There’s a reason I keep urging those who read my columns to engage – not just Congress Critters and state/local Republicans but also your friends. It takes time but sustained pressure DOES work. We’ve seen conservatives blindsided by reaction to things they’ve done. When SCOTUS overturned Roe they assumed there’d be a few month of outrage and folks would just accept what they’d done. How’s that worked out for them? It cost them in special elections in RED states, and when it comes to ballot referenda the only one we’ve “lost” was in Florida but the measure passed overwhelmingly – just not at the 60% threshold conservatives managed to put in place. Not all of them, but plenty of GOP politicians are running scared on this one issue alone. Now voters are worried about Musk running around giving himself the ability to screw with people’s Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid! So hell yes I’m urging, BEGGING people to dial up the pressure and keep it up just like we’ve done with reproductive rights!
According to Raw Story it’s getting noticed on Capitol Hill. I regularly contact my two GOP Senators, and sometimes even my Representative who’s a Democrat to urge her to be more vocal and proactive. I also contact Congress Critters that don’t represent me. State officials too. I realize that the big boss seldom if ever has my comments directly relayed to them. That sucks BUT if I make a strong enough point, and sometimes I can tell I’ve ‘rocked’ some staffer back on their heels they will talk about it with other staffers. If those staffers who field phone calls or emails have their own experiences guess what? It will filter upwards. More importantly, almost every office keeps track of calls/comments from constituents. Elected officials actually do want to know how things are trending with the voters on various issues. And for damned sure when their phone lines get jammed up, when the voicemail boxes are filled and most of the messages are complaining it gets their attention.
According to the linked article Trump’s actions the past few weeks are causing them a lot of grief. In part because they aren’t being provided with talking points or explanations they can give to pissed off constituents calling in! Over time we saw a well-oiled GOP messaging machine. You’d hear almost every Republican politician spouting the same lines to reporters and it made for many a ‘mashup’ of Right Wing news outlets and even mainstream ones making fun of the GOP. The thing is with Fox being an entire major network the drumbeat of messaging, everyone spouting the same talking points was effective as hell.
Things have changed. Many of those people who were part of that messaging machine were a combination of disgusted by or fearful of Trump. Or distrustful that he could advance the stock conservative goals. They left, and some even became so-called Never Trumpers. Some like Rick Wilson founded the Lincoln Project even. LP isn’t the only game out there but the point is that Trump doesn’t have the well-oiled propaganda machine that used to exist. In fact it’s working against him! Republicans on Capitol Hill and at Fox are doing their best to make up for what they’ve lost but the fact is they just don’t have what they used to have.
Now they are faced with not just Trump going off willy-nilly leaving them to play catch-up with no coherent media strategy, they also have MUSK to contend with. AND the fact not even Trump really knows what Musk is doing! Hell, Trump admitted it and that he wasn’t even sure if some of what Musk’s been doing is legal. So yes, even Republicans are finding their offices flooded with calls and messages to the effect of “What the hell is going on?” And a White House that doesn’t seem to care. Like their voters who are pissed that egg and grocery prices aren’t coming down (and will likely get HIGHER), and worse that government programs they cherish like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid might stop delivering for them the Congress Critters are caught between fear of Trump and fear of their voters. I hope they get squeezed like the nasty “zits” they are until they pop.
The linked article is a short one but all you really need to know is how it concludes:
According to one Republican who didn’t want to identified in the piece, the Trump White House seems incapable of understanding “the breadth of what they are trying to do,” before warning they are, “Burning up political goodwill at an alarming rate.”
We HAVE to not only keep up the pressure but increase it. Contact these a-hole if not every day then several times a week. Convince others to do the same. It’s worked in the past and it can and will work now. A lot of damage will be done before we start seeing results, and 2026 is a long ways off. Then again, it’s not so far off at all. It’s not just the House, but the Senate map will be a bit more favorable for us than it was last November. Republicans have cowered in fear of Trump, so we need to make them fearful of the voters who can re-elect them or send them packing. And don’t forget Republicans that you know. THEY don’t want THEIR Social Security or Medicare messed with by Trump/Musk either!
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Great imagery, Denis! popping the zits! 🤣 We also have to work on some remedial education. Remember when the TeaParty began and older people were encouraged to hold up signs that read, “Government Hands Off My Social Security!” and sometimes Medicare?! Well, that sentiment is still out there and we have to help people repair links that were broken and now is a good time. MAGAs applaud destruction of USAID because they are riled up that “My tax dollars should be used for me!” OK, they are riled! Instead of trying to educate about the importance of USAID or how small the costs (these are excellent points but fall on ears that are not open to that), we answer “Yah, your money is for you! Yah, your Granny must eat and see her doctor! Musk is killing your Granny to help himself and his rich friends!!” Don’t even mention #47…unless you are saying “Musk is attacking Trump!” He is ignoring Trump and throwing YOUR PRESIDENT out of power!!” “How dare he!!” Use MAGA anger. Redirect it. And, then, call on them to contact Congress and the White House with a unified message to oust Musk! Just sayin’. 🤔😉
I write to.my Congressman regularly. Sadly, it’s Scott Perry who begged Trump for a pardon. He is a hopeless jackass.
Denis, I’ve got my plan in mind.
1. Today I put my two Senators’ and my Representative’s phone numbers into my phone. Then I wrote two (and I may add more) scripts to rad when I call, asking why they are not doing more and why each of them is not reporting to their constituents what they ARE doing and whether or not they are getting any results. I’m not going to promise I will call every day (I’m having surgery at the end of the month, so I will be asleep most of that day), but I will try to call or email every day I can!
2. I’m going to strongly suggest that they call up Julie Chavez Rodrigues, Kamala Harris’ campaign manager, and ask her to help senators set up Zoom calls like the ones that developed organically from various demographic communities. These Zoom calls could easily reach every constituent on BOTH sides of the aisle to notify people of actions being taken to stop or severely curtail tRump and Musk in their tracks and turn this thing around.
3. I’m going to ask my Senators to talk to the appropriate committees about starting investigations of tRump and Musk AND THEIR FELLOW SENATORS who are not committed to the rule of law nor are following the Constitution they swore to uphold. If the Republicans can endlessly investigate Hunter Biden without any evidence, what about Tom Cotton? Ted Cruz? Mike Johnson? Bill Cassidy?
4. I’m going to share my ideas with every Never trumpet I know!
Thanks, Denis!
I’ve sometimes written scripts myself for phone calls. Or made a short list of points to make. It helps to keep things focused and I think get & keep the attention of the person taking the call. The main thing is to keep it up. Over and over. I’m a guy and if the MAGAs come for me I’ll be going to hell in a crowd so I’m not shy about giving out my name and phone # when I make calls to Congress Critters. That’s an individual decision and I won’t criticize anyone who wants to hold some identifying info back. I happen to like the notion that my name gets known in these offices and that I’m a thorn in their side that won’t be going away.
Never tRumper!!! I can’t read the small font to proof read!