I am living in the middle of a red state, and even the bluest of my neighbors don't seem to think that the president will have any direct effect on their lives.
In reflecting on the previous term prior to Biden, I only remember the gish gash assault of horrifying news day after day, but struggle to conjure the major issues I took umbrage with.
I am left with general issues, but lack the specifics to engage in actual discourse.
I remember the immigration stance was horrifying, but the previous administrations wasn't substantially better in my recollection.
I know the Mueller report indicated there was major collusion with America's adversaries, which was intertwined with disgusting foreign policy.
There was also the depleting of America's coffers, as our national debt skyrocketed, which likely coincided with his cronyism and the issues with the emoluments clause.
That was coupled with the complete mockery of the justice system, with obvious corruption in every entanglement he had.
All of these issues point to my view of the administration as corrupt, self-serving, and power hungry, but none of that serves as exact examples that I can have in my pocket when speaking with apathetic blue voters and red-voting neighbors.
They are unlikely to be swayed by the Martin Niemöller "First they came for the Communists and I did not speak out” line of reasoning.
Is there a list of exact tangible examples I can point to, as to why the current administration is so much of a disaster for the everyday citizen?
*As an aside, it seems to me every administration following the New Deal economic plan has made it a pet project to reverse it an reclaim any power ceded to the working class.
All of the policies that allowed a vibrant middle class have been whittled away. Public education, trade unions protections like the Fair Labor Act, social security, accessible healthcare, etc., have been constantly attacked since initially gaining any leeway in the 1930's.
Decreased government protections and funding for the working class, to me, are obvious negatives to be pointed to, but are not so obvious to those entwined in the current hegemonic narrative.
Are there obvious points I could be making that would provide clarity to my contempt with the current situation?
Just watch the prices rise after he implements tariffs.
In current conversations, it is hard to point towards potential future economic policies when inflation and the cost of living was so extreme in the Biden administration.
In a conversation I had just prior to the election, one of his supporters commented to me "things were just better before Biden. I could afford groceries back then..."
You and I know there is nuance to this. Economic policies and infrastructure investment both have delayed effects to see the benefit, often not occurring until the next president is in office. That, and the fact that it's hard to hold corporate greed and Wall Street accountable without a super majority.
None of that helps to keep in your back pocket during casual discourse though.