Historical perspective helps.
When FDR took office in 1933, there were lots of very respectable voices in the commentariat who actually hoped that he would assume dictatorial powers, on the model of Mussolini (who was still very well regarded; after all, he made the trains run on time, which wasn’t the case before, or since).
Fortunately, old Franklin D. proved to be a democrat in multiple dimensions of the term, and so instead he built a decades-lasting consensus around democratic principles.
But there were always elements within the society that rejected his new deal, and his united nations, and all. They think they’re ascendant now.
Demographics say otherwise.
Let’s keep on fighting them, shall we?
Addendum: So by all means, be optimistic. Just let’s be clear on what the word means.
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“The worse things get, the more inevitable the revolution becomes,” that’s complacency.
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“Oh woe, the GOP has everything sewed up through gerrymandering and the Supremes and dirty tricks,” that’s defeatism.
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Optimism sounds like “here the fuckers come again, but if we keep fighting, we will eventually win.”
By Army Signal Corps. Post-work: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:W.wolny" title="User:W.wolny">User:W.wolny</a> - <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-eur/normandy/nor4u.htm">US Navy</a> Photo #: SC 190062, Public Domain, Link