America Unspun

I am pulling for the Democrats – I really am.  I have written in the past about how I am not a huge fan of the Democrats and most of their policies.  That has not changed.  I am also not a fan of uncontested one-party dominance in the legislature.  I believe we as a nation need a strong, well organized opposition party. 

Lately, the Democrats seem lost in the wilderness after the sweeping Republican victories in the November 2024 election. 

We see examples in the news every day of how they are “outraged” by the actions that the victorious Republicans are taking every day in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.  They are angry at President Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Secretary of Education McMahon, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kennedy, Attorney General Bondi and others.  In fact, the list goes on for quite a bit.  They rail at the American people for voting for what they term a “Fascist” or “Authoritarian” government.  To be clear, I do not agree with all of the Trump administration’s actions – but that is the focus of a future article.

As outraged as they are, the Democrats are closing quickly on ineffectiveness.  The latest target of their ire, Elon Musk, has been tasked by President Trump to lead the effort to reduce wasteful spending in our government.  This is a laudable goal, and I hope Mr. Musk is successful.  That said, I do not agree with some of his methods.  This does not mean that I hate him or his cars, and I do not wish him any personal, professional, or financial harm. 

Many Democrats also dislike Mr. Musk’s efforts and have let their dislike show in interesting ways.

Mr. Musk, as many of you know, was once the darling of the Democrat party in general and of Progressives specifically.  He popularized electric cars, built charging stations, and arguably made electric cars both cool and mainstream.

Some cracks in the relationship began to develop when Mr. Musk bought Twitter and although he took some steps that Democrats didn’t like, they still loved his cars.  The cars were still green, they supported the environment, and they were seen as a viable alternative to internal combustion vehicles. 

That all changed when Mr. Musk was appointed by President Trump as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).  Mr. Musk and DOGE began to take measures that Democrats decidedly did not like then and as of this writing, do not like.  I do not agree with all of DOGE’s methodology or actions, but that is for a future article. 

The Democrat response has been disjointed, frantic, largely ineffective, and to be honest, amusing. 

Because of their inability to stop or even materially affect DOGE’s actions, Democrats have taken to attacking Tesla.  Yep, you heard me – they are attacking Tesla on several fronts.  They are attacking Tesla dealerships, keying and physically harming Tesla vehicles, rallying outside Tesla dealerships, and wait for it……destroying toy Teslas with hammers.  That’s right, they are taking out their rage, anger, anxiety, disgust, and helplessness ON TOYS.

Folks, here is the lesson.  The Democrats lost in November because no matter how passionately they believe in their causes and their messages, the majority of the American people did not.  The Democrats did not learn from this.  Chants, rallies, slogans, and local efforts are all fine – as long as they present a cogent, sane, and understandable message.  Unhinged, fringe, and childish demonstrations of tantrum will solve nothing and only make them seem more ineffective. 

I truly hope the Democrats can come together, craft a coherent and unified message, and take their place as an effective opposition party.  If not, we will need a new one, because they will have surpassed ineffectiveness and reached insignificance.

Unspun 1966