[Cause]

QuickTidal, on 29 July 2020 - 04:16 PM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 29 July 2020 - 03:37 PM, said:

'Trump Is Now Openly Defying the Supreme Court

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it will continue to defy a federal court order compelling the full restoration of DACA, the Obama-era program that allows 700,000 immigrants to live and work in the United States legally. By doing so, the administration has chosen to flout a decision by the Supreme Court, effectively rejecting the judiciary’s authority to say what the law is. [...] Now the administration has crossed that line—sprinted past it, really, without any apparent hesitation.

Okay, now those checks and balances should be coming into play, right America?....who deals with a rogue administration that is ignoring the law as set down by the Supreme Court? If it's supposed to be Barr, and the DOJ, then you are all truly fucked. If all that stood between your country and a tyrannical despot was a man who just keeps on doing what he's doing because no one is going to actually stop him (be that by fucking arresting him, or even charging him, or those sycophants who are following his orders)...then your country's much-lauded laws are not worth the paper they were written on.

"....if you can keep it."

Apparently you can't.

Watching from another country, I can't help but be sad for all the people stuck under this regime and its utter disregard for the law.

Funnily enough, this is right out of Roy Cohn's Conman playbook that he taught Trump...."it doesn't matter if you're wrong, or if it's "legal", you bull and push your way through and then who is going to question you when you're already on the other side of the offence"

Like this is not only what he does, it's what he's always done. How do you stop a runaway conman in a country where the laws only seem to apply to the poor?

It reminds me of home. I love this joke. Obama was Americans first black present but trump is America’s first African president. Honestly they use the same playbook. Endless controversies so people get fatigued about caring. Fight everything in the courts tooth and nail. Do what you want even if illegal and make other people fight you in the courts to stop you.

[Lady Bliss]

Trump has finally floated the possibility of delaying the election. I know that technically he shouldn’t be able to, but he has already gotten away with things that no one believed he could. This is scary.

[QuickTidal]

Lady Bliss, on 30 July 2020 - 03:29 PM, said:

Trump has finally floated the possibility of delaying the election. I know that technically he shouldn’t be able to, but he has already gotten away with things that no one believed he could. This is scary.

In that event, the Constitution (I believe) says that if he delays the election, he and Pence leave office (voluntarily or not) Jan 2021 and Pelosi would become interim POTUS.

He would have to stage a coup to prevent that.

There were elections during the Civil and both World Wars...there is no historical need to delay it.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 30 July 2020 - 04:29 PM

[Lady Bliss]

I still wouldn’t be surprised if they come up with something. He’s already setting the stage for martial law. The constitution and laws are only effective if he is held to them, and so far, he really hasn’t been.

[QuickTidal]

Lady Bliss, on 30 July 2020 - 04:54 PM, said:

I still wouldn’t be surprised if they come up with something. He’s already setting the stage for martial law. The constitution and laws are only effective if he is held to them, and so far, he really hasn’t been.

I think the Lynch pin will be if the military branches obey him/bow to him instead of the office...or if they don't. DeVos' brother's little private army that Trump's been sending into places like Portland, isn't enough to stand against the entire US military...

You can't stage a coup without the military, and I don't think Trump has them.

I really don't think Trump has them.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

QuickTidal, on 30 July 2020 - 05:01 PM, said:

Lady Bliss, on 30 July 2020 - 04:54 PM, said:

I still wouldn't be surprised if they come up with something. He's already setting the stage for martial law. The constitution and laws are only effective if he is held to them, and so far, he really hasn't been.

I think the Lynch pin will be if the military branches obey him/bow to him instead of the office...or if they don't. DeVos' brother's little private army that Trump's been sending into places like Portland, isn't enough to stand against the entire US military...

You can't stage a coup without the military, and I don't think Trump has them.

I really don't think Trump has them.

How many would he need (to try)?...

Hopefully Trump's physical cowardice will save the country... but if he thinks there's a good chance he'll go to prison if he loses the election, he could be desperate.

'According to a Military Times survey conducted last fall, 50 percent of active-service military hold an unfavorable view of the president, compared to only 37 percent when he was elected. Officers especially disfavor him, with only a third indicating approval.'

https://www.nytimes....p-military.html

That was before news of the Russian bounties....

'Speculation about whether the military could be asked to play a role in events following the 2020 presidential vote has intensified in the wake of the Pentagon's involvement in the government's response to demonstrations against racism and police brutality.

"If the president is willing to thrust the military leadership into so damaging a set of circumstances during the protests, just imagine what he would be willing to do if he wants to prevent an electoral outcome that would be damaging to him," said Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. "So yes, they should be absolutely worried about it."

[...] Nevertheless experts said they are most worried about a handful of hypothetical situations, including a scenario in which Trump might refuse to concede victory to Biden, or a legal challenge to the outcome might remain unresolved by Inauguration Day, prompting him to assert presidential authority beyond Jan. 20.

In that scenario, experts hypothesized, the White House might call on the military to protect the president or, more likely, respond to potential protests on "law and order" grounds, possibly leading the president to follow through with earlier threats to send active-duty troops to American cities or take control of state-commanded National Guard members.'

https://www.washingt...5a38_story.html

Trial balloons converging... baby steps across them slowly over-leaping the lines of boiling frogs, shifting the Overton horizons....

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 30 July 2020 - 05:22 PM

[QuickTidal]

Azath Vitr (D, on 30 July 2020 - 05:22 PM, said:

In that scenario, experts hypothesized, the White House might call on the military to protect the president

In this situation does this mean Biden? Like if Trump loses, then on Inauguration day then the military serves the POTUS, who would be Joe Biden, not Trump.

