I'm not very optimistic about unity now

[Sir Mohamed]

Watching things unfold for the previous weeks actually makes me not very optimistic about unity in America. Not because Biden is the wrong POTUS for the task, he's perhaps among the best politicians for getting some unity. However, a large share of GOP elected officials live in complete and total denial. The Inaugural Committee can't acknowledge Biden as prez-elect, TX AG is filing ridiculous fraud lawsuits and then I see people like Jim Jordan or Ted Cruz, who are so embarrassing and obnoxious, it's hard to find any words. Any sane person knows there was no widespread fraud. All this is about is the fragile ego of a rejected sociopath, who can't deal with defeat. More worrying than Mr. Trump's state of mind is the large following he has and that so many of them, who should know better, still live in an alternate universe.

I'm not sure how this should go on, even if Mr. Trump is out the WH his media presence declines (I'm doubtful of latter, because the media too much cares about ratings). Almost the entire GOP is in a total state of denial and not willing to participate in a meaningful discourse. I'm really worried they will obstruct Biden at any turn and any cost. And so far, they haven't paid a price for their attitude. As long as they don't, they have little reason to change. More broadly, I think the GOP should ask itsself whether they actually still believe in democracy and the rule of law. Or whether they just pretend to care about these things when it suits their short term political interests. I know, I know, there are some voices within the GOP that still respect these things, but let's not pretend the Mitt Romneys of the world have a say in this party. This is also not meant to be criticism of all blue avatars; I know there are several blue avatars on this forum I may have disagreements with, but who ultimately believe in democracy and the rule of law. But all the doesn't alter the fact we have one party whose majority of elected officials apparently don't believe in democracy and democratic standards. It's not just they're blindly following a cult leader, attempt to weaponize the judiciary, they're also not willing to compromise on important issues for the good of the nation and for years have attempted to make voting harder. Seriously, which major party in the Western world does that? The Tories in Canada or the UK? Of course not.

As we speak, hundreds of thousands of fellow Americans contract a deadly virus. Almost as many people as on 9/11 die from it. Every single day. Let that sink on for a second. Past tragedies, including 9/11, have at least for some time unified this country. Not the case today. Laregely because Republicans, and not just Trump, have decided to politicize a natural disaster that doesn't care about personal feelings or political preference. The virus doesn't care which party one is, it kills Dems, GOPers and Independents alike.

That said, I don't have an universal solution. Probably needs structural reforms in our system that go well beyond the liberal vs. conservative scheme. However, I do feel our system is no longer capable to reform itsself. But I find it really worrisome we're apparently in this downward spiral. Is it just me thinking this way?

[Mr.Phips]

We are looking at the end of effective democracy.  The current system gives the opposition party no incentive to work with the President and Republicans are and will continue to exploit this.  I really don’t see a way out.  It’s just going to get worse and worse.

[freepcrusher]

I think Reagan was a prick but maybe there is something to the "peace through strength" idea. If a figurehead on either side gets "czar nicked" - would that deter their party and force unity? Or would it lead to a Hatfield and McCoy style blood feud?

[Roblox]

It took you until now to realize this?

[Del Tachi]

Oh boo hoo!  Join the club, buddy.  Democrats never recognized Trump as a legitimate president, instead preferring to spend countless time and energy on investigations re: "Russian interference" that never implicated the president or anyone directly tied to him.  Democrats, including the outgoing president in 2016, took actions to hamstring the incoming Republican administration before it ever got off the ground.  Since then, it's been a constant dribble of unsourced, unverifiable leaks from the mainstream media. What goes around, comes around!

Congressional Republicans "obstructing Biden at every turn" would be a return to the halcyon days of Obama's second term Democrats apparently pine for, based on who they nominated/how they campaigned in 2020.  They campaigned as only a simple repudiation to Trump's character, seeking to press the "rewind" button on his presidency, and fell into base cultural appeals to anti-Trump, educated elites rather than the broad-based economic appeals of FDR and LBJ that served them so well in the 20th century.  The DNC was a parade of John Kasiches and Cindy McCains, with the only mention of the Black and Latino voters coming up in the contexts of #BLM or tired immigration debates.  Their narrow electoral college victory and underperformance downballot are the dividends of this strategy.       

There is no solution to this "problem" because this is how it's always been:  Republicans have always viewed Democrats as a threat, and Democrats have always repaid the favor.  When our political debates become all-encompassing cultural/moral crusades, however, it reaches a new level of existentialism.  Conservatives and liberals alike are responsible for this change in our politics.

