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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
Yeah, it's all wishful thinking. While we do have to acknowledge the reality of his election and upcoming administration, we do not have to accept this as normal. Nor should we get our hopes up that somehow he'll shape up and be a decent POTUS. He won't. He's seventy — he's not changing his spots any time soon.
Disgusted, but not surprisedOne hopes Bannon's obsession to make the GOP the White Nationalist Party ends up back firing on him and reducing the GOP to a Rump Party, then.
The other thing is being in power places different pressures and expectations on lawmakers than when they're out of powers. I'm in no way talking Trump, but Congress typically finds itself gummed up due to idiosyncrasies of the system. As well, the Senate's unique structure and political make up makes it far less blatantly ideologically rigid than the House. And based on early information, the elder GOP members there believe deeply in theater and 'rules' and the 'system'.
As well, didn't someone mention that the GOP might be facing a local level crisis due to a likely wave of retirements and other combined factors?
edited 21st Nov '16 7:11:25 AM by PotatoesRock
I'm not saying that capitulation is necessary, but Jesus, we need to start fighting worthwhile (and)/or winnable battles. Making a big deal out of the Electoral College won't go anywhere. Trump will still be president, the EC, out of respect for precedent and/or fearing for their personal safety, will vote him in, and there's nothing we can do. This sort of story is the kind of thing Trump and company want us to be distracted by, so that his new regime squeaks through with less controversy.
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Either that or someone gets so pissed off that they try to take a more... direct approach. I'm not advocating anything of the sort myself, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries to literally invoke the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune upon Mr.Trump.
Or letting Schumer and co. block the worst cuts to Social Security, Obamacare, Medicare and the like possible. For anything absolutely banans, the Republicans still need 8 Democrats to side with them, as long as McConnell respects rights of the minority. And again, McConnell being what he is, is absolutely a political weasel. Of what's known, he has nowhere near Ryan's level of blatant sociopathy and is absolutely more than willing to broker deals across the aisle because That's How Things Are Done.
- Over Seventy
- On Cholesterol Medication
- Apparently eats a diet high in red meat and fast food
- Sleeps 2-3 hours a night apparently
- Stays up until ungodly hours
- Is overweight
And this is without the stress of the presidency on him.
An EC revolt would just trigger a right-wing reaction that would give the 2020 race to someone worse.
Also, stupid Trump supporters can't even attack the right Hamilton.
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.Pence, despite his terrible bigotry (that's going to worm its way into policy even if he's only a passive VP, his party shares his views and Trump won't stop them), isn't going to start crashing economies or triggering international incidents out of spite and impulsive reactions.
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.I guess it boils down to what you think is worse: a bigoted zealous ideologue who is able to keep up a Mask of Sanity, or an unstable Weak-Willed Adult Child who has no clue what he's doing and has no grasp of the responsibility that comes with his new position.
Disgusted, but not surprisedACA, Medicaid and Net Neutrality are probably screwed. Pence, Trump, Ryan, doesn't matter. They'll burn it all down.
Americans collectively (or at least ~48%-49% of those who bothered to vote...) screwed themselves, humanity and the planet on November 8th. There is no way out of this. Pence and Ryan are better in that they aren't unstable, so they'll "only" implement terrible policies but probably won't burn down the system in the short term.
I can't see Ryan or Pence letting Putin overrun Eastern Europe, crashing Mexico's economy, or pushing Japan and South Korea to withdraw from the NPT.
edited 21st Nov '16 8:14:44 AM by Rationalinsanity
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.On Obama's term Net Neutrality was under threat by SOPA and PIPA but the backlash from both public and the tech industry was really big.
Trump trying to threaten the Net Neutrality again could get an even bigger backlash this time since the Democrats would be against it and the Republicans aren't 100% on the same page when it comes to it.
Tech giants really don't like anything that threatens Net Neutrality specially because it would harm their business models since it puts too much power on the hands of big content makers like Hollywood and Internet Service Providers like Verizon and AT&T. So they are more likely to pull some string again to bar an act like that from being voted into law.
Inter arma enim silent legesThe US is so partisan now that Electors giving it to Hil will have the same effect at this point as him winning did. He'd then be proven right about the riggedness.
No, if liberals/democrats want to see success going forward, creating a culture of voting in the mid terms and focusing on local races is their only bet. Getting off the high horse wouldn't hurt either, for some.
@Rationalinsanity: I think you meant to write "legitimate" instead of "illegitimate".
Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.An HRC administration is not going to happen. That ship has sailed. The EC voters could refuse to give Trump the 270 votes he needs to win it without going to the House. The House would then make Trump POTUS anyway.
The only real change I can see if that happened (unlikely as it may be) is a Trump administration whose legitimacy is further weakened + an incentive to finally get rid of the EC.
Honestly, I'd be fine with just those. But I'm fully aware it's almost certainly not gonna happen.
edited 21st Nov '16 9:29:08 AM by M84
Disgusted, but not surprised

Exactly. No matter what happens, we net a positive out of it.
The important part is we don't get four years of Neo-Nazis running the show.
By "we" I mean anyone who two or more of the following:
sane, liberal, racial or ethnic minority, gender/sexual minority, religious minority, or in financial crisis.
Bear in mind I'm claiming that this would be the ideal situation
Not one I'm expecting, or really even hoping for.
edited 21st Nov '16 7:03:59 AM by blkwhtrbbt
Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you