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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#162851: Dec 16th 2016 at 12:53:36 PM

It was Obama's sworn duty to protect us from falling prey to foreign influence. Trump has violated the 14th Amendment. The Constitution should prevent him from becoming President, and Obama should uphold the Constitution.

Instead, he's spouting platitudes and lecturing us on the very same values that are about to be made mockery of by the next administration.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
Yinyang107 from the True North (Decatroper) Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#162853: Dec 16th 2016 at 12:55:37 PM

I suspect that they do not have enough evidence to prove that he did indeed violate it.

Oh God! Natural light!
RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#162854: Dec 16th 2016 at 12:56:29 PM

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#162855: Dec 16th 2016 at 12:58:19 PM

Has Trump ever taken a oath to support the constitution?

FergardStratoavis A Fluff Ringer from Bellveins (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: A gay little love melody
A Fluff Ringer
#162856: Dec 16th 2016 at 12:59:28 PM

Without clear-cut evidence, he can't be held under Constitution.

Really, there isn't much Obama can do now, as I understand.

Yinyang107 from the True North (Decatroper) Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
#162857: Dec 16th 2016 at 12:59:56 PM

I believe that the Russian hacking was done without Trump's knowledge. Russia wasn't trying to help him, they were trying to serve their own interests.

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#162858: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:00:49 PM

That is why he is going after Russia instead of Trump, granted it dosent mean much since Trump is pretty much giving is ass to Russia but there you go.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#162859: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:00:54 PM

Bluefish I can't agree with you here, it's not Obama's responsibility unless he wants to subvert US democracy itself. What you're suggesting is tacitly encouraging authoritarianism and would set a terrible precedent.

RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#162860: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:01:59 PM

Democracy has already been subverted and we're headed towards authoritarianism anyway.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#162861: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:02:30 PM

And what you're suggesting would lend Trump the keys to make things even worse.

randomdude4 Since: May, 2011
#162862: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:02:45 PM

[up][up][up]Exactly. As great of a leader as Obama may be, he isn't perfect, and his successor(s) might wind up being horrible corrupt and evil, far more so than Trump if they have unlimited power.

edited 16th Dec '16 1:03:04 PM by randomdude4

"Can't make an omelette without breaking some children." -Bur
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#162863: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:03:00 PM

"I WANT OBAMA TO SUBVERT DEMOCRACY BECAUSE I'M AFRAID TRUMP WILL SUBVERT DEMOCRACY!!"

New Survey coming this weekend!
Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#162864: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:03:05 PM

The thing for me is, while you claim Trump will destroy democracy, no one can be sure of that. Will he be a bad president? Probably. Will he be the ultimate undoer of freedom and democratic values in America? I really don't think so.

Life is unfair...
Yinyang107 from the True North (Decatroper) Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#162866: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:09:05 PM

I'm actually relieved it wasn't anything especially riot-worthy.

Disgusted, but not surprised
ThriceCharming Since: Nov, 2013
#162867: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:09:32 PM

Well, that was a massive waste of everybody's time.

I have never been more disappointed in Barack Obama.

Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#162868: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:09:38 PM

To be perfectly honest, I would have liked a Godfather-like montage of Trump and his associates being arrested during the press conference but I can see there's a problem with responding to what is a bloodless coup of sorts in a way that would guarantee bloodshed. And I say this partly for pragmatic reasons since Trump's supporters have all of the guns and he's wildly popular with law enforcement.

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#162869: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:11:54 PM

I'm disappointed in the outcome but not with Obama himself because honestly there's not a lot he could've done anyway, not unilaterally. The best outcome is the CIA and FBI having enough damning evidence at this point for him to declare Trump an enemy of the state but that wasn't going to be likely.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#162870: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:12:52 PM

Every democracy has safety checks. It is actually the job of the electorate college to keep unfit persons from becoming the president. If that fails, the congress is supposed to keep the president in check. But currently nobody (except for one Republican from the EC) has stepped up and voiced his willingness to stop this.
Wikipedia indicates that a lot more than one elector have voiced their concerns. To be specific, "On December 10, ten electors, in an open letter headed by Christine Pelosi to the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, demanded an intelligence briefing in light of Russian interference in the election to help Trump win the presidency. After the letter was released, over 20 additional electors signed it." That's at least 30 electors.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#162871: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:13:26 PM

Grafite: I think, out of simple "my country has had this exact same shit happen before", that you're all probably underestimating:

  • His corruption (as hard to believe as it sounds)
  • How blatant it'll be
  • How much people will defend his administration
  • His incompetence
  • The cultishness he'll generate
  • The unintentional harm caused by his administration

But you're probably overestimating the intentional harm he'll cause (Edit: Climate Change notwithstanding).

[up] Those are Democratic electors, only one Republican has said he wouldn't. (Lessig has claimed about 20 have approached him about it).

edited 16th Dec '16 1:28:29 PM by IFwanderer

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#162872: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:13:48 PM

Look, I don't know, okay?

I know it's my own fault for not listening to my own advice. But it felt so much like something was being built up to here. The White House had been issuing so many bombshell statements about Trump's relationship with Russia. They had said that a smooth transition of power was no longer a priority for them. The FBI and CIA just agreed that Russia interfered with the specific goal of getting Trump elected.

It felt like we were about to start fighting back, and our leaders were going to show some spine and take a stand. Nobody wanted Obama to suddenly declare himself God-Emperor, but he could have said something. Something besides the same tired "give him a chance" he'd been saying all along, and dodging the most important questions.

Instead, he just...didn't say much of anything. Not so much as a condemnation of hate crimes or Trump's self-evident contempt for everything that supposedly makes America great.

And pretty soon it's going to be too late. Once Trump's in power, he can start changing the rules. It's going to be North Carolina, only on a national scale.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#162873: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:14:07 PM

Currently I think the number is around 50, but most of them are Democrats.

It's been fun.
WertyYertrew <33 from on a bus. Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
<33
#162874: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:15:12 PM

As distasteful as I find the prospect of a man like Donald Trump becoming president, I would consider attempts by the current sitting president to subvert the election process to be beyond the pale. Based on Obama's history in studying and professing Constitutional law, he probably shares that sentiment. I'm a little surprised at how relatively uneventful the conference was, but it was to be expected.

The best we can hope for now is an effective electoral revolt, as slim as that possibility may seem.

edited 16th Dec '16 1:15:29 PM by WertyYertrew

but the future refused to change. the miracle never happen.
Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#162875: Dec 16th 2016 at 1:18:56 PM

I honestly wasn't expecting Obama to say anything drastic really. Almost half of America would be incredibly revolted if that happened. Still, he managed to send some subliminal messages to Trump which I hope he at least heard and may ponder about (specially with the Taiwan issue).

Edit: Also, Wanderer, I'm sorry for what happened with your country, but I just don't see the same thing occuring in a nation like the USA in this age of information.

edited 16th Dec '16 1:20:40 PM by Grafite

Life is unfair...

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