Geez, I was hoping the darkest week was over- you know, until the next one.
Ok - welcome to the team.
In my neck of the woods, the fabulous and talented Tina Peters had her trial deferred to July. This is her 4th set of attorneys. Things are not going well for democracy in our courts. Trials should happen more quickly, not only for the accused, but for those of us who are waiting for some understanding of justice.
I am glad you are here, but, honestly, not gonna be my favorite read - I live there, too. Thank you for standing in the trench. Blessings…
As far back as 2022 (at least) Trump was telling GOP donors to stop sending money to the RNC and send their money directly to him. That sucking sound is Trump accessing any money that still lingers in the RNC treasuries. These defense lawyers don't come cheap so how much will Trump drain off from other down ballot campaigns for his own priorities (staying out of prison)?
Chaos, dysfunction and even death follow Trump wherever he goes so I am pretty excited about his annexation of the RNC to the Trump Organization. It could hollow out whatever still remains of a viable GOP.
The sooner the GOP dies the sooner an authentic sane conservative party can be given birth.
I suspect that many big dollar donors would prefer to donate to down ballot candidates directly rather than sending money to Trump's slush fund.
An interesting recent development here in Florida: Some Republican legislators were trying to pass a bill where taxpayer monies could be used to help pay for Trump's legal costs. DeSantis put the kibosh on that saying he would veto any such bill. Even DeSantis has limits to his corruption. Who knew?
Considering how many Republicans believe trump actually won in 2020, he IS the incumbent for them and is therefore a much weaker candidate when seen through that lens
Why do people say that Trump is the first non-incumbent of either party to win both Iowa and New Hampshire? That's clearly false. Carter won both in 1976.
You are correct. Maybe people somehow think Trump winning both is a “new thing” because in ‘76 both Oklahoma and Mississippi were between Iowa and New Hampshire? Regardless, Carter won both Iowa and New Hampshire that year as a non-incumbent.
Even if tRump lost like Goldwater in 1964, which, so far, appears unlikely since most project a rather close race this fall, one wonders if the party could find enough leaders like Idahos governor Bob Smylie and other GOP governors to demand change at the RNC, much less throughout the party. This was Smylie in the December 11, 1964 issue of Time in an article titled "Republicans: Toward a Broader View": ""We are a defeated party with a defeated leadership," cried Idaho's Republican Governor Robert Smylie. "In that state of affairs no one should try to shackle the future with a harness that has already proved unworkable." Instead, if Trump loses, as I hope he will this November, it will just be claims of another stolen election by the MAGA crowd which predominates within the RNC and could very well likely increase its numbers as GOPers like McHenry depart and are replaced by MAGAs.
When WWII happened, the overwhelming majority of US citizens knew that it was down to them to save the country. They didn't complain about being drafted, or working in war supply factories, because they knew it was THEM - not the government, or politicians, or Jesus that was going to be involved in and win, the fight.
I wish that more people today realised that the same responsibility, and duty, rests in just the same way on their shoulders.
It's not Joe Biden that will win November's election.
We need to thank our lucky stars that the attitudes of MAGA weren’t prevalent during WWII. We’d be speaking German in half of the country and Japanese in the other half. MAGAts are cowards to their core and can’t grasp a solid sense of foreign affairs.
This is what history has taught me. I am now envisioning Trump rounding up people and having then shot. I envision news outlets shut down and journalists shot. Political opponents shot. Trump going after moderate Republicans. When I was in Berlin a few years ago there were posters everywhere talking about the people who were rounded up and eliminated by Hitler in the months after he took power. No trials. The German people did not imagine Hitler would do such a thing but he did. All the signs were there. Trump is out for revenge and he has built his apparatus of evil crazies. All the cowards will fall in line. Out of fear. Expect Nikki Haley to submit soon. This is real fascist stuff folks. History shows exactly where someone like Trump can take the world.
I’ve written the same thing on this Bulwark forum. Roaming death squads seem like a real possibility. The MAGAs I know would either participate or look away.
"The decision to put the RNC in LaCivita’s portfolio underscores the campaign’s plan to completely take over the party apparatus so that it seamlessly functions as an arm of the Trump election effort."
