Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Oops - your Trump presidency discussion thread
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Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081
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Posted
A sign that Trump may now be in serious trouble: the affair is, reportedly, affecting stock market prices. That might start putting more pressure on Congress members.
-------------------- Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy
Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002
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MaryLouise
Shipmate
# 18697
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Posted
"No politician has ever been treated worse...." (Trump)
And South African Twitter begins posting pics of Nelson Mandela who spent 27 years behind bars for fighting apartheid.
-------------------- “As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”
-- Ivy Compton-Burnett
Posts: 646 | From: Cape Town | Registered: Nov 2016
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Boogie
Boogie on down!
# 13538
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Posted
If Trump is impeached and removed as president where will he go, what will happen to him?
-------------------- Garden. Room. Walk
Posts: 13030 | From: Boogie Wonderland | Registered: Mar 2008
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Clint Boggis
Shipmate
# 633
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Posted
... to hide in a germ-free environemt in Trump Tower with all external criticism filtered from his media input stream ? . [ 18. May 2017, 08:17: Message edited by: Clint Boggis ]
Posts: 1505 | From: south coast | Registered: Jun 2001
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Enoch
Shipmate
# 14322
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Zappa: He can only hope his Chechen/Russian is better than his English.
Chechen is a bit more obscure but Russian should have some similarities to Slovene.
-------------------- Brexit wrexit - Sir Graham Watson
Posts: 7610 | From: Bristol UK(was European Green Capital 2015, now Ljubljana) | Registered: Nov 2008
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Martin60
Shipmate
# 368
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by MaryLouise: "No politician has ever been treated worse...." (Trump)
Mussolini? Ceausescu? [ 18. May 2017, 08:32: Message edited by: Martin60 ]
-------------------- Love wins
Posts: 17586 | From: Never Dobunni after all. Corieltauvi after all. Just moved to the capital. | Registered: Jun 2001
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Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Clint Boggis: ... to hide in a germ-free environemt in Trump Tower with all external criticism filtered from his media input stream ?
If he starts that Trump TV network he's talked about, he could watch himself.
-------------------- Blessed Gator, pray for us! --"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon") --"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")
Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001
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Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081
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Posted
That would be my guess.
-------------------- Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy
Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002
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L'organist
Shipmate
# 17338
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Posted
LOVE the advice from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to organisers of the forthcoming NATO summit: while its their own decision to try to limit speeches they do note advice from White House officials that Trump's name be mentioned in ...as many paragraphs as we can because he keeps reading if he’s mentioned..., and also that DT likes illustrations - graphs, charts, photographs, etc - in any paper.
In other words, DT has the attention span of a gnat and, like a small child, responds better to a picture-book than straight text.
Who knew that the office of POTUS was now open to people of low intellect with ADHD - the ultimate equal opportunity.
-------------------- Rara temporum felicitate ubi sentire quae velis et quae sentias dicere licet
Posts: 4950 | From: somewhere in England... | Registered: Sep 2012
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Boogie
Boogie on down!
# 13538
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by L'organist: LOVE the advice from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to organisers of the forthcoming NATO summit: while its their own decision to try to limit speeches they do note advice from White House officials that Trump's name be mentioned in ...as many paragraphs as we can because he keeps reading if he’s mentioned..., and also that DT likes illustrations - graphs, charts, photographs, etc - in any paper.
In other words, DT has the attention span of a gnat and, like a small child, responds better to a picture-book than straight text.
Who knew that the office of POTUS was now open to people of low intellect with ADHD - the ultimate equal opportunity.
Don't you dare compare his foolishnesss to ADHD. Plenty of brilliant and competent people have ADHD.
-------------------- Garden. Room. Walk
Posts: 13030 | From: Boogie Wonderland | Registered: Mar 2008
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Pangolin Guerre
Shipmate
# 18686
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Martin60: quote: Originally posted by MaryLouise: "No politician has ever been treated worse...." (Trump)
Mussolini? Ceausescu?
They weren't ill used. Just deserts.
That's not a defence of Trump. It's challenging the implication, in the context of Trump's whine, that Mussolini and Ceausescu were undeservedly abused. Now, Mandela was someone who you can say was the recipient of gross injustice. [ 18. May 2017, 13:05: Message edited by: Pangolin Guerre ]
Posts: 758 | From: 30 arpents de neige | Registered: Nov 2016
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Wesley J
Silly Shipmate
# 6075
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Enoch: quote: Originally posted by Zappa: He can only hope his Chechen/Russian is better than his English.
