Donald Trump vs. Mitch McConnell & Elaine Chao

[Jimmy Higgins]

This movement will likely grow without Trump.

The sentiment of the populist "movement" will grow without Trump. But will it translate to the electability of other, not so charismatic or popular, populists? I doubt it.

Look at Desantis. Florida had higher rates of Covid deaths, he openly covered it up... and he tricked migrants in Texas into flying to Massachusetts. He is comfortably up in the polls. The alt-right is growing and the conservatives won't not vote for the "Republican".

If you cut the head off this snake, the snake will live. But it will likely writhe about pointlessly until some other "head" takes charge and directs it where, how and when to strike. Whoever that may be, I strongly doubt that they will whip up the fervent, unified excitement of conservatives, mobsters, racists, idiots and the insecure/easily terrified, driving them all to the polls en masse as Trump did in the 2016 aberration.

Just to be clear, you never would have said that about Trump in 2015 or 2016. This movement is rudderless, leaderless, and being propelled by a shared hate of anything that isn't nationalistic bravado or love for whatever the latest alt-right oracles have spoken (see "CRT"). I'm pretty certain we've already lost our Democracy. It just has to run its course at this point. Trump just fell into this. He isn't controlling it, he is taking advantage of it. And that still might get himself killed.

This "we're not going to take it anymore" movement really gained steam in 2012, when they wanted anyone but Romney.

 

[jonatha]

This movement will likely grow without Trump.

The sentiment of the populist "movement" will grow without Trump. But will it translate to the electability of other, not so charismatic or popular, populists? I doubt it. If you cut the head off this snake, the snake will live. But it will likely writhe about pointlessly until some other "head" takes charge and directs it where, how and when to strike. Whoever that may be, I strongly doubt that they will whip up the fervent, unified excitement of conservatives, mobsters, racists, idiots and the insecure/easily terrified, driving them all to the polls en masse as Trump did in the 2016 aberration.

My magat cousin has already transferred her devotion to DeSantis. I don't think it will be that hard to take Trump's place at the head of the movement...

 

[Jarhyn]

This movement will likely grow without Trump.

The sentiment of the populist "movement" will grow without Trump. But will it translate to the electability of other, not so charismatic or popular, populists? I doubt it. If you cut the head off this snake, the snake will live. But it will likely writhe about pointlessly until some other "head" takes charge and directs it where, how and when to strike. Whoever that may be, I strongly doubt that they will whip up the fervent, unified excitement of conservatives, mobsters, racists, idiots and the insecure/easily terrified, driving them all to the polls en masse as Trump did in the 2016 aberration.

My magat cousin has already transferred her devotion to DeSantis. I don't think it will be that hard to take Trump's place at the head of the movement...

This is exactly why DeSantis needs to be given a gift of some new bracelets over their little kidnapping stunt.

Losing one figurehead may not be a huge setback, but losing all the years spent aligning DeSantis to that position would be a major blow.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

They (the base) will just make another zealot.

 

[Jarhyn]

They (the base) will just make another zealot.

But it would take a good long while to elevate and position them behind the machine, longer than they have to mount it and consummate the destruction of democracy vs the "eyes open" populace who saw the face of it with the mask off

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

They (the base) will just make another zealot.

But it would take a good long while to elevate and position them behind the machine, longer than they have to mount it and consummate the destruction of democracy vs the "eyes open" populace who saw the face of it with the mask off

As I told Elixir... Trump came out of nowhere really. Yes, he got into the stupid birther stuff, but otherwise, it wasn't like he had this huge following... and then whatever the heck that was the Trump nomination, election was... happened.

 

[Elixir]

Look at DeSantis?
He may be viable in FL, but his ability to drive, say, Pennsylvania Republicans to the polls is not nearly that of Trump.
DethSentence lacks the bombastic entertainment value of mangoman, and I would intuit that that has been a major factor in the “rise” of Teh Stoopids. The enthusiasm factor for the FL guv will never approach the 2016 Trump fervor.

