Scharmers, I remember getting very cross with you over something on these forums like two years ago but I just want to say that this beautiful, glorious screed has erased all memory of the events from my mind and that you are the greatest and also the best but also the beast (asosial).
Time to start sneaking through all kinds of outrageous corruption while our attention is elsewhere.
Diddums
6391
How implausible is it that Trump resigns in favor of Pence? It seems his ego would never permit it, but if he gets a Gerald Ford pardon for himself and his family…plus I still feel he just hates being President.
It also allows the religious nutters (Rod Dreher, I’m looking at you) to fully support their evangelical candidate.
I think he has to gamble he wins, or he goes to jail. (Chance depends on who wins. I am unsure of the appetite for setting precedent for “political prosecution”. Personally I’d be happy to see him hanging from a cage and we can pay money to throw peanuts at him.)
I changed my mind. Whoever wins will pardon him to “heal the nation” and move on.
Oghier
6393
He’s a narcissist with the most powerful job in the world. You think he hates that?
Maybe he hates the work that being president entails, but all reports are that he simply doesn’t do it.
ShivaX
6394
He can’t be the “greatest President in history” if he resigns and he knows it.
Diddums
6395
He doesn’t do most of the work, but he still has to do some. Even then you can see how much he hates press conferences and even talking to world leaders. He hates all of it except the rallies, and even he knows he can’t do those now.
He will never, ever, ever, ever resign.
Diddums
6397
You guys are right. He is Trump, after all and why start acting rationally now?
rei
6398
Savage and sobering episode of John Oliver tonight. Trump needs to pay for his crimes. Or die horribly.
Why not both?
I once thought early on he might be looking for an exit – “I’ve done more in four years than any president has ever done in eight years.” Something like that. But I agree that he can’t give up the stage. He’s also worried about protecting himself, which is easier to do as president.
My fear now is he’s re-elected and tries to stay beyond another four years. If there’s any kind of loophole he will have a packed SCOTUS that may back his play.
And if he doesnt win a 2nd term, he can spend the rest of his life in the public eye campaigning for the job again. And making money from it.
Menzo
6401
You can rest assured that all the plans for TrumpTV will be dusted off the second he leaves office.
Why not both? Second term and TrumpTV!
I still can’t decide on what I think about this. It screams out as being wrong to my sense of justice. But at the same time, people rightly point out to me that holding previous administrations “responsible” is exactly what they do a lot in 3rd world countries, and it’s definitely not good for those countries to always be in the cycle of the new guy coming in and jailing the old guy. Forgiving the old guy and moving on might be injustice, and an encouragement for others in the future to commit the same kind of crimes, but maybe it might be better for our democracy overall anyway? I don’t know.
vyshka
6404
I say no. Nixon at least resigned from office. The bastard needs to pay.
It takes two to tango. South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process issued amnesty, but you had to publicly testify your deeds. No denials.
But the way to fix that is to stop doing all the crimes, not stop going after all the criminals.
A system in which elected officials are never accountable for their crimes, and one where in particular the head of state and chief executive is immune from accountability for their crimes, is no longer a just state. I’m not sure you can even call it a democracy.
Trump probably has been told to plant Russian moles into our intelligence agencies.
I can’t believe how much damage the guy is doing. When he was elected I thought he would be a clown president. I had no idea he would be this actively evil.