Chechen is a bit more obscure but Russian should have some similarities to Slovene.
He's rather slovenly in his doings. And I don't blame his wife.
-------------------- Be it as it may: Wesley J will stay. --- Euthanasia, that sounds good. An alpine neutral neighbourhood. Then back to Britain, all dressed in wood. Things were gonna get worse. (John Cooper Clarke)
Posts: 7354 | From: The Isles of Silly | Registered: May 2004
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Wesley J
Silly Shipmate
# 6075
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Boogie: quote: Originally posted by L'organist: LOVE the advice from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to organisers of the forthcoming NATO summit: while its their own decision to try to limit speeches they do note advice from White House officials that Trump's name be mentioned in ...as many paragraphs as we can because he keeps reading if he’s mentioned..., and also that DT likes illustrations - graphs, charts, photographs, etc - in any paper.
In other words, DT has the attention span of a gnat and, like a small child, responds better to a picture-book than straight text.
Who knew that the office of POTUS was now open to people of low intellect with ADHD - the ultimate equal opportunity.
Don't you dare compare his foolishnesss to ADHD. Plenty of brilliant and competent people have ADHD.
Some even have ADSL!
-------------------- Be it as it may: Wesley J will stay. --- Euthanasia, that sounds good. An alpine neutral neighbourhood. Then back to Britain, all dressed in wood. Things were gonna get worse. (John Cooper Clarke)
Posts: 7354 | From: The Isles of Silly | Registered: May 2004
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Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378
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Posted
Now the man baby is complaining no politician has been treated so unfairly....
Has he ever met Nelson Mandela?
Posts: 2193 | From: Pullman WA | Registered: Apr 2011
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
I doubt if he'd recognise Mandela's name - and even then, he'd probably dismiss NM (having been shown a picture of him) as just another of those annoying brown people not-like-us....
IJ
-------------------- Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
Hey, has anyone actually seen Mandela's birth certificate?
-------------------- Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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Og, King of Bashan
Ship's giant Amorite
# 9562
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Posted
I haven't seen this linked to above, so for your entertainment, the latest head shaker from the Washington Post.
At a private meeting of Republican congressional leaders back in June of 2016, the House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy of California, stated "There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump. . . . Swear to God!"
Not wanting this discussion to go any further, Speaker Ryan told the assembled leaders, "No leaks. . . . This is how we know we’re a real family here."
The best part of the story is that when the Post originally contacted one of McCarthy's staffers about this exchange earlier this week, the staffer denied that it ever happened. Upon being informed that the Post had tape and transcript, he immediately changed his tune, saying it was all a joke.
Now I'm hearing Republicans saying that Trump's comments to Comey about ending the Flynn investigation weren't serious.
You know you are dealing with a bunch of CIS white guys when everyone involved believes that simply saying "I didn't mean anything by that, it was a joke" will clear up everything. (And I say that as a big clumsy CIS white guy myself.)
-------------------- "I like to eat crawfish and drink beer. That's despair?" ― Walker Percy
Posts: 3259 | From: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: May 2005
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Og, King of Bashan
Ship's giant Amorite
# 9562
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Posted
Read the transcript of the conversation yourself.
Good old boys shooting the shit? Admission of knowledge? People who should have started asking a lot more questions? Or something else? You be the judge.
-------------------- "I like to eat crawfish and drink beer. That's despair?" ― Walker Percy
Posts: 3259 | From: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: May 2005
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
Yeah, I'm not sure the punchline of "ha ha, our candidate's a traitor" (McCarthy) should be "no one leak this" (Ryan). I know if you have to explain a joke it's not funny any more, but given that it doesn't seem to have been funny in the first place I think a better explanation is in order.
And yes, it does seems to be the go-to excuse for straight white guys saying something inexcusable. I've seen the same excuse trotted out in an attempt to explain away Trump pressuring Comey to drop the Flynn investigation.
quote: Trump: Knock knock.
Comey: Who's there?
Trump: Drop the Flynn investigation.
Comey: Uhhh . . .
Trump: You're fired!
