No Offense To Dahlia Lithwick, But No One Needs Or Wants The Clintons Or Chuck Schumer To Lead Protests Against Trumpism

Dahlia Lithwick's OpEd in yesterday's NY Times Buck Up, Democrats, and Fight Like Republicans bemoans the absence of "top Democrats" in the earliest skirmishes with Trump and his illegitimate presidency. But maybe it isn't the worst thing in the world that the widely despised and completely compromised "top Democrats" are keeping a low profile. Let's face it, Chuck Schumer isn't exactly a figure grassroots Democrats are going to rally behind, especially not as he works with Trump to make things even worse for ordinary Americans. And few want to hear another peep out of the Clinton's and the rotten, corrupt machine that led to Trump's coup. The opposition from Trump so far has come from the grassroots.

"Though he lost the election by nearly three million votes and almost daily generates headlines about new scandals," she wrote, "the Democratic Party is doing little to stop him. If you’ve been asking yourself 'Where are the Democrats?' you’re not alone. Since the election, top Democrats have been almost absent on the national stage. Rather, they have been involved largely in internecine warfare about how much to work with Mr. Trump. The Hillary Clinton campaign, trying to encourage a peaceful transition, has gone almost completely dark, with her most notable appearances coming in selfies with strangers. Nobody deserves downtime more than Mrs. Clinton, but while she is decompressing, the country is moving toward its biggest electoral mistake in history."

Does she really think anyone is going to get behind the far-fetched, completely hopeless schemes being floated by well-meaning crackpots about how to stop Trump (and trigger a civil war)? Grow the fuck up. "Impassioned citizens," she whined, "have been pleading with electors to vote against Mr. Trump; law professors have argued that winner-take-all laws for electoral votes are unconstitutional; a small group, the Hamilton Electors, is attempting to free electors to vote their consciences; and a new theory has arisen that there is legal precedent for courts to give the election to Mrs. Clinton based on Russian interference. All of these efforts, along with the grass-roots protests, boycotts and petitions, have been happening without the Democratic Party. The most we’ve seen is a response to the C.I.A. revelations, but only with Republicans onboard to give Democrats bipartisan cover."

Hey Dahlia, darling-- you want to stop Trumpism? Stop with the damn bullshit about Hamilton electors and reach into your bank account and give 'til it hurts-- not to more damn Schumerites and Clintonites and unelectable DCCC garbage-- give to real progressive candidates running to take back the House in 2018. Not to candidates whop hire consultants to teach them the "right" things to say but to candidates who have the right thing to say in their hearts. That'll block Trumpism. I hate to say it to a smart woman like you, but none of that other bullshit will. It will just take everyone's focus off the ONLY political goal they should have in mind-- winning back the House in 2018. That's it. There is nothing else. Nothing. It will be another year before someone like Rachel Maddow figures that out chasing chimeras like the utter nonsense of a Foster Campbell "victory" in Louisiana is destructive, not even neutral.

You want to stop Trumpism? Make sure Doug Applegates replaces Darrell Issa in 2018. Make sure some careerist charter school EMILY's List vomit is smashed to bits on primary day so that Congress gets populated by real fighters who won't let Trump and his crap pass. Here, pay attention. This is Jimmy Gomez, the California Assemblyman who made Paid Family Leave affordable for people who need it most, who couldn't use it because well-meaning but out of touch upper middle class professionals don't understand the lives of real people:

It's not enough for Democrats to say that "now is the time to fight." That's an empty promise that epitomizes our political failures. What it's time for is a major overhaul of how Democrats think and plan. We must fundamentally ask ourselves "why have our approaches to electoral and legislative strategy failed, and what can we do to reverse that course?" We must invest in understanding how to win back voters who we've clearly lost. This does not mean investing in a fundraising agenda based on quid pro quo politics, but rather a messaging agenda. How do we figure out what voters want from their Government? Then, how do we make their agenda happen? You see, in Sacramento I've worked hard to understand the will of Californians. But it hasn't been enough to stop there. I've studied how to make sure the will of the people is not only heard, but effectively put into law. This in-depth dive into understanding the minutae of government has allowed me to write and pass an effective Paid Family Leave bill. It has allowed me to pass our country's strongest climate change legislation. In Congress we must do a similar project. We must craft progressive policies that speak to the heart of what it is that voters need. This approach will result in much better electoral outcomes in the age of Trump, rather than the approach of saying the all too cliche, "it's time to fight."

Tuesday, Newt Gingrich rallied right-wing assholes at the Heritage Foundation with visions of sugar plum faries setting alight the accomplishments started almost a century ago by progressives, particularly Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt. Gingrich called it "The Principles of Trumpism" and even the National Review interpreted it as "say whatever you can to win popularity, then use whatever power you have to do what you want." There is no reason to not believe Gingrich and the other Republicans that Trump will go along with the Republican desire "to break out of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt model" of government and work with Ryan to gut Social Security and Medicare.

And what is Lithwick suggesting? An army of Democratic lawyers waving papers in judges faces? "Clear pronouncements?" Give me a break. People have had enough of the garbage politicians who have captured the Democratic Party. They're the yin to Trump's yang and they all have to go to hell together. "As Monday’s Electoral College vote approaches," she concluded,"Democrats should be fighting tooth and nail." The leaders' shitty candidates-- foisted on the public-- lost. Pointless appeals to a ridiculous electoral college won't do anything but demoralize the Democratic base. Keep your eye on the ball-- 2018: the House of Representatives. This list will grow. Feed it and forget about the Clintons and Schumers already; they've done enough damage. Are these "the leaders" Lithwick expects to see leading the resistance against Trump?