The Trump Presidency – 2016

[ISiddiqui]

Holy shit,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...?itid=hp_alert

Governor Northam of Virginia was also discussed as a kidnapping target by militias.

[Kodos]

These people are terrorists and should be treated as such.

[stevew]

Time to bring in the bulldozers and take down their trailers of resistance.

[JPhillips]

The ending graphs in a piece by James Joyner responding to SCOTUS denying cert to Congressional Dems suing over emoluments.

The Trump deal with the Old Post Office itself raises all manner of legal issues, none of which have been resolved. For all intents and purposes, then, the President is above the law if there is no judicial remedy that can be reached during his time in office.

The House could very well have impeached Trump for the Emoluments violations, at very least adding additional charges during the last impeachment process. Speaker Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic leadership thought the better of it. Alas, that, too is a moot point in that, unless the opposite party controls the Senate by wide margins, no President is likely going to be removed via that mechanism.

Again, if impeachment is a remedy only on paper and nobody has standing to sue for judicial relief, then the Emoluments Clause and other Constitutional restrictions amount to suggestions rather than the supreme law of the land. That’s decidedly less than ideal.

The Trump presidency has cost us dearly. So much of what we used to believe would check a corrupt president has been exposed as unenforcable blather.

[Brian Swartz]

It's been clear to me for decades that those protections no longer functioned. I think Watergate is the last time it even arguably worked, and even then big cracks were already visible.

[JPhillips]

The DoJ is suing the author of the Melania book for violating an NDA.

[Lathum]

Pelosi is on CNN right now tanking Bidens chances trying to talk to Wolf Blitzer about the rejection of the stimulus package. She is giving the trump campaign so much ammo.

[RainMaker]

BREAKING: DOJ says WH did not send a declassification order re: Trump's tweets about "declassifying" all "Russia hoax" docs.

This is in response to 1 of 3 emergency motions @BuzzFeedNews & I filed. https://t.co/3Gi4zFbbwL pic.twitter.com/g8wO3cuCVG

— Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) October 13, 2020

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The DoJ is suing the author of the Melania book for violating an NDA.

Why is the DoJ involved in a civil matter?

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Why is the DoJ involved in a civil matter?

Because they're Trump's attorneys now, personally.

[MIJB#19]

"Immune".
Is it ok to call him a moron?

[GrantDawg]

The DOJ is quietly dropping the "Unmasking" investigation with no charges. This is looking like all of the big investigations like this and the Durham report is going to be such big nothing's.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[JPhillips]

Almost like nothing illegal happened.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Pelosi is on CNN right now tanking Bidens chances trying to talk to Wolf Blitzer about the rejection of the stimulus package. She is giving the trump campaign so much ammo.

Especially when one of the reasons she isn't willing to move forward is she wants a tax cut for the rich in it.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Especially when one of the reasons she isn't willing to move forward is she wants a tax cut for the rich in it.

Not sure if you watched, but she completely acted the part of the nasty, unhinged, witch the right paints her to be.

[kingfc22]

Dems should put somebody like Schiff in charge of the House.

[STK]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Pelosi is on CNN right now tanking Bidens chances trying to talk to Wolf Blitzer about the rejection of the stimulus package. She is giving the trump campaign so much ammo.

Holy shit, she is awful. The fucking worst.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Dems should put somebody like Schiff in charge of the House.

Wasn't there some agreement amongst Dems at the start of this term that Pelosi would only serve for this term then step aside for new leadership? I appreciate what she's had to deal with Trump, but I hope she holds true to that agreement

[Mota]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

The President Of The United States of America

WATCH IMMEDIATELY pic.twitter.com/hxhs32xUn3

— Yashar Ali �� (@yashar) October 12, 2020

So he'll kiss the guys, he'll kiss the hot women, but if you're an ugly chick, well you're not getting a piece of Donny.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Wasn't there some agreement amongst Dems at the start of this term that Pelosi would only serve for this term then step aside for new leadership? I appreciate what she's had to deal with Trump, but I hope she holds true to that agreement

Until 2022

[CrimsonFox]

An Open Letter to Judge Amy Coney Barrett From Your Notre Dame Colleagues – Teacher-Scholar-Activist

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Until 2022

I don't know how it's enforceable, but I saw yesterday that the deal requires 3/4 of Dems to support her for Speaker in 2021.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

An Open Letter to Judge Amy Coney Barrett From Your Notre Dame Colleagues – Teacher-Scholar-Activist

Because someone would give up the opportunity to be a Supreme Court justice. It's not her fault she was nominated.

[JPhillips]

Saw a poll on Scottish independence and it was at 58%. Solid job by the Tories if they end up breaking up Great Britain.

Is there any chance Wales would leave, too?

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Saw a poll on Scottish independence and it was at 58%. Solid job by the Tories if they end up breaking up Great Britain.

Is there any chance Wales would leave, too?

The trick is that the UK has to agree to allow a second referendum. Boris has indicated he has no intention of ever doing so. And Labour would be very unwilling since Scotland tends to be the most liberal country of the UK.

[JPhillips]

At some point, though, that becomes untenable. If independence is supported by 60 or 70 percent, that can't be ignored forever.

[bhlloy]

Wales will never leave - no industry to speak of and the demographics just don’t line up. Scotland at least has oil and fishing to fall back on. The majority of people in Wales live in cities in the south and rely on links with the rest of the UK - not to mention that overall Wales receives far more from the UK government (and formerly the EU - nice job voting for Brexit morons) then it puts in.

It wouldn’t be too unlike Alabama and Mississippi deciding to leave the union after the election. Which might not be completely unthinkable if Biden wins, so hey...

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

At some point, though, that becomes untenable. If independence is supported by 60 or 70 percent, that can't be ignored forever.

