Hardkill

Oh, well then I guess that's okay for you to abstain because Maryland is supposed to be a safe state for Biden. Unless a crazy amount of people in Maryland decided to stay home and not vote. However, I very much hope that you vote for Alsobrooks for US Senate. Even though Larry Hogan may seem like a reasonable good Republican if he wins that seat then that could very well mean Mitch McConnell's return to being Senate Majority leader.

No, you're wrong! I mean, why would someone like Trump ever dare or even think about breaking the law and order of our country? Ever since Nixon first ran on the idea of Republicans being the party of Law and Order, they've all kept saying that they are Standard-bearer of those values, including Trump himself! So, I believe them when Republicans, especially Nixon and Trump, have said that they are the prime examples of Law and Order. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

No, he doesn't. That's a very misleading statement that Trump and his MAGA goons have been making. Even the US Supreme Court already implied that during their hearing of Trump's case for "Absolute immunity" as a sitting president or even former president. Otherwise, that would essentially mean that POTUS is a king who is above the law, which actually mean that Biden would a king that is above the law.

That's okay. At least you acknowledge the credit I get for mentioning it first. But that doesn't really matter.

It's about damn time!!!! He got convicted on ALL 34 counts as a felon! Alvin Bragg will go down in US History and maybe in World History as a legendary hero for being the very prosecutor in the history of our country to have successfully achieve the conviction of a former POTUS as a big time criminal!

Wait, did you want him to be acquitted?

Lol. Not according to the time stamped on mine. Look on the first list of threads made on the Society, Politics, Government, Environment, Current Events Forum and the top of each of our threads to check the time that states when you started your thread and then check the time that states when I made this thread of mine.

Hey! I already started a threat on this before you did, OP.

Are you serious? Why are you making that a main concern over Biden’s major historic policy change and great character compared Trump who was the worst president ever? Besides, he has his VP Harris to take the edge off the age problem. which state do you live in?

Yeah, while America still isn't as corrupt as any underdeveloped or any developing countries are, it is arguably the most corrupt first world/developed country in the world besides perhaps Israel now.

He couldn't with SCOTUS because there have been no openings for Biden replace any conservative justices with liberal justices. None of the conservative justices plan on retiring or stepping down anytime soon. None of them seem to be dying anytime soon. Furthermore, Biden and most Democrats in Congress don't want to pack the court with extra judges because they believe it would be perceived as being too divisive and too political and set a precedent for the Republican party to do the same if they gain back control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. However, Biden and his party have appointed 200 federal judges, which is the highest amount for any president since like JFK. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/joe-biden-nears-200-judges-highlighting-stakes-courts-2024-election-rcna152485

Well, we'll have to see. A lot would have to go wrong in terms of governance by Biden and his party. Besides, there is already a growing number of people who are getting very scared about Trump not leaving office.

Oh, I do know how bad it will be. So, I am not sure why you said before that if Trump wins the election then: But yeah, that's why we have to re-elect Biden. Even though the polls are not looking great right now, but they are also all over the place and most of the pundits out there really have no idea who will win. Besides, a lot would have to go wrong for Biden to lose according to the fundamentals.

That's partially true. However, when there is way too much of a mandate for such policies or for a major liberal/progressive vision, then even the stage Orange lobbyists will be forced to compromise a lot. Otherwise, if they don't, then they jeopardize the public order and tranquility of our country. Even these slimy lobbyists know that they don't want to have another Gilded Age era rife with extremely violent widespread labor strikes and rioting around the country. In fact, look at what Biden and his party got done so far, even they made compromises with their corporate lobbyists and wealthy donors. They already achieved what seemed impossible in many ways, especially when you consider how much gridlock there has been in our government for so many.

We don't have a firm left-winger for president. A center-leftist will do. But we also need to elect a supermajority of Dems in both chambers of Congress. Also, the Supreme Court won't be controlled by the conservatives forever. As for the deep state, like I said before liberals and progressives will have to inevitably make some pragmatic compromises with the government elites and the business community in order to get a lot of the big changes we want done. The deep state also can't just block every major reform, especially when there is an overwhelming mandate for such reforms by the public. Otherwise, they risk destabilizing our society. They know that and that's why the deep state will have to make compromises with the people if the liberals/progressives have a supermajority of Dems in both chambers of Congress and we have another FDR-like president. This will much more likely happen if all of these factors coincide with another major crisis pertaining to the economy happens under the watch of the GOP and/or have a groundswell of support from some kind of movement that can't be ignored by the public.

