I’m not sure why you let Trump off the hook on that front.
It’s possible his father had ties to the Klan but we’ll dispense with that as unprovable rumor. More tangibly, however, his father was sued by the justice department for discriminatory housing practices. (Woody Gutherie wrote the following about Fred Trump two decades before the feds filed suit “I suppose Old Man Trump knows Just how much Racial Hate he stirred up In the bloodpot of human hearts When he drawed That color line…”) In the 80’s Trump himself took out a full page ad in the New York times calling for the death penalty for five black youths falsely accused of raping a white woman in Central Park. Long before he considered running for president he was a birther and who engaged in ceaseless dog-whistle politics and called into question Obama’s Ivy League qualifications. Literally from the moment he launched his campaign it was marked by overt racism. Shortly after the race started when some of his supporters beat a homeless man because he was hispanic, Trump refused to condemn them saying instead that his supporters are very passionate.
If you wanted to be super generous you can handwave away everything since he announced his candidacy but nothing in his history lends him the benefit of the doubt in my mind on the whole “maybe he’s just pretending to be super racist” front.
Filibustering has been used for 180 years in the US senate. It is very much part of the system. I get that lots of people don’t like fillibuster, but it is entirely consistent with founders intent of making the Senate the body which slows down populist sentiment. I think its counterproductive and hurts the Republican party. But it is not torchng the system.
One of the cool (in, not cool) things about fascism as an ideology is that it can easily support racisi and xenophobia without compromising its core values.
I think what these op-eds are missing is that Republicans will just pivot and make Trump a scary person too. I heard a radio ad tonight that employed that very word. They also said his foreign policy foibles will harm our nation’s security.
If it doesn’t work, then we’ll have to look deeper.
Oghier
6006
There’s a difference between filibustering and using the filibuster to shut down the federal government. People aren’t complaining about the tool in this case, but the ends to which it was used.
Cruz is one of those who views compromise as a sin, a crime against freedom. If he’d been born in a different era, he might have run the Spanish Inquisition. Every time I see the guy, I see John Hurt in “V for Vendetta.”
Timex
6007
Oh, no doubt. It’s all about some strongman running the show, because he knows what’s best for the good of the fatherland.
When you listen to Trump supporters, you can hear that they are specifically looking for a fascist leader.
Neither, I nor anybody other Trump and his closest confidants knows how much of the racist, xenophobic bullshit he spouts off he actually believes. So those of you he think this it is all a calculated ploy to get the nomination have a reasonable shot at being right. I’m not entirely sure Cruz believes all the stuff he says either, but for the sake of argument lets say he does.
In many ways, Hillary and Ted Cruz are mirror images of each other. Intelligent and hard working, with a long history of working to promote what they believe is true. They have a good chunk of admirers in their respective bases. But what they lack is charisma. They are both effective debaters and orators. But no hot Cruz girl or hunky Hillary guy is going to make a hit on youtube this cycle. Hillary was relatively well liked in the Senate, but Cruz as the dubious distinction of being despised by his colleagues. Trump could kill somebody and still not lose followers, whereas Cruz could be killed and nobody in the Senate would shed a tear.
President Hillary and President Cruz both have the power to make changes in the country which will be good or bad depending on your party. But these will be hard fought changes and will require compromise, and the use of logic to convince the American people that the changes are good.
John Oliver said something very important, he likes Donald Trump, at least, a part of him that he hates, likes Trump. I suspect most people have that feeling (I did but no more). But it was good 6 months transition from being amused and entertained by the guy to loathing him. Trump’s charisma give him the power to get people to do things they normally wouldn’t do and that makes him scary.
You add to that the one thing most of us are 100% sure that Trump has a very thin skin, and constantly attacks people who disagree with him, combined with the immense power of the US presidency, and the fanaticisms of his followers and we are looking at possible dictatorship.
As a dyed in the wool liberal, I hope Trump kicks some ass tomorrow. Cruz scares me way more. Trump is an incompetent imbecile. Cruz is smart and has an agenda. And Rubio is just vacuous. Both present a lot more problems than an idiot.
LMN8R
6011
Republicans are currently falling over themselves with terror that Romney might be saying something condemning the KKK that Obama agrees with:
https://twitter.com/thekarami/status/704497761958232064
Timex
6012
It’s not going to play well since he missed that vote.
As a dyed in the wool liberal, I hope Trump kicks some ass tomorrow. Cruz scares me way more. Trump is an incompetent imbecile. Cruz is smart and has an agenda. And Rubio is just vacuous. Both present a lot more problems than an idiot.
At some point if Trump is elected, remember that you were rooting for it.
Cruz could never win a general election, Trump might be able to.
Timex might be on to something: A USSS agent throat tackles a Time photographer for leaving the “media pen.” And this:
USSS removes 30 black students for no apparent reason from Trump event
Timex
6015
Yeah, the take down by the ss guy is brutal. Although I’m not sure I can blame Trump for it? The secret service isn’t really under his command.
Hal9000
6016
I have this friend who is immensely smart—worked very high level in the Pentagon, topped out, became a CEO and COO, and is always in-your-face about supporting marriage equality and other such topics. He lives in Chicago.
He is a die-hard Trump supporter. I guess I just don’t personally get the appeal—I understand showing it to the man and stuff, but with Trump?
Quaro
6017
I know that feeling. I don’t know if Politics just makes people dumb or what, but it’s a terrifying feeling to see otherwise smart, reasonable, and kind people support him.
@LibyaLiberty Feb 27
If you’re an American confusedly watching the darkest forces of ur nation rally behind a demagogue-maybe u can understand the Mid East now.
@LibyaLiberty Feb 27
If you’re an American confusedly watching the darkest forces of ur nation rally behind a demagogue-maybe u can understand the Mid East now.
anymunym
6020
As someone not completely familiar with the American system of government, I have a question. If Trump was elected and if the Republicans in congress haven’t warmed up to him by then, wouldn’t he face impeachment early and often, especially if tried to enact some of this unconstitutional policy proposals and especially if both parties hated his guts?
If he tried to move unilaterally, yes.
Thankfully, almost all of his hare-brained ideas require him to work through Congress, where they’d simply go nowhere quickly. But yes, if he tried to perform many of his more outrages declarations by Executive Order, it’s very likely that he’d face opposition up to and including impeachment if he refused to stand down.
It should also be noted–and something I did not know until I saw retired General Michael Hayden, the former head of both the NSA and CIA on Bill Maher’s show on Friday–United States military troops are forbidden to carry out any order given by a superior that is in violation of United States law. I’m sure some hapless Republican functionary would be chosen to deliver that nugget of news to The Donald if he were elected.