I guess that kind of sophisticated humor just goes over my head.
Other interesting overnight revelations include:
-------------------- Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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Stetson
Shipmate
# 9597
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan: Read the transcript of the conversation yourself.
Good old boys shooting the shit? Admission of knowledge? People who should have started asking a lot more questions? Or something else? You be the judge.
I dunno. In my experience, the phrase "Swear to God" is often used when the intended insinuation is something like "Well, I have no way of proving this is true, but ya gotta admit, it sure seems like it could be".
For example: "My sister's boyfriend works a dead-end job, but he drives a Mercedes Benz and always has loads of cash. I swear to God, he's with the mob or something."
So, I'd be willing to believe that Ryan et al were just repeating rumours they had heard, or speculating based on circumstantial evidence.
Posts: 6574 | From: back and forth between bible belts | Registered: Jun 2005
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Bishops Finger: I doubt if he'd recognise Mandela's name - and even then, he'd probably dismiss NM (having been shown a picture of him) as just another of those annoying brown people not-like-us....
IJ
Yeah, I'm pretty sure only white Americans count...
...but even within that narrow constraint, McKinley, Lincoln, and Kennedy are looking at Trump from their early graves with raised eyebrows...
-------------------- "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." -Frederick Buechner
Posts: 11242 | From: a small canyon overlooking the city | Registered: Jan 2008
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Stetson: quote: Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan: Read the transcript of the conversation yourself.
Good old boys shooting the shit? Admission of knowledge? People who should have started asking a lot more questions? Or something else? You be the judge.
I dunno. In my experience, the phrase "Swear to God" is often used when the intended insinuation is something like "Well, I have no way of proving this is true, but ya gotta admit, it sure seems like it could be".
For example: "My sister's boyfriend works a dead-end job, but he drives a Mercedes Benz and always has loads of cash. I swear to God, he's with the mob or something."
So, I'd be willing to believe that Ryan et al were just repeating rumours they had heard, or speculating based on circumstantial evidence.
Yeah, if only there were some responsible figure within the Republican party who might take such circumstantial evidence seriously and dig a bit. Maybe the Republican Speaker of the House? I understand he and Paul Ryan are supposedly pretty tight.
Your sister's boyfriend who works a dead-end job and drives a Mercedes is just idle speculation, but if that boyfriend asks if he can store a whole bunch of sealed containers in your basement maybe a little more curiosity is in order?
-------------------- Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
And the point of the McCarthy quote was not that McCarthy had verifiable proof of Russian collusion, but rather simply that the GOP had knowledge of the reasonable suspicion of Russian collusion, but went ahead and supported the candidate regardless. Even with the more generous "my sister's boyfriend is a mobster" scenario, the implication is "I think something fishy is going on here".
Of course, the notion that the GOP puts party and special interests above the good of the country is hardly earth-shattering at this point...
-------------------- "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." -Frederick Buechner
Posts: 11242 | From: a small canyon overlooking the city | Registered: Jan 2008
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Boogie
Boogie on down!
# 13538
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Posted
This rings true -
From the Huffpost ...
Submitted by Dawn Sardella-Ayres ...
"This is why I think he's TRYING to be impeached: he'll frame it as a "personal attack" by his "enemies." He doesn't want to be POTUS. On some level, he has to know he's a complete failure at it. So this way, he can save face (in his POV), continue to play the victim, and then go on to start the Brietbart-backed TrumpTV, which is how this whole crapfest started in the first place.
He can be back where he prefers, with his mug in front of the camera, no real responsibilities, in an echo-chamber of his fans, whining about how he totally WAS making America great again, but all the liberals/Washington insiders/RINOs/FakeNews/other people obstructed him. Waaaaah!"
-------------------- Garden. Room. Walk
Posts: 13030 | From: Boogie Wonderland | Registered: Mar 2008
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
Indeed. And if he can find a cushy armchair seat for 3/4 of the line of succession so we don't end up with a President Pence or a President Tillerson, I'd be cheering it on. Heck, I'd be willing to pledge to tune in for the 20 min a week I could probably manage to suffer thru it without just to keep them constrained to that venue where we can keep an eye on them. I'd consider it an act of public service similar to serving on jury duty.
