As far as poll hacking goes, I see this as the likely, low tech way of doing it. The GOP has really defined itself as the ends justify the means and that of party over country. No trick is too dirty so long as it advances their agenda and keeps them in power. And the whole while, they'd see themselves as patriots, not traitors for doing so.
A total lack of integrity.
I feel Jeanne is right. I'm not sensing any panic amongst the GOP despite the polls. At best I think you may get a blue house of representatives this election, and it will be a hard won victory at that. It's not just the US - it's a world wide fight atm. You can see it in Europe clearly, as well as here in Canada where Doug Ford has just taken the Ontario conservative party to a hard right and Quebec had elected Legault. I don't have the gifts you have - but I do sense that this is a peak and as disheartening as another 10 years sounds, remember it's been building up and in the works since the 80's. 10 years to come to a complete crash down for this right wing movement is actually not that long in retrospect. On the bright side, the left wave will be just as long if not longer and imagine all the good things that can come of that for people and the environment :)
I am very discouraged, disheartened and depressed about this. I don't know how I cannot be. I am losing faith in my fellow citizens. It's like they are all turning into mercenary nazis idolizing a greedy cheating narcissist. They are hailing Ceasar. It makes me sick.
Rowsella, I am not saying that it won't turn around. It's a matter of when.. No one has a handle on this timing including me.
I see so much positive energy rising up already. And more coming. I spoke of gerrymandering causing so much bias. Well, in Michigan there is a citizens' petition on the November ballot to take redistricting out of the hands of the politicians altogether. If it passes, the GOP will lose gerrymandering as a way to bias the election. Other states may follow suit, so that by 2020, it's possible that gerrymandering will be vastly reduced.
Also the federal government is not the determinant of our happiness. So many good things are coming at the local level.
I am very hopeful about our situation. I also take the long view. I hope we see a huge blue victory in November. If we don't, I know we are on the way.
Progressives are rising up and fighting back throughout this time. Also local governments are getting more progressive than ever. Keep your eye on California and New York, for example, for progressive governments the size of whole countries.
Women are rising up like never before. Maybe the big turnaround will be 2025. Maybe earlier. But the GOP, which is a world-wide force of moneyed power mongers, is not going to just lie down and surrender the U.S. in November and not necessarily in 2020.
Before you get discouraged, remember this: The worse it gets, the more powerful and long lasting will be the turnaround when it happens.
One more thing: we are not here on earth to win a battle against other humans. We are here to win a battle within our Selves. We are here to evolve.
If you've ever read the Bhagavad Gita, I believe it has a powerful message for the here and now, Arjuna is a warrior and he realizes the battle will be against those he cares about, his family and neighbors- he doesn't want to. Krishna (Vishnu) comes and encourages him in battle- this is not a sinful battle, he is righteous. Anyway, they win because Arjuna has surrendered to the supreme being and can live his life in a better way.
The Bhagavad Gita is a good book to be reading these days. Jaidy, thank you for bringing it up. For those unfamiliar with it, it is an epic allegory that is about a battle within the Self-- between the Divine Self (Krishna - Vishnu) and the conscious Self (Arjuna).
Jeanne... I picked up a copy of "Be Here Now" recently, and after so many years it still resonates with light.
One of the tools that have come to me to dispell some of the outrage that I've been feeling lately..... (understatement).
A certain passage stays with me:
' The spiritual teacher told his disciple to take a chicken and kill it where no one sees...
The disciple returned with the chicken and told him: " I could not do this, because everywhere I go, the chicken sees."
Lol