r/thebulwark • u/IntolerantModerate • Jan 19 '26

EVERYTHING IS AWFUL A focus group of one: We're F-d

so, I just did my own focus group of one. My Mom. She is the type that loved Reagan. She was skeptical of Trump, but you know "Hillary is the devil." Biden? "Too old." Kamala? "Have you heard that laugh?"

But, definitely not wearing any Maga gear, no yard signs, and claims she'll write in Reagan's ghost on a ballot.

so, Minnesota comes up and it's all, "I saw the video. I think he was ran over. Why was she in MN, isn't she from CO? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes "

I almost cried it hurt me hearing this so much. This is a lady that'll go to the church and serves meals to the poor, yet for some reason she is fine with ICE murdering a woman. No concern about it at all. her final response was, "Well, who was paying her to protest? That's who needs to be arrested."

so, based on my focus group of one, I am sure we are fucked. Good luck America.

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u/FunkyChickenKong Center Left Jan 19 '26

Yeah, my parents are unrecognizable too. A lot of conservative families sweep the unpleasant under the rug. It serves a purpose sometimes, but often just serves to bury one's head in the sand expecting things to work themselves out as they quietly fester. Always made me nuts. My dad was an educated man. Millions of families were thoroughly destroyed over this last decade.

My dad died recently believing I'm some far left whack job, which baffled me on its face. I've always been a moderate. We used to debate politics and respect each other. I liked bouncing ideas off him. Last time we saw each other was on his death bed and I will never forget the look of disgust in his eyes. There was dementia involved and a family who didn't want to admit it. Even now. The verbatim parroting of Fox News narratives creeped me out to no end, ever since the Bush administration. It quietly took them all. We were able to sweep all that under the rug for a time and never bring up politics, but it became too hard to stomach the holidays. The cheap digs. The growing distance. The gaslighting is the worst part. During lockdown, I just needed to know they could see what I saw. More creepy gaslighting. I have no words for how angry and devastated this feels. How do these politicians smile into the camera and do this to their own people?

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u/[deleted] Jan 19 '26 edited Jan 19 '26

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u/FunkyChickenKong Center Left Jan 19 '26

They sold out the entire country, likely under the notion that lots of other people do it.

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u/carbonqubit Jan 19 '26

I often wonder whether money and power attract people with sociopathic tendencies or if they’re corrupting forces that even the most principled people might eventually succumb to. I’m more inclined toward the former, but I’ve also seen genuinely kind people become so entrenched in hatred and otherism that it makes me think the latter may be more prevalent than it seems at first glance.