Tinidril

None of his current convictions are expected to come with a custodial sentence

Strict adherence to sentencing guidelines actually would see him jailed on his current convictions. If he isn't given some kind of imprisonment it will be because the judge was afraid of the aftermath.

I'm not so sure he's much of a security risk, unless he is still in possession of sensitive documents. I sincerely doubt he is capable of remembering anything in the way of valuable secrets. Anyways, even if he did, any adversary would be daft to trust he remembered correctly.

Aren't you just restating my comment? Yes, progressives regaining relevancy results in a Democratic party that is left of one taken over by conservatives.

I already answered your first paragraph in the comment you replied to, but I'll embellish. Not every wealthy person involved in politics is in favor of insanely low taxes on corporations and the wealthy. Over reliance on austerity to balance the national budget is ultimately not in their best interest, and some of them are bright enough to realize it. Those are the concessions I mentioned.

The stark reality is that the situation for working Americans has gotten worse under both Republican and Democratic administrations. It's not just because Republicans have always managed to out maneuver Democrats in leveraging power. It has often been caused directly by Democratic legislative "successes". "The era of big government is over!" came from Bill Clinton as he shredded federal welfare programs. Obama reacted to the mortgage crisis by bailing out his Wall Street donors and hanging homeowners out to dry.

As for your second paragraph, it's as delusional and historically ignorant as anything I've heard out of MAGAts. Democratic victories are necessary for progress, but it's only the threat of immanent fascism that has historically driven Democrats to make improvements.

Biden went from being one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress to the most progressive Democratic President in fifty years. All it took was a massive fascist movement barking at his heels.

That's not usually how it works. Democrats serve Wall Street and Silicon Valley first, but make concessions to Main Street as necessary to keep Republicans from taking over. The less of a threat Republicans are, the less incentive establishment Democrats have to put the needs of voters ahead of their sponsors.

Conservatives took over the Democratic party over 30 years ago. Progressives have just recently started inching themselves back into relevance.

the meme that you should vote third party or stay home because the Democrat isn't liberal enough for them.

You understand Russia well enough, but if you think the left is upset at a Democrat for not being liberal enough, you really don't understand left politics. Liberalism is fundamentally a conservative ideology. It was liberals that made the Democrats into weak and ineffective corporate bureaucrats, thus setting the stage for the latest rise of fascism. (That's how fascism always takes root BTW.)

You are also buying into the establishment bullshit argument that the left doesn't show up for elections. Left leaning voters are the most reliable voting demographic in the country, in spite of the Democratic establishment blaming them for all their failures.

If just half the energy wasted lecturing the left were put to good use, we wouldn't have Trump in the first place.

Anybody that the Republicans put in charge of any federal agency is there for the purpose of destroying that agency. I used to think defense was an exception but, given Republican's new found love for Russia, I don't think that can be assumed any longer.

Trump's way ahead of you there.

Everything but Biden.

How about you go do that fuck off thing yourself. These movements need a failing political system in which to pedal their bullshit and the world's neoliberals have been more than happy to provide it for them.

Right wingers have an unreasonably radical view of liberals because that's what the right wing hate machine churns out relentlessly. Liberals think most right wingers are confused but reasonable because thinking otherwise clashes with liberal philosophy. Leftists think that right wingers are rabid fascists because right wingers always show themselves to be rabid fascists the moment someone gives them permission. Enlightened centrists think both sides have equal and opposite prejudices because they like that vibe, not because it reflects reality.