I hear people say things like “if Obama (or anyone left of Republicans) did what Trump did, there would be hell to pay.”
Why isn’t that argument taken more seriously by people on the left as an implicit admission that the left is politically weaker or less effective at wielding power?
If one side “can’t get away with” actions that the other can, doesn’t that suggest a real imbalance rather than moral superiority?
Only psychopaths think doing the right thing makes you weaker.
When people say that, they aren’t implying the left are are morally superior. They’re implying the right has double standards. That the right is only interested in holding politicians on the left accountable, while giving politicians on the right free pass to do whatever.
It’s obviously true, and it’s a problem for the left, but it’s a problem of the right.
yes, but the left is more interested in infighting and sabotaging itself than building any political unity or coherence like Trump has done with the republicans. They don’t care they are a ‘joke’ because they mostly care that their seats are secure. Imcumbancy is the major issue why Democrats have become so weak, and anyone with new ideas or any political drive is often seen as a threat to the ‘keep my job at all costs’ who make up the majority of democrats.
Democrats used to do things, but that was in the 1980s and 1990s. Remember Bill Clinton, even had a republican house and managed to get shit done. No?
Clinton had a massive tech boom. That’s pretty much the only reason he survived.
the left as an implicit admission that the left is politically weaker
That’s not my conclusion from all this. Presidents like Biden and Obama cared about the law somewhat and tried to play by the book, which only seems like their hands were tied when they weren’t. The same goes for other politicians who do get away with a lot of shit. The difference is that Trump likes to make a spectacle out of it.
The Left is weaker. Period.
Ronald Reagan went after the unions and the GOP never stopped. The Unions used to do a lot of the groundwork for the Dems; things like getting petitions signed and monitoring voting. The Churches do that job for the GOP because ‘Right To Life.’
The Right has a fantastic ground game in US politics. They drive old folks to the polls on election day, put signs on lawns and in store windows, and send dozens of letters to any media outlet.
Another thing the Left does badly is break up into tiny splinter groups instead of uniting. In one town you’ll have one group pushing for bike lanes, and another angry about the schools, and a third with another agenda.
Yes, the left has no coherent vision.
And the funny thing is when they find someone to rally around, like Obama. They act like it’s some miracle of his personality or something. No, Obama just had a coherent policy and message that people could get behind, including the white-working class. For some reason the Democrat leadership refuses to even consider having such a platform, and like you said, pushes all these niche interests to various voting blocs, instead of having one vision that appears to many voting blocs.
Americans presidents an get away from everything no matter which party they represent
Tell that to Clinton. Couldn’t even get away with a handie.
What do you expect them to do? Something? Lulz. They’re democrats!
It means that one side is has gained an ability that is extremely dangerous for the society. It is a real imbalance, but the solution must be to raise awareness of the danger.
Follow-up question: why do Americans think there’s an active mainstream political “left” in the US, and how is it related to the Democrats?
Define left.
If it’s ‘not republican’ than the Democrats are it. If it’s ‘socialist values’ than no, that’s considered fringe politics. Sanders is a moderate socialist who’d be a center or center-right figure it many european countries, but American overton window makes him a extremist because our political history is far more libertarian and less centralized than most european states.
Left politics generally supports social change, equality, and greater government intervention in the economy to help the marginalized, often favoring progress over tradition, and is associated with values like social justice, workers’ rights, and expanded public services.
I hope that helps.
The right also supports all that. It’s just disagree about who should benefit and what the government should intervene about.
The right also supports all that.
Oh yes, the well known progressive right 😂.
The right naturally doesn’t support any of that to any extent. They’re about their own wallets (that’s what you meant with benefit I suppose). Words have meanings, my apologist buddy.
the left supports their own wallets too. everyone does.
nobody is voting to give their money away to other people.
There’s more to ethical politics than just money. Might not seem like it from below.
there is no ethics in politics. there is only power.
the ethics is what the people in power say it is.
hence why the dems eat their own over a misunderstoodjoke, and the republicans promote child rapists.
We’ve been told for generations that the Democrats are “left”, so many people have accepted it as truth. Repetition is powerful, especially when it’s been going on since before you were born, and your parents and grandparents believe it, too.
Not enough of us realize that Democrats aren’t “left”; they’re just not as obviously, painfully “right” as Republicans.
I hate our two-party system.
It’s a performative statement, neither Democrats nor Republicans will even be held accountable for their actions by their peers. The oligarchy will never charge one of their own
It suggests an imbalance in media.
So like you want President Gavin Newsom to order the Justice department to charge Tucker Carlson with mortgage fraud?
Corruption and abuse of power actually get worse if it’s “both sides”. Don’t you think?
What if it already was both sides already ? 🤷
It’s just a platitude.
The left would 100% get away with any and all of this.
Why isn’t that argument taken more seriously by people on the left as an implicit admission that the left is politically weaker or less effective at wielding power?
The issue is not the left being weaker, the issue is with the right being corrupt as fuck and never prosecuting their own, even when they commit war crimes or rape kids. Whereas the left, at least pretends to care when someone from the party does some crazy shit and they do prosecute their own.
Oh come on now, the dems give everyone on their side a pass. Look at Al Franken, what he did was way worse than anything in the Epstein files and got off scott free.
Er, wait…that is what happened, right?
One time back in 1998 he told like four unfunny jokes in a row. Four of them. IN A ROW! And you expect the American people to just let that slide? You make me sick.
It’s seen as a problem for everyone.
If someone wins a sports tournament, and we later discover they had cheated, we don’t ask the other competitors why they weren’t smart enough or strong enough to cheat.
I don’t think people who aren’t cheating get to compete at that level so they wouldn’t get the chance to ask. They don’t get the opportunity
This tells me that you are assuming everyone is cheating, and thus cheating is not only excusable, but necessary.
I disagree. Most people are not cheaters, and more cheating does not create fairness, just more assholes.
Most people are not cheaters. They’re saying most or all politicians on the national level are cheaters. Seems like everyone but Bernie and AOC. idk how cheater-y Romney was.
I think carter was actually honest. That’s why the right hates him so much.
Carter was a a good person and put forth good policies.
That’s why he’s seen as weak by everyone including democrats/left. Good policy and good actions make everyone feel bad about themselves. Carter also asked Americans to make sacrifices and inconveneince themselves for the greater good… which is a huge political no no. Americans love convenience above all else and gladly sacrifice their children’s happiness for lower taxes and cheaper gas.
Part of what makes Trump so popular is his unhinged assholery makes people feel good because he gives them permission to embrace their shittier selves.
Completely forgetting the Iran Crisis.
The hostages were on TV ever night. There was massive pressure on Carter to free them.
Reagan did a back door deal with Iran, and the hostages were released the day he was inaugurated. Then Reagan became Iran’s worst enemy.
