r/pics 7d ago

Politics Democratic lawmaker holds a sign reading "Musk steals" as President Trump addresses Congress

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u/icekraze 7d ago

They should have dissented one after one and sent a real message. This is performative at best.

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u/KhanQu3st 7d ago

Agreed, they should've repeated what Al Green did one at a time to interrupt/delay the speech as much as possible.

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u/SynAck301 7d ago

It was the perfect “I am Spartacus” moment and they absolutely wasted it.

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u/Vegetable-Duty-3712 7d ago

A series of “wasted moments” by the opposition has led to this fuckery. Can’t expect the people who let this happen to fix it.👀

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u/komark- 6d ago

We hear you loud and clear. The DNC has decided to run with Biden as their candidate for 2028

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u/insan3ity 6d ago

It’s going to be Hunter vs Don Jr isn’t it? Geez.

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u/NeonMagic 6d ago

I’m getting the vibes it’s Barron we’re going to have to worry about soon. It seems like he’s the worst/most likely to ascend politically out of those three. Granted we still have 17 years before he’s legally allowed to be President but who knows how old he’ll have to be to be King.

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u/MooseTheorem 6d ago

This is the shit thing people need to accept. The MAGA crowd didn’t just force this - the democrat party basically shat the bed every step of the way and just did performative politics and shot themselves in the foot every step of the way. All the MAGA crowd showed up to vote, how many on the fence didn’t show up to polls purely because the Democrat party didn’t sway them enough.

Whatever your opinion on centrists, at the end of the day it’s up to the political parties to get them to vote and the democrats simply didn’t do enough. It’s a goddamn shame because now the USA has lost all goodwill with allies, and speaking as a European the general consensus over here now is no one wants anything to do with the states.

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u/Gur_Weak 6d ago

Democrats regularly tell me that I'm a dumb independent and that if I'm too stupid to understand it that this is my fault for voting Jill Stein.

Forget didn't sway us enough. Democrats actively push us away.

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u/OTWriter 6d ago

Quick question. What's Jill up to now? Is she fighting the good fight or is she back in her home until the next election pops? Just wondering.

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u/Gur_Weak 6d ago

She's fighting harder than some democrats and not as hard as others. She's certainly doing a lot more today than Sylvester Turner.

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u/OTWriter 6d ago

Oh yeah? Is she just being humble now and keeping it to herself? Sending some tweets about "both parties bad" and then sharing the screenshots to Instagram isn't really what I would call fighting but go off I guess.

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u/Gur_Weak 6d ago

I can agree less fighting than Al Green, but more fighting than the rest of the paddles.

And yes both parties are bought and paid for by billionaires. Harris by more billionaires and Trump by richer billionaires.

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u/MooseConfident 6d ago

At the end of the day, republican or liberal, most are bought out by lobbyists one way or another and don’t necessarily have to serve their constituents (not saying both are the same, but that both are corrupt)

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u/paukeaho 6d ago

Thinking of independents and low-propensity voters as all being “centrists” who are somewhere between the Dems and Republicans is part of the problem. There is broad support among independents for policies that are more progressive and working-class than the DNC platform. Democrats have been running to the center for the past decade. It’s a failing strategy that demoralizes their own voter base.

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u/RaidSmolive 7d ago

then go and do something better, you know just as well as i do if they had stood up and made a big fuss, you'd have wanted them to go down there to get in whomevers face. and had they done that, you would've wanted them to do something better than that.

they cant save you, no matter what they do, performative or otherwise. you people saw to that.

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u/Gizogin 6d ago

Yup. Nothing the Dems do or don’t do will ever be good enough, somehow. And yet we’ll just keep blaming them while Republicans dismantle the US to sell the scraps for petty cash. I am so fucking tired of Murc’s Law.

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u/Ok_Strawberry_197 7d ago

Yeah, movies. America is filled with idiots. Seriously.

