Pro-democracy people and Trump are talking incommensurate languages. Playing different games as it were. Small d democrats are stuck in the democracy box. They see "desperation in the face of legal threats and political weakness" (George Conway). Trump turned to QAnon "because he's stuck", "grasping at straws." He is "not solidifying his political base." "Even if he manages to fire up some supporters by explicitly endorsing QAnon, he is likely to alienate many more Americans for whom the cult’s ideas seem creepy and off-putting." (Juliette Kayyem).
Oh, he's turning off suburban women again? Come on. War is politics by other means for Trump and the transition is frictionless. He is not in the democracy box. He's not in any box. But he knows that his opponents (us) are in the democracy-rule of law box.
Trump and MAGA-ites don't care about democracy and the rule of law. It's power all the way down for them. Come on, we see that, we know that, we witnessed Jan. 6, the legal clown show that continues to this day, the enduring efforts to overturn the democratic election of 2020, the election of those who will not certify an electoral result that they don't like in 2024. If Trump thought he could win going down Democracy Way in 2024 he would take that path of least resistance But I will win! is his only end and it justifies any means.
We do not prepare for "The Storm" that Trump endorses as "Coming" by shouting our mantra "Vote! Vote! Vote!" We have the votes, we know that, Trump and MAGA-ites know that; they don't care. Do we know that? We do not prepare by being becalmed:
The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols argues that Trump is finding a “new pool of recruits” and adds, “I didn’t think American politics could get much darker, but here we are.” I am more optimistic. Trump is at or near rock bottom. His overt adoption of QAnon shows that he has few alternative political strategies left to play.--Juliette Kayyem.
How many divisions does optimism have?
To Kayyem, to Conway it's all a sign of weakness, political weakness, about which Trump cares not a whit. Nichols is correct that in QAnon Trump, like his man crush Putin, is calling up the reserves. Unless we get it through our democratic heads that THERE IS GOING TO BE MORE VIOLENCE! we do not prepare. War is politics by other means.