-----
The repeating of history here is breathtaking. The MAGA oberste Fuhrer is still following Hitler's playbook (sorry for violating Godwin's Law). The Nazi takeover of Germany resulted from the same person being both the de facto party leader and having control of the government in general. With the Marigold Malignancy's sycophants, minions, toadies, lackies and turd polishers being installed in every corner of government, the New GOP puppet master will try to make us all dance to his tune by pulling our collective strings.
It is up to all of use to prevent the Coral Cancer from being returned to the Oval Office [turns head and spits three times between index and middle fingers]. Should he be successful, let the doomcasting begin; America, as we now know it, will cease to exist. We will be turned into a Hermit Kingdom like N Korea, and free elections will no longer be held. The camps that the Bloviating Butterscotch Buffoon has announced he'll open for undocumented immigrants will not be the end of his extralegal imprisonment; the Alaskan Gulag will be a boon for the state economy.
As Friedrich Hegel said, "We learn from history that we do not learn from history." It is critical that we prove him wrong in November. As an aside, it would behoove the Goldenrod Grotesqueness' Brownshirts to learn from the past. They either forget, or never knew in the first place, what happened in Germany during Operation Hummingbird, aka "the Night of the Long Knives," when they were purged from the party, often with "extreme prejudice." It might also be of benefit to some in the MAGA leadership circle to recall those three days; it wasn't just the SA purged, there were others on Hitler's enemies list including: close associates of Vice Chancellor Franz von Papen (attn friends of Mike Pence), several in the Reichswehr, including General Kurt von Schleicher, former Chancellor of Germany and Gregor Strasser, Hitler's former competitor for control of the Nazi Party (attn Ronna McDaniel, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley...), and several victims were executed because they "knew too much".
If reinstalled behind the Resolute Desk, blood will be flowing in the streets, both by a New GOP excising those who have shown themselves as not having given full and unconditional support to their Capo di Tutti Capi and the rioting that will happen; the Posse Comitatus Act be damned because he'll invoke the Insurrection Act to put down the protesters. (And, imo, this will be the start of a full-blown mutiny among the military ranks.)
"No jerks rule" Well, what about Steven Chueng -- the Joe Isuzu of the Trump 2024 campaign? However he acts within the campaign, he sure sounds like a jerk. But, of course, he represents a much, much bigger jerk.
I'm curious if Trump's imminent takeover of the RNC negatively affects Republicans' national downballot races. Are these candidates going to be seeing a smaller feed trough?
Of course he's going to suck up all the RNC money. He's already spent $50 million on legal fees in 2023. Now he will continue his appeals against the government forcing the government (taxpayers) in the quest to avoid accountability. Remember, it's OPM, other people's money.
I agree with the implication, and in close races the Republican nominee (I think) will more likely be relatively moderate, thus not getting Trump's support or the RNC's. This is my pony.
With authoritarian rule, there is no need for structures that Dear Leader does not find useful. With a belief that “I alone can do it”, much of the typical political party structure is disposed of. What’s happening at the RNC is simply a continuation of Dear Leader’s consolidation of authoritarian power. To the extent that the RNC continues to exit, it will be staffed by lackeys and sycophants, just like the GOP is and just as the government will be if Dear Leader returns as president.
One might expect daily details like air travel to shut down, once the experts are removed in favor of cronies. People fail to realize the depth of federal expertise that keeps this country going behind the scenes. Same with health care, supply chains, everything we only notice when it doesn’t work.
Flatulence by any other name would smell the same.
Geez, I was hoping the darkest week was over- you know, until the next one.
Ok - welcome to the team.
In my neck of the woods, the fabulous and talented Tina Peters had her trial deferred to July. This is her 4th set of attorneys. Things are not going well for democracy in our courts. Trials should happen more quickly, not only for the accused, but for those of us who are waiting for some understanding of justice.
I am glad you are here, but, honestly, not gonna be my favorite read - I live there, too. Thank you for standing in the trench. Blessings…
As far back as 2022 (at least) Trump was telling GOP donors to stop sending money to the RNC and send their money directly to him. That sucking sound is Trump accessing any money that still lingers in the RNC treasuries. These defense lawyers don't come cheap so how much will Trump drain off from other down ballot campaigns for his own priorities (staying out of prison)?
