General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAttorney Teri Kanefield writes about Trump's end game and how we're seeing it now.
https://threader.app/thread/1106570523310358528Graham as a Trump allyis behaving according to script.
After the house voted overwhelmingly to release a Mueller report, Graham blocked the Senate from voting & insisted that the Senate vote to look into alleged DOJ/ FBI misconduct . . .
1/ . . . particularly misconduct in the HRC investigation.
Link to tweet
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This kind of maneuver is exactly what we can expect as investigations close in on Trump.
Ive argued that Trump isn't planning a traditional legal defense as investigations close in.
2/ How can he? Trump, Giuliani, Sarah Sanders, etc., lie and constantly change their stories, right out there in public.
SNIP
5/ Trumps critics conclude that Trump is losing his marbles, melting down, and that his lawyers are asleep at the switch.
I believe theres method to the madness (can happen at the same time as actual madness)
People ask what Trump will do when hes cornered. You're seeing it.
6/ I used to worry that Trump would start a war to distract from his misdeedsbut that is very 20th century. A war would likely harm Trumps financial interests and he might even get hurt.
21st century authoritarians have more effective, less bloody, and less costly methods.
7/ 20th century autocrats immunize themselves from by torpedoing truth, undermining law enforcement, and dividing the citizens against each other. Then they keep the fighters fighting.
I'll present 4 related and overlapping modern-autocrat-defenses.
SNIP
zaj
(3,433 posts)Super insightful threads about Trumpism and Mueller.
pnwmom
(108,995 posts)rampartc
(5,438 posts)"19/ To counter this, the left needs to keep cool. Do not add to the hysteria.
I suggest that an appropriate response is: A few fringe kooks on the far right are talking about Civil War. Thats what we can expect from fringe kooks."
pnwmom
(108,995 posts)He's not worth the trouble. We have a whole country to put first.
rampartc
(5,438 posts)i am very impressed by ms pelosi's approach to trump.
holding a wounded and bleeding trump might be easier than fighting a fresh president pence.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,045 posts)I've always been impressed by Pelosi.
One of many differences, a key one, is that tRump doesn't learn.
rampartc
(5,438 posts)trump will put his own interests above those of the country, with reckless disregard for human life. his supportere think he is smart to do so. i'm flabergasted.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,045 posts)vlyons
(10,252 posts)over and over here on DU. We just need to focus on electing Dems in 2020.
DeminPennswoods
(15,290 posts)He took the last word for himself and addressed Trump's "tough guys" comment. He said stay calm, none of law enforcement, the military or even bikers (he noted how motorcycles are now high end transportation) are going to start attacking anyone.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)members prove how little their concern is for the US, with every defense of tRump. A democratic president, doing a fraction of the damage he has done and is still doing, would have been impeached by them long ago. Are they all being blackmailed? Is it all about the Russian money? Hopefully, we will get answers before too long. At this point, Putin could post every video of them online, and nothing would shock me about any of their activities. NOTHING. What is shocking is their acts of treason.
empedocles
(15,751 posts)watoos
(7,142 posts)Mueller and others are still digging, and that's good. As far as we know, Barr hasn't intervened yet.
Vinca
(50,310 posts)up to obstruction charges to protect someone like Donald Trump? Going from loyalty to John McCain to loyalty to Donald Trump makes my head spin. He can't possibly be that desperate for a friend.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,045 posts)Democrats really are much freer. Buttigieg doesn't fear exposure, for example.
Funny how RepubliCONs like to style themselves as all about freedom and try to project fascist fears onto progressive, liberal, and socialistic policies. Then of course they are all about government interfering into women's bodies, people's love lives, suppressing votes, aiding discrimination, etc.
yaesu
(8,020 posts)cushy jobs or board appointments when they leave office. Their end game has been & always will be money though I do think the russians have compromised graham in some way, child porn, pee tapes, something of that nature.
pnwmom
(108,995 posts)But nothing on it ever was leaked out. Supposedly it was an old server and Lindsey Graham was one of the few who was still using it. Maybe, instead of leaking emails from the server, they were retained for kompromat.
renate
(13,776 posts)There are some who are afraid of being primaried and that's all. But how about the ones who won't run again for four or six more years, when the entire world will know what Trump's crimes are? Or the ones who are capable of learning from history? They have all seen that in special and midterm elections, being a Trump Republican has hurt their candidates. They can all see two years of investigation and scandal coming down the pike, all focused on Trump and his crimes. But they stick with him. Why?
It must be kompromat for a lot of them.
Cousin Dupree
(1,866 posts)DeminPennswoods
(15,290 posts)came out, there were still many Rs in Congress who supported him. The impeachment vote out of the House Judiciary committee was not unanimous, only 7 of 17 Rs supported at least 1 of the 3 articles of impeachment.
Even after the "smoking gun" tape came out, 23-24% of Americans continued to believe in Nixon.
orangecrush
(19,624 posts)Buckeyeblue
(5,502 posts)Someone who can continue to point out how bad 45's policies are and how are policies will be better in the face of chaos. Because 45 will try to make 2020 as chaotic as he can.
If we thought 2016 was bad, 2020 will be 10 times worse. It will be a real test for the Democatic nominee.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,369 posts)Biden's got both. Beto seems calm enough, haven't seen the sense of humor. Any others with these qualifications?
Buckeyeblue
(5,502 posts)He's seen it all. I don't think the chaos would bother him. I do worry that some of the less experienced candidates have not been tested. But they could prove me wrong.
pnwmom
(108,995 posts)peggysue2
(10,842 posts)Of course the Trumpster will try his best to divide us and sow confusion. Because . . .
it's all he's got and for many members of the GOP it's the same scenario--compromised and complicit in the biggest heist in American history. Trump has always been a wanna-be king, autocrat, dictator which is why he so admires the thugs around the world. As his legal liability mounts, his flailing will increase.
We need to stay steady on the course with our eyes on the prize. We managed to do this in 2018 and now need to repeat that Blue Wave in 2020.
Trump and his nasty enablers deserve and must be washed out to sea.
magicarpet
(14,175 posts)... that should be the political destination for trDump Fascists.
peggysue2
(10,842 posts)That too!