Most leftists are not good at that, but a new youngish center-left politician who has such exceptional talent like the Roosevelt presidents can pull it off in a way that can frame progressivism or liberalism as the mainstream dominant ideology in America like in the first two decades of 1900s or in the mid-1900s. That can very well happen again if the left-wing and the center-left in this country can get it together by building an overwhelming groundswell of support and awareness for all of these liberal/progressive ideas with grassroots organizers and activists mobilizing communities and pushing for bold policy changes all over the country. In fact, it already seems to be happening and has continued to grow to such a level that America hasn't seen since like the early to mid 70s. It's probably just going to take decades of very hard and commitment for all of this to succeed in our country. Even you said before that the chances of having a once in a generation broadly charismatic person like Obama, but is a real fighter seems more likely to happen within the next 20 years. Besides, I am aware of the fact that liberals and progressives will have to inevitably make some pragmatic compromises with the government elites and the business community in order to get a lot of the big changes we want done. That's always been the case according to history. So, I do concede that we probably still won't achieve all of the forward thinking changes we want within our lifetimes. However, transforming our society to one that is much more progressive than it is now within our lifetimes should be doable.

Okay, I get it. but maybe we will be in the midst of another kind of Progressive Era (1896–1917) or another New Deal era involving a big war on business and the implementation of new major social programs like many of the ones you've already mentioned before: Raising the minimum wage Regulating banks and Wall Street speculators Raising capital gains taxes Taxing the rich. Higher income taxes on top earners, and a wealth tax on millionaires & billionaires. Taxing corporations Removing all private money from political campaigns Placing more regulations on large corporations Breaking up monopolies with strong anti-trust enforcement Increasing consumer protections Cracking down on fraud and white-collar crime Protecting worker's rights to unionize Better legal protections for minorities and LGBTQ people Limiting aggressive foreign policy and wars A well-funded education system A public healthcare system that cuts out the parasitic insurance middlemen Better paid time off, maternity and paternity leave, and free access to childcare More investment in scientific research More investment in pandemic prevention (Trump cut the pandemic prevention budget) More investment FEMA and disaster relief Housing for the homeless Food for children in poverty Addressing pollution and climate change. More investment in green energy A government job guarantee, like during the Depression era Huge investments in improving national infrastructure In fact, Biden and the Democrats have been doing a lot of these things. I've lately become more and more convinced that ever since Obama first became elected president in 2008, re-elected in 2012, followed by part of the progressive movement that began with Bernie Sanders, this country has been starving for a liberal/progressive revolution like the way that TR lead it right after the Gilded Age or the way that FDR led it during the Great Depression. Obama just didn't know how to do it. Moreover, ever since 2008, the demographics have been increasingly favoring liberals and Democrats over conservatives and Republicans. The Democratic party and the left-wing during most of the 2010s didn't have the resources and infrastructure like they do now to mobilize the silent majority who truly want liberal/progressive reforms. It also has to be done in a way that some might call "progressive-centrism" whereby a liberal/progressive vision for the country is presented in a way that broadly appeals to the public's emotions and their beliefs in traditional American culture values.

How do you know that for sure? I am now thinking that we might actually be close to being in another historic progressive era given the growing liberal/progressive movement that's been occurring in our country.

