Come on. This was obviously a coup d'etat. Trump. GOP. FBI. Mother Russia.

[Mr. Ected]

Too bad the framers of the Constitution didn't take into account the malevolent intervention of foreign powers during an election and how such collusion would be handled both during and after the election.

Even if this was an impeachable offense - and from a legal perspective, that may be debatable - how do you undo the damage wrought by a thrown election with implications at national, state and local levels?

We have no device in place for a "do-over", which is exactly what is called for at this point in time.

[MaeScott]

1. We can keep calling, writing, faxing every day every step of the way...

...and many must step up to help.

[Mr. Ected]

3. But to what end?

For every crime, there must be a promulgated punishment.

What is the crime? What is the punishment?

It's not enough that it's wrong, even if the degree of egregiousness is of a magnitude never before seen in a political setting, with broad-reaching implications for every single person on the planet.

[MFM008]

29. To our personal

Satisfaction.
ANYTHING that gives maggot heartburn is good by me.

[AgadorSparticus]

2. I am hoping people will rise to the occasion and we impeach trump immediately

[bdamomma]

14. all it will take is for

one person to make the wrong move in this case tRump to endanger people or one true patriot like how Rosa Parks say she wasn't going to change her seat.

I would like to think there are people out there with a brain.

[cheyanne]

4. Trump will resign.

Investigations will show treasonable action not only by Trump staff but also the RNC. The democrats will give him the choice of impeachment or resignation. Terms will be: Pence will become POTUS, all Trump's cabinet nominees will resign, democrats will chose new nominees.

[Liberalagogo]

7. How exactly

would "democrats give him the choice" or "chose new nominees" with absolutely no control of the House, Senate and Executive branches?

[tinrobot]

11. Has he ever backed down on anything? He will not resign.

We'll have to drag him from office, and he'll probably set fire to it on his way out just for spite.

[bdamomma]

15. would a "citizens arrest" work?

He is endangering and threatening lives.

[tinrobot]

20. If you can get past the Secret Service in order to do that...

...you would be a much braver person than me.

[pangaia]

12. Oh,,, somehow I do not think that is gong to happen.

it is less likely than the Cleveland Browns beating the Patriots.

[cilla4progress]

26. Man

I hope you're right.

Ryan and McConnell as well. Hate those slimy opportunistic f***s.

[Igel]

5. It was an electoral coup.

With the proviso that the president "dethroned" was going to be out of office anyway, so nobody was turned out of office.

Dig down, and it's a coup against HRC. But the term assumes she's the rightful president and something she had was taken away from her.

For that matter, Obama's win in 2008 could be called an electoral coup by those assuming the (R) candidate should have won.

"Electoral coup" becomes a bad-sounding term that, in practice, means precisely, "I think the wrong person won."


The only difference between then and now, from the actual election's point of view, is that Obama won the College and popular vote, but Trump only the College vote while HRC won the popular vote (or at least got a plurality--no majority, no "mandate" for either).

Now, we don't like the College. We knew the system, though, and I'd point out that in 2008 and also in 2016 there were a number of state electoral systems that were set up and used artfully by candidates in ways that created umbrage and outrage on the part of their opponents. Obama was masterful at getting caucuses to swing his way, to cries of "foul" from his opponent's supporters even when the caucuses were run fairly and according to Hoyle. However, the come-back was, "That's the system, it's been in place longer than the election, you knew this ahead of time." We heard the same rhetoric in 2016, but it was more unbridled--people are less constrained by their acceptance of the rules ahead of time, now what mostly matters is winning and power. Even among those who say, "Hey, I got me some principles"; one often wonders who they swindled or stole them from.

[CanonRay]

6. This is effectively the end of American democracy

7/4/1776-1/20/2017. 240 years, 5 months, 16 days. Nice try people, but we managed to fuck it up.

[world wide wally]

13. I'm afraid you're right about that.

Russia wins
Game, set, match.

[uponit7771]

21. Sigh, I don't want to agree with you at all but I don't see there being LESS hacking under MiniPoot

... and its cynical to say "... we'll learn to vote after they fuck up everything... "

No we wont, because they'll hack that too... we can have overwhelming numbers and by time the election ends those numbers will turn into anomalies too!!

Just... don't know where to go with someone who's getting help from an outside actor.

Maybe dems can ask our NATO allies for help

Like we're in a Star Wars movie or some shit ... The Empire Has Struck Back...

[deaniac21]

8. Oh, woe is us.

[DK504]

9. I think the Emolument Clause

will nail this creepy pervert to the wall.

