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  1. The New York Times CompanyRoss Douthat10/17/205 min
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    The New York Times Company
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    • SEnkey3 years ago

      My own view is that this conservative anxiety risks three mistakes. The first is an exaggeration of the consequences of any given election: Losing the presidency for four years and the Senate for two will not immediately make Republicans irrelevant to the calculations of Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg, and a movement that’s poised to make a very Catholic mother of seven the sixth conservative on the Supreme Court retains considerably more resources than, say, dissident movements under Communism.

      Good advice for both sides. Every election is the 'most important of our lives'. But no defeat or victory is permanent. It's not worth the level of vitriol and intensity we often see. Four years of Trump have brought many bad policies - and we should write, talk, and expound on what those are and why they should change; but we haven't become a totalitarian state etc.

      The more over the top our critiques - the easier they are to dismiss. The same is true on the other side. Eight years of Obama didn't end America. There were plenty of poor policies there too (Obama himself has pointed out many things he thinks he should've done differently). And yet, America didn't become godless, or destroy its borders, or healthcare system/economy. Clear, concise, and calm criticisms hit the mark.

      If you don't like the current direction of government, wait a few years - it'll change.