I am of the opinion that the last "Revolution" has ended, and we are in a retrenchment cycle. From the 1880s until the 1930s, conservatism was ascendant - for the most part (on both sides of the aisle). With FDR, a progressive wave hit the country, and liberalism was dominant from 1935-1984. It began to wane with Reaganism, but there was still a strong strain of liberal resistance/influence, even in that period. It wasn't until Bill Clinton and the scorched-earth approach of Newt Gingrich and his ilk that conservatism began to wax - but not in a legitimate way (although it must be admitted that conservative politicians gained at the local/State level from 1984-2016). Massive efforts to gerrymander, court pack, and vote suppress succeeded in putting a conservative stamp on a generally left-leaning populace. Conservatism is currently waning again, but there is a concerted effort to hold back the liberal/progressive tide that is sweeping in by all means. This has led to extreme partisanship and a moral bankruptcy in "conservatism". The most morally bankrupt element is actually the "religious conservative" - which is really, neither.

My hope is that there will be a true tidal wave election this year, and that some of the worst elements of the GOP can be swept away. The reality is that the rump-war is going to be brutal. Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and folks like Jim Jordan, Mike Lee, and Samuel Alito have demonstrated just how brutal it will be. It will take years - at least three, probably 10 - before progressive actions will be able to counteract the damage already done to our society. The scars will be deep. We're entering a period as bad as the Jim Crow South and Lochner-era judicial activism to frustrate social norms. Our society has moved far past that, but the retrograde Luddites of the GOP still have a significant foothold, and hold a lot of high ground. If you thought the 60s were turbulent, be prepared for much, much more friction.

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich