Quo Vadis GOP?

[Josquius]

" we would like to start this show, as we always do, by saying what a great president we have. Now on with the show."

I do hope one of the other talk show hosts plays this up, Trump referenced some of them gloating about Kimmel.
They could look very scared as they say it. Could work well.

The bit in question

[Norgy]

I am starting to think that the only sane people elected in the US is Sanders and Warren.

Watching the head of the CDC explaining how she was fired was physically painful.

There are a lot of us who root for the United States. But there are limits.

[HVC]

Colbert is on his way out anyway, he could do something I guess

[Norgy]

I doubt he would stand for office.
Kimmel's off the air as well.
Soon John Oliver will be too.

Satire is dangerous. And when satire is dangerous, you should realise you no longer live in a free society.

[Grey Fox]

When your affiliate needs FCC approval for a merger, you lay down and make sure they like you.

Once again, this is about money first.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Dictators don't like to be laughed at. They are small and inadequate people, far inferior to the average person on the Clapham omnibus.

[crazy canuck]

Dictators don't like to be laughed at. They are small and inadequate people, far inferior to the average person on the Clapham omnibus.

Yes, but this was not Trump making the decision to put pressure on a private entity to cancel the show. This was a governmental regulator applying the pressure in order to please the great leader.

The reason we have freedom of expression rights is to guard against this kind of governmental action.

I know I've been banging on about this for some time, but the fundamental misunderstanding of what freedom of expression is has gotten us to this point.

It's not cancel cancel culture, it's a violation by the government of freedom of expression.

[The Minsky Moment]

It's not cancel cancel culture, it's a violation by the government of freedom of expression.

100% percent we are witnessing the systematic, step-by-step complete elimination of the free media, following the Putinist-Orbanist playbook. 

Just for background understanding the FCC is a 5 member commission. Three comissioners are required to approve major enforcement action.  The FCC Chairman can't do jack on his own.  That is if he follows the law.  An enforcement action is brought in writing on notice and the recipient has a due process right to present a defense and seek court review.  Obviously, none of those things happened here, none of them were even attempted. Instead a single commissioner made a threat of retaliation against ABC and his affiliates if his personal orders weren't carried out.  This is Mafia government, pure gangsterism.  "Nice TV network you have there, shame if something bad were to happen." 

They have been systematically probing boundaries and limits and each step the case, Congress completely rolls over.  The lower federal courts pushed back, but the Supreme Court has betrayed them and kneecapped them by routinely staying every order challenged by the administration.  Trump and his people now know there is no check and so keep getting bolder and bolder.

This will not be limited to reworking the free media.  For those here who like wagering, the odds on serious tampering  with the midterm elections just jumped a lot.  Why wouldn't they?  There is no one and nothing to stop them.  As dysfunctional as the Democrats are, the anger building up against these corrupt and incompetent bunglers and their Riefenstahl tinge is palpable - if the economy continues to steadily swirl down the drain they could be facing an epic wipeout in 2026.  Why would they let that happen?  Why hand over legislative and subpoena power to the "enemy within"? 

Watch carefully how the Supreme Court deals with the tariff cases.  If they are overly deferential to the President's "emergency powers" the gig is up.  Prepare for an November 2026 "emergency"

[HisMajestyBOB]

I'd be shocked if we don't see them use the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election as a trial run for 2026 meddling.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I just feel in my bones that the "Republicans" are going to wipe the floor with the opposition in the mid-term elections. There are just so many ways for the unprincipled to fiddle them.

I hope I'm wrong and we can all have a laugh at my utterly useless prediction.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I'd be shocked if we don't see them use the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election as a trial run for 2026 meddling.

New Jersey is also a candidate.  Jack Ciattarelli is disturbingly close to Mikey Sherrill in the polling right now.  I could see the temptation to use shenanigans to flip a blue governorship.

[HisMajestyBOB]

 
Two good test cases: a close election in a blue state and a not-so-close election in purple state with a GOP governor.

[The Minsky Moment]

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-oregon-and-maine-failure-provide-voter-registration-rolls

Trump and Pam Bondi suing to seize voter registration data from two blue states.

It's already underway . . .

[Razgovory]

I wonder if we'll get a day off for a Charlie Kirk Federal Holiday.