We Are the Cure for TDS

Real Clear Politics ^ | October 08, 2025 | Anthony Constantino

[laplata]

I know of nothing that can cure TDS. The Left is too insane.

[Billthedrill]

I had an old friend whom I had not heard from in at least a decade rekindle the communications in an email that began "Hi how have you been?" and immediately segued into two intense paragraphs of how much he hates Trump. When I gently suggested we could keep politics out of our discourse and reminisce over the good times he clammed up and I haven't heard from him since. This isn't normal behavior for anyone, and especially it isn't normal for who he used to be.

So yeah, we may be looking at a genuine mental pathology here, not simply a humorous catchphrase.

[Vaduz]

Hate mobs didn’t stop indeed communism is their goal no amount of pain and suffering will be spared to reach it.

[al baby]

Death by Bungee cord failure

[mairdie]

I was contacted recently by a friend of a friend who was reaching out as we’d met 30 years ago. She’s a widow now and fairly isolated so hoped we could chat about this and that. We exchanged a number of emails and found quite a bit in common. Then I wrote of my love for Trump and she hasn’t written back since. Of all the topics covered, TDS is most likely. I assumed she was not a Trump fan, but it was sad that she couldn’t put that issue aside for the value she found in other issues.

With my close liberal friends, we’ve always been able to be specific about what topics are off-limit to maintain friendship. I can’t say anything negative about BLM, Critical Race Theory or Democrats, and they can’t say anything negative about Trump.

So maybe you need long years of affection to be able to find a way past TDS.

[Harpotoo]

More cowbell?-)

[TheDon]

The symptoms are similar to those involved in cults. Perhaps some type of deprogramming is required?

[caprock]

YEP!

[jackibutterfly]

I can remember when there was BDS, Bush Derangement Syndrome. Do you guys remember that? Looks like this derangement syndrome has been around a long time.

[A strike]

Congressional term limits..

[Night Hides Not]

The only sure cure for TDS is death, as with all incurable diseases.

[laplata]

That’s a good thought. It worked pretty well in Germany after the war but only about 12% of Germans were Nazi party members. That might work for some, but I believe most are too far gone.

[laplata]

You mean they should wear cowbells? Not a bad idea to warn us but it would get to be annoying. Lol

[TheDon]

“That might work for some, but I believe most are too far gone.”

I hope not. Horrible to think of a Heaven’s Gate cult ending for them.

[logi_cal869]

I get the joke, but I call it ‘true pandemic’ and it transcends DJT.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[redinIllinois]

.

[KittyKares]

So maybe you need long years of affection to be able to find a way past TDS.
_________________________________________________________

That doesn’t always work. I had a friend for decades. We weren’t best friends but good friends and never had an argument. But when Trump started deporting people, and I supported Trump’s efforts, she lost her mind and ended the relationship. I was pretty stunned. All those years could not override her TDS.

[mairdie]

I’ve been lucky. Almost all my friends are liberal but we warn each other when we’re getting near things that hurt and just change topics.

Of course, there could be tens of others who just stay out of touch. I check my name online occasionally and once found a gossip thread that mentioned as a warning that I WAS a conservative. I’m well known in the music video community. But the writer added that I seemed nice anyway.

I’m really sorry about your friend. I would bet you aren’t the only one she’d done that with and the hurt will be for her over the years if she chooses isolation for this now and for something else with others later.