I wish I had a big mansion, was super rich, have a very successful career (at least momentarily), and had a really hot girlfriend/wife like Jordan did. However, I would never in a million years ever ever want to be him or anybody like him. After watching that whole movie, I thought to myself, "Why, would any normal man want to live that kind of life he lived or do what he did?" He and everyone in his inner circle were all complete degenerates in every way possible. I wouldn't be able to live with myself at all if I got away with scamming countless people for their money. Plus, I am so glad that I am not a drug addict or alcoholic like he and his friends were. Also, I wouldn't want to have to keep looking over my shoulder everyday wondering if the cops or the FBI or anybody else in the law enforcement is going to catch me. Moreover, I do not want to have to be tried for anything by the criminal justice system, and possibly serve any time in prison. Not to mention, that when you're convicted of crime, then you lose so many big legitimate career opportunities that you could've had, and you will forever have the reputation of being a disgrace to society. All of those reasons are pretty much the same reasons why I would never want to be someone like Trump either.

One of the most corrupt federal judges in the country that needs to pay a major price:

Another radical right-winger from Canada named Lauren Southern:

I worked with ChatGPT on coming up with a pretty detailed breakdown of the US political spectrum 1. Far-Left/Radical: This segment includes individuals and groups advocating for significant social, economic, and political change. They may support policies such as universal healthcare, free higher education, wealth redistribution through taxation, environmental regulations, and social justice initiatives. Some far-left groups may advocate for socialism or even more radical ideologies. Examples of Ideologies: Revolutionary socialism, anarchism, communism, libertarian socialism including hardline anarcho-syndicalism and hardline social anarchism, and extreme left-wing populism. Examples of Groups/Organizations: Socialist Alternative, Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, Antifa, TYT (after they became vitriolic), Secular Talk (after it became vitriolic), Majority Report (though a bit more reasonable than TYT, Secular Talk, and other progressive YT channels), Vaush (also a bit more reasonable than TYT, Secular Talk, and other progressive YT channels), and Rational National (before it became vitriolic). Examples of Individuals: Angela Davis (activist and former member of the Communist Party USA), Richard Wolff (Marxist economist and advocate for worker cooperatives), Jill Stein, Rashida Tlaib, Infrared (Haz), Eugene V. Debs., and Norman Thomas. Left-wing/Progressive: Progressives advocate for social, economic, and political reform to address issues such as income inequality, healthcare access, environmental protection, and social justice. They support policies like Medicare for All, tuition-free public college, a Green New Deal, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ+ rights. Progressives can vary in their positions from center-left to left-wing, depending on specific policy preferences. Examples of Ideologies: Democratic socialism, social democracy, progressivism, pragmatic variation of anarcho-syndicalism, left-wing libertarianism, left-wing populism, and left-wing Independents. Examples of Groups/Organizations: Abolitionist movement, civil rights movement, Knights of Labor, 19th century People's Party, People's Party (1971), People's Party (formed in 2017), Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Center for American Progress, other left-wing think tanks, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) Networks, Worker Cooperatives and Employee-Owned Businesses, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Sustainable Business Networks, Social Enterprise Networks, and other left-wing business networks, Justice Democrats, Sunrise Movement, UAW, Rational National (before it became vitriolic), Democracy Now!, Jacobin, Current Affairs, The Intercept, TYT (before they became vitriolic), Secular Talk (before it became vitriolic), Majority Report, Vaush, Pod Save America, Michael Moore Podcast, Actualized.org. Examples of Individuals: Thaddeus Stevens, Frederick Douglass, Radical Republicans such as Ulysses S. Grant, William Jennings Bryan, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, MLK, Malcolm X, Lyndon B. Johnson, Bernie Sanders (U.S. Senator and democratic socialist), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (U.S. Representative and progressive advocate), Elizabeth Warren (U.S. Senator and progressive Democrat), Sherrod Brown, John Fetterman, Ruben Gallego, Jamaal Bowman, Ro Khanna, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee, Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, David Pakman, Brian Tyler Cohen, IRI, Destiny, Michael Moore, Leo Gura, Noam Chomsky, Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz, Mark Zandi, Ron Klain, and Shawn Fain. Center-Left/Moderate Liberal/Liberal: This group occupies a more centrist position, advocating for pragmatic solutions that balance progressive goals with fiscal responsibility and market-based approaches. They may support policies like a public option for healthcare, moderate tax reforms, and incremental changes to address social issues. Centrist Democrats often emphasize bipartisanship and compromise. Liberals typically emphasize a balance between individual rights and the role of government in addressing social and economic issues. They often advocate for reforms within the existing political and economic systems, supporting policies such as expanding access to healthcare through private or public means, promoting