What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Valmy]

Trump is too incompetent to actually follow through on many of his threats...er...campaign promises. So far that has made things better than I feared but much more embarrassing. It appears no matter how low of an opinion I have of Trump I still cannot help but overestimate him.

If he does manage to get booted from office before the end of the year then I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief. I know Pence is bad news but he at least understands our foreign policy objectives and commitments.

[viper37]

Unfortunately, ideology over common sense isn't impeachable unless it goes all the way to ideology over law.

spoilsport

[Valmy]

Mike Pence's damage would probably be limited to US citizens, since I'd expect him to be a standard Republican in foreign policy.

So yeah, from a largely egoistic foreign POV, he'd be a massive improvement.

The President's primary job is foreign policy so I think this is a fair position. But granted being a straight white middle class type Pence only holds moderate horror for me domestically.

[Berkut]

Anyone who expected him to "hire good people to run things" never watched a single episode of The Apprentice.  Even with all the benefits of editing Trump came off as a pompous ass who expected complete and unconditional obedience from the executives he dragged on the show.  Even if the people you hire are good, if you manage them like an autocratic buffoon, you won't get the goodness out of them.

Prior to the show, I was kind of neutral on Trump.  But after watching the first season of The Apprentice I really started disliking him.  Sometimes he'd come up with the most arbitrary shit to fire someone over, and I just couldn't stand his personality.

At least he kept his emails server secure, and didn't murder those people in Benghazi.

[Barrister]

Mike Pence's damage would probably be limited to US citizens, since I'd expect him to be a standard Republican in foreign policy.

So yeah, from a largely egoistic foreign POV, he'd be a massive improvement.

The President's primary job is foreign policy so I think this is a fair position. But granted being a straight white middle class type Pence only holds moderate horror for me domestically.

This kind of talk frustrates me to no end.

There are two separate ways to criticize Trump.  First, is that he is an individual almost unprecedented in his lack of qualifications and character to be President.  And second, that he is a Republican and advances a more-or-less Republican agenda.

If you want to argue the first, it's an argument that has a great chance to draw in even other members of the GOP to agree with it.  But when you start making the argument that Pence, who is a fairly bland but typical Republican, is just as bad as Trump, you drive those other Republicans right back in to the arms of Trump.

[Valmy]

Pence is not bland, he is a pretty extreme character on the culture wars fronts.

But he is vastly preferable to Trump. If Pence were President everything would hold together fine until we got to the next election.

[garbon]

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/334049-gop-senator-flynn-wont-comply-with-committees-subpoena

GOP senator: Flynn won't comply with committee's subpoena

Lawyers for former national security advisor Michael Flynn say he will not comply with a subpoena issued by the Senate Intelligence Committee, Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said Thursday, according to multiple reports.

The rebuffed demand was for documents related to the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election.

[Malthus]

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/334049-gop-senator-flynn-wont-comply-with-committees-subpoena

GOP senator: Flynn won't comply with committee's subpoena

Lawyers for former national security advisor Michael Flynn say he will not comply with a subpoena issued by the Senate Intelligence Committee, Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said Thursday, according to multiple reports.

The rebuffed demand was for documents related to the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election.

US legal types: WTF happens if someone flat-out refuses to comply with such a subpoena?

[Savonarola]

A truly wonderful mixed metaphor from CNN in an opinion piece about a possible Trump impeachment:

The wagons of opposition, however, are circling.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back out on the prairie. 

[Valmy]

 

That makes no sense at all. Is Trump supposed to be raiding Sioux here?

[Oexmelin]

A truly wonderful mixed metaphor from CNN in an opinion piece about a possible Trump impeachment:

The wagons of opposition, however, are circling.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back out on the prairie. 

Ah, that classic Western trope, when the wagons circle the dehydrated hero, waiting to feast on his corpse.

[celedhring]

The CNN are obviously avid fans of the Heaven's Gate.

[grumbler]

Human history is 300,000 years of injustice, followed by some 300 years of partial justice.  Justice only possible for maybe 0.15% of all humans? Sad.  Makes you realize how relatively impossible it is to achieve justice, and why people argue that pursuing such slim odds is not worth the cost.

[Jacob]

This kind of talk frustrates me to no end.

Of course it does, because it shows that people are realizing the damage the "respectable" radical right agenda is doing to the US.

There are two separate ways to criticize Trump.  First, is that he is an individual almost unprecedented in his lack of qualifications and character to be President.  And second, that he is a Republican and advances a more-or-less Republican agenda.

If you want to argue the first, it's an argument that has a great chance to draw in even other members of the GOP to agree with it.  But when you start making the argument that Pence, who is a fairly bland but typical Republican, is just as bad as Trump, you drive those other Republicans right back in to the arms of Trump.

Pence and his ilk set the stage for Trump. More of their "bland but typical Republican" policy (which is quite radical and in Pence's case damaged his home state of Indiana significantly) is not the antidote to Trumpism. Rather it's slightly more competent Trumpism, which has the potential to damage the Republic even further than Trump's buffoonish incompetence.

[Caliga]

More of their "bland but typical Republican" policy (which is quite radical and in Pence's case damaged his home state of Indiana significantly)

It did?  Not a loaded question... I honestly don't know what damage he caused.  About a third of my co-workers live in Indiana and nobody seemed to be complaining about him when he was governor, though to be fair I didn't know anyone who seemed like a fan either.  Seemed to be just a whole lot of "meh" and then "lolwut?" when Trump picked him as his running mate.