Trump is the example that proves our judicial and electoral systems are broken. Both are hobbled by premodern anti-democratic ideas and rules: that all voters are not equal, that the legal machinery works differently based on the nature of the accused, that ultimate power should be in the hands of nine people who are unaccountable and are necessarily ignorant of most current knowledge. Voting harder isn’t going to fix any of this, but for most of us it’s all we’ve got.
“The disqualification of a national candidate by individual states would have opened up a big can of worms. Republicans in charge in key states would have started disqualifying Democrats.”
In other words, “Give in to the bullies. Give them what they want.”
Not only a markedly cowardly course, but a course *absolutely* guaranteed to ensure the bullies come back and demand more.
None of this is surprising to me. It's how mob bosses work. Republicans have been setting up the machinery to plop Trump back in office for decades (see: SCOTUS decisions). What I am looking for is the corporate world abandoning the republican party (money) when they realize that the platform of the party will destroy their businesses. Imagine if troops and/or private militias are deployed into our cities. That's the end of people even being able to go to work, let alone go out and spend money.
I’m not demonizing Trump for rhetorical reasons. I’m demonizing him because he’s a demon. He must be stopped. The good news is that once voters see the binary choice we have, fewer will vote Red.
Donald Trump is a decades-long money-laundering, tax-dodging criminal and Russian asset that never should have been allowed anywhere near the White House, let alone the presidency. And would have already been in prison but for the failure(s) of our national security agencies to hold him accountable. Also a theme that has prevailed as he continued criming through his ‘reign of error’ and his ‘forced resignation.’
It is a ticking time bomb but it's a time bomb with a lot of institutional support given the way the USA is designed. But the good news is we've done this before and we'll do it again.
The House bill to disqualify Trump may be 'a waste of time', but it MUST be done. Surely there do still exist parliamentary procedures to get such a bill to the floor. And who knows... with the razor thin margin Republicans have, there may be a handful of still-sane Republicans who see Trump's danger like the rest of us who can get it passed. I believe they're called RINOs now.
Should Republicans end up blocking it, the effort still needs to be made, if only for posterity.
In this post-truth environment, does posterity actually matter? There's two impeachments under President Klan Robe's belt and that didn't change anything. In fact they're trying to set up cheapened impeachments for Biden to even the score. Who's going to call them out in a way that'll get covered? Mass media?
To your first point, re impeachments, the polling continues to suggest Trump voters will turn on him "if he's convicted", but they're saying this AFTER he's been convicted in the Carroll (civil) trial and the NY fraud trial. So that's a bunch of BS from people who know they're in the wrong but want to keep moving the goal posts.
This is exactly why I don't listen to polls, because they're not asked the right questions AND Republicans lie. They lie just for the fun of it. I never trust that Republicans will turn on President Klan Robe.
Glad that you mentioned that trump has already lost at the ballot box, Stephen. Instead of going away and building houses for the homeless or taking up painting as a hobby, he's whined about the 2020 election being "rigged and stollen," instigated an insurrection and is running for president again. The guy won't shut up or go away. Maybe, just maybe, this time, he will go away, when he loses again (I am being confident), if he's convicted.
As for individual states kicking trump. or any candidate, off the ballot, since each state runs their own elections, why should it be up to Congress? Either federalize the elections or let the states run them. Oh, and notice how quickly the Supreme Court came to this decision, but is dragging its heels on the immunity case?
It's almost adorable to see liberals defend this SCOTUS decision on the basis of "now, this will prevent GOP-led states from disqualifying Democratic candidates from the ballot!" Oh you sweet summer child, on what planet do you think GOP officials in Texas are thinking "oh crap, now we can't pull this stunt ourselves?" They absolutely will, under any pretense they want ("we are enforcing Texas's ballot access law that prohibits candidates who refuse to enforce the Constitution"), SCOTUS will come up with a reason to support it, or more likely refuse to rule on it as a political question.
And this SCOTUS ruling just gave Congress an end-run around impeachment--Congress could by a bare majority pass a law finding a president to be an insurrectionist and therefore ineligible for office. Could a GOP Congress do such a thing, when it would require them to discard the filibuster? To ask the question is to answer it.
Trump is the example that proves our judicial and electoral systems are broken. Both are hobbled by premodern anti-democratic ideas and rules: that all voters are not equal, that the legal machinery works differently based on the nature of the accused, that ultimate power should be in the hands of nine people who are unaccountable and are necessarily ignorant of most current knowledge. Voting harder isn’t going to fix any of this, but for most of us it’s all we’ve got.
“The disqualification of a national candidate by individual states would have opened up a big can of worms. Republicans in charge in key states would have started disqualifying Democrats.”
