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Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#324326: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:46:28 AM

[up][up][up] Thanks, that is much clearer. I agree that that could be the case, that it just looks like he is much more organized about this than he really is.

Well, I hope you're right that it is the latter, then.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
RainingMetal (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#324327: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:48:49 AM

I always say that reality is disappointing. What Trump does is usually mundane, not obfuscating something deeper.

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DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#324328: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:50:01 AM

If he was engaged in some conspiracy to launch a coup, he would have told us by now via Twitter.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#324329: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:50:18 AM

Well, I hope so. He sure seems to be sending up plenty of red flags.

[up] Well, he said he would like a third term, and that the election is rigged if he loses, and that he would love to be president for life, and he admires dictators. He sure seems to like the idea of it.

Edited by Redmess on Aug 18th 2020 at 6:52:54 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#324330: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:51:02 AM

The absolute clearest sign that Trump isn't intentionally building a power base is his pandemic response. All he had to do is repeat what Fauci said (see that bit about keeping useful people around) and he would have been fine.

Instead, Trump is so lacking in the basics of forethought that he instead managed to constantly unite people against him and work on killing his own supporters.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#324331: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:51:47 AM

Could we all agree to put a lid on the coup talk, at least until there's actual proof that a coup is happening come the results of November's election if Trump loses?

Disgusted, but not surprised
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#324332: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:52:00 AM

I have mentioned this before, but the one strength that Trump has it that he is very marketable. He's not charismatic himself, but he is very marketable. That can be a thing.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#324333: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:54:02 AM

[up][up][up] That is a good point.

But I wonder if that has more to do with him just not caring about it. Trump's behaviour differs a lot based on whether something affects him personally. Just look at what he is doing with the post office now.

Edited by Redmess on Aug 18th 2020 at 6:54:34 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#324334: Aug 18th 2020 at 9:58:17 AM

In fairness Redmess seems to have moved on once we sorted out the translation issue, it’s other people who aren’t letting it go.

I feel like people are getting hung up on if something meets a certain criteria for being smart or not, that’s such a subjective thing that I’m not sure it’s worth going into. We’d be better off looking at what is within an individual’s power, an awful lot of election tampering is within Trump’s power, though he’s getting pushback on all of it, hopefully democrats have plans for if anything more extreme gets tried.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#324335: Aug 18th 2020 at 10:08:07 AM

The relevance of Trump's intelligence lies in assessing his likely behaviour. If you assume that he's acting more or less on reflex to surround himself with yesmen and lashing out at anything that offends him, he is extremely predictable. Insisting that he's intelligent and might have some plan means ignoring the actual threat he's waving in our face constantly.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#324336: Aug 18th 2020 at 10:08:47 AM

[up][up] Agreed. I also think an important question is, will the Republicans go all the way with him, and if they do, will Democrats be able to stop them?

[up] My point was that by insisting he has no intelligence whatsoever, you run the risk of ignoring a more coherent threat. You don't want to overestimate him, but underestimating would be equally dangerous.

Edited by Redmess on Aug 18th 2020 at 7:10:50 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
TitanJump Since: Sep, 2013 Relationship Status: Singularity
#324337: Aug 18th 2020 at 10:21:26 AM

Trump isn't the dangerous one here.

His cult (aka: "MAGA" and "GOP") are since they are the ones that are giving him the power to do all the autocratic and insane things he keeps sporadically spouting on a daily basis.

Deal with those first and without them, Trump loses all his power faster than a Scooby-Doo villain when the mask comes off.

Edited by TitanJump on Aug 18th 2020 at 7:23:31 PM

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#324338: Aug 18th 2020 at 10:37:14 AM

will the Republicans go all the way with him, and if they do, will Democrats be able to stop them?

Depends on what you mean by “all the way”, if we’re just focused on election rigging than yes all indicators are they will, this will include the stopping of recounts in red states so as to ensure Trump wins that state, that’s what the GOP did in 2000 to ensure Bush won Florida.

