rolling “Trump is gonna win” containment thread

I've liked their New Yorker stuff.

Trump is not complex. His declaration of victory "by a lot" was an attempt at an autocratic breakthrough. But, typically for him, it was only effective at deluding his most clueless supporters, who are mostly good for driving around in pickups yelling "we love Trump". They aren't organized and he has no interest in organizing them, so they're useless to him for overturning the election.

my mom called Trumps voter fraud line and told them she saw a guy in Atlanta alter the ballots by staring at them for several minutes

<3

(It was a prank call, maybe shouldn’t have posted that)

Trump is not complex. His declaration of victory "by a lot" was an attempt at an autocratic breakthrough. But, typically for him, it was only effective at deluding his most clueless supporters, who are mostly good for driving around in pickups yelling "we love Trump". They aren't organized and he has no interest in organizing them, so they're useless to him for overturning the election.

― the unappreciated charisma of cows (Aimless), Monday, November 9, 2020 1:01 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I'd say this is right, which is why I both agree that Trump was attempting *something* and that at the same time calling it a fancy term like "autocratic breakthrough" gives it too much credit. He's reacting instinctively and trying everything he can, but it's not like he developed some sophisticated plot to remain in office/seize power. He doesn't have the chops or the wherewithal for a true autocratic breakthrough, even as POTUS. In the same sense that it would be a stretch to call the Whitmer kidnapping plot an "attempted coup," since they didn't get that close, and even if they had kidnapped her it's not like they could have overthrown the government of Michigan.

the phrase "autocratic attempt" is a good one, i think, because he really did try to cancel the popular will and re-install himself as prez with his attacks on the mail and the legitimacy of the electoral process. it's looking like he failed, but he did "attempt" it.

somewhat half-assedly of course

rolling trump is gonna coup containment thread

Coup coup kachoo

I know, but when's the joke coming that that's the punchline for?

got stuck in a doctor’s waiting room today and dealt with a half hour harangue by some older dude about how trump is gonna pull it out (fake signatures on ballots on Wisconsin) and I said “uh huh” so many times that I died

can't wait til audits causes Trump to lose votes in recounts

Clay, you have more fortitude than I do. I would have told that geezer to fuck off.

Trump is prepping to quell mass protests if he manages to stay in power. Firing of Esper is part of a contingency plan that has been in place for just this occasion. I’m not saying he can pull this off, but he’s ready to try. Obviously Trump is too inept/lazy to orchestrate a coup, but I smell Barr all over this.

The last thing I want to smell is Barr on anything.

The SecDef - especially a new one - is not going to have the leverage they need here. They would need to fire the generals that aren't loyal.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOtO_HSvY7I/X6b6WSpcnXI/AAAAAAAAA4U/vOZEK4IbcGoQ82Qg1Qq8qZmAk-TntY5hACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/72dT.gif

Pivoting from the general politics thread, as it better belongs here:

It's rich to see so many in the media claiming the 2024 nomination is "Trump's if he wants it

I can pretty easily see him elected again in 4 years, when a lot of mitigating factors will likely be ... de-mitigated? The things working against him are harder to gauge: his age (though he'd be as old as Biden is now), his health, his legal jeopardy (though iirc a felon can still run for president). But worst of all, as hopeless as congress will be for the next couple of years, if Trump immediately runs again then a whole bunch of basic safeguards that need to be bolstered or put back in place could fail to take root, as the GOP, still controlled/dominated by Asshole, will absolutely block even basic precautionary measures, claiming they are being pushed to prevent Trump from winning again, which of course would be cheating/a preememptive coup/undemocratic/some bullshit. Which makes the GA races all the more key, to get stuff enacted while the Dems can.

Best case scenario, if he runs, is he runs third party.

this is why they need to prosecute him, not that going to jail for a little while will stop him from running again.

or +- 45% of the country from voting for him anyway

this is why they need to prosecute him

"They," who? The incoming DOJ?

better send him to jail.
or somehow help him off thsi mortal coil.
Tie him to McConnell and see how well they float . Maybe its time they initaited Space Force all by themselves like and cut the budget so teh spaceship gets returned like an OP bus w/o them

we call that pulling an "Event Horizon"

I could see him running from prison a la Larouche and doing quite well

A fitting retirement plan for a crime boss.

"They," who? The incoming DOJ?

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, November 12, 2020 10:27 AM (six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

yes

they should probably form a truth & reconciliation committee, but i think that's fairly unlikely

He's going to blanket pardon himself pretty soon. The only criminal comeuppance would come in NYS.

Can't pardon yourself for something you haven't been convicted of.

but you can try!

"I hereby declare myself not guilty of ... everything!"

It's going to be like when he "claimed" Michigan in the election, in that he will just tweet it out and think that covers him. Like he will totally tweet out at 11:59 on January 19th:

"I hereby Pardon myself from any and all Past and Future crimes."

Trump will be President from jail

And I won't contain my glee.

when he gets visitors, they will buy him Swedish Fish from the vending machine, and he'll write his Executive orders via positioning the fish to look like letters

At long goddamn last, what fucking 'freedom' are these dumb assholes fighting for? Do they think a mask is a fucking burqa and that they're giving into sharia law or some shit if they wear it?

I'm genuinely all about handing out some negligent homicide charges to these fucks at this point.

It's the 'freedom' of not having to think about how your behaviour affects others.

sometimes the idea of just not caring feels like bliss. but i can never be that kind of person and forgive myself.

Can't pardon yourself for something you haven't been convicted of.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, November 12, 2020 11:22 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

In fact this is not at all clear. He can pardom himself for whatever he wants, whenever wants, about very sweeping, general things. An objection to any pardon would take place in the courts, and probably not hold up too well.

Here's SCOTUS in Ex parte Garland, 71 U.S. 333 (1866)

The power of pardon conferred by the Constitution upon the President is unlimited except in cases of impeachment. It extends to every offence known to the law, and may be exercised at any time after its commission, either before legal proceedings are taken or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment. The power is not subject to legislative control.

You can bet that sometime in the next eight weeks he's basically going to assert in writing that he's immune from prosecution for any crimes he has been or will be accused of during his term.

(federal prosecution, that is)

Only if its not actually him writing it

Not gonna lie ... these last couple weeks, I've been feeling the fear

There are still some unknowns. The election is still a year away. Trump has yet to choose his VP candidate and I bet he/she will be an absolute freak, not a reassuring dullard. One or more of the candidates could die. I’m kind of hoping both Biden and Trump kick the bucket and we can have the Whitmer Wave we deserve.

Yeah. It seems completely insane that it’s even a possibility, and I don’t put a lot of stock in current polling. But. As I said to a friend, show me the last incumbent with the kind of approval/wrong track ratings Biden is at who won re-election.

remember this clown has been off mainstream tv screens apart from some silent court footage/photos for the last year and a half or so. once he starts talking again it will go south

Biden would absolutely lose to any of these bozos-- Hailey, Christie, maybe even Vivek. Trump, though--I'm not so sure.

once he starts talking again it will go south

I mean, letting him talk all over every network constantly back in 2016 didn't exactly hurt him.

I don't feel the fear yet. Polls have been increasingly unstable since 2016.

it did tho, ultimately. and once people remember how shitty everything was