incremental changes to address social inequalities, and favoring market-based solutions alongside government intervention. Examples of Ideologies: Liberalism, pragmatic progressivism, center-left populism, and left-leaning Independents. Examples of Groups/Organizations: Progressive Policy Institute, Center for American Progress, other center-left think tanks, more moderate factions within the Democratic Party, labor unions, the Kennedy family (except RFK jr.), the Warren Court, Keynesian economics, New Keynesian economics, Social Venture Network (SVN), B Lab, Conscious Capitalism, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), Corporate Responsibility Association (CRA), and other center-left business networks, MSNBC. Examples of Individuals: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Ulysses S. Grant, Samuel J. Tilden, James Garfield, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Truman, JFK, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden (President of the United States), Kamala Harris (Vice President of the United States), Pete Buttigieg (Secretary of Transportation and former presidential candidate), Al Gore, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Sherrod Brown, Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff, Nancy Pelosi (one of the greatest US Speakers of the US House in US history), Samuel Rayburn (also said to be one of the greatest Speakers of the US House in US history), Jim Clyburn, Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, Tim Walz, J.B. Pritzker, Justice Elena Kegan, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Jack Smith, John Maynard Keynes, Jason Furman, Larry Summers, Paul Krugman, Nouriel Roubini, Mark Zandi, Claudia Sahm, Paul Volcker, Timothy Geithner, Janet Yellen, Rob Rubin, Gene Sperling, Steve Rattner, Brian Deese, Ron Klain, Lael Brainard, Jack Lew, Antony Blinken, and Eric Holder. Centrist/Moderate: Centrists prioritize pragmatism and moderation, seeking to find common ground between left and right-wing perspectives. They may support a mix of progressive and conservative policies, depending on the issue, and generally prioritize compromise and cooperation over ideological purity. Centrists often value stability and incremental change over radical reforms. Example of Ideologies: Pragmatism, moderation, bipartisanship, political Independence, centrism-populism, and possibly extreme centrism. Examples of Groups/Organizations: New Democrat Coalition, Blue Dog Coalition, other conservative Democrats, Republican Main Street Partnership, Rockefeller Republican, other moderate and liberal Republicans left today, Independents, Third Way, Neoliberals, Bipartisan Policy Center, No Labels, Problem Solvers Caucus, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and the Stone Court. Examples of Individuals: George Washington, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Rutherford B. Hayes, Eisenhower, Richard Nixon (was in many ways the last liberal president in policy before Obama), Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Joe Lieberman, Ross Perot, Doug Jones (former U.S. Senator known for bipartisan approach), Jon Tester, Susan Collins (U.S. Senator known for moderate positions), Larry Hogan, Joe Manchin (U.S. Senator known for his very bipartisan stance and very heavy influence from corporate donors) and Kyrsten Sinema (known for her extreme bipartisan stance, lack of transparency, and very heavy influence from corporate donors), Josh Gottheimer, Abigail Spanberger, Jerome Powell, Ben Bernanke, Olivier Blanchard, Rob Rubin, Gene Sperling, Steve Rattner, and Merrick Garland. Center-Right/Moderate Conservative/Conservative: This segment of the spectrum advocates for limited government intervention in the economy, fiscal conservatism, and traditional social values. They may support policies such as lower taxes, deregulation, free-market healthcare solutions, and a strong national defense. Moderate conservatives may be more open to compromise on social issues like same-sex marriage and immigration reform. Examples of Ideologies: Conservatism, moderate Republicanism, center-right populism, right-leaning Independents Examples of Groups/Organizations: Republican Main Street Partnership, Rockefeller Republican, Blue Dog Coalition, other conservative Democrats, American Enterprise Institute, other center-right think thanks, US Chamber of Commerce, and other center-right business networks, The Ripon Society, the Vinson court, the Burger Court, the Rehnquist Court, the Roberts Court (before Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and got replaced by Amy Coney Barrett), and some of the GOP Establishment. Examples of Individuals: John Adams, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, Chester A. Arthur, James Blaine, Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, William Taft, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon (also began the War on Drugs and the Southern Strategy), Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, George H.W. Bush, Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema Ben Sasse, Colin Powell, John McCain, Adam Kinzinger, Mitt Romney (U.S. Senator known for moderate conservatism), Larry Hogan, Lisa Murkowski (U.S. Senator known for independent streak), Charlie Baker (Governor of Massachusetts and moderate Republican), Chris Christie, Josh Gottheimer, Hank Paulson, Jerome Powell, Jeremy Siegel (economist), Chief Justice Roberts, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Right-wing/Conservative/Traditionalist: Conservatives generally prioritize individual liberty, free-market principles, and traditional social values. They advocate for limited government, lower taxes, deregulation, and a strong national defense. They may oppose progressive policies like affirmative action, gun control, and