-------------------- "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." -Frederick Buechner
Posts: 11242 | From: a small canyon overlooking the city | Registered: Jan 2008
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by cliffdweller: Indeed. And if he can find a cushy armchair seat for 3/4 of the line of succession so we don't end up with a President Pence or a President Tillerson, I'd be cheering it on.
As an aside, Orin Hatch (president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate) is actually ahead of Rex Tillerson in the line of presidential succession.
-------------------- Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Crœsos: quote: Originally posted by cliffdweller: Indeed. And if he can find a cushy armchair seat for 3/4 of the line of succession so we don't end up with a President Pence or a President Tillerson, I'd be cheering it on.
As an aside, Orin Hatch (president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate) is actually ahead of Rex Tillerson in the line of presidential succession.
Understood. It's simply that Tillerson IS in the line of succession and that notion scares the **** outta me. Honestly, as much as I'm cheering on the impeachment chants, I'm not seeing a lot of hope anywhere in the line.
-------------------- "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." -Frederick Buechner
Posts: 11242 | From: a small canyon overlooking the city | Registered: Jan 2008
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
The slimmest Democratic dream would be we manage to hang on (i.e. avoid nuclear meltdown with Trump still at the helm) til the midterms, the Dems regain the house, and Nancy Pelosi becomes speaker of the house. Then we need to oust both Trump & Pence in quick enough succession that there's no chance for either to appoint & confirm a new VP.
This would be the very definition of a long shot.
-------------------- "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." -Frederick Buechner
Posts: 11242 | From: a small canyon overlooking the city | Registered: Jan 2008
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stonespring
Shipmate
# 15530
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by cliffdweller: The slimmest Democratic dream would be we manage to hang on (i.e. avoid nuclear meltdown with Trump still at the helm) til the midterms, the Dems regain the house, and Nancy Pelosi becomes speaker of the house. Then we need to oust both Trump & Pence in quick enough succession that there's no chance for either to appoint & confirm a new VP.
This would be the very definition of a long shot.
After impeachment in the House, conviction and removal from office takes a 2/3 vote in the Senate, so unless an investigation that a Democratic House could really push hard comes up with stuff willing to convince a lot of Republicans in the Senate, removing Trump or Pence from office is unlikely.
Posts: 1537 | Registered: Mar 2010
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Zappa
Ship's Wake
# 8433
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Posted
Excellent analysis from an Australian paper ... the sheer fury of those who think this is a giant fabrication by something called "the meedyas" (yup, I heard one interviewee say that) will send US gun deaths into orbit ...
quote: What happens then to that significant chunk of the country that would feel the system has robbed them of their president for no reason they respect? It's the kind of disastrous scenario that happens when a nation forgets itself. It's what flows from a politics that is in such a state of institutional disrepair that it has become about nothing more than winning: sacrificing principles on the altar of certain pre-determined political outcomes. Democracy has never truly been about outcomes. It's about process, deliberation, and civic restraint. And just now, that looks like something one of the world's great democracies has left behind.
-------------------- shameless self promotion - because I think it's worth it and mayhap this too: http://broken-moments.blogspot.co.nz/
Posts: 18917 | From: "Central" is all they call it | Registered: Sep 2004
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
quote: Trump tweet This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!
He's referring to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. Bear in mind that Trump's mentor was Roy Cohn. A little respect for your teacher's accomplishments, Donald! Is that too much to ask?
-------------------- Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by stonespring: quote: Originally posted by cliffdweller: The slimmest Democratic dream would be we manage to hang on (i.e. avoid nuclear meltdown with Trump still at the helm) til the midterms, the Dems regain the house, and Nancy Pelosi becomes speaker of the house. Then we need to oust both Trump & Pence in quick enough succession that there's no chance for either to appoint & confirm a new VP.
This would be the very definition of a long shot.
After impeachment in the House, conviction and removal from office takes a 2/3 vote in the Senate, so unless an investigation that a Democratic House could really push hard comes up with stuff willing to convince a lot of Republicans in the Senate, removing Trump or Pence from office is unlikely.
Here in US, removing Trump from office seems pretty much a certainty right now. Continuing to prop him up would cost the GOP the house, Senate and presidency for at least a generation. The question is not if, but when and how, and most importantly, who comes after him?