As for Democrats stopping them, it’s not so much stopping as mitigating. There been a level of election rigging in US elections as long as they’ve happened, it’s never been completely stoped, but it can be mitigated and overwhelmed.

Democrats are pushing hard on the postal service issue and ensuring that people get re-registered when they’re culled and stay in line all night.

The biggest asset democrats have is governorships, a number of key swing states have democrat governors, who can prevent a chunk of the election-rigging happening at a state level.

There’s a reason I don’t think Biden will he declared to win Georgia, it won’t matter if he gets more votes there, it’s a full GOP controlled state, they’ll find a way to steal it.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#324339: Aug 18th 2020 at 10:46:23 AM

Statement from DeJoy: he will be suspending USPS operational changes until after the elections.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
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CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#324341: Aug 18th 2020 at 10:51:37 AM

[cue J. Jonah Jameson laugh meme]

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#324342: Aug 18th 2020 at 10:56:06 AM

I hope democrats don’t lighten up on the push for his removal, not jsut be whale he can’t be trusted, but a message needs to be sent to those who might consider helping Trump with his fraud.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#324343: Aug 18th 2020 at 11:52:04 AM

I strongly doubt it. Pelosi's no fool.

I kind of suspected this could seriously backfire. Wisconsin showed that people WILL vote in person to punish them, and the storm of negative publicity and political response did way more harm than good to Trump and his cronies.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Demongodofchaos2 Face me now, bitch! from In a Cultivation World (Ancient one) Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Face me now, bitch!
#324345: Aug 18th 2020 at 12:36:52 PM

Of course they would do that.....

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ShadowWingLG Since: Dec, 2013
#324346: Aug 18th 2020 at 12:37:51 PM

Re: USPS Mayhem

This is looking more and more likely to blow up in Trump's face, A fair chunk of his base LIKES the USPS, every social media site is covered with tips and tricks of how to vote by mail and how to make sure your vote is counted ect.

Its also ticking people OFF, and we have seen over the past 3-4 years that is motivating people like nothing else to get up, get out and VOTE.

Trump losing is still not a sure thing, but I have to say that Biden's chances are looking better and the idea that we MIGHT take the Senate while we are at it is now a possibility.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#324347: Aug 18th 2020 at 12:47:44 PM

Speaking of the Trump administration's attempted rigging, at least 20 states plan to sue the Post office over the delays in service.

It's great to see a large chunk of the state's standing against Trump's attempt to subvert out democracy, hopefully, it'll bear fruit.

[up]Technically it was always a possibility, especially once the pandemic happened, but yeah there is a non-zero chance that Trump's transparent attempt at rigging could backfire massively.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Aug 18th 2020 at 12:50:00 PM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#324348: Aug 18th 2020 at 2:03:45 PM

Couple things.

One - I feel like Putin is likely to laugh him out of the country now that he's outlived his usefulness. - except Trump could still be useful in that situation because he'd be "officially" a "President-In-Exile" and a way to keep disrupting US politics if the media or politicians give him any of the attention he demands - and you know Fox News would be all too happy to oblige.

And for those pooh-poohing Trump as a useful idiot - the inherent problem is that he's essentially hijacked the party, to the point that not showing sufficient deference to him gets the Republican primaried, and a lot of the time (see: Jeff Sessions) losing the race because the base doesn't consider them extreme enough. That's a dangerous aspect to Trump that should not be glossed over.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#324349: Aug 18th 2020 at 2:06:38 PM

Trump is not going to flee to Russia. That would require him to believe that his actions have consequences.

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DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#324350: Aug 18th 2020 at 2:17:08 PM

If Trump truly worried about any consequences from his actions, the easiest thing for him to do would be to fake an Illness of some time, that would require Mike Pence to be temporarily promoted to President. Then Pence pardons Trump of any crimes, and all of a sudden, Trump's feeling better and he comes back as President. And while the Democrats call foul, the Republicans support the clear abuse of power.

Thankfully, if Trump did this, it means he lost to Biden so we'd only have to wait a few Months until he leaves anyways.


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