[MasterJedi]

All we need is a couple hundred thousand people moving into Wyoming and Montana/the Dakotas from California and we won't have to worry about it.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Oh boo hoo!  Join the club, buddy.  Democrats never recognized Trump as a legitimate president, instead preferring to spend countless time and energy on investigations re: "Russian interference" that never implicated the president or anyone directly tied to him.  Democrats, including the outgoing president in 2016, took actions to hamstring the incoming Republican administration before it ever got off the ground.  Since then, it's been a constant dribble of unsourced, unverifiable leaks from the mainstream media. What goes around, comes around!

Congressional Republicans "obstructing Biden at every turn" would be a return to the halcyon days of Obama's second term Democrats apparently pine for, based on who they nominated/how they campaigned in 2020.  They campaigned as only a simple repudiation to Trump's character, seeking to press the "rewind" button on his presidency, and fell into base cultural appeals to anti-Trump, educated elites rather than the broad-based economic appeals of FDR and LBJ that served them so well in the 20th century.  The DNC was a parade of John Kasiches and Cindy McCains, with the only mention of the Black and Latino voters coming up in the contexts of #BLM or tired immigration debates.  Their narrow electoral college victory and underperformance downballot are the dividends of this strategy.      

There is no solution to this "problem" because this is how it's always been:  Republicans have always viewed Democrats as a threat, and Democrats have always repaid the favor.  When our political debates become all-encompassing cultural/moral crusades, however, it reaches a new level of existentialism.  Conservatives and liberals alike are responsible for this change in our politics.

That is so literally the exact opposite of the truth that I have to believe you only said that on purpose as a way of arguing in bad faith

[SevenEleven]

Oh boo hoo!  Join the club, buddy.  Democrats never recognized Trump as a legitimate president, instead preferring to spend countless time and energy on investigations re: "Russian interference" that never implicated the president or anyone directly tied to him.  Democrats, including the outgoing president in 2016, took actions to hamstring the incoming Republican administration before it ever got off the ground.  Since then, it's been a constant dribble of unsourced, unverifiable leaks from the mainstream media. What goes around, comes around!

Congressional Republicans "obstructing Biden at every turn" would be a return to the halcyon days of Obama's second term Democrats apparently pine for, based on who they nominated/how they campaigned in 2020.  They campaigned as only a simple repudiation to Trump's character, seeking to press the "rewind" button on his presidency, and fell into base cultural appeals to anti-Trump, educated elites rather than the broad-based economic appeals of FDR and LBJ that served them so well in the 20th century.  The DNC was a parade of John Kasiches and Cindy McCains, with the only mention of the Black and Latino voters coming up in the contexts of #BLM or tired immigration debates.  Their narrow electoral college victory and underperformance downballot are the dividends of this strategy.       

There is no solution to this "problem" because this is how it's always been:  Republicans have always viewed Democrats as a threat, and Democrats have always repaid the favor.  When our political debates become all-encompassing cultural/moral crusades, however, it reaches a new level of existentialism.  Conservatives and liberals alike are responsible for this change in our politics.

That is literally the exact opposite of the truth that I have to believe you said that on purpose as a way of arguing in bad faith

Man, Del Tachi is truly one of the worst posters, which is why I have him on ignore. You'd have to be incredibly stupid to not realize that these investigations were the product of a Republican House, Republican Senate and Republican AG/DoJ.

[President Johnson]

I'm divided on the issue, to be honest. One side, I have faith in Joe Biden and think Trump will sooner or later disappear from the stage while his hardcore base of rural whites gets smaller, on the other hand, viewing this from the outside it's concerning. Sometimes I actually think it may be best for the US to separate peacefully. A house divided against itsself cannot stand. However, that would be bad for the whole world and actually not help the American people as a whole.

My American Uncle, who lived in Germany for well over two decades now, actually has similar opinion than the OP and thinks the country is "beyond repair".

[°Leprechaun]

Republicans will never support unity with Democrats.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

There will no unity when the greatest threat the western world and way of life has seen in three generations will soon be firmly entrenched within our own capital. We are fighting a war that has no room for compromise any longer. There will be no cultural revolution on our soil. Anyone who lends it support will be a sworn enemy with whom peace shall never be feasible.

[°Leprechaun]

There will no unity when the greatest threat the western world and way of life has seen in three generations will soon be firmly entrenched within our own capital. We are fighting a war that has no room for compromise any longer. There will be no cultural revolution on our soil. Anyone who lends it support will be a sworn enemy with whom peace shall never be feasible.

Right,,,
The Deep State is out to get us all.

[PSOL]

The problem is that to the elites of both Democrats and Republicans, the actions of the other powers their prestige in society and their expected earnings. Such a divide goes all the way back to the landlords focused on extraction and urban merchants focused on consumption of their wares, where they ravaged England and then f•••ed off to different areas of the English colonies. So you really can’t mend the various nations among mainly Euro-descended Americans without some overarching enemy. Back in 1861, Immigrants had yet formed machine blocs and the forced migrants and slaves were divided and weak to rebel on their own. With the Gatling gun not yet up for mass production we got the civil war.