Chaos, dysfunction and even death follow Trump wherever he goes so I am pretty excited about his annexation of the RNC to the Trump Organization. It could hollow out whatever still remains of a viable GOP.
The sooner the GOP dies the sooner an authentic sane conservative party can be given birth.
I suspect that many big dollar donors would prefer to donate to down ballot candidates directly rather than sending money to Trump's slush fund.
An interesting recent development here in Florida: Some Republican legislators were trying to pass a bill where taxpayer monies could be used to help pay for Trump's legal costs. DeSantis put the kibosh on that saying he would veto any such bill. Even DeSantis has limits to his corruption. Who knew?
The whole team's from Florida? Hm. Not sure that Floridians know how to play for Midwesterners. Their political culture is super weird.
Speaking from Florida here they won't play for anyone north of the Mason Dixon Line or west of the Mississippi... not even in Texas.
There is no "America First wing of the Republican party." There is only Trump First. Putin Second. America Last. (Thank you, Thomas Friedman)
Today's GOP has become "Government Of Putin."
Considering how many Republicans believe trump actually won in 2020, he IS the incumbent for them and is therefore a much weaker candidate when seen through that lens
Well, if he won in 2020 then he is prohibited from running again by the 25th Amendment. So which is it, you delusional Trumpsuckers?
Why do people say that Trump is the first non-incumbent of either party to win both Iowa and New Hampshire? That's clearly false. Carter won both in 1976.
You are correct. Maybe people somehow think Trump winning both is a “new thing” because in ‘76 both Oklahoma and Mississippi were between Iowa and New Hampshire? Regardless, Carter won both Iowa and New Hampshire that year as a non-incumbent.
Today, "GOP" now means "Government Of Putin."
Even if tRump lost like Goldwater in 1964, which, so far, appears unlikely since most project a rather close race this fall, one wonders if the party could find enough leaders like Idahos governor Bob Smylie and other GOP governors to demand change at the RNC, much less throughout the party. This was Smylie in the December 11, 1964 issue of Time in an article titled "Republicans: Toward a Broader View": ""We are a defeated party with a defeated leadership," cried Idaho's Republican Governor Robert Smylie. "In that state of affairs no one should try to shackle the future with a harness that has already proved unworkable." Instead, if Trump loses, as I hope he will this November, it will just be claims of another stolen election by the MAGA crowd which predominates within the RNC and could very well likely increase its numbers as GOPers like McHenry depart and are replaced by MAGAs.
When WWII happened, the overwhelming majority of US citizens knew that it was down to them to save the country. They didn't complain about being drafted, or working in war supply factories, because they knew it was THEM - not the government, or politicians, or Jesus that was going to be involved in and win, the fight.
I wish that more people today realised that the same responsibility, and duty, rests in just the same way on their shoulders.
It's not Joe Biden that will win November's election.
It is "We, the People."
We need to thank our lucky stars that the attitudes of MAGA weren’t prevalent during WWII. We’d be speaking German in half of the country and Japanese in the other half. MAGAts are cowards to their core and can’t grasp a solid sense of foreign affairs.
This is what history has taught me. I am now envisioning Trump rounding up people and having then shot. I envision news outlets shut down and journalists shot. Political opponents shot. Trump going after moderate Republicans. When I was in Berlin a few years ago there were posters everywhere talking about the people who were rounded up and eliminated by Hitler in the months after he took power. No trials. The German people did not imagine Hitler would do such a thing but he did. All the signs were there. Trump is out for revenge and he has built his apparatus of evil crazies. All the cowards will fall in line. Out of fear. Expect Nikki Haley to submit soon. This is real fascist stuff folks. History shows exactly where someone like Trump can take the world.
I’ve written the same thing on this Bulwark forum. Roaming death squads seem like a real possibility. The MAGAs I know would either participate or look away.
"The decision to put the RNC in LaCivita’s portfolio underscores the campaign’s plan to completely take over the party apparatus so that it seamlessly functions as an arm of the Trump election effort."
