It's starting to crystallize for me that what I might want from future threads.
I wouldn't usually spend my days following party politics of any country, including the UK, so closely. I usually spend most of my political energy on specific issues I care about, regardless of which party is in power.
I joined these threads because of the obvious threat to the foundations of democracy the US was facing in 2016. We knew the XPUS was a populist demagogue backed by people who consider democracy a useful, temporary tool to get themselves power, but who will happily ditch it as soon as they're there. We didn't know how far he'd go. Turns out the answer was, pretty far.
I wasn't expecting XPUS to demonstrate this quite so clearly, but he's left not a smidgeon of wiggle room to deny his intentions. So in a very horrible way, he's vindicated me spending time on this.
There will always be space for a thread on whichever US government is in. There is also space for partisan threads about particular parties.
The thing that I'm most interested in, though, is the task of keeping our various democracies secure. Of ending the uncivil war. Of not giving authoritarians reign over the US, the UK or (ideally) any other country.
So for me (I'm not trying to speak for others), the raison d'être of these threads has been keeping an eye on the attempt to create an authoritarian state, and the attempt to swing the US to the far-right which is closely bound with that.
These threads have many aspects, but are (for me) essentially single topic – very much like the Westminstenders threads which have primarily been about how the government of the day handles Brexit.
If I got a choice, I think those are the sort of threads I'd like to see going forwards.
Also, I don't think any of us have expressed an interest in a simple cheerleader thread for some glorious leader, just because he's wearing our team strip rather than the other one! I haven't noticed any appetite for merely partisan threads.
I expect to disagree hugely with the new US government on many things. I always do! And the UK govt too – regardless of who's in power. Representing, as they do, a country which is more economically rightwing in general than many others, the Dems are more to the right than a UK moderate lefty like myself. So I would be utterly astonished if I found myself agreeing with them all the time.
So for me at least, I would be interested in these threads continuing around the topic of repairing and maintaining a healthy democracy.
I'm afraid that may mean giving more attention than one might like to the orange attention-thief.
Because bringing him to book for the ways in which attempted to overthrow democracy, or just plain ol' broke the law in ways which damage the presidency (emoluments clause, I'm looking at you), will be part of that.
For now, though, I think we're absolutely right to give attention to POTUS, President Biden of the United States, and the Vice-President, Kamala Harris, who looks like she's going to part of a collaborative team.
It's important to keep an eye on what President Biden does to repair the damage to the institutions. It's important to make sure there isn't further damage.
And sadly, it will be important to give some attention – some of the time – to the behaviour of Trumpies, particularly the behind the scenes ones.
Sorry, that's turned into not-quite-a-manifesto.
I'm sure you all have your own thoughts about what you'd like to happen on future threads.