The most probable scenario leaves us a President Pence, Ryan or Tillerson, all of which are jumping from frying pan to fire. The above scenario would be ideal, but yes, is improbable as it would require near-perfect timing of an imperfect and uncontrollable process. And it requires the huge sacrifice of living with the Trump presidency another 2 years.
-------------------- "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." -Frederick Buechner
Posts: 11242 | From: a small canyon overlooking the city | Registered: Jan 2008
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no prophet's flag is set so...
Proceed to see sea
# 15560
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Posted
This from the Walrus, a literate magazine from Canada, which features essays and analysis, may be of interest. Titled "The Authoritarian Next Door".
I thought the initial point about "equality under the law" being one of the most important things in a democracy was well stated.
quote: n most of the world, powerful people and their relatives can do what they like and there isn’t shit you can do about it. If they run over you with their car, it’s your bad luck. If you offend them, they silence you. Equality under the law provides the basic sense of security that people in advanced democracies consider indistinguishable from personhood itself.
Posts: 11498 | From: Treaty 6 territory in the nonexistant Province of Buffalo, Canada ↄ⃝' | Registered: Mar 2010
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Nicolemr
Shipmate
# 28
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Posted
quote: Here in US, removing Trump from office seems pretty much a certainty right now.
Sadly, not to me. I think we're stuck with him, I wish I could believe differently but I just don't see impeachment happening.
-------------------- On pilgrimage in the endless realms of Cyberia, currently traveling by ship. Now with live journal!
Posts: 11803 | From: New York City "The City Carries On" | Registered: May 2001
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lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333
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Posted
There are too many Republican't cowards, for one thing. Though, honestly, they are fucked regardless. If they kick him out now, his "wah, everybody is sooo unfair" narrative has more sticking potential with enough Americans. Especially given many of them also do not want to admit their mistake. Trump is unlikely to change, so it will not get better. If he is impeached later, they will look the fools for not doing it sooner.
-------------------- I put on my rockin' shoes in the morning Hallellou, hallellou
Posts: 17627 | From: the round earth's imagined corners | Registered: Dec 2008
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
Each morning I turn on the BBC World service to catch up with what happened overnight.
The last few mornings have been so bizarre I do not think I have taken in the scale of it. And the tweets continue to get more odd...someone take his phone away.
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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W Hyatt
Shipmate
# 14250
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Posted
Given that a President Pence would far more effective than President Trump at achieving many of the same policy goals, I think the best (and somewhat realistic?) scenario for Democrats is that Trump loses enough popular support that enough moderate Republicans in the House and Senate think they can get re-elected by opposing him, leading to gridlock until the 2018 elections.
-------------------- A new church and a new earth, with Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life.
Posts: 1565 | From: U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 2008
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Nicolemr: quote: Here in US, removing Trump from office seems pretty much a certainty right now.
Sadly, not to me. I think we're stuck with him, I wish I could believe differently but I just don't see impeachment happening.
Well, again, moving too quickly to impeachment could give us worse results (hard as that is to imagine) than the current nightmare. There are very few good scenarios here. I dreamily doodled one but it really is one of those unrealistic wish-dreams, roughly equivalent to "I woke up and it was Nov. 9, 2016 and the whole thing was just a very bad episode of The Americans…"
-------------------- "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." -Frederick Buechner
Posts: 11242 | From: a small canyon overlooking the city | Registered: Jan 2008
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Og, King of Bashan
Ship's giant Amorite
# 9562
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Ian Climacus: Each morning I turn on the BBC World service to catch up with what happened overnight.
The last few mornings have been so bizarre I do not think I have taken in the scale of it. And the tweets continue to get more odd...someone take his phone away.
I was just thinking about how odd it is that part of my morning routine has become checking twitter to see what stupidity the President is tweeting today. We always laughed at countries with wacky, unpredictable leaders. Now I live in one. What a strange world we live in at the moment.
-------------------- "I like to eat crawfish and drink beer. That's despair?" ― Walker Percy
Posts: 3259 | From: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: May 2005
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
From superpower pluralism to third world dictatorship in 118 days.
-------------------- "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid." -Frederick Buechner
Posts: 11242 | From: a small canyon overlooking the city | Registered: Jan 2008
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
It seems more like 118 weeks than days. I feel for you across the Pacific.
