stupid as Trump.

On the last part, I'm not sure that reaching across the isle is going to be that helpful. How well did it go for Obama?

[Mountain Man]

And I'm convinced you are just another Trump cult member with all that implies wrt your capacity to reason or be reasoned with.

[Whateverman]

I'm not sure that reaching across the isle is going to be that helpful. How well did it go for Obama?

Your point is excellent, but I guess I still want the Dems to keep to the high road. This has not helped them in the last few decades, but becoming what the GOP has become is surely going to help even less.

[EvoUK]

Your point is excellent, but I guess I still want the Dems to keep to the high road. This has not helped them in the last few decades, but becoming what the GOP has become is surely going to help even less.

I get the issue - reducing themselves to the levels of the GOP isn't something to strive towards - despite it clearly being effective. I'm conflicted on the whole thing (plus with the Tories in my own country, which are sort of turning into Republican-lite). The problem with it is that it's lofty and principled and morally superior and will result in you losing to the cheaters each time, every time. But just because they're unprincipled doesn't mean Dems have to sink to their level. It's a toughie. I suppose if going high includes practical, hard-edged responses to the kind of anti-vote horrors we've seen in NC, GA, and TX, for starters, then go high.

The Dems also have their work cut out for them to try to repair the damage across goodness knows how many varied departments in the gov, which have either been criminally under resourced or had some Trump Crony/antagonistic head of department put in place. I think someone had a thread on this very issue a few months back - saying Biden won't be able to get much done purely by the fact of the amount of stuff that actually needs repairing now.

[Whateverman]

The Dems also have their work cut out for them to try to repair the damage across goodness knows how many varied departments in the gov, which have either been criminally under resourced or had some Trump Crony/antagonistic head of department put in place. I think someone had a thread on this very issue a few months back - saying Biden won't be able to get much done purely by the fact of the amount of stuff that actually needs repairing now.

Yup. I expect serious tax hikes under a Democrat administration/congress, and also a feckless government made even more ineffective from 4 years of internal chaos / corruption.