[Macros]

Postal vote time fuckers

[Lady Bliss]

Macros, on 30 July 2020 - 08:15 PM, said:

Postal vote time fuckers

Oh, but the republicans are opposed to that. They are all in, and willing to do anything to stay in power.

[Malankazooie]

I vote by mail. My state has had vote by mail since 2013. There have been many deep dives, independent examinations of vote by mail in my state. All the data shows there never has been any fraud. No one has stole their neighbor's ballot. No one has received multiple ballots and filled one out for their dog. No one has intercepted their grandma's ballot and filled it out for her. No one has received a ballot for a former, now deceased resident that used to live at their address. None of these scenarios have ever happened.

But Trump's bigger goal here is not to delay the election. He wants to maximize the distrust in election results, so if he loses on Nov. 3 all the bikers, and police and Amendment 2 gun hugging fanatics who have his back will marshal the troops and take action. Civil War ver. 2.0.

I personally still think Trump is going to win. I know the current analysis of where things stand say Biden should take it, but that sounds so very familiar to 2016.

[Malankazooie]

Keeping with the mail vote and Trump against it. He's a moron. Data shows he will benefit from vote-by-mail. Older demo skews towards Trump. Pee-paw and Mee-maw more than happy to lick an envelop and stamp and use ol' reliable postal service. They can take their time with the reading lamp at the desk in the den too, they probably would rather that then risk coronavirus and swipe, pinch and spread like these TikTok whipper-snappers! *shakes-LawnFist

[Macros]

Meemaw and peepaw that vote for trump don't believe in the Corona Virus.

[Aptorian]

Malankazooie, on 30 July 2020 - 10:51 PM, said:

Keeping with the mail vote and Trump against it. He's a moron. Data shows he will benefit from vote-by-mail. Older demo skews towards Trump. Pee-paw and Mee-maw more than happy to lick an envelop and stamp and use ol' reliable postal service. They can take their time with the reading lamp at the desk in the den too, they probably would rather that then risk coronavirus and swipe, pinch and spread like these TikTok whipper-snappers! *shakes-LawnFist

Is this old data or new data? Because during this pandemic I could see a lot more people voting by mail. Which in turn circumvents all the dirty tricks "certain politicians" use to limit "certain demographics" from voting, via segregating areas, limiting your options for registering, closing down polling places, limiting voting hours, oops the voting machine isn't working, etc. I mean, people are cheering Biden's projected voter share but it doesn't really matter if 60% of the US wants to vote for the dude if enough of them are prevented from voting.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 31 July 2020 - 07:37 AM

[Tiste Simeon]

Mitch McConnell of all people has told Trump he can't do it. That makes me instantly suspicious that something else is at play...

BBC News - Republicans to Trump: You can't delay 2020 election
https://www.bbc.co.u...canada-53599363

[Aptorian]

They're saying he can't do it but are they going to stop him?

[Vengeance]

Aptorian, on 31 July 2020 - 08:45 AM, said:

They're saying he can't do it but are they going to stop him?

The election day is set by an act of congress and he can't use executive authority to change it. It is in the constitution that congress is the only one who can set the election day. There was an election during the Civil War. There can be an election during Covid. However if there was no election then Trump would have to leave office on the 21st of January and the Speaker of the house would be sworn in as Temp President.

[Primateus]

Vengeance, on 31 July 2020 - 01:47 PM, said:

Aptorian, on 31 July 2020 - 08:45 AM, said:

They're saying he can't do it but are they going to stop him?

The election day is set by an act of congress and he can't use executive authority to change it. It is in the constitution that congress is the only one who can set the election day. There was an election during the Civil War. There can be an election during Covid. However if there was no election then Trump would have to leave office on the 21st of January and the Speaker of the house would be sworn in as Temp President.

Technically that would be correct, but I rather think that a delay of the presidential election would probably mean a congressional election delay as well. Which means Pelosi would be out as well. I saw a video that argued that if the election was delayed, then a likely outcome would be President Pat Leahy.

[Obdigore]

Just to be clear, the entire suggestion that the election should be delayed is a distraction from the worst economic quarter the US has ever experienced, and a distraction from the fact that this congress and administration are pretty heavily to blame for it.

Consumer confidence is at an all time low because of the terrible response to COVID, so people aren't spending money.

Get the Guillotine's out.

[Vengeance]

Primateus, on 31 July 2020 - 02:11 PM, said:

Vengeance, on 31 July 2020 - 01:47 PM, said:

Aptorian, on 31 July 2020 - 08:45 AM, said:

They're saying he can't do it but are they going to stop him?

The election day is set by an act of congress and he can't use executive authority to change it. It is in the constitution that congress is the only one who can set the election day. There was an election during the Civil War. There can be an election during Covid. However if there was no election then Trump would have to leave office on the 21st of January and the Speaker of the house would be sworn in as Temp President.

Technically that would be correct, but I rather think that a delay of the presidential election would probably mean a congressional election delay as well. Which means Pelosi would be out as well. I saw a video that argued that if the election was delayed, then a likely outcome would be President Pat Leahy.

Either way Trump and Pence would both be out as well as all of his Cabinet.

[stone monkey]

He gets to throw shade on the results of the election this way. If, closer to the time, Trump says "Don't go and vote, it's too dangerous" and then loses, he gets to say, however inaccurately, that he'd have won had his supporters showed up. And therefore he gets to not be a loser in his mind. Now that it appears that he might lose the election itself, and not simply the popular vote, then he has to have a strategy for calling its legitimacy into question. His efforts to cast aspersions against postal voting are another prong of that strategy. His comments about "busloads of illegal voters" in 2016 were basically the same thing. This is all about his ego.