Now, now we don’t exactly have the glue of the past; the rabid anti-Communism, anti-colonial rebels, or social changes at that point not adopted by one side. All we have are laughable “Black Identity Extremists, Antifa, rapist immigrants“, and gender nonconforming people that can’t exactly be used as effective glue to fight against for #bothsides. Conflict is inevitable.

With that said, division leading to these two factions clashing in some type of violent conflict seems incredibly unlikely. By then they might find an internal enemy or peacefully subsume one another to block the new immigrants and their descendants from power.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The Senate is gonna pass a 600 stipend and cut the unemployment benefits in half that is progress as jobs have grown, as Amazon has picked up it's work order again during Xmas, that would give people 1 full yr of jobless benefits due to expire in Spring. The 2 yr unemployment was rejected after 911


States don't have the resources to give 2 yr but 1yr unemployment, the voters rejected UBI BENEFITS on Election day

[PSOL]

The Senate is gonna pass a 600 stipend and cut the unemployment benefits in half that is progress as jobs have grown, as Amazon has picked up it's work order again during Xmas, that would give people 1 full yr of jobless benefits due to expire in Spring. The 2 yr unemployment was rejected after 911


States don't have the resources to give 2 yr but 1yr unemployment, the voters rejected UBI BENEFITS on Election day

UBI and temp work won’t fix s•••

[Coastal Elitist]

Where to even start with this nonsense. First Democrats are still in denial about 2016 claiming that Russia changed votes and stole the election for Trump and they also obstructed Trump from day one. Nothing about Biden's campaign was unifying in any way. Democrats don't believe in democracy or the rule of law. They want to ad states and pack the supreme court because they can't win elections that have been played by the same rules for hundreds of years. Democrats have also weaponized the courts for years by appointing activist judges who ignore the constitution. Democrats aren't willing to compromise on important issues they blocked passing stimulus in the senate. Regarding the virus it's not ironic but it's dumb to compare something like 9/11 which was a one day event to an illness that's killed less than 1% of the population and for most people has a 99% survival rate. This post is mostly ironic but it's also absurd and ignorant to.

Also Democrats have politicized the virus from day one suggesting that halting travel with China would be xenophobic and then focusing on states like Florida and Texas and ignoring how bad New York, New Jersey and California were doing.

[Xing]

It was always wishful thinking to assume that Republicans in Congress would "play nice" once Trump was gone. First of all, as many have been saying, they didn't "play nice" or try to "compromise" after McCain was nearly landslided, Democrats got a filibuster proof majority, and Republicans got merely 178 seats in the House, so why would they do so now, after every indication since 2008 being that they were solely interested in winning, gaining more power, and drawing maps that help them consolidate power even if they fail to get the most votes. While I don't want to play both sides, since both sides have not acted "equally badly" in this case, it's also not the case that the Democrats have tried to be unifying, though most did accept the results of the 2016 election, despite some familiar talking points here, and the fact that it was the second time in 20 years that a Republican won the election despite losing the PV.

Unity is never going to happen unless both sides agree not to hate each other and to make some effort to help Americans, and that doesn't fall entirely on politicians, since they know they can get re-elected by primarily bashing the "other side", since a lot of voters will eat that up. Many people have no interest in engaging with those who disagree, and even some of those who do will get discouraged when they encounter someone unwilling to reciprocate their effort. Unless we become less divided and willing to engage with those who have a different point of view (and by 'we', I mean an overwhelming majority from both sides of the aisle), unity isn't going to happen any time soon. Sadly, I think a lot of people are completely fine with that as long as their side wins.

[7,052,770]

They want to ad states

What the f***?

We've added a state 37 times in our history, almost all of which were upgrading territories to states once they wanted it, but suddenly when the territories wanting statehood are non-white and might vote Democratic some it becomes a problem??

Give me a break.

[Kingpoleon]

There will be no unity until the Bipartisan Cartel is ran out of DC.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I never was. 45% or more of this country is corrupted in their thinking beyond the point of reason.

Really, Biden just bought American democracy four more years which will still have to be fought to be maintained tooth and nail. 

[Coastal Elitist]

They want to ad states

What the f***?

We've added a state 37 times in our history, almost all of which were upgrading territories to states once they wanted it, but suddenly when the territories wanting statehood are non-white and might vote Democratic some it becomes a problem??

Give me a break.

Oh come on you know what I mean. You guys want to add DC and Puerto Rico for partisan purposes to increase the number of senators you get. Puerto Rico is a bit of a wild card but we all know how DC will vote and there's no justification for making DC a state

[beaver2.0]

Where to even start with this nonsense. First Democrats are still in denial about 2016 claiming that Russia changed votes and stole the election for Trump and they also obstructed Trump from day one.

