Anyone But Trump

[Admiral Yi]

What are the limits of Anyone But Trump?

[chipwich]

None of them are felons right?

[Grey Fox]

Only the Canadian is the right choice.

[Valmy]

Any of them. Granted two of then may not be constitutionally eligible.

Unlike Trump, they are all seen as clowns. Nobody is going to storm the Capitol for MTG.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Traditionally there would have been a Jaron option...and in this case he would have swept the board.

[Syt]

Any of them. Granted two of then may not be constitutionally eligible.

Unlike Trump, they are all seen as clowns. Nobody is going to storm the Capitol for MTG.

10 years ago, would you have thought they would storm it for Trump?

[DGuller]

I would prefer all of them.  What makes Trump utterly dangerous is his charisma; he seems to have an uncanny ability to get people to be his loyal accomplices even if that ultimately results in their destruction.  All the other fools listed would collapse under the weight of their incompetence.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

If it's literally an either-or, any of them.

That said, I don't think Trump is dangerous per se.  Rather, there is a strengthening FedSoc/Heritage/white nationalist bloc behind him which presents the greater danger.  Trump is just the vehicle to get that Christo-fascist horse through the gates of the White House and into the halls of power.  He is certainly their best vehicle, but some of the people on this list would be almost as dangerous in that capacity.  Constitutionality notwithstanding, I think Farange, DeSantis, and Hawley would be able to get that done.  Cruz maybe, but he's a spineless jellyfish so I don't know if he'd be able to execute the office of President well enough to get the block what they want.  The other four are idiots would be disasters as President, but as much for the fascist dreams of power as for the rest of the country.

[Valmy]

Any of them. Granted two of then may not be constitutionally eligible.

Unlike Trump, they are all seen as clowns. Nobody is going to storm the Capitol for MTG.

10 years ago, would you have thought they would storm it for Trump?

I couldn't say. But Trump has always been this inexplicable national phenomenon. People have always just loved him and admired him simply because he exists.

[Sheilbh]

That said, I don't think Trump is dangerous per se.  Rather, there is a strengthening FedSoc/Heritage/white nationalist bloc behind him which presents the greater danger.  Trump is just the vehicle to get that Christo-fascist horse through the gates of the White House and into the halls of power.  He is certainly their best vehicle, but some of the people on this list would be almost as dangerous in that capacity.

I'd go for any of them over Trump probably. I think what you say here is true - but I think there is a unique element of Trump which is corrosive.

He may be the best vehicle for different people's projects but that's because he fundamentally doesn't care. He doesn't believe any of it. If he perceived it as harmful he'd immediately pivot to the opposite position. I think this is part of what lets him succeed is that, unconstrained by belief, he can say what other Republicans can't - whether that's Iraq was a disaster and Bush made us less safe, or he wants to protect Social Security etc.

I think all that matters to him is who is loyal to him and what have they done for him lately. It's a mob boss, patrimonial mentality. I think that's a unique and really damaging element of Trump's presidency. I think after Trump many of them might challenge election results or orchestrate a January 6 style attempted coup, say - but I'm not sure any of them would without Trump. Similarly I would not be surprised to see a lot of politicised uses of the Justice Department if Trump wins again (which may then become a norm). I think the fact that he doesn't care, doesn't have beliefs and has that mob boss politics is specific to him and really damaging to the office of president and the constitutional order in the US. If nothing else it shifts the window of what a president "can" do.

Constitutionality notwithstanding, I think Farange, DeSantis, and Hawley would be able to get that done.  Cruz maybe, but he's a spineless jellyfish so I don't know if he'd be able to execute the office of President well enough to get the block what they want.  The other four are idiots would be disasters as President, but as much for the fascist dreams of power as for the rest of the country.

Broadly agree here.

I'm not sure on Farage's positioning though. The risk of DeSantis is what he has done in Florida, similarly Hawley as a Senator. Farage has just become an MP (on his eighth attempt) but prior to that he was just a Member of the European Parliament which is not a particularly powerful legislature. He doesn't have any record really of "doing" anything. He's never really held high executive or legislative office. The biggest thing he's run is probably his various, very personalist parties which always have lots of ructions and rows and defections. I think he is, of the list, perhaps the most like Trump in that his great skill is really getting attention and a sort of charisma (and like Trump part of that is that he can, unfortunately, be quite funny). I think he's very different from the Hawley-DeSantis competent Trumpism without the charisma pack.

[Norgy]

Waiter, may I have a new menu, please?

[Admiral Yi]

I'm curious about the one person that okayed MTG and Boebert but nixed Gaetz. I don't see a lot of brand differentiation, but if anything the first two seem much crazier.

[grumbler]

I presumed from the question that the candidates here were the same popularity as Trump but not him; none would be elected were they not.  I can see several of them being more i9n the bag for the fascist/white nationalist bag than Trump and more easily swayed by nimrods.  Trump will allow his advisors to eliminate democracy.  Boebert will be up to her elbows in blood making sure that democracy dies.

[chipwich]

Trump's unique threat to democracy seems unconvincing for 70% of Languish.

[Valmy]

Trump's unique threat to democracy seems unconvincing for 70% of Languish.

There seems to be this fantasy that there is this smarter, more evil version of Trump just waiting in the wings someplace. Not sure who this could be referring to. Nobody is going to fight for Ron DeSantis.

I mean if Trump had decided not to run we would have gotten who to run against Hillary? Marco Rubio? Jeb? I think the Capital would have been safely unstormed.