 

[ZiprHead]

This movement will likely grow without Trump.

The sentiment of the populist "movement" will grow without Trump. But will it translate to the electability of other, not so charismatic or popular, populists? I doubt it. If you cut the head off this snake, the snake will live. But it will likely writhe about pointlessly until some other "head" takes charge and directs it where, how and when to strike. Whoever that may be, I strongly doubt that they will whip up the fervent, unified excitement of conservatives, mobsters, racists, idiots and the insecure/easily terrified, driving them all to the polls en masse as Trump did in the 2016 aberration.

My magat cousin has already transferred her devotion to DeSantis. I don't think it will be that hard to take Trump's place at the head of the movement...

I think a lot of people are in it for Trump and no one else will do. Cults don't change their leadership easily.

 

[Jarhyn]

This movement will likely grow without Trump.

The sentiment of the populist "movement" will grow without Trump. But will it translate to the electability of other, not so charismatic or popular, populists? I doubt it. If you cut the head off this snake, the snake will live. But it will likely writhe about pointlessly until some other "head" takes charge and directs it where, how and when to strike. Whoever that may be, I strongly doubt that they will whip up the fervent, unified excitement of conservatives, mobsters, racists, idiots and the insecure/easily terrified, driving them all to the polls en masse as Trump did in the 2016 aberration.

My magat cousin has already transferred her devotion to DeSantis. I don't think it will be that hard to take Trump's place at the head of the movement...

I think a lot of people are in it for Trump and no one else will do. Cults don't change their leadership easily.

The CAN when there's an heir apparent (David Miscavige; Brigham Young).

Preventing a standing wave generally requires making sure that first handoff fails.

 

[RVonse]

Trump is a sociopathic narcissist, who has almost never had to pay for his errors, mistakes, or crimes. This creates quite the monster.

We both agree Trump is a narcissict but for very different reasons. Trump was already insanely popular as a celebrity in private business. And then he managed to become even more popular as POTUS in the government arena. Such extreme level of popularity during a long period of time and vast horizon of endeveor would challange the sanity of just about any normal thinking person IMO.

 

[RVonse]

I'm pretty certain we've already lost our Democracy.

I've heard exactly the same words many times from the other side too. But they think we have lost Democracy because government has interferred too much in our lives....in particular telling us individually we have to take vaccines and masks and shutting down small business but yet allowing big business to operate during a pandemic. They say our government has become the coalition of "big thinkers" who can not or never have run anything in the private field.

Not saying I agree or dissagree with either of you. But your message about losing Democracy is exactly the same.

 

[RVonse]

My magat cousin has already transferred her devotion to DeSantis. I don't think it will be that hard to take Trump's place at the head of the movement...

Its hard not to be attracted to DeSantis. He embodies most of the platform of Trump without having any of the negative baggage (half of the country hating Trump). Furthermore, people are moving en mass TO Florida right now. Property values are declining in NYC and increasing in Florida. That would not be happening if they thought the state was badly managed.

 

[Patooka]

Trump was already insanely popular as a celebrity in private business.

No, he wasn't. He was and is universally despised by socialites in the New York community, and those people know him best.

And then he managed to become even more popular as POTUS in the government arena.

No, he wasn't. The cunt couldn't win the popular vote and his popularity has only been on the decline since. Jesus fucking Christ how many former employees have made a career point out how much of a scumbag he is? How many times was he considered a joke in the international community?

Such extreme level of popularity during a long period of time and vast horizon of endeveor would challange the sanity of just about any normal thinking person IMO.

You are mistaking notoriety with popularity. Jeffrey Dahmer is quite popular too by your logic. You also arrogantly believe that because you would de anything for Trump therefore everybody loves him. That is some massive cognitive dissonance.

I've heard exactly the same words many times from the other side too.

