[bwb]

It will have to get a lot of worse in order to get better. Voters have to be in a lot more pain to give the non-crazy party control to actually fix fundamental problems.

Note: I'm an independent, but the current administration is incompetent on an embarrassing level.

[FranklinJabar]

We're going to need to, at the very bare minimum, fix campaign finance before we are able to produce a party that will fight for a stable democracy.

Tbh, I don't see any way going back to democracy and rule of law is possible without completely rewriting our constitution.

[chii]

> without completely rewriting our constitution.

there is no need to rewrite it, because it's fine. What's not fine is people not observing it, and defending it with their lives, and making sure that violations are actioned with penalties, social stigma and disdain.

[bwb]

I agree with you, but I don't see these things as possible. Maybe the D party will enact campaign finance rules if they got a super majority. Given gerrymandering I'm not sure that is ever possible though.

[paxys]

Look around at the politics of the majority of countries on the planet. Voters being in pain doesn't mean they suddenly start making the right choice. Quite the opposite in fact.

There's a long way to go on the path the USA is currently on. Ask anyone from India or Russia or Argentina or Egypt or Nigeria how democracy actually works.

[bwb]

Sometimes they do, but yes, I am worried about the flip side as well.

[Veliladon]

The electorate does give control but they get bored after a few years and want to wreck everything all over again. It's goldfish levels of political memory in this country.

[kenjackson]

It’s not just the incompetence, it’s the meanness. If this administration were simply incompetent, it would be bad but not alarming or scary. It’s the fact that they want to hurt a portion of the population that worries me greatly.

[expedition32]

There have been competent Republican administrations. Take for example Eisenhower. Or Nixon who won the cold war with his China switch.

But the GOP turned into the MAGA cult.

[FireBeyond]

I mean Eisenhower was the Republican President immediately leading up to LBJ signing the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts in 64-65 (i.e. the inflection point of the D/R "switch") and would realistically be considered a Democrat president:

- Accepted the New Deal

- Championed the Interstate Highway system (massive federal spending)

- Pushed for higher marginal tax rates

- Supported a regulated mixed economy

- Warned against the military-industrial complex.