government-run healthcare. Socially, they often support traditional family values, religious freedom, and stricter immigration policies. Examples of Ideologies: Conservatism, fiscal conservatism, free-market capitalism, traditional values, right-wing libertarianism, right-wing populism, and right-wing Independents. Examples of Groups/Organizations: Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, Hoover Institute, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, Family Research Council, Club for Growth, other conservative think tanks, most of the GOP Establishment, the Roberts Court (currently), the Hughes Court, US Chamber of Commerce, and other center-right business networks. Examples of Individuals: James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, John Bolton, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley (former Governor of South Carolina and conservative Republican), Mitch McConnell, John Thune, Tim Scott, Lindsey Graham, Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich, John Boehner, Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Johnson, Pat Buchanan, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas, Roger Ailes, Rush Limbaugh, Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro (conservative commentator and author), Robert Mercer, and other right-wing mega-donors, T.S. Eliot, Russell Kirk, William Randolph Hearst, William F. Buckley Jr., Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Alan Greenspan, Steven Mnuchin, Donald Rumsfeld, Rex Tillerson, Mike Pompeo, and William Barr. Far-Right/Reactionary: This segment encompasses individuals and groups with extreme right-wing views, often advocating for a return to traditional social hierarchies, nationalist policies, and authoritarianism. Far-right ideologies may include elements of racism, xenophobia, and white nationalism. They often oppose immigration, multiculturalism, and international cooperation in favor of a more isolationist or nationalist agenda. Examples of Ideologies: Nationalism, white supremacy, authoritarianism, extreme right-wing populism Examples of Groups/Organizations: Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Qanon, American Renaissance, FOX news, OANN, Newsmax, Evangelical/Fundamentalist Christians, and the Roberts Court (currently). Examples of Individuals: A majority of Republican/conservative elites in the US, right-wing mega-donors, Donald Trump, MAGA Republicans, Steve Bannon (former White House Chief Strategist and far-right nationalist), Ted Cruz (U.S. Senator and conservative Republican), Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, Marjorie Taylor Greene (U.S. Representative known for promoting conspiracy theories), Mike Johnson, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Chip Roy, Jim Jordan, Vivek Ramaswamy, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas, Richard Spencer (white nationalist and alt-right leader), Roger Ailes, Rush Limbaugh, Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Charlie Kirk, Robert Mercer, and other right-wing mega-donors. There is some overlap with examples of each of these Individuals, Ideologies, and Group/Organizations put in each of their respective categories, but I think this is a good start. Let me know what any of you have to add to this breakdown. *Extreme/radical centrism actually hasn't been officially considered as being really within the center or anywhere else within the spectrum; however, one could argue that it would be at the very, very center of the spectrum, but it is just as dysfunctional as any kind of extreme/radical left-wing ideology or any sort of extreme/radical right-wing ideology, in its own way. I want to say that both Manchin and Sinema and other right-wing corporate Democrats like them have been contributing to the problems we have today that are usually attributed to radical centrism. No Labels definitely smells like a major contributor to extreme centrism and corporate extremism. Then again, populist movements can also emerge in the center of the political spectrum, advocating for reforms to address perceived government corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, or political gridlock. Centrist populists may prioritize anti-establishment rhetoric and propose policies aimed at increasing transparency, accountability, and responsiveness in government. **Given that the use of the terms far-left, left-wing, center-left, centrist, center-right, right-wing, and far-right/Reactionary officially didn't begin to be used until around the turn of the 20th century in the US, we (including the AI) can only make best guesses as to which political figures before around the year 1900 were in which category on the political spectrum. All of them before 1900 were probably either some kind of centrist or barely at the center-left or barely at the center-right, except for James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Thaddeus Stevens, and Frederick Douglass. James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson were staunch conservative presidents, right before and right after the Civil War respectively, both of whom strongly opposed civil rights for African Americans. Buchanan in particular was very pro-slavery, and was party responsible for the conditions that led to the outbreak of the Civil War. Thaddeus Stevens and Frederick Douglass, on the other hand, were probably firmly left-wing political leaders as they were fierce social justice warriors who fought like hell to abolish slavery and make the federal government grant all African-Americans American citizenship and every civil right/liberty. ***Nobody really knows what Trump is or what he truly stands for. However, he clearly is striving to be the dictator of the USA and is doing everything he can to escape justice for everything he has done.