Perhaps, but would require the SNP to make a deal with the Tories most likely.

[bhlloy]

Also it’s worth noting that Labour lost a ton of ground in Scotland in the last election, so the assumption that they wouldn’t be willing to discuss Indyref2 might not be 100% accurate. It’s fair to say that not-Tory is still a good outcome (whether that’s SNP, Lib Dem or themselves) but the idea that Scotland and the north (as well as South Wales ironically) are safe Labour bastions is very much in flux.

[ISiddiqui]

But Labour lost ground to SNP, which is basically pretty far left as well. In England, Wales, and N Ireland, Labour gets tattooed. I know Labour feels that they have a shot of regaining some of their traditional Scotland seats, but if you let them go, it'll be like Tory rule for a few decades.

It'd be akin to California having a Calexit Party. The Democrats would still be loath to let California go.

[JPhillips]

If the Dems really want to play hardball they should threaten to use section 2 of the 14th amendment on states that are supressing the vote.

[RainMaker]

In case there are still people playing dumb on this.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/inves...l?itid=hp_mr_1

[Ksyrup]

Can someone explain why Trump - losing in every public poll - would want to schedule a town hall at the same time Biden is holding a town hall? Is he really going to prioritize a potential TV ratings win over the chance to reach more voters if he had a time slot to himself? I take this as a sign he knows he is going to lose and is just looking for more ego stroking before he leaves office.

[Brian Swartz]

You can look at that both ways, can't you? I mean, if people are watching him that means they aren't listening to Biden. Maybe he thinks he can't afford for people to have their undivided attention on the opposition.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Can someone explain why Trump - losing in every public poll - would want to schedule a town hall at the same time Biden is holding a town hall? Is he really going to prioritize a potential TV ratings win over the chance to reach more voters if he had a time slot to himself? I take this as a sign he knows he is going to lose and is just looking for more ego stroking before he leaves office.

I don't think that he "knows" he is going to lose.

But he wants a ratings win over Biden. He's probably convinced himself it is smart strategy. But it's really b/c he wants the TV win.

One of the very consistent themes for Trump has to always prioritize the short term over the long term. That's a good reason why he's losing by 10 points.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

In case there are still people playing dumb on this.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/inves...l?itid=hp_mr_1

"We have to keep control -- or else there will be totalitarianism!"

[cuervo72]

He might even get a ratings win. What do you want to watch, a train rolling by, or a train wreck?

[Comey]

He'd likely just get the win because Biden supporters won't tune in to watch him like Trump's supporters would tune into him. They won't tune in to watch Trump, either...but Trump's supporters will watch their messiah so they can yell Hallelujah at their TVs.

[JPhillips]

The more it's about Trump, the worse his chances.

[Atocep]

He's backed himself into a corner that's impossible to get out of. He does best when he's off TV, not tweeting, and not making public appearances. The problem is he's down 10 points and the only way to get out of a hole like that is to reach out to moderate voters and try to swing them his way, but he's only capable of dividing people rather than reaching out to moderates. He can't stand people that aren't already aligned with him.

[Kodos]

I have a deal for Trump. He can win the ratings wars for the town halls, and Biden can win the Presidency. Everyone gets something to be happy about!

[JediKooter]

I think he is trying to muddy the waters. If he wins the ratings and then loses the election, he can say the election must have been rigged against him since he won the tv ratings.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

I think he is trying to muddy the waters. If he wins the ratings and then loses the election, he can say the election must have been rigged against him since he won the tv ratings.

Which makes total sense in his mind and can easily be pushed to rile his base up. What a fucking disaster this guy has been for America.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by JediKooter

I think he is trying to muddy the waters. If he wins the ratings and then loses the election, he can say the election must have been rigged against him since he won the tv ratings.

I don't even think he's thought it through that much.

He just wants to win the ratings war.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

He might even get a ratings win. What do you want to watch, a train rolling by, or a train wreck?

Yeah, I don't want to boost Trump's ratings but would be curious to see the shit show live. I may just wait for youtube clips

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I don't even think he's thought it through that much.

He just wants to win the ratings war.

Agree

This is the equivalent of Fauci getting to throw out a first pitch and Trump announcing he's throwing out a fiedt pitch for the Yankees. He can't let someone else get the spotlight.

[Ksyrup]

Well. Here it is:

@thedailybeast
EXCLUSIVE: According to multiple sources familiar with the president's thinking, Trump has told close associates that he wishes to counter-program the Biden town hall and score higher TV viewership numbers, and then use such a contrast to humiliate Biden


I mean, if he gets a ratings win, it's because his voters are tuning in. I'm not watching either because I knew who I was voting for months ago. That's not a humiliation for Biden, it's more a sign that Trump has a 30% cult and most other voters are not still undecided.

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Which makes total sense in his mind and can easily be pushed to rile his base up. What a fucking disaster this guy has been for America.

Exactly what I'm thinking as well. He's been a disaster his whole life, it's just now we are all paying for it. At least before he was pretty much contained in his properties.

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I don't even think he's thought it through that much.

He just wants to win the ratings war.

I totally agree with you that he wants to win the ratings war. Donny's not smart, but, his people know what they are doing and know how to manipulate him which in turn manipulates his base. Strictly my opinion of course, but, given the past behavior of his, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens. I mean, the republican controlled senate is about to rubber stamp a judge that has clearly only been picked because she will do what she is told, not because she qualified. If it's not a landslide for Biden, man are we in for one hell of a rollercoaster of a ride before the first week of November is even over.

[kingfc22]

What’s the over/under on Burisma mentions by Trump tonight?

[Lathum]

They have no October surprise so they just decided to invent one