In other words, “Give in to the bullies. Give them what they want.”
Not only a markedly cowardly course, but a course *absolutely* guaranteed to ensure the bullies come back and demand more.
“but we know that Congress is a nearly non-functioning body.”
No. REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS are a non-functioning body.
We need to hold republicans responsible for their obstruction and inaction. We need to call them on their shit.
It isn’t “Congress” or “Washington” that is gridlocked or ineffective. It’s the REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS, and only them, that are causing the problems.
OT - SER, did you seeee? Kyrsten Sinema of the Sinema party is taking her boas and purple wigs and flouncing out of the Senate...
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/politics/kyrsten-sinema-announces-retirement/index.html
ETA: https://www.primogif.com/p/l0MYtowTGAb6hZA5i
Thank you!
I was just about to send this message! Great minds!!
https://wapo.st/3uPO4JQ
Thanks for explaining the dread I'm feeling.
None of this is surprising to me. It's how mob bosses work. Republicans have been setting up the machinery to plop Trump back in office for decades (see: SCOTUS decisions). What I am looking for is the corporate world abandoning the republican party (money) when they realize that the platform of the party will destroy their businesses. Imagine if troops and/or private militias are deployed into our cities. That's the end of people even being able to go to work, let alone go out and spend money.
Yeeks this is so scary and thanks for stating what should be obvious but somehow remains too unspoken.
I’m not demonizing Trump for rhetorical reasons. I’m demonizing him because he’s a demon. He must be stopped. The good news is that once voters see the binary choice we have, fewer will vote Red.
Donald Trump is a decades-long money-laundering, tax-dodging criminal and Russian asset that never should have been allowed anywhere near the White House, let alone the presidency. And would have already been in prison but for the failure(s) of our national security agencies to hold him accountable. Also a theme that has prevailed as he continued criming through his ‘reign of error’ and his ‘forced resignation.’
It is a ticking time bomb but it's a time bomb with a lot of institutional support given the way the USA is designed. But the good news is we've done this before and we'll do it again.
The House bill to disqualify Trump may be 'a waste of time', but it MUST be done. Surely there do still exist parliamentary procedures to get such a bill to the floor. And who knows... with the razor thin margin Republicans have, there may be a handful of still-sane Republicans who see Trump's danger like the rest of us who can get it passed. I believe they're called RINOs now.
Should Republicans end up blocking it, the effort still needs to be made, if only for posterity.
In this post-truth environment, does posterity actually matter? There's two impeachments under President Klan Robe's belt and that didn't change anything. In fact they're trying to set up cheapened impeachments for Biden to even the score. Who's going to call them out in a way that'll get covered? Mass media?
To your first point, re impeachments, the polling continues to suggest Trump voters will turn on him "if he's convicted", but they're saying this AFTER he's been convicted in the Carroll (civil) trial and the NY fraud trial. So that's a bunch of BS from people who know they're in the wrong but want to keep moving the goal posts.
This is exactly why I don't listen to polls, because they're not asked the right questions AND Republicans lie. They lie just for the fun of it. I never trust that Republicans will turn on President Klan Robe.
So we all gotta mount up.
Glad that you mentioned that trump has already lost at the ballot box, Stephen. Instead of going away and building houses for the homeless or taking up painting as a hobby, he's whined about the 2020 election being "rigged and stollen," instigated an insurrection and is running for president again. The guy won't shut up or go away. Maybe, just maybe, this time, he will go away, when he loses again (I am being confident), if he's convicted.
As for individual states kicking trump. or any candidate, off the ballot, since each state runs their own elections, why should it be up to Congress? Either federalize the elections or let the states run them. Oh, and notice how quickly the Supreme Court came to this decision, but is dragging its heels on the immunity case?
It's almost adorable to see liberals defend this SCOTUS decision on the basis of "now, this will prevent GOP-led states from disqualifying Democratic candidates from the ballot!" Oh you sweet summer child, on what planet do you think GOP officials in Texas are thinking "oh crap, now we can't pull this stunt ourselves?" They absolutely will, under any pretense they want ("we are enforcing Texas's ballot access law that prohibits candidates who refuse to enforce the Constitution"), SCOTUS will come up with a reason to support it, or more likely refuse to rule on it as a political question.
And this SCOTUS ruling just gave Congress an end-run around impeachment--Congress could by a bare majority pass a law finding a president to be an insurrectionist and therefore ineligible for office. Could a GOP Congress do such a thing, when it would require them to discard the filibuster? To ask the question is to answer it.
We're staring into the abyss now.
If we think of that class as ‘our owners’ we’ve lost already