The "other side" of Jimmy Higgins is the side that forgives Trump for anything he does, promotes conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and pretty much lives in a alternate reality where Trump has made meaningful accomplishments. Sound like anyone you know?

 

[Elixir]

Its hard not to be attracted to DeSantis. He embodies most of the platform of Trump without having any of the negative baggage (half of the country hating Trump).

Trump policies are little more popular than Trump. And there are some who will rather write in the Orange Oracle than give up their golden calf.

Furthermore, people are moving en mass TO Florida right now. Property values are declining in NYC and increasing in Florida.

It matters WHO is coming to FL. Retirees? People who won't want to put up with Republicans looting the treasury, medicare, medicaid, and Social Security is my guess.

That would not be happening if they thought the state was badly managed.

WUT? Ask a thousand people for their top reasons for moving to a new State and I'd be surprised if ONE of them said "Because I like the State Government".

 

[bilby]

I'm pretty certain we've already lost our Democracy.

On the contrary, democracy is alive and well, and forms a major element of the problem.

Populism is what you get when the people participating in democracy are driven by emotions rather than facts; Right now, the combination of the fact that cultists are dedicated voters (while non-cultists yawn), and that the cultists have become totally divorced from reality, is allowing democracy to produce a monstrous outcome (of course, it doesn't help that the rural vote is massively amplified by the system, either). That's not a bug; It's a feature. The people, particularly outside the major urban centres, have become monstrous in their ignorance and hate. They likely always were, but in the past, the elites gave them only a minimum amount of power necessary to avoid revolt. Now a large fraction of the elites see the ignorance and hate as an opportunity, and have moved from trying to keep it contained to stoking the fires.

That they themselves will likely end up getting burned is little consolation to those of us who have to suffer the results. Just ask the Germans who opposed Naziism how much fun the 1940s were. Seeing the top guys committing suicide or being hanged after Nuremburg was likely little consolation.

 

[Elixir]

As I told Elixir... Trump came out of nowhere really.

I disagree. It took decades to cultivate a Donald. (He was coincidentally on my radar back in the 1970s.)
It took years of a primetime TV show to give him unprecedented (other than incumbents) name recognition, respect and a monetizable "tough businessman" image - at least among the rubes. My mistake was not believing that more than twenty something percent of 'Merkins would fail to see through the act of the con man. I was not surprised by his emergence, and was in fact happy about it at first. It may yet emerge that Trump was God's gift to Democrats. Prob'ly not though. We'll know in a few weeks.

 

[jonatha]

My magat cousin has already transferred her devotion to DeSantis. I don't think it will be that hard to take Trump's place at the head of the movement...

Its hard not to be attracted to DeSantis. He embodies most of the platform of Trump without having any of the negative baggage (half of the country hating Trump). Furthermore, people are moving en mass TO Florida right now. Property values are declining in NYC and increasing in Florida. That would not be happening if they thought the state was badly managed cold.

FTFY

 

[Hermit]

I think a lot of people are in it for Trump and no one else will do. Cults don't change their leadership easily.

Assuming Trump won't run for the presidency in 2024 DeSantis will do just fine.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Mitch McConnell probably realizes Trump has a good chance of getting popped and going to prison. All MM has to do is not die.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

My magat cousin has already transferred her devotion to DeSantis. I don't think it will be that hard to take Trump's place at the head of the movement...

Its hard not to be attracted to DeSantis. He embodies most of the platform of Trump without having any of the negative baggage (half of the country hating Trump). Furthermore, people are moving en mass TO Florida right now. Property values are declining in NYC and increasing in Florida. That would not be happening if they thought the state was badly managed.

He lied to his people about the pandemic (got more people killed). lured migrants to be abandoned in Massachusetts, and pumping lies into people about teachers and schools. Yeah, really speaks to a lack of humanity to find hin hard not to like.

Odd how a person paranoid about bad government swoon to sociopaths like DeSantis.