this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2025
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I have no love for Newsom and he's clearly going to be the Hillary Clinton of 2028 or die trying. But it's true that the only thing that works against fascists, short of physical resistance, is relentless, biting derision and mockery. So his social media manager is doing society a service here.
I'm worried, we're all worried, and that worry makes Trump stronger. Because worry + inaction = normalization, and normalization + time = radicalization . Mockery does something subtle to break this cycle: it's not just cathartic, it normalizes a contrary reality, namely that Trump and his lackey are clowns, and in doing so implicitly reassures us that our reality and expectations remain valid. That in turn slows down normalization. The other response - hopelessness (which I've reacted with plenty of, I admit) - speeds it up. Trump, an instinctive savant at exploiting people, knows it lessens his power and that's why it infuriates him.
So if we're not pouring into the streets, then mockery is one of the only ways to resist normalization and break that cycle.
I don't know much about him other than a few things. But he's a Democrat getting press and California governors have become President before, so. Who knows.
I'll just say this: if it's 2028 and the "left" has done sweet fuckall to organize or promote a different candidate, I guess I'm voting for him then. Because the "left" went completely apeshit over Harris' supposed "support of genocide" and "transphobia", neither of which mattered a good goddamn when what we have now is utter insane chaos - actual support of genocide and actual transphobia in office - and the people who went apeshit are as to blame as the trump voters.
TL;DR: Don't care. Not voting republiQan and as it stands right now there's only one other choice. Not going to play around with people who will fuck this up AGAIN.
Yes, to be clear: I agree. I'm not going to vote against my interests in 2028 (including a non-vote, which was always against real workers' interests despite the spurious "left protest" commenter spam in 2024), assuming we get there. I do really hope that the democratic leaders get out of the way or at least start supporting candidates who live in 2025, and not 2012.
Then can we stop with the caveats at the top of every comment? They're all flawed to get that far.