THREAD: It occurs to me that while Trump retains high approval ratings among R's, his policies are much LESS popular. I think in terms of messaging, it makes sense to focus on policies, not Trump. Let's talk: #FamilySeparation #TradeWar #Medicare #SocialSecurity #GOPTaxScam
As long as issues get easily interpreted through party heuristic, trump keeps winning. Take it out of the partisan lens- let's talk about how #TradeWar will hurt your business/job/home expenses. #separatingfamilies offends your values #Medicare helps you/your parents /2
Let's talk about how: #SocialSecurity is your retirement plan that YOU PAID for #GOPTaxScam gave money to the rich & at best put less than $20 in your paycheck
Yes- the election is a referendum on trump- but it should be about his POLICIES b/c those are the true horror. /3
The goal here isn't to convert R's. They're probably gone. A few might move when this hits them (though racism is a powerful drug).
But independents aren't paying attention like we are. They tune out R v. D.
But they CAN be reached on these issues. /4
Please note. I am not making a plea for civility.
I think moral outrage and condemnation is appropriate & necessary.
But the outrage is at policies & admin officials BECAUSE of those policies.
/END
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THREAD: Through all of the revelations around #Kavanaugh, I have been feeling anger, but also (oddly) gratitude that I have never been assaulted. And then, I was reading a friend's post about her assault, and realized, I'd repressed mine.
Let's be clear- this isn't a "recovered" memory. It's just that I didn't even THINK of it. It was just so normalized. For those who are victims of assault thinking, "how did she forget, I can't ever seem to forget," let me explain./2
In my 30's, when I was married with 2 kids, I went out for an 80's night at a local bar. I was meeting a couple of girlfriends there. It was the first time I had been out without my husband or kids in literally YEARS. I arrived at the bar early, and was waiting at the bar./3
THREAD: This @NYtimes story nicely captures the absurdity of media coverage of #TrumpRussia. At first glance, it seems like a big deal. "Oh my god," we say, "he knew TWO weeks before the inauguration." Except, it's based on a bullshit premise.
The bullshit premise of news articles like this is that trump has been told about Russian attacks and yet inexplicably keeps pretending he wasn't told or doesn't believe it or doesn't remember it. But OF COURSE he knew. He was part of the conspiracy. /2
If you look at the headline on the main page, you see a pure distillation of this narrative. "Trump let his self interest away his view of Russian meddling." It wasn't "meddling," it was a cyber warfare attack against our country. /3
THREAD: We are witnessing the collapse of our Constitutional democracy. Much has been made of the GOP's unwillingness to be a check on Trump. It's a true abdication of their constitutional duty. But Trump's recent interactions w/the Courts bring this to a new disturbing level /1
The decision to pardon Arpaio was a prelude of what was/is to come. Remember that Arpaio was charged w/contempt of court for failing to follow the Court's order that his office cease racial profiling. Trump was signaling that contempt of court was fine for HIS SIDE. /2
With today's #HammondPardon, trump lets right wing militias (& his right wing base) know that they are free to break the law w/out fear of consequence. At the same time, the Trump admin is actively disobeying the Courts on #FamilySeparation. /3
THREAD: Another horrifying component of #ICECheckpoints is the fact that the state department is purposely slow rolling Visa applications/extensions. Thus, people who follow immigration law are being turned into law violators b/c gov won't proces requests. /1
Although legally they have a right to stay in the us while their claim is being processed, not all ICE agents know this. Now state department is asking people to pay $ monthly to stay in the country if their requests have not been processed after expiration of the visa./2
This incentivizes state to slow roll the process. If people leave the country b/c they can't pay and dont want to risk deportation while the gov processes their request, their application is forfeited. /3
THREAD: Ok- so they have the Senate, House, & Executive and #Kennedy just gave them the Judiciary for the next 30 years. Now what? In 2004 Obama said there was no Red or Blue America. He tried to govern that way. He lost. WE lost.
With #SCOTUS set to eviscerate civil rights, it will be all about the States. One set of restrictive laws for Red America and one set of progressive laws for Blue America. We tried to protect all Americans. They wouldn't let us. So now what?
If they plan to defund everything, let's outdo them. Let's vote to cut federal income taxes. They can cover only military. Divide Social security up by population and give it to the states. Let each state administer it. Same with Medicare & Medicaid.
THREAD: My somewhat nuanced take on #SCOTUS#Union decision. Obviously- it's bad for unions & thus working ppl. If you like your 5 day works week, 8hr day, min wage,& worker safety- thank a union. Unions are good for the country. That having been said..../1
I get why some ppl had a problem w/paying union dues. Writ large, unions do great things. But there ARE problems at many unions. I worked at a public college as an adjunct for several yrs. Unions dues were deducted from my meager paycheck. At first, I didn't mind. /2
But I eventually grew to resent the hell out of it. You see, the union didn't actually represent MY interests. It represented full time/tenure track faculty. The faculty actively undermined the working conditions of adjuncts. They voted against offering benefits & raises. /3