Will the United States of America experience a coup in 2020?

[DontSayBanana]

Try 26 years. Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh started this stupid populist ball rolling.

Actually it goes back a little further. The dinosaurs developed the first walnut-sized brains.

All 6,000 years ago, yep.

[crazy canuck]

I have said in the other thread why I think waiting for things to happen to start thinking about them is a bad idea. It's a recipe for paralysis, apathy, or being taken completely aback by the normalization of what was once unthinkable.

Is striking that people fall back on the logic that it cannot happen because US political norms and institutions are strong enough to withstand the challenge.  Have the people making those arguments  missed the last 3.5 years?

Sure, but before Trump there was at least a plausible argument that American liberal democratic institutions would withstand the lunacy.  But nope.

Try 26 years. Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh started this stupid populist ball rolling.

[viper37]

I don't think so

I mean who would want to take charge at a time like this anyway?

Well, Lenine did a coup in 1917, things weren't much brighter then.  Maybe Bernie Sanders wants the job? 

[Valmy]

I don't think so

I mean who would want to take charge at a time like this anyway?

Well, Lenine did a coup in 1917, things weren't much brighter then.  Maybe Bernie Sanders wants the job? 

Bernie lacks a loyal nearby unit of marines.

That would be weird. An entire USMC unit of fanatical Bernie supporters.

[viper37]

But ultimately he will not actually take action to seize power if he loses.

That is what I expect.

But it is not like Joe is guaranteed to win.

He could contest the election.  All the lowers courts and the Supreme courts are packed with Republican sympathizers loyal to him, first and foremost.  We've already seen some tenuous legal decisions favoring the Republicans over the last year.

He doesn't have to seize power to make trouble, he only has to try and some people will follow.  Very fine people armed to the teeth.

[viper37]

I have said in the other thread why I think waiting for things to happen to start thinking about them is a bad idea. It's a recipe for paralysis, apathy, or being taken completely aback by the normalization of what was once unthinkable.

Is striking that people fall back on the logic that it cannot happen because US political norms and institutions are strong enough to withstand the challenge.  Have the people making those arguments  missed the last 3.5 years?

Try 26 years. Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh started this stupid populist ball rolling.

Actually it goes back a little further. The dinosaurs developed the first walnut-sized brains.

And the Dinosaurs created America!

Dinosaurs are a myth created by liberals to distract you from God's truth.

[viper37]

Bernie lacks a loyal nearby unit of marines.

True, but everyone has guns in the US.  Even untrained, in urban warfare, they stand a good chance of keeping their ground.

That would be weird. An entire USMC unit of fanatical Bernie supporters.

ugh.  What a thought.  I sur won't sleep right again tonight.

[Valmy]

Pretty awesome myth though.



Fuck yeah!

[garbon]

I have said in the other thread why I think waiting for things to happen to start thinking about them is a bad idea. It's a recipe for paralysis, apathy, or being taken completely aback by the normalization of what was once unthinkable.

Is striking that people fall back on the logic that it cannot happen because US political norms and institutions are strong enough to withstand the challenge.  Have the people making those arguments  missed the last 3.5 years?

Try 26 years. Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh started this stupid populist ball rolling.

Actually it goes back a little further. The dinosaurs developed the first walnut-sized brains.

And the Dinosaurs created America!

Dinosaurs are a myth created by liberals to distract you from God's truth.

Jesus totally rode on dinosaurs

[Josephus]

Yes absolutely.

There's many ways. If come November, Trump thinks he can't win the election, there are many things he can do. I use the word "can" lightly, but I'll get to that. Primarily, as his son-in-law has already indicated, Trump may say that the situation is too volatile (COVID/Riots whatever is happening then) to have safe elections and he is postponing them until a safer time. Now, I hear you say, he can't do that. To which I say "watch him".  He has the senate and the supreme court on his side.

As others have mentioned, there may be more of a structural coup. He loses, and in some states people rise up, seize the capitol building refuse to let the electoral college voters vote.

Trump loses. Argues the election "is rigged." Refuses to leave. Election victory doesn't get ratified.

Other scenarios only Trump can think up. I've said before democracy is broken in the USA

I just don't put anything past Trump and his Trumpists any more. He can and will do anything to stay in power, and he is not going to leave wihtout causing riots in America that will make the last week look like foreplay.


It may be moot though, cause I still think he's gonna win the election.

[Grey Fox]

He'll win on election night & the Generals/Admiral will have to stop it from happening.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Yes absolutely.

There's many ways. If come November, Trump thinks he can't win the election, there are many things he can do. I use the word "can" lightly, but I'll get to that. Primarily, as his son-in-law has already indicated, Trump may say that the situation is too volatile (COVID/Riots whatever is happening then) to have safe elections and he is postponing them until a safer time. Now, I hear you say, he can't do that. To which I say "watch him".  He has the senate and the supreme court on his side.

As others have mentioned, there may be more of a structural coup. He loses, and in some states people rise up, seize the capitol building refuse to let the electoral college voters vote.

It doesn't even need to go that far. They can "lose" absentee and vote-by-mail ballots, shut down voting centers in cities and use the police to intimidate and arrest voters, purge voter rolls, and all of the actions that Republicans have been doing for years. Even if the state has a Dem governor, the police in major cities are generally Trump supporters, and shutting down voting in a few major cities might be enough to swing states that are close.

[garbon]

Yes absolutely.

There's many ways. If come November, Trump thinks he can't win the election, there are many things he can do. I use the word "can" lightly, but I'll get to that. Primarily, as his son-in-law has already indicated, Trump may say that the situation is too volatile (COVID/Riots whatever is happening then) to have safe elections and he is postponing them until a safer time. Now, I hear you say, he can't do that. To which I say "watch him".  He has the senate and the supreme court on his side.

As others have mentioned, there may be more of a structural coup. He loses, and in some states people rise up, seize the capitol building refuse to let the electoral college voters vote.

It doesn't even need to go that far. They can "lose" absentee and vote-by-mail ballots, shut down voting centers in cities and use the police to intimidate and arrest voters, purge voter rolls, and all of the actions that Republicans have been doing for years. Even if the state has a Dem governor, the police in major cities are generally Trump supporters, and shutting down voting in a few major cities might be enough to swing states that are close.

But then that's a rigged election which is very different from the notion that he can unilaterally prevent states from holding elections.

[Tamas]

Is it just me but trust in the election process is in something of a freefall at both sides of the political spectrum?

[garbon]

Is it just me but trust in the election process is in something of a freefall at both sides of the political spectrum?

I think Democrats would note that Republicans are doing all they can to rig election outcomes, as well as have concerns about how Trump will react to a loss (/if he will lose), but I'm not sure it goes further than that. I don't think Dems distrust the election process, after all, it is our one point of hope.