I honestly think Trump is fucking this presidency up enough that pitting another celebrity against him would be a massive mistake.
I think by the time his time is up, people will realize that having a reality star as president was a huge mistake and wont take too kindly to voting in a talk show host or an actor. At least not the kinds of people that vote using their brains.
The problem is,
when his time will be up? I'm all for Mueller taking him out and there are new developments with the release of his taxes next year that could help hurt his image, but we are living in an era of post facts and people so blind by their Trump idolatry that I could see that having little effect on him if he isn't literally impeached. And even if he is, what if republicans learn fucking nothing and get I don't know, Kanye or that infowars crazy dude to run? Do you think it would be beneath them? Do you think middle America would give a fuck? Trump is a symptom and can be replaced by something similarly as bad as him. The question is, how bad it would be if a left leaning "celebrity" won? Because I really don't think it'd be as bad as some here think.
You keep saying celebrity candidates are the new norm but you can only list one example, the last election we just had where Trump barely managed to win the election. If celebrity worship were the norm then Cynthia Nixon would've outed Cuomo on the left. Trump is a unique snowflake that rode in on a wave of racism and anti-Hilary propaganda. He's not some shift to a new norm of celebrity politicians.
Maybe because I'm seeing this from the outside I don't have a good grasp on the situation, but maybe because I've been following the political developments of not just USA, but here in Brazil and Europe, I might be seeing alarming signs that most of you aren't. What I mean is, I don't think necessarily "celebrity" candidates are the new norm, but basically populist candidates are the new trend, and it's a trend that the far right is surfing extremely well. So, how do we counter that? I agree that Trump rode in on a wave of racism and anti-Hillary propaganda, but I think it's a little bit more complex than that: he was a popular "celebrity" figure with no real political experience that became the president of the arguably the biggest country on Earth. The fact that it was with Russia's help doesn't change the fact that the far right thrives with the racist old farts is because besides being part of the elite, he was seen as an outsider of politics and "one of them", besides not being nothing like that.
Here we got a fascist president elected that threats to kill his opposition and several of other TV and youtube personalities that align with this guy's thinking as well. I can see how the far right can get someone that isn't a celebrity to run a platform like that, but the problem that
right now Trump is the president, and if he still is able to run for a second term, I don't really know if O'Rourke, Clinton or Bloomberg would be good enough to take on him and win. What I'm suggesting is that maybe the "anti-Trump" needs to be an outsider, like he was, and someone that people can rally behind. Who that person is, I don't know. I wish personally that Michelle Obama would run, but I don't think she would. We live in an age where memes and idolatry get you elected to some of the most important countries of the world, and while that's a dangerous trend, it's a trend that the left needs to understand and consider alternatives to fight back.
First of all this is a really silly idea OP. I know what you are saying here but Chris Evans? This is a cool fantasy to have but it just isn't what Democrats do.. However the sentiment is in fact spot on.
People need to realize that this past election and the next and probably every election for the foreseeable future will be akin to voting whether or not to save the boat you are on from sinking or make the holes bigger so it can sink faster. In which case qualifications and even competent become secondary priorities.. The most important qualification a Democratic candidate needs going forward is their capacity to win elections.
Basically, this. I'm not saying that Oprah, Evans or whatever person has what it takes to win the next election. But people need to realize that right now, in this moment in time, policy and being qualified isn't what will win elections, at least until people learn to use the internet and social media right. This is now a popularity contest, and we need someone popular enough to win the elections. Trump is replaceable, and I'd argue that a "normal" politician would only be feasible in the event of Trump being impeached. Otherwise, tough luck and the sooner we realize that the Democrat candidate needs to be the one most likely to win, the better. Even if it's Oprah, Evans or whoever celebrity could rise up to the challenge.
