Posts Made By: James Brown

Originally Posted by James Lacey

Trump's entire public platform is revenge against his imagined enemies, and his base loves it. But make no mistake, if he gets into office, he and his allies have a plan to massively expand the powers of the Presidential office and make him as untouchable as possible. It's called Project 2025 and is a brainchild of the Heritage Foundation: https://www.project2025.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025

Hi James:

This is the first I've heard of the 2025 Project.   The links to lefty commentators from the Wiki article sound a lot like breathless exaggeration and conspiracy theory to me.  I'm not at all convinced that this effort is the short path to totalitarianism, as reported in Salon, Axios and the like.  Nor do I see this upon initial review to be a plan to "dismantle the US Government" as opined by a commentator with the AP. 

The executive branch has been expanding it's power consistently since the new deal and the invention of agency's with authority to promulgate regulations.  The Supreme Court has only recently started to curb unauthorized executive action.  See the student loan case for example.  The 2025 Project appears to me to be a call to staff the agencies with like-minded wonks (conservatives in this case), which is what the president always does.   I get it that the thought of conservatives in government is abhorrent to opinion writers at Slate, but the exaggeration and doomsaying is pretty silly.

Indeed, I checked out the Heritage webpage, and it all seemed like bland conservative politicking.   https://www.project2025.org/  Business as usual.

Even if Trump were to win, the Supreme Court and legislature will curb his worst moves.   

Jim

Originally Posted by James Lacey

Yes, I don't buy into all the breathless lefty hand-wringing. All Presidents enter the office with a coterie whose intent is to enact and further ideology and agenda. Trump had one in his first term; it's how the Supreme Court was reshaped. My point is that the second time they will be more organized and have an even more radical agenda. All they have to do is convince Trump they are there to punish his enemies, and they will get free reign to pursue whatever extreme policies they desire. Think Stephen Miller, but on steroids. Trump is a useful idiot they will use to achieve their ends; it's the McConnels and the Leonard Leo's that scare me.

We agree.   I might have more faith in the guardrails than you, Russ, or others (as we have discussed here from time to time.)  I hope I'm right!  

Riffing off of the useful idiot phrase, I think it interesting that this is how I see Trump and Biden both.   Others though are extremely and unshakably convinced that Trump and Biden are criminal masterminds.   Incredible how people have such different perspectives.   Jim

Originally Posted by Russ Carroll

What if Trump has a compliant SECDEF and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (which he certainly would attempt) that will do his bidding against a rogue Judiciary. Trump has already tried to mobilize the military (unsuccessfully) to help him stay in power. The military has weapons, the judiciary has a f-ing gavel.

There will be an immediate chorus of Trump should legitimately get a third term because [fill in the blank] He has already said he would suspend the constitution to stay in power.

I am at a loss as to why you arent more alarmed at a second Trump term and the extremes he WILL attempt and possibly succeed at. I repeat again, I judge him solely on his own words and actions, not by what some pundit claims. The bloom is off the rose for Trump in a second term and he will not even try and play nice from day 1.

I am your retribution - DJT

Who said I am not alarmed?   Even so, I have faith in our Constitutional guardrails.   I could be wrong.

I am not going to vote for Trump in the primary or the general.   I will actively support Nikki Haley with money and effort if she is not eliminated at the onset.   What else would you have me do?  Panic?  Post shrill and worrisome screeds on Astromart?

Originally Posted by Russ Carroll

Only a foolish person intentionally tests a guardrail.



Russ: Dont let this guy drive down Palomar Mountain because he drives all over the road
Some: Dont worry, there are guardrails that should save us.

Tell it to your MAGA buddies, if you have any.   Otherwise cool the "intentionally" hyperbole.

The guardrails are there and will save us Russ, if the worst happens.  The Constitution provides the best set of governance guardrails devised by man.   I do not think the Supreme Court are Trump's handmaidens, and I do not think the military will support any dictatorship delusions he might have.

I will be happy to gloat about it in Five years or so, if Trump wins - which I do not predict.   

