It continues to amaze me how many of the people affected by Republican policies like this continue to vote against their own self interest.

I believe you are wrong. Big business could care less, they just pass the cost on to the consumer or automate as fast food restaurants have been doing one after another, but you already know that.

It is small business that is hurt by raising the starter wage.

Yup, we're pretty much stuck with an unresponsive, corporate-controlled, two-party system. It's codified in the Constitution, which stipulates that only two parties can cross the finish line, taking a next to impossible constitutional amendment to change. Another option could be ranked voting: If your first choice doesn't garner enough votes to be viable, then your second choice would be awarded your vote, then the next, and so forth. This would give third parties more clout, as people would know that their votes are not being wasted.

Of course, the simplest yet equally difficult option would be to somehow infiltrate the Democratic party and try to wrest it from self-serving, corporate-stained politicians. That would be the long game; the trouble is, things are now moving so fast that such a generational shift might be too late to mitigate the worst of the damage that will be done by rapacious Republicans.

I smell the whiff of revolution in the air ... certainly not the best option, but possibly the most inevitable.

Probably a little of both. Although, some just do it for kicks, and others are dirty tricksters who are paid to regurgitate talking points sponsored by various propaganda arms of the Reich, many affiliated with the Kochtopus network of liars.

They did this in Floriduh, too. I think it also prohibited mandatory sick pay. But poor people still vote Republican -or don't vote at all - same thing.

GOP Operatives inside the Democrat Party?

The prize is The United States of America, and the GOP oligarchy stole it. Cleverly crafted voter oppression laws disguised as ‘protecting the vote’ by the GOP and their well established GOP Propaganda machine have successfully pulled a coup d'état. We defend The United States as a nation of laws, yet the Koch Brothers and the GOP with the help of the Supreme Court have been for years, infiltrating and redefining the law of the land. We defend the rule of law, but do we now defend the laws of sociopathic rulers?

And where is the Democratic Party? I find that their dereliction of duty, or even desertion, of their defense of democracy can only be explained by shills, moles and operatives within the Democratic Party. Much is being made of Russia, as an external nation, influencing our election. Has the subversive organization of the Koch Brothers been less influential? Would a Koch Brothers CIA be less likely than a Russian KGB to infiltrate our election process?

And why are we comparing Trump to Hitler? There is a much closer correlation between Trump and his oligarchy about to seize control of The United States and Putin and his oligarchy that now controls Russia. Does that now leave China as the odd man out, the bad guy that Trump forces will rally his followers against?

A Republican Governor of Michigan has already pulled a dictatorial coup with the declaration of marshal law over a city and subsequent appointment an economic czar-all because of financial problems caused by Republicans. The citizens of that city no longer have a democracy. And we as a nation do nothing? Is this going to be the blueprint for our future with the GOP, the Koch Brothers, and Trump’s billion dollar and military general filled cabinet?

The Democratic Party must use its organization to educate and enlighten the people of the United States of America of what the Republicans represent and what the Democratic Party represents. The Democratic Party has a duty to redevelop and learn how to communicate to this nation of people the ‘realities’ of today’s politics. If Trump and the GOP Propaganda machine can successfully brainwash their followers to believe that (1) the stock market has gone down and (2) unemployment has gone up what else are they capable of? The Democrats took the hit for Republican obstructionism in Washington. Democrats have to learn that this is a real civil war and they are losing.

America’s oligarchy has the GOP and the Koch Brother’s propaganda machine to sanction their rule. They are redefining ‘law’ to be their ally and the ‘rule of law’ is being used to sanctify their take over. And when that fails, there will be marshal law and Trump’s generals. We, The People, need the Democratic Party to enter this war on democracy now.

Absolutely, it is war! The guts of politics are what people perceive to be true. Period. Power struggles throughout history have succeeded or failed on whether or not the combatants get their message out to as many people as possible to build a consensus opinion. That's how armies are raised and people are won over ... or conquered.

In modern America, the Republicans have succeeded spectacularly in creating an alternate reality of elaborate and pervasive lies, and the Democrats have failed miserably in counteracting with the simple truth. It is time to attack on all fronts with everything and everybody and breach the propaganda walls on the radio, on TV, and on the Internet.

Its not good enough just to give inspiring floor speeches in Congress, or to conduct the occasional press conference to "outline plans," or to wait for the next election and hope the people will come to their senses. The Democrats must forsake Wall Street, the establishment media, and business as usual! They must get out among the people -- right now -- in every state, in every community and shout out the truth and never compromise with the lie! They need to learn to fight back hard! There is no other choice when your back is up against the wall.

great

And liberals can't understand why the poor didn't vote for the most anti-poor candidate to date. Much of the voting bases of both parties rejected their own party's candidate. Only some 60% of eligible voters voted, believing that no matter how this election turned out, masses of us will lose. This left much of the country with the choice of voting third party or withholding their votes.

Meanwhile (more broadly speaking) those on the right wing spent the last eight years building up their base, growing more inclusive, while those on the other side only more deeply divided their base by class and race.

If you are in the 1% I fully understand why you vote Republican. If not, and you vote Republican, WTF are you thinking?