Samuel Alito was recently found to have put up a "STOP THE STEAL!" symbol on display at his home.

Even if the president of Iran tragically perished, I don't see how it would destabilize the country like some such as Kyle Kulinski have been saying might happen. The Ayatollah, who is the supreme ruler of the country, is still alive and well. Plus, they have a vice-president, who probably will be next in to take over as president of Iran. Moreover, Iran really doesn't want to start a real war with Israel and/or any of its allies.

No doubt has anti-establishment sentiment been at historic highs for several years for a number reasons: Public Trust in Government: Trust in the federal government is low, with only 24% of Americans saying they trust the government. Approval of Political Leadership: Political leadership has seen a decline in approval ratings, with George W. Bush's ratings dropping from 86% to 24% by the end of his presidency. Religion: Religion's influence in American life has seen a decline, with fewer Americans praying or attending religious services. Media: News organizations have seen a decline in trust, with many Americans questioning their professionalism and objectivity. Political Polarization: Political polarization has increased, with many Americans identifying as independents and expressing frustration with the two-party system. Economic Inequality: Economic inequality has increased, with many Americans expressing concerns about the growing wealth gap and the impact of globalization. Government Response to Crises: The government's response to crises such as Hurricane Katrina and the COVID-19 pandemic has been criticized, leading to a decline in trust and approval. Rise of Alternative Media: The rise of alternative media sources has led to a decline in trust in traditional media outlets and a shift towards more partisan sources. Political Scandals: Political scandals such as Watergate and the Iraq War have led to a decline in trust in government and political leadership. Growing Frustration: Growing frustration with the political system, economic inequality, and social issues has led to an increase in anti-establishment sentiment. We all know that Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election was of course partly due to his ability to tap into this anti-establishment sentiment that was prevalent among many American voters. In fact, anti-establishment sentiment in America has grown even more ever since Trump left office and Biden, who is a more pro-establishment politician, became president in 2021. Yet, most politicians in power throughout the entire US government are still not particularly populists. There are actually less Democratic populists in power than Republican populists in America, even though Democratic progressive populists have been gaining significant influence and momentum within the party, particularly among progressive activists and younger voters. Even when we account for the fact that Progressives, including democratic socialists and populists, have been gaining very significant ground within the Democratic Party, currently make up about half of the House Democrats in Congress, and have comprised of a growing number of prominent US Senators in Congress, the more moderate/establishment Democrats have still been the dominant faction of their party. In fact, if I am not mistaken, despite the fact that the right-wing populism of Trump and MAGA has taken over the whole Republican party, the majority of Republicans in both chambers of Congress are not really populists either. Neither are the majority of GOP state governors throughout the country really populists either. Then again, most people in the USA have gotten sick and tired of constantly feeling let down by pro-establishment traditional career politicians who haven't done enough to change the status quo in order to fix so many pressing issues that desperately need to be addressed in our country. Just to be clear, I am not necessarily advocating for the idea of having all progressive populists be in charge of the entire government. I would just like to understand from a nuanced perspective as to why most politicians in power in America still aren't populists.