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“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” In the land of Republicanism, Trump is king. After decades of faked-up “conservative” values — fake religion, fake patriotism, fake democracy — it’s only natural that faking fakers would fall for the fakest faker.

It’s election season; on cue, the same old hackneyed punditry is flooding the zone. Wolves in sheep’s clothing disguised as wise “independents” graciously offer “friendly advice” for clueless Democrats on how to win elections by tacking toward an illusive “middle,” placating that great block of gettable votes sometimes called the “silent majority.”

Of course, that’s all complete nonsense. Democrats win elections by whipping up their voters to vote, not by changing value systems. What’s good for their lives, their progeny, their economy, their planet? The basic calculation is also true for Republicans.

But unfortunately for that dwindling minority (a faction of the rich and powerful allied with factions of radical Christianists and white nationalists), most Americans hold liberal values nearly identical to those championed by Democrats, which is the party of everyday working people and families, and always has been. The overall results of national elections in 2018 and 2020 were part of a growing trend back to what it means to be an American, away from phony conservative values made hollow by a party of right-wing reprobates, dancing to the tune of big money, increasingly out of touch with most normal human beings.

The un-rewritten history of America, and every poll worth a shit, consistently paint the USA as a liberal democracy. When personal issues and values are untainted by party affiliation and propaganda, most Americans — by strong majorities — want the government to rein in industrial polluters so that all of God’s creatures can breathe clean air, eat clean food, and enjoy clean lands without getting cancer and dying needlessly.

They also want: higher minimum wages, affordable housing, public healthcare, public utilities, public education from kindergarten to college, programs to eradicate poverty and help the disadvantaged, strong action against climate destruction, the elimination of fossil fuels as a primary source of energy, the adoption of green energy across the board as much as possible, easier voting systems for more voters, not less, and meaningful accountability for white-collar criminals and corrupt politicians, especially those guilty on both charges — “Hands behind your back, Mister Trump!” (Below is a more comprehensive list of those “extreme left” liberal values the American electorate holds most dear.)

“Never take advice from the enemy.” The Democratic Party must forsake its fundamental principles and tack toward the Republican mindset of “real” values, even though acting like Neville Chamberlain, suing for peace and appeasing the enemy, never actually wins elections for the good guys. When Democratic leadership is dumb enough to eat the poison apples offered by the snakes, their base becomes disillusioned and stays home, forever dragging the meaningless “center” of politics further to the right, toward a more corporate-friendly plutocracy run by powerful white men. Go figure.

Contrary to the abundance of fake analyses, Big-D Democrats lose when they are less liberal and progressive and so more indistinguishable from your average wingnut. It’s a modern-day political adage that when given the choice between a phony, Republican-lite Democrat and an actual Republican, voters will pick the Republican every time against their own best interests. That’s because liberal progressives get seriously pissed at establishment politicos who play both sides. So, a sizeable chunk of the base either stays home or votes third party.

The true enemy of all small-d democrats, though, regardless of political stripes, are false prophets who, knowingly or not, promote false narratives under the assumed authority of titles and professions. The bottom-line result, intended or not, discourages political participation, the beating heart of democracy, the bane of corporate personhood, the fatal blow to democracy that most worried Thomas Jefferson.

Therefore, the primary goal of the Republican Party is to encourage cynicism. Of course it is. They know better than most that when more people vote, their slate of liars, racists, and fools has less chance to win.

https://www.salon.com/2022/01/11/what-do-democrats-and-actually-believe-in-2022-that-should-decide-the-midterms_partner/

https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/spring-2021-harvard-youth-poll

https://news.gallup.com/poll/210542/americans-hold-record-liberal-views-moral-issues.aspx

https://prospect.org/power/americans-liberal-even-know/

https://study.com/academy/lesson/americas-core-values-liberty-equality-self-government.html

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Going back to some of "Teach's" comment, you explicate the re-framing of the language, that "radical progressive" now is almost a couple of dirty words referring to what most citizens would respond to with: "Hey, I'm for that!" But the Dog Whistle is in such complete command.

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