I don't recall many serious politicians claiming Russia actually changed votes.  If I am wrong please correct me.  Let us not forget the Mueller probe was initiated by Republicans and Trump appointees and Mueller himself has said Trump was note exonerated.

Nothing about Biden's campaign was unifying in any way.

Aside from taking policy positions that you oppose, what particular things did he do to offend you?

I can name many things his opponent did that are beyond the pale including childish insults, tweeting out a video saying white power, and the "only good Democrat is a dead Democrat" debacle.  Those don't strike me as particularly unifying statements.
 

Democrats don't believe in democracy or the rule of law.

When it suits them they do not.  Both parties do this.

They want to ad states

DC?  This is hardly some newfangled idea.  It has been supported by Republicans in the past.  https://statehood.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/statehood/page_content/attachments/Historical-Overview-of-Party-Platforms-and-Statehood.pdf

Puerto Rico? Statehood is in the Republican platform.

and pack the supreme court because they can't win elections that have been played by the same rules for hundreds of years.

Not since 1860 has a nominee in an election year been rejected and in that case the Senate voted to not proceed. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IN11514.pdf

Democrats have also weaponized the courts for years by appointing activist judges who ignore the constitution.

Which particular judges are you referring to?

Democrats aren't willing to compromise on important issues they blocked passing stimulus in the senate.

How are they blocking this when they are the minority?

Regarding the virus it's not ironic but it's dumb to compare something like 9/11 which was a one day event to an illness that's killed less than 1% of the population and for most people has a 99% survival rate.

Yes, but that is still a large number of people.

Also Democrats have politicized the virus from day one suggesting that halting travel with China would be xenophobic and then focusing on states like Florida and Texas and ignoring how bad New York, New Jersey and California were doing.

This was a mistake by the Democrats and they should have been more supportive on this and backed Trump against China more.

[Progressive Pessimist]

They want to ad states

What the f***?

We've added a state 37 times in our history, almost all of which were upgrading territories to states once they wanted it, but suddenly when the territories wanting statehood are non-white and might vote Democratic some it becomes a problem??

Give me a break.

Oh come on you know what I mean. You guys want to add DC and Puerto Rico for partisan purposes to increase the number of senators you get.

It's the same thing as adding two Dakotas. Just because it was done centuries ago doesn't mean it wasn't for partisan purposes and poorly reflects now on equitably representing the states within our national legislature's upper house.

 Why shouldn't DC and Puerto Rico be states anyway, even beyond that reason? They're entitled to the benefits that statehood provides. If you don't like it, have your party actually try to compete there and appeal to the voters in them. Hell, maybe it could even happen in Puerto Rico at least. Isn't the GOP supposedly experiencing a renaissance with latin voters?

[7,052,770]

They want to ad states

What the f***?

We've added a state 37 times in our history, almost all of which were upgrading territories to states once they wanted it, but suddenly when the territories wanting statehood are non-white and might vote Democratic some it becomes a problem??

Give me a break.

Oh come on you know what I mean. You guys want to add DC and Puerto Rico for partisan purposes to increase the number of senators you get. Puerto Rico is a bit of a wild card but we all know how DC will vote and there's no justification for making DC a state

Wrong, I simply believe that all Americans are entitled to representation in Congress, whether or not I like who they elect.

Puerto Rico and Guam/NMI are decently likely to make extra states a losing proposition for Democrats overall, but that's ok. Those Americans deserve representation as much as Americans who live in Wyoming and the Dakotas, and if they elect similar senators and representatives, so be it.

[7,052,770]

They want to ad states

What the f***?

We've added a state 37 times in our history, almost all of which were upgrading territories to states once they wanted it, but suddenly when the territories wanting statehood are non-white and might vote Democratic some it becomes a problem??

Give me a break.

Oh come on you know what I mean. You guys want to add DC and Puerto Rico for partisan purposes to increase the number of senators you get.

It's the same thing as adding two Dakotas. Just because it was done centuries ago doesn't mean it wasn't for partisan purposes and poorly reflects now on equitably representing the states within our national legislature's upper house.

 Why shouldn't DC and Puerto Rico be states anyway, even beyond that reason? They're entitled to the benefits that statehood provides. If you don't like it, have your party actually try to compete there and appeal to the voters in them. Hell, maybe it could even happen in Puerto Rico at least. Isn't the GOP supposedly experiencing a renaissance with latin voters?

Puerto Rico is decently likely to send Republican senators, at least at first, because the politicians and voters that would be Democratic are a lot more likely to be anti-statehood and may not be able to quickly mobilize and take 2 Senate and 4 House seats.

Republicans know this. They just "oppose" PR statehood (which they'd supported for decades) to satisfy their deranged base who doesn't want a state full of non-white, Spanish-speaking Catholics. That's what the sudden change of heart about PR statehood is all about.