I won't claim to be super optimistic, but I'm in a conservative region in the rural south where the cracks are showing and people aren't just ignoring it anymore. Folks are starting to talk openly and vocally in opposition.
If you've never lived in a conservative, rural area before then know that it's the type of place where "Fuck Biden" signs littered the yards of so called Christians while gas pumps and egg shelves were covered in "I did that" stickers. You hear someone verbally bashing a Democrat politician or liberals while you're standing in line to check out, then you know it's a day that ends in Y.
It's hard to stress how jarring it is to hear anybody expressing any degree of dissatisfaction with a Republican policy / politician in this area, in public, around strangers. And that's especially true when it comes to criticism of Trump. But let me tell you, it is happening with increasing regularity.
People are pissed that grocery prices are only getting higher. They're upset that they have to wait in line for 45 minutes at the post office because there's only 1 employee working. They are absolutely livid that the local hospital may be closing down because of medicaid cuts.
They're talking about this in public with strangers. And they're blaming Trump. There's no push back. I've literally never seen this before.
Obviously a day late and a dollar short, since the time to have done the easy thing was back in November 2024. But at this stage of the game, I'll take whatever fickle alliance I can get.