this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2023
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With Donald Trump facing felony charges over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, the former president is flooding the airwaves and his social media platform with distortions, misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories about his defeat.

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[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago (4 children)

This is an unpopular opinion.

Trump is the best candidate the left could ask for as an opponent in the 2024 election, in the same manor that Hillary was the best candidate the right could as for in 2016.

He's weighed down by a ton of baggage. He's not particularly popular outside of a core group of supporters. He has no real policies of his own. He doesn't "represent" anything in that we already know what we're getting. Also, with him in the game, the Republicans don't get to pivot and rebrand to some kind of bullshit "fiscal conservatism" like they should probably be doing to try and get away from the MAGA branding.

The Dems can run a steady, narrow, by the book campaign and it will go better than things went in 2020. People are sick of MAGA, their bullshit, and just their total lack of constructive idealism. They offer nothing and at least some of the country has come around to that.

We don't want to face a Mike Pence running on fiscal conservatism or moral purity as an opposition candidate to Trump. He could stand a chance. With Trump still in the scene, no other opponent really has a chance, and Trump is damaged goods for enough of the country his path is pretty fucking narrow.

[–] dmonzel@lemmy.world 54 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

That's the same thing a lot of people were saying in 2016.

The dude has helped give a voice to the bigots and fascists around the world, let alone the US. Even just riling up that base is enough of a reason to get him out of the public eye ASAP.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

That’s the same thing a lot of people were saying in 2016.

About Trump or about Hillary? Because I was saying this about Hillary in 2016 and people were not receptive. She was the worst candidate the Dems could have run.

[–] dmonzel@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

About Trump. No one took him, nor his chances, seriously.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There absolutely were, and they (we) were largely sidelined or ignored.

[–] dmonzel@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So why are you doing it again?

[–] Rubanski@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The difference I see, is that now we know what we get with Trump. 2016 he was the outsider, nobody but New Yorkers. That's what gave him an edge back then

[–] dmonzel@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

So we're ok with the GOP running someone who allegedly attempted a coup because we think he's less appealing to some people who sit on the fence?

[–] PupBiru@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

(not an american here, so my opinion is basically worthless but from the outside:)

various people said similarly about both:

trump was so wild how could he possibly get elected?

hillary lacks anything that gives anyone any excitement at all, how’s she going to bring out voters?

similar can (and has) been said about biden as hillary: there’s not a whole lot to be excited about, but “not trump” is pretty fucking persuasive to a lot of people… let’s hope that people haven’t forgotten what a dumpster fire trump was… the pandemic was years ago now, and people have a short memory

[–] ares35@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

i think harris faces a similar reception in '28, even as a two-term incumbent vp.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah. She was a nothing-burger of a candidate and has been underwhelming as a VP. VP's dont have a great track record of getting the presidency either.

Its a good way to accumulate baggage while not being able to show much in the way of work done.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

She's not liked as VP. I'm actually not quite sure why because she stays out of the public eye most of the time. The first time I saw her surface in ages was over the Florida slavery education bullshit, and rightfully so as a black woman.

[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

It's hard to believe that it can work again though, especially since it's exactly the same person. If they put out some Trump like alternative that was subtle enough to trick some "moderate" independents, I could see it working. But everyone knows who Trump is at this point.

[–] spider@lemmy.nz 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Trump is the best candidate the left could ask for as an opponent in the 2024 election, in the same manor that Hillary was the best candidate the right could as for in 2016.

Speaking of which...

How the Hillary Clinton campaign deliberately "elevated" Donald Trump with its "pied piper" strategy

This was often overlooked by the mainstream media, which instead chose to focus on the e-mails being leaked, instead of what was in them.

[–] Fester@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

It wasn’t just “overlooked” - there was a clear effort to make reading or even acknowledging the validity of the Wikileaks emails taboo. When they were talked about, they were dismissed as Russian propaganda and it was often implied that the contents were probably fake.

I remember MSNBC pundits and anchors explicitly saying they wouldn’t talk about the contents - just that they were “hacked” and “Russia.” It was bizarre and disturbing.

[–] ForgetReddit@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

We’ll see if we’re signing a different tune once MAGAs start gunning down people waiting in line to vote in blue districts in swing states

[–] Dkarma@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don't think this is an unpopular opinion tbh.
I think this is the last gasp for the gop, though. They have to win with trump here and they know it. If he loses he'll be too old next time around and the demographics are already shifting.
They know he'll run and split the vote if they don't give it to him anyway...

Tbh I think Hobbes decision was the nail for the gop. Women are angry and men on the fence are now too ...

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think this is the last gasp for the gop, though

I think this should be the focus of the work of the left right now. We've got a real opportunity to set up a death blow here, and the Democrats also being pieces of shit shouldn't cloud our eyes from making the RNC a dead and buried thing. We can actually take this country to the left if our only remaining opposition is the Democrats.

[–] btaf45@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They have to win with trump here and they know it.

They cannot win with Convicted Sex Offender Treason Trump and they know it.

If he loses he'll be too old next time around and the demographics are already shifting.

They can counteract that for at least 4-8 years simply by getting a better candidate than Convicted Sex Offender Treason Trump.

They know he'll run and split the vote if they don't give it to him anyway...

They know they will lose with Loser Trump anyway. If they dumped him they would be in much better shape for 2028. But I think if they had someone besides Loser Trump they would have an actual chance to win in 2024.

[–] Dkarma@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They have no choice. If they don't run him they split the ticket. If they do he def loses.
Let's say they dump trump and anoint desamtis or anyone. Trump will run third party and the gop loses all those voters forever.

I don't think people quite realize how much the tail is wagging the dog in the GOP right now. There is no way they "dump trump" and still remain a party that can win.

[–] btaf45@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Let's say they dump trump and anoint desamtis or anyone. Trump will run third party and the gop loses all those voters forever.

The GOP will lose in 2024 anyway. Loser Trump is their least likely candidate to win the general election because he is the most disliked politician in the country. All their voters will be back in 2028, saying they never really liked Convicted Sex Offender Treason Trump.

[–] Dkarma@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Again I think u underestimate how 100% on trump and no one else many of his voters are.
The GOP can afford to lose an election. They cannot afford to lose committed trump voters.

[–] btaf45@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The GOP can afford to lose an election. They cannot afford to lose committed trump voters.

They will lose the election in 2024 with Convicted Sex Offender Treason Trump. In 2028, there will not be any committed trump voters. He will be in prison or will have kicked the bucket.

[–] Dkarma@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

2028 sure there will. Guaranteed they'll write him in from prison.