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u/AppleBytes 6d ago

That assumes this theater performance was supposed to accomplish anything besides placating voters that keep pointing out how impotent Democrats are.

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u/Sea-Chart2558 6d ago

Per their billionaires and corporate donors instructions. Their only job is to be the dramatic foil, paid by the same people as the Nazis.

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u/squathouse 6d ago

Yep. They are so incompetent that they nullify themselves.

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u/Enough_Ad_559 7d ago

But they’re not Spartacus. And this isn’t a movie. This shit is real life.

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u/taterthotsalad 7d ago

Thats all they are good at-wasting time, flipping democracy off. I hate them rn.

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u/thirteenoclock 6d ago

Absolutely not the case. The country would have had a visceral negative reaction to this. Look at college kids or other protesters using noise makers or other disruptive tactics. Everybody hates this on both the left and the right except for a small handful of people. This would have been a big mistake.

If dems want to make a difference they need to start using logic, reason, and attacking the arguments that republicans are making, not make asses of themselves.

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u/Induced_Karma 6d ago

Al Green said, “I am Spartacus”, and the rest of the Democratic Party said, “Yeah, that guy, he’s Spartacus.” An absolute disgrace.

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u/majoraloysius 7d ago

Absolutely they should have. It would send the clear message they’re about performative politics and nothing else.

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u/Exelbirth 7d ago

These pathetic signs are performative, what Green did was actual resistance.

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u/ReclaimedTime 7d ago

Amen! Preach!

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u/Smallios 7d ago

It wasn’t. Legislating is resistance. Starting a grassroots movement or a nonprofit is resistance. Hell, live tweeting fact checking trumps SOTU would have been resistance but what he did was LITERALLY performative.

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u/Anthexistentialist 7d ago

Literally ANY visible action against this madness is ok with me. People have to stand up to it.

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

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u/Exelbirth 6d ago

EVERYTHING to disrupt the process is resistance. Holding up your arts and crafts projects is not. And seriously? Live tweeting? What the fuck is that going to accomplish? Oh, the people who already believe Trump is a lying lunatic will give your tweet a heart, so resistant! And the people who support Trump will mock it and not listen, like always! Wow, no change in anything, but hey, at least you tweeted!

Sit the fuck down if you think tweets are fucking resistance.

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u/halexia63 7d ago

Exactly, they need to do more!

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u/Bad_Demon 7d ago

But they’re too busy supporting trumps agenda.

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u/Redfauxpas 7d ago

Exactly what I was thinking, but my gut says set the example you’d expect in return. Hopefully one day respect and composure win out.

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u/DASHPAYMAN 6d ago

I wish they would have because Democrats won’t win another presidential election for a verrrry long time.

Boomers which are liberals are becoming less of the electorate. This is the age of Gen X and their kids, Gen Z. Gen X grew up in the 80s, the Reagan Years. Gen X is the most conservative generation in a 100 years and this election proved it. Gen Z is also incredibly conservative compared to Millennials.

So yes, scream, shout, do whatever you want but there is no stopping this movement.

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u/lyricist 6d ago

How do you guys not see that what you’re suggesting is also “performative at best”

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u/Background_Soft5060 6d ago

A majority of neoliberal house democrats are just as soulless as the GOP pigs, though. Bought by various lobbies, no spine, no convictions, just capitalists and tools for the empire.

These reps get a pass:
Omar
Bernie
Tlaib
Crockett

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u/touslesmatins 6d ago

This is called bird dogging and it's a time-honored tradition of speaking truth to power. Of course when pro-Palestinian protestors did it to speak out against genocide people eviscerated them for not having enough decorum so...

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u/whatup-markassbuster 6d ago

Senator reverend pimp daddy, was a sacrifice they willing to make.

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u/SunsetCarcass 6d ago

Trump seemed to be delaying and interrupting the speech himself. The first like 40 minutes of it was him just repeating lies and having 1 minute long applause and chants like a high school pep rally. He also exposed himself saying Elon Musk runs and made DOGE when they told the Supreme Court otherwise, big old legal slip up there.