Some help may be at hand... quote: We'll leave you with a final thought from Jim: "I know Trump supporters here who regret that they voted for him. Not because of anything policy-wise, but because he does this to the city."
From an article on the stresses Palm Beach goes through each time T visits. http://www.cracked.com/blog/mar-a-lago-when-millionaire-bankrupts-entire-town/
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by cliffdweller: Here in US, removing Trump from office seems pretty much a certainty right now. Continuing to prop him up would cost the GOP the house, Senate and presidency for at least a generation. The question is not if, but when and how, and most importantly, who comes after him?
I'm not sure Congressional Republicans see it that way. Donald Trump has never been particularly popular, as indicated by his second place finish in the popular vote. He is, however, still very popular with Republican voters (~84% approval rating among Republicans during the second week of May 2017, according to Gallup). He is also more popular with Republicans than Congressional Republicans. It's possible that "loose Tweets lose seats", but participating in removing Trump from office would seem to be even more disastrous for Congressional Republicans.
-------------------- Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468
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Posted
My hope is that T will get so upset about being picked on that he'll take his toys and go home--preferably, by the end of May. (The guy with the nuclear codes attache case should probably hide out in an undisclosed location, to remove temptation.)
Pence would be the new president. I understand that he's a nasty piece of work. But he at least seems more functional than his boss.
Of course, I wouldn't complain if the various investigations prove that Russia really did meddle in the election; if Congress then decides that the Republican campaign and administration is hopelessly tainted and invalid; and if they award the presidency to H, who won the popular vote.
-------------------- Blessed Gator, pray for us! --"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon") --"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")
Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001
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Hedgehog
Ship's Shortstop
# 14125
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Zappa: Excellent analysis from an Australian paper ... the sheer fury of those who think this is a giant fabrication by something called "the meedyas" (yup, I heard one interviewee say that) will send US gun deaths into orbit ...
quote: What happens then to that significant chunk of the country that would feel the system has robbed them of their president for no reason they respect? It's the kind of disastrous scenario that happens when a nation forgets itself. It's what flows from a politics that is in such a state of institutional disrepair that it has become about nothing more than winning: sacrificing principles on the altar of certain pre-determined political outcomes. Democracy has never truly been about outcomes. It's about process, deliberation, and civic restraint. And just now, that looks like something one of the world's great democracies has left behind.
I love that quote. Thanks, Zappa. I have long thought that politics in America truly has devolved simply into "winning" regardless of principle and regardless of what is best for the country. The self-delusion that what is good for the party is good for the country has led to it, and both Democrats and Republicans have long bought into the idea that the good of the party is paramount.
-------------------- "We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it."--Pope Francis, Laudato Si'
Posts: 2740 | From: Delaware, USA | Registered: Sep 2008
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Golden Key: and if they award the presidency to H, who won the popular vote.
I know it's yonks away, but what are the thoughts on Hillary 2020?
Showing my colours, surely the Democrats have a better candidate. Neither particularly inspired me in 2016 [I confess to being a Bernie fan], however there was only 1 choice -- but then I'm not in the US so who gives a toss what I think? But I do think surely there must be a better candiate than H.
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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Nick Tamen
Ship's Wayfaring Fool
# 15164
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by cliffdweller: Here in US, removing Trump from office seems pretty much a certainty right now.
I wish I shared that feeling, but I don't. I think it looks more likely than it did 2 weeks ago, and may look even more likely in another month. But to me, that means it looks like a 15% chance now instead of a 10% chance—far from a certainty. But getting closer, little by little.
-------------------- The first thing God says to Moses is, "Take off your shoes." We are on holy ground. Hard to believe, but the truest thing I know. — Anne Lamott
Posts: 2833 | From: On heaven-crammed earth | Registered: Sep 2009
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Nick Tamen
Ship's Wayfaring Fool
# 15164
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Ian Climacus: quote: Originally posted by Golden Key: and if they award the presidency to H, who won the popular vote.
I know it's yonks away, but what are the thoughts on Hillary 2020?
That's a nightmare scenario as far as I'm concerned. And I voted for her.
-------------------- The first thing God says to Moses is, "Take off your shoes." We are on holy ground. Hard to believe, but the truest thing I know. — Anne Lamott
Posts: 2833 | From: On heaven-crammed earth | Registered: Sep 2009
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