There were supposed to be checks and balances to stop men like Joe McCarthy from getting power too, didn't stop him from terrorizing the nation for years.

I wish you'd edit things into your first post instead of breaking them into two like that. I'm not likely to see it. I'm not that quick.

It seems I still don't understand. Trump said he wouldn't repeal all of Obamacare or gay marriage. Do you think he said it without discussion with the rest of the Republican party? Trump might be the face of the Republican party right now but isn't he still leashed to the party's collective agenda? Would they really let someone like Trump loose without directing him on what their agenda and stances are?

I don't think Trump knows or cares what Republican party policy is, and executive power has grown exponentially in the past two presidencies (Obama and Bush 2). The Republican party already let Trump loose by purposefully courting white supremacists since the Nixon administration (example: Reagan's first speech was in a town that was famous for the brutal murder of three civil rights workers by the KKK in cooperation with local law enforcement in the 1960s: for more info, look up Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississip ... 27_murders )

If you're asking me whether I trust Republicans to be a check on Trump, the answer is no. I do not trust them. I do not trust them even a tiny little bit. They were not able to control him during the campaign, they will not be able to control him in the Oval Office.

If you still don't understand what Trump can and cannot do in office, perhaps this Fresh Air interview might clear things up a bit: http://www.npr.org/2016/11/15/502157875 ... ke-of-a-pe

Edit:

Also, if entertaining videos are more your thing (they are mine) try watching the School House Rock classic "I'm Just a Bill" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0 and then the Capitol Hill Cold Open from SNL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUDSeb2zHQ0


(And it might be helpful to read back in this thread a little. The conversation is often heated and very much shaped by mine and saiyouri's personal views, but even still this thread is basically a blow-by-blow record of the election going back to last March. We spend a lot of time discussing whether or not Trump would be able to carry out the things he said he would do on the campaign trail)

saiyouri wrote:Well two days ago I found out something horrible. My own mother voted for him. She said she voted for the lesser of the two evils. My fiances mother told us that if she did vote it would be for Clinton because she's not evil. I know my mom isn't stupid so I have no idea how she could do something like that as a woman. I refuse to ask her, I'd rather not hear it from her how she could turn on her own gender and turn to the man who will hurt people she knows who live on SSI. I was so pissed when I heard that so I've been playing video games to ignore life to calm myself.... >.> I don't even understand anything anymore.

Saiyouri, I've been thinking about this a lot and I still can't fathom it, but I found this very helpful: http://www.stuffmomnevertoldyou.com/pod ... ngover.htm

It's an episode from one of my favorite podcasts, Stuff Mom Never Told You, titled Election Hangover. The women who host the podcast are definitely our allies and I found this episode really healing and illuminating.

Pwale wrote: Yeah, how are things going in your state? My blue state is mostly either heartbroken or furious. Usually both at the same time.

Pwale wrote: Saiyouri, I've been thinking about this a lot and I still can't fathom it, but I found this very helpful: http://www.stuffmomnevertoldyou.com/pod ... ngover.htm

It's an episode from one of my favorite podcasts, Stuff Mom Never Told You, titled Election Hangover. The women who host the podcast are definitely our allies and I found this episode really healing and illuminating.

No idea how things are in this state. By what I can see, everyone seems the same. It's like nothing changed. I haven't heard of anything like protests or the sort.

I'll check out the podcast and I have a question. What do you mean by privatize Social Security? That kinda scared me what he could do about SS.

Republicans have wanted to dismantle and/or privatize Social Security for years. The basic idea is that instead of having Social Security people just have retirement savings accounts.

If you're wondering, how would that work? The answer is it wouldn't. Poor and disabled people would suffer, people who cannot work would suffer and the elderly would be left without a safety net.

SS has problems, but we still need it.

Holy shit, that would fuck over so many people. Fiance and I both live off SSI. He's got heart problems so him working is rather hard to do. My severe OCD has been controlled and gotten better since I moved to Ohio, but not enough to help me with things. I still got a long way til I know a part time job is ok for me to try to do. Stress now a days is hell for us both.

I can't believe our government doesn't care how many people this one little thing would affect. Our elderly even have a ton of problems being on normal SS and ... it just boggles my own mind on how different both parties are. It's rather sad. Especially in todays day and age.

Yes. And they're probably only going to get more polarized as parties. But it really all comes down to hypocrisy.

Right now the biggest problem we're facing is the wave of hate crimes across the nation. Over 400 since election day, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.