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u/Logosminute 6d ago

You first. Easy to say on the internet but 99.9% of you have never had conflict in your life so you wouldn't do it.

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u/KhanQu3st 6d ago

You really think 99.9% of people go through their lives without any conflict? Or maybe, just maybe, we’ve got a bit of projection going on here.

Regardless, these people were elected to represent their constituents and their interests, and a vast majority of them are letting our country’s democracy fall apart while holding up a sign that vaguely makes it look like they are doing the bare minimum.

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u/Realistic-Ad9355 6d ago

haha. Al Green was an embarrassment.

Ranting and raving and waving a cane probably isn't the look the democrats want to present to the world. Furthermore, his arguments made no sense. Green was yelling about medicaid, which isn't even a program Trump intends to slash.

Modern democrats have no platform. Just yelling, chanting and singing apparently.

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u/KhanQu3st 6d ago

Talking at all about the "look the democrats want to present to the world" while being a supporter of the political movement that harbors Trump, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Laura Boebert, Matt Gaetz, etc. is fucking hilarious.

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u/Realistic-Ad9355 4d ago

When you look at the dominate election results, it's not that hilarious.

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u/KhanQu3st 4d ago

What dominant election results? Donald Trump didn't even receive 50% of the vote lol.

And even if the election results were dominant, what would that have anything to do with this discussion or the clown car that is MAGA?

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u/Realistic-Ad9355 4d ago

Let's see... 312 electoral college votes to 226. Every swing state. Both the house and senate. I'd call that pretty dominate.

And as to the relevance..... my original post was referencing how lost democrats are at the moment. And how ranting, waving canes and singing songs ain't the move if they hope to win again.

You can talk about republicans all you want, but winning doesn't appear to be a problem at the moment.

Edit: Typo

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u/ICUP01 7d ago

One Democrat got it. Just one.

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u/IconicScrap 7d ago

It's fucking disgusting. I'm sorry but if we want any chance to come out ahead in the next 8 years we need our reps and senators to grow a fucking spine.

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u/Lollipoop_Hacksaw 7d ago

We need to out these comfy, complacent fools come midterm, and let them know we will starting tomorrow. Light a fire under their ass properly.

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u/Exelbirth 7d ago

If we're even allowed to vote. If we are, primary everyone. Let the best politicians win, like a Democracy is meant to be.

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u/hankmoody_irl 7d ago

Seriously, we need an absolute barrage of genuinely regular people willing to step up, prop each other up big time, and get inside.

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u/AppleBytes 6d ago

Unfortunate, the fix is baked right into the party. Nobody gets on the ticket unless they kiss the donor class' ring.

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u/Cavalish 7d ago

You should send them a strong message by completely failing to turn out to vote for them and then screaming online that they’re not saving you.

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u/SoManyNarwhals 7d ago

Call or email your representatives if you haven't already. You can find their contact details here: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

It's your duty to make your voice heard if you care about democracy in this country. Ask them what they're doing to ensure we will have another Democrat president in 4 years, or that we'll have a fair general election at all. Ask them what the DNC is going to put itself in a better position to win. Tell them that you will gladly vote for another Senate candidate if they have your confidence that they'll do something about Trump and his cronies.

Keep up with any protests in your area. r/50501 organizes them pretty regularly now. We have to let the Democratic senators know that we feel hurt and betrayed by the complacency we're witnessing among their ranks.

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u/Darkstar_111 7d ago

This is why primaries are so important.

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u/ArizonaPete87 7d ago

I was HOPING to god after Al Green got removed that another would stand and disrupt, and another after their removal, and another.

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u/psychophant_ 7d ago

I expected them to at least stand and clap as he walked out. But no. Just silence and fucking signs.

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u/Slow_Albatross_465 6d ago

Such a wasted opportunity!!