[Dave Starsky]

24. This would require someone to enforce it.

His Orange Majesty laughs at your laws and gropes your daughters.

[WinstonSmith4740]

10. We need to get rid of the Electoral College.

That's first and foremost. It's absolutely crazy the winner of the popular vote has been denied their just place twice in the last 16 years. And it wouldn't necessitate going through the Congress. I know a move started immediately after the election to do it...we just have to stay on the state legislators.

That being said, it's unfortunately too late now. We need to stick with this instead of dropping the ball like we did after 2000. But I really don't think Trump will make it 4 years. I think he's broke and CAN'T divest because he's underwater. Putin knows it, & has him by the balls because of it. He's bucking up against The Constitution on this one...he'll quit before he's impeached and he'll never admit he isn't as rich as he claims.

Personally, I'm stocking up on popcorn.

[bdamomma]

16. I think we have to keep on our state legislatures/officials

do the peoples work or risk being NOT re elected again for your office.

[WinstonSmith4740]

32. Exactly.

I think we all considered 2000 an anomaly and kind of kicked back afterwards. The answer to this issue is easy, and can be handled on the state level. Like I said, we just have to get as organized and nasty as the Tea Party did, and hold everyone's feet to the fire...especially the press.

[dawnie51]

17. Those "magnificent" forefathers.....

apparently did NOT think of everything all those years ago. The malevolence of another country toward us, nor the capacity for evil of a candidate, nor the rank stinking greed and thirst for power of the very people who are supposed to be the line of defense for this nation. I will not be around to see it, but I hope the stench of this debacle takes the Republican party to the dustbin of history.

[bdamomma]

19. This debacle will

take the Repig party down I truly believe that.

[Amaryllis]

30. Our forefathers didnt have computers to consider when they wrote the Constitution.

Russians used computers to hack more than just emails - they also broke into voter reg databases in at least two states - this was widely reported even by MSM and they probably did a lot more than that - why stop at that? But nobody is talking about that.

Kurt Kobach used computers with CRosscheck to purge voter databases and remove millions of voters, Pennsylvania still has all unverifiable voting machines with no way to recount...It wasn't just Russians. It was the usual Repub shenanigans they used to steal 2000 and 2004.

[Loge23]

18. Russia knows Americans have dumbed down.

Russians visit this country, live in this country, read papers, see the news.
They know we've become a country of dolts. If you have visited other countries, you know this is true. I don't know how many times have I been asked overseas about "what's going on over there?" in reference to the USA? Collectively we're known as idiots who can't handle the freedom we have.
Russia knows this too, as does the Chinese who have already taken full advantage of our preference for price over quality or protecting our own jobs.
The Chinese have fully exploited us economically. The Russians will now do the same politically and possibly ideologically.
Every time the Russians saw the trump rallies, they knew their job was going to be easy.

[bdamomma]

22. All true

but for some strange reason someone or some agency foreign or domestic will intervene and produce more illegal activity to bring this SOB down.

But I keep on thinking this takeover has been planned for a long time by Russia this is their playbook and they got their puppet but we can cut those strings. It is really up to us.

[Blue_Adept]

23. The best part is that it was an accidental coup

Putin and the rest were only trying to undermine. They never thought Trump would actually get in. It was all about damaging things, which they did.

[davekriss]

31. Look for big moves in the Baltic states and middle east soon after January 20

If we see these big moves, say, in the first 100 days, then I think it's safe to say that this (the dRumpf coup) was one of the possible outcomes they planned for. Even if the Orange didn't win, the confusion they hoped to cause would create a possibly short-lived power vacuum giving them the opportunity to act. Someone wise once said there are no accidents in politics. Believe it.

[roamer65]

34. I wouldn't call it accidental.

It was a "fringe benefit".

Pootie's op had two goals:

1. Sow as much discord as possible into our election process.
2. Stop Hillary and get Dump into office.

In his mind, number 1 was the primary goal, with number 2 being a "home run".

[Rex]

25. So was 2000.

Nobody in charge cared then, they won't care now. Trump will get 4 years. But you know, we live in a liberal democracy because rich assholes say we do on the radio.

[hadEnuf]

27. I think the framers of the Constitution

most assuredly did take into account the possibility malevolent intervention by Foreign entities. We were already under malevolent foreign intervention at the time these documents were written.

Treason, conspiracy and subversion are well referenced in our documents of Independence. As Americans we need to read them and use the remedies that were put in place for situations similar to the one we are in now.

And we need to stop backing off and giving up.

[Lint Head]

28. We are on life support.