The rise of American authoritarianism

[celedhring]

1. Nah, Trump can't win the nomination.
2. Nah, Trump can't win the general election.
3. Nah, a Trump presidency won't be able to do much.
4. Hey, I'm watching the Hunger Games tonight. I hope my district wins.

[DGuller]

What bothers me more than what a Trump presidency could mean to the US is what a Trump presidency says about us.

Meh.  I'm not out to impress anyone.

No shit.

[Norgy]

Could a bowl of cold soup possibly win the GOP nomination?

[derspiess]

What bothers me more than what a Trump presidency could mean to the US is what a Trump presidency says about us.

Meh.  I'm not out to impress anyone.

No shit.

[derspiess]

Could a bowl of cold soup possibly win the GOP nomination?

Only if it brags a lot and makes outrageous promises.

[Valmy]

Could a bowl of cold soup possibly win the GOP nomination?

Only if it brags a lot and makes outrageous promises.

And says what we are all thinking.

[derspiess]

You really buy in to that "deal-maker-in-chief", bullshit don't you?

So you think he's some sort of ideologue then?  He'd sell out his party in a minute to cut a deal with the Dems to get something he wanted. 

This is part of what worries me about him. 

[Norgy]

Could a bowl of cold soup possibly win the GOP nomination?

Only if it brags a lot and makes outrageous promises.

And says what we are all thinking.

"Goddamn Mexicans stealing our sunglasses"?

[Valmy]

You really buy in to that "deal-maker-in-chief", bullshit don't you?

So you think he's some sort of ideologue then?  He'd sell out his party in a minute to cut a deal with the Dems to get something he wanted. 

This is part of what worries me about him. 

I don't see any particular reason he would feel any loyalty to the Republicans at all. Well except for Chris Christie.

[Eddie Teach]

You really buy in to that "deal-maker-in-chief", bullshit don't you?

So you think he's some sort of ideologue then?  He'd sell out his party in a minute to cut a deal with the Dems to get something he wanted. 

This is part of what worries me about him. 

I don't see any particular reason he would feel any loyalty to the Republicans at all. Well except for Chris Christie.

The people voting for him?

[Valmy]

The people voting for him?

I haven't noticed the party machine people lining up to vote for him.

[grumbler]

The people voting for him?

He has contempt for the people voting for him, just as every sane person does.  A trump presidency wouldn't be dangerous, because he isn't really interested in actually doing anything (let alone "cutting deals"), he is only interested in being someone that everyone talks about.  His presidency would be a constant trolling of the press, public, and politicians with goofy shit that has no chance of happening.  In other words, he would govern exactly as he promised to during the campaign, and would be the first president to actually do so.

[Norgy]

You know what, I think you are right.

[crazy canuck]

1. Nah, Trump can't win the nomination.
2. Nah, Trump can't win the general election.
3. Nah, a Trump presidency won't be able to do much.
4. Hey, I'm watching the Hunger Games tonight. I hope my district wins.

[viper37]

Berlusconi was eventually stopped by Europe, and because of Europe, he could not go as far as Mussolini to begin with.  What is going to stop Trump?

The US federal government has checks and balances.  They are going to stop Trump well short of going as far as Mussolini.

Easy to circumvent with a Congress that has a Republican majority.
Then, it would be a matter of the Supreme court, and by the time he does something outrageous, it would be filled with people like him.

If you have people like Derspiess in the general population, willing to vote for Trump over anything the Democrat would propose, such people will eventually be found in Congress and higher.  And then, these people, faced with a choice of siding with a Democrat would chose the party over anything else, even if it's outrageous, thinking someone else will stop him eventually.