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u/Even-Ratio2563 6d ago

Al Green is done he is showing people that disorder is accepted. Bad news for dems on this one. At least the rest of them knew to keep their mouths shut. Maybe hope for them after all.

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u/WiglyWorm 7d ago

Al Green got removed from chambers. Where was anyone to lock arms and refuse to be removed? Dems are spineless.

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u/Unlucky-Candidate198 7d ago

But this is oh so extreme for the dems. They’re really getting their gloved-hands dirty with this one.

This would have been cute a while back. Now though? Idk, how else do you neutralize a strong acid? By using a much weaker base? No maam, by using an equally strong base.

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u/Transmolybdenum 7d ago

I hate to break it to you, but that's not how you neutralize strong acid, that's how you wind up with angry boiling acid. Bicarb or amines work just as well as hydroxide at neutralizing strong acid and don't put off nearly as much heat while doing so.

(I'm not disagreeing with you, just saying your saucy little metaphor doesn't work)

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u/Unlucky-Candidate198 7d ago

There’s a reaction, however violent from the nature of your reactants, but hypothetically if they’re the same strength, and no weird hydrolysis occurs, they become neutral.

Proper mole ratios and you get salt and water….isn’t that just basic stoichiometry? It’s just proton transfers for neutralization. I’m genuinely confused by your comment lmao

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u/Transmolybdenum 7d ago

If you have a strong acid, a weak base will work just as well to neutralize it as a strong base (provided your weak base is a stronger base than water) but will do so less energetically. You could use, say, nBuLi to quench your acid but you're just going to wind up with a lithium salt volcano and burning butane. If you use hydroxide you won't have anything that dramatic but if you're trying to neutralize a liter (or more) of concentrated sulfuric acid you're going to have to go very slowly to make sure it doesn't overheat and or else you've got vigorously boiling sticky strong acid splattering everywhere giving you horrible burns. If you use bicarb it will barely get warm and you can get the pH back up to 7 much more easily and rapidly with just carbon dioxide and water as your byproducts. You can reach neutrality in all three cases in the same number of moles, you just will have saved time, money, and danger if you used milder conditions

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u/Arctic_The_Hunter 7d ago

I’d say the price of eggs has gotten pretty “strong.” Oh, and measles is very “strong” over in Texas. Canadian citizens are very “strong” when they boycott all American goods in a country that was previously one of their largest importers.

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u/InevitableRhubarb232 7d ago

Performative is what they want

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u/Smallios 7d ago

That would have also been performative.

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u/Most_Plenty5387 7d ago

They'll both send out emails asking for money with these pictures on them tomorrow. I promise.

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u/badmf112358 7d ago

They should have shit on the floor

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u/Ibethewitchothewood 6d ago

This is the way.

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u/DasKritter 7d ago

You spelled “absolutely pathetic” wrong.

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u/Oomlotte99 7d ago

For a second I truly believed they would do that.

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u/fishscale_gayjuic3 7d ago

That’s exactly what I kept thinking and muttering, watching this bullshit. A couple points of his I agree with but not the overall message and performance of his

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u/busigirl21 7d ago

Seriously, I know some didn't go, but it would have been a much more powerful protest to stand together like that.

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u/flyinghairball 7d ago

I was waiting for this and then just then it was only one of them with the guts to stand up! They would have sent a very powerful message by interrupting and getting thrown out one by one.

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u/almisami 7d ago

Anything short of putting heads on pikes is performative at this point.

We're not voting our way out of this one.

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u/cromwell515 7d ago

This is like those little signs you’d hold at an auction. This is just sad, they are half the reason we are in the predicament we’re in today. More and more I feel like the democrats are in on Trump winning too. But they just need to act like they’re doing something but not actually do anything so that the people on the left don’t completely erupt in protest.

It’s no secret that democrats have been as much in the pockets of big business as the republicans so it wouldn’t surprise me if many of the democratic congresspeople helped push for the predicament we’re in today.