-----
The repeating of history here is breathtaking. The MAGA oberste Fuhrer is still following Hitler's playbook (sorry for violating Godwin's Law). The Nazi takeover of Germany resulted from the same person being both the de facto party leader and having control of the government in general. With the Marigold Malignancy's sycophants, minions, toadies, lackies and turd polishers being installed in every corner of government, the New GOP puppet master will try to make us all dance to his tune by pulling our collective strings.
It is up to all of use to prevent the Coral Cancer from being returned to the Oval Office [turns head and spits three times between index and middle fingers]. Should he be successful, let the doomcasting begin; America, as we now know it, will cease to exist. We will be turned into a Hermit Kingdom like N Korea, and free elections will no longer be held. The camps that the Bloviating Butterscotch Buffoon has announced he'll open for undocumented immigrants will not be the end of his extralegal imprisonment; the Alaskan Gulag will be a boon for the state economy.
As Friedrich Hegel said, "We learn from history that we do not learn from history." It is critical that we prove him wrong in November. As an aside, it would behoove the Goldenrod Grotesqueness' Brownshirts to learn from the past. They either forget, or never knew in the first place, what happened in Germany during Operation Hummingbird, aka "the Night of the Long Knives," when they were purged from the party, often with "extreme prejudice." It might also be of benefit to some in the MAGA leadership circle to recall those three days; it wasn't just the SA purged, there were others on Hitler's enemies list including: close associates of Vice Chancellor Franz von Papen (attn friends of Mike Pence), several in the Reichswehr, including General Kurt von Schleicher, former Chancellor of Germany and Gregor Strasser, Hitler's former competitor for control of the Nazi Party (attn Ronna McDaniel, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley...), and several victims were executed because they "knew too much".
If reinstalled behind the Resolute Desk, blood will be flowing in the streets, both by a New GOP excising those who have shown themselves as not having given full and unconditional support to their Capo di Tutti Capi and the rioting that will happen; the Posse Comitatus Act be damned because he'll invoke the Insurrection Act to put down the protesters. (And, imo, this will be the start of a full-blown mutiny among the military ranks.)
fnord
I love what you wrote here. But do not fear about violating Godwin's Law.
Godwin's Law has been replaced with: "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck."
The author of Godwin's law also says: "Yes, it's okay to compare Trump to Hitler. Don't let me stop you". The Washington Post. December 21, 2023.
https://archive.ph/2023.12.21-093428/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/12/20/godwins-law-trump-hitler-comparisons
Cool, thanks for the link.
fnord
"No jerks rule" Well, what about Steven Chueng -- the Joe Isuzu of the Trump 2024 campaign? However he acts within the campaign, he sure sounds like a jerk. But, of course, he represents a much, much bigger jerk.
I'm curious if Trump's imminent takeover of the RNC negatively affects Republicans' national downballot races. Are these candidates going to be seeing a smaller feed trough?
You know he's going to suck ALL the money up. They'll be broke and won't be able to support other candidates unless Trump approves it.
I wonder how much he's going to make them spend on HIS convention?
Of course he's going to suck up all the RNC money. He's already spent $50 million on legal fees in 2023. Now he will continue his appeals against the government forcing the government (taxpayers) in the quest to avoid accountability. Remember, it's OPM, other people's money.
He spent over $100 million of RNC money for lawyers while he was in office.
Excellent question
Great point! I imagine Republicans who are not on Trump's approved list might find themselves on the short end.
I agree with the implication, and in close races the Republican nominee (I think) will more likely be relatively moderate, thus not getting Trump's support or the RNC's. This is my pony.
With authoritarian rule, there is no need for structures that Dear Leader does not find useful. With a belief that “I alone can do it”, much of the typical political party structure is disposed of. What’s happening at the RNC is simply a continuation of Dear Leader’s consolidation of authoritarian power. To the extent that the RNC continues to exit, it will be staffed by lackeys and sycophants, just like the GOP is and just as the government will be if Dear Leader returns as president.
One might expect daily details like air travel to shut down, once the experts are removed in favor of cronies. People fail to realize the depth of federal expertise that keeps this country going behind the scenes. Same with health care, supply chains, everything we only notice when it doesn’t work.
I can't wait to read the platform! (irony)
It will be whim of the day.
In 2020, there was no GOP platform at all.
Summary of platform: whatever Trump wants.