You sound as if I am willing to support Trump because I think the system will curb him if elected.   That is BS.  I oppose Trump more than I have ever opposed a politician.   But I can sleep at night knowing that our system will curb him if he wins even though I voted against him and he then tries to go the dictator route.  What are you going to do beyond that?   Move to Canada?   Sorry, but that won't work if Trump has the military.   You too are counting on the guardrails working, whether you like it or not.     Jim

Originally Posted by Russ Carroll

What if Trump has a compliant SECDEF and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (which he certainly would attempt) that will do his bidding against a rogue Judiciary. Trump has already tried to mobilize the military (unsuccessfully) to help him stay in power. The military has weapons, the judiciary has a f-ing gavel.

There will be an immediate chorus of Trump should legitimately get a third term because [fill in the blank] He has already said he would suspend the constitution to stay in power.

I am at a loss as to why you arent more alarmed at a second Trump term and the extremes he WILL attempt and possibly succeed at. I repeat again, I judge him solely on his own words and actions, not by what some pundit claims. The bloom is off the rose for Trump in a second term and he will not even try and play nice from day 1.

I am your retribution - DJT

Do you really think the career generals and other officers in our military are going to participate in the removal of the Supreme Court by force?   Do you really think these men and women are going to install Trump as a dictator?   Do you have so little faith in the integrity of our armed services?

Originally Posted by James Lacey

There's an old-saying Jim; even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. Regardless of the NY Post being right about one story, they are still a tabloid and 99% of what appears in that rag is little more than gossip. I'm sorry, but it's a tabloid.

The larger point is that Rich's claim that Biden fired the Ukrainian prosecutor to protect his son is utter garbage. That particular claim has been investigated by the DOJ and Republican-led congressional committees and none of them have concluded there is any truth to the charge. Of course, yes Hunter is scum, and he deserves whatever justice is meted out to him. Also, if Biden is ever indicted and convicted, then throw him in jail too. But right now, all available evidence is that this conspiracy theory that Rich peddles over and over again is by his standard, a straight-up lie.

Understood.   Even so, I am glad that the tabloid press in this instance did the work that the WaPo or NYT would have done in another era.   Trump is dangerous scum.  Russ and I are yelling at each other in another thread because Trump is dangerous scum.   But the danger presented to the country by Trump does not excuse the NYT, WaPo and other proper media coddling Biden and his family.   Those outlets should not have participated in covering up the laptop story just because Biden is safer for the country.   That is not the roll of the press in a free country.

Originally Posted by Russ Carroll

Jim, even if Trump couldnt get his nutjob appointees through the Senate (which a GOP majority wouldn’t stop), he wouldnt even bother to try and have them all be interim figures, which he has said he wished hed done in the past.

I dont think you have a very good imagination about how this weasel would unleash his will on our country. You are a good man, but I think you are being betrayed by having worked in an orderly judicial system your entire adult life.

This is possible.

Originally Posted by Russ Carroll

Only a foolish person intentionally tests a guardrail.

This sentence only makes some sense if the "person" in the metaphor is the US electorate.  FWIW I too think it is foolish to support Trump's reelection.  But I know (or have acquaintance with) a lot of people who support Trump and these people are not fools.  The majority of the electorate in the red states are not fools.  Trump appeals to them, and I think the answer to the question "why" lies in the horrible tribalism that has infected the USA since the 1990s.  If you have time, read this article.   It is not the voters who are causing tribalism, it is the media and our political parties.   

https://www.liberalpatriot.com/p/voters-arent-the-problem-its-the

The underlying article is here, but might be paywalled: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2023/08/27/why_tribalism_took_over_our_politics_606335.html

Trump of course is the master of exploiting tribalism and division, but he did not create it.   He is undeniably exacerbating the problem immensely.  Meanwhile, the D's and press's penchant for villainizing the 74M run-of-the-mill lukewarm Trump supporters is also a great example of the problem and its underlying cause.  Jim

Originally Posted by Russ Carroll

im clear that you do not support Trump. You have also made it clear that you would not lose sleep if he is elected again. You should.

Well, if Trump's reelection happens, and you and James have convinced me it won't, we can keep an eye on those guardrails together.

Originally Posted by James Brown

Well, if Trump's reelection happens, and you and James have convinced me it won't, we can keep an eye on those guardrails together.

In other words, the voters are the first guardrail and I can't see a majority of the EC going his way.   Jim