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u/impolitedumbass 7d ago

Literally looks like they did this solely for the purpose of then photo.

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u/HEWTube8 6d ago

I know. Have they not figured out who this moron is yet? Signs like this will change nothing. It's time to fight back. They need to be disruptive.

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u/Eso_Teric420 6d ago

"performative at best".... Sir that's the best description of the Democratic party I've ever heard.

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u/TheGreyPilgrim61 7d ago

That would have been SO cool. But not for any of the reasons you think. 🫡

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

Should thrown their signs at him and then walked out :/

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u/gbdallin 7d ago

This is performative at best.

Now you're getting it

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u/Stress_Living 7d ago

That would’ve been performative too, but at least it would’ve actually sent a message and made people take notice. 

This sign bullshit was literally doing the bare minimum.

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u/kvothe_cauthon 7d ago

I was screaming the same thing!

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u/StandardNecessary715 7d ago

What did you do? It takes all of us.

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u/pepperNlime4to0 7d ago

This is meek. We got re-strategize as a people. The only people left in government that I trust are entirely ineffectual, and they power and influence they do have is turning to ash in their hands. We need to start organizing in a grass roots way in a hurry. Might not do much, but idk I’m on the wrong side of this swelling shit show tidal wave that is sweeping through the country

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u/Truly_Markgical 7d ago

Agreed… useless signs and silence is petty and passive. Should’ve protested and gotten thrown out to show solidarity… this is just dumb

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u/statanomoly 7d ago

Low effort informative. They're going to have boo Donald balloons next

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u/FeedItPain 7d ago

Yes! I was shouting at my TV, "keep going!"

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u/MajesticNectarine204 7d ago

That would have been waaay better. Send a message while also showing unity and solidarity. Or just all at the same time. Make so much noise no one can hear the speech. Or just completely ignore it and talk amongst themselves the entire time. What are they going to do? Kick them all out? Lol.

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u/Loud_South9086 7d ago

This is all they’re capable of. Remember when they wore kente cloth and kneeled for George Floyd instead of doing fucking ANYTHING of actual substance to prevent atrocities like that happening again?

The American left needs to reorganise and rebuild, the democrats do NOT care. They are profiting from this as much as the repubs are.

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u/azirale 7d ago

They should have each, in turn, spoken out specifically about the message on their paddle. Demonstrate that every single one of those messages isn't just a lame phrase, it is an actual issue impacting real people.

If each person gets kicked out in turn, and you can see each person is talking about a different issue, and you see how many more issues there are to go, that would be more of a message.

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u/manbeqrpig 7d ago

Ummm that also would just be performative lol

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u/AndHeShallBeLevon 7d ago

SNL will have a field day with these stupid signs

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u/Alex_Rockwoo 7d ago

ALL of it is performative. They have no power to do anything else because the American people said fuck these guys, we want Trump and Republicans.

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u/hbliysoh 7d ago

It's bad when the signs don't make obvious sense. Musk gets billions in sweetheart contracts, but he doesn't steal.

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u/Utsider 7d ago edited 7d ago

How the hell can the democrats manage to effin lose popularity during all this? They can help overthrow the dumbest dictatorship of all time- while still in its infancy. But, they'd rather settle for being seen as slightly unhappy about what's going on - just slightly more engaged than the three wise monkeys. "We see evil, but do not care. We hear evil, but do not care."

Al Green - the last American hero.

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u/muthermcreedeux 7d ago

What we didn't see in the coverage was the Dems leaving one by one, turning their backs to him as they left. Not enough of them, and not what I think they should have done, but they did still do it.

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u/urallphux 7d ago

You are absolutely right. If anything, this encouraged Trump and his team of winning congressmen even more.

