Summary
Rep. Chuck Edwards’ North Carolina town hall erupted in chaos as constituents furiously protested DOGE, a Trump administration initiative tied to mass federal job cuts and Elon Musk’s growing influence.
Attendees, including laid-off government workers, jeered at Edwards over employment losses and reduced federal funding.
Constituents raised concerns about federal job cuts affecting veterans’ services, national parks, and Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
Edwards struggled to respond but remained unfazed. The GOP downplayed the unrest, calling it staged, though independent voters like veteran Martin Downie say they feel directly targeted by their own government.
Too bad there isn’t a Dem that could really thrive at this moment of darkness for some good. 2016 Bernie’s messaging would connect now more than ever but that time has passed. I’m glad Republican voters are mad, even if I bet it is just because they are being affected too, not really mad about the harm.
Eh, probably need an old white guy. Walz or Newsome are the two who should be getting in the spotlight now. Then the Dems get a group of progressives who will back either of them to make some waves and say what they won’t. Dems need to be more unified and not go too crazy. Too many young people are MAGA inclined, no matter how left leaning they say.
But I’m just some guy. I’m sure they know better and it’s “her/his time” or whatever they want to push.
AOC seems to be having a moment. And Bernie seems to be in the recruitment phase for something, at least I hope he is.
Don’t expect much from Bernie on that front. He’s a good progressive Senator, but he’ll never actually lead a progressive movement. I don’t know if he doesn’t have it in him anymore or if he’s just not that kind of guy, but Bernie works a lot better as a symbol than as a leader.
He’s already led two progressive movements.
Led them to what?
AOC seems to be throwing in with Bernie. Yes, Bernie is getting older, but with a sort of confirmed ‘successor’ may still have some bite… as long as the Democratic party doesn’t pull the same bullshit.
I don’t think you’re getting me. Just voting for progressive candidates won’t fix things. I don’t know if there was any point where that was enough to fix things, but if there was it definitely isn’t now. Therefore, Bernie—who did not, does not and will not recommend any method of resistance beyond simply voting—is incapable of leading a progressive movement. Bernie and politicians like him need an independent progressive movement behind them to win elections; if you put them in charge of the movement they’ll sit around doing nothing for most of the year.
I was a vote guy until last November. You’re absolutely 100% right. Electoralism has failed. We cannot expect elected officials to somehow fix this and we cannot expect people in Washington to fix it. Bernie said as much himself. The system is corrupt to its core and it’s gonna take a movement from the grass roots level to change it.
Or more likely America will just become a fascist dictatorship complete with concentration camps, disappearing people, fake ass state run media, and pretend elections.
Just a friendly correction, it’s affected, not effected. Affected is a verb (which is how I remember).
Actually it’s super confusing because they can both be verbs and they can both be nouns.
Thanks I fixed it.