politics

Then Democrats need to be on top of the messaging and make sure that everyone knows who is directly responsible for their hunger.

So I'm not super optimistic...

We're already starting to see populist progressive candidates overtake DNC Democrats.

Cynicism aside, if you don't see a path out of this: Pretend for a second that we can get enough people into congress to have a functioning congressional body.

A properly led Congress has standing and capability required to sue the Executive branch and force it to follow the law across thousands of issues that are being created by it refusing the follow the law. The congress also has the capability to impeach and remove Supreme Court Justices, btw.

In addition, the "Power of the Purse" is not just a Schoolhouse Rock meme. Democrats in congress are already cutting off all funding for the government by refusing to pass a CR. They can keep refusing to do that until a budget is passed that includes, at the very least, not removing even more of the social safety net in canceling healthcare insurance subsidies.

This shutdown is already starting to turn public perception against the Republicans, rapidly. A huge amount of government workers, who are working without pay, are suddenly getting 'sick'. Airplanes can't fly if we don't have air traffic controllers, the mail can't move if we don't have postal workers and during the holidays not having air travel or mail is kind of a big deal.

ICE and federal law enforcement are currently getting paid out of a fund that was appropriated specifically to pay them during a shutdown, but that fund is not infinite and eventually even ICE agents will stop receiving a paycheck. I'm sure some will work for the love of the game, but I don't think all of them will. It's also hard to keep arresting and deporting people if you can't buy gasoline, electricity, jet fuel or take off from commercial air ports. Money is kind of important for these operations and money has to get through Congress first.

A President who has no workers to carry out his will is pretty powerless. He wants to invoke the Insurrection Act against the coming public backlash. I think he will find that there will be serious morale problems if he tries to deploy the US Military domestically. Everyone knows that this is illegal and they also know that the justification is bullshit. In the end, the enlisted of the US Military are just regular people who are working the best job that they could find. This won't be a great outcome, should it occur, but I know a lot of current and former enlisted service members and while some of them are partisan on topics that they find outrageous, they are patriots and understand that the seriousness of their role is more important than worry about trans people playing sports.

This is why there is a huge battle to control Congress. Because as much as the Supreme Court immunized Trump against prosecution, they did not literally make him a King and in the US system of government Congress is not powerless despite being currently held impotent by sycophants.

You better fucking vote.