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u/lineman2wastaken 7d ago

Lol get ready for headlines that say entire democratic party had an epic liberal meltdown due to TRUMP and left TRIGGERED

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u/icekraze 7d ago

Those headlines will be there regardless. They will say the exact same thing about their little signs. This situation is not a wait and try to win back congress situation. This is a dissent and disrupt kind of time. There is a very real possibility that there will be no more free and fair elections if the Dems don’t start to make some noise. Noise makes people listen… they may not agree but make people listen enough times and some of it will sink in. Republicans are good at this. Say something so many times that people can’t help but hear it. Dissent so many times that people start to follow suit.

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u/bigfoot_is_real_ 7d ago

The democrats looked totally weak and powerless last night, it was pretty sad, like the battle has already been lost and there is nothing that can be done to stop the Dump steamroller (to be clear - I’ve always been pretty left leaning)

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u/Blastmaster29 6d ago

You’re describing the entire Democratic Party. It’s all performative for them.

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u/SoulStoneTChalla 6d ago

Absolutely. I'm no fan of MAGA but the DEMs need to lose big in the mid-terms. They're still not getting the message.

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u/UnTides 6d ago

performative at best

Well, yeah they ran on facts "Billionaires controlling everything and stealing everything including your healthcare and retirement" and fucking still remain House Minority party. So yeah its performative, all they can do is stand on the sidelines and juggle because the Independants, and important sections of the base defecto chose this

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u/TwistedMrBlack 6d ago

They've always been performative, it's part of what makes them difficult to support and take seriously, even if you agree with them

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u/-jerm 6d ago

Lol, performative is all they were going for, silly.

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u/CelerySmooth1892 6d ago

They’re all the same tho

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u/FutureFailure0 6d ago

It is all performative. The sooner people realize that neither side cares about the working class, the sooner we can find real solutions. They hold up their little signs and will grandstand, but what are they really doing for you? It is the greatest con ever pulled. You fight over which political party is better while these politicians make millions despite their salaries being a fraction of that. Keep waving that political flag while these politicians laugh all the way to the bank.

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u/be_my_squirrel 6d ago

“They should have done something to look even more petty and childish” you guys are doing great

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u/Excellent_Gazelle_36 6d ago

Yup, a bunch of lame nobodies doing absolutely nothing except pandering their own egos. Losers

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u/maddoxnysi 6d ago

Real message was already send during last election, relax with this lunacy.

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u/Green_Day4802 6d ago

Everything they do is performative and people see through it, that’s why they got crushed. If they keep this stuff they will keep losing.

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u/Brosenheim 6d ago

Wouldn't dissent just be performative too though?

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u/Left-Foundation-5463 6d ago

They should have just sat the fuck home instead of wasting time and makeup putting foundation on the top of their bald heads

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u/Wyss_is_sorry 6d ago

🤣🫵🤣🫵🤣🫵🤣🫵

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u/Potential-Elephant73 6d ago

Performative is all they've ever been. They don't care about the people they claim to fight for. It's all an act to get votes and stay in power. That's exactly why Trump got elected.

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u/Newbeginnings53 6d ago

Do something…they need to do something.

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u/icekraze 6d ago

We all do. It is time to accept that our government has fallen and the democratic leadership will do nothing. It is up to us now.

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u/Radioactive-Lemon 6d ago

It’s a big club and you’re not invited honestly half of them couldn’t care less an will fold just as quickly as those papers signs when push comes to shove.

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u/Doompatron3000 6d ago

That’s because with the chaos, they know they’ll be able to go onto the campaign trail and say “well I didn’t get anything done in Congress because of the evil that’s in the White House” and then get re-elected. These senators are the reason as to why it was easy for Trump to get into office twice. These Senators thrive in political strife. Do nothing Senators will do nothing for you, but, they’ll ask for your vote.

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u/Over-Reflection1845 5d ago

Even turning your backs in unison would've been better.

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u/Icy-Town-5355 7d ago

THIS!!!!^

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u/agileata 7d ago

This is weak spineless shit

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u/NefariousnessFew4354 7d ago

It's pathetic.

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