What If the Next President Is Even Worse?

[Rusty Edge]

*Then again, on a day to day basis, the literal nuclear option seems more possible.

*Strange how deviancy gets defined down. Any other president I'd be outraged at the daily lies,  disingenuousness, hypocrisies and false statements. Now instead I'm thinking "Yeah, but is it illegal, unconstitutional or impeachable?"

[Geo]

*Then again, on a day to day basis, the literal nuclear option seems more possible.

*Strange how deviancy gets defined down. Any other president I'd be outraged at the daily lies,  disingenuousness, hypocrisies and false statements. Now instead I'm thinking "Yeah, but is it illegal, unconstitutional or impeachable?"

It sounds like you're looking for a resolution of a problem.

[Rusty Edge]

It's going to continue to get worse before it gets better.

We saw the real Donald [Sleezebag] again yesterday. Nothing illegal or impeachable, but he shot off some more toes. While few leaders  in his own party are denouncing him, nobody is defending him any more.

[Geo]

I wonder sometimes if he's like this John Boone character in Kim Stanley Robinson's "Red Mars" trilogy - going with the next tremendous idea he hears about.

[Elok]

So, when and if [Sleezebag] leaves the picture, who's next?  Who gets to put the pieces back together?

[Rusty Edge]

#1 In line is Vice President Mike Pence. The trouble is I'm pretty sure that the Mueller investigation will implicate him in at least 1) the cover-up of the Flynn-Russia connection. He was the head of the transition team after Christie was fired, so he was responsible for vetting. His lies abut it would indicate he knew what Flynn did was wrong. 2) Pence is also involved in the Comey firing.

On the other hand, Pence used to be a member of the House of Representatives before he became Governor of Indiana. The GOP members see him as a peer and a good guy. They'd be reluctant to start impeachment proceedings against him.

#2 In line is Speaker of The House Paul Ryan. There are hints that he won't come out of this Mueller investigation unscathed, but you can't expect him to impeach himself. But he doesn't want to be President. He ran for vice president with Romney. If he wanted the top job, he would have run in 2016. He's said that repeatedly.  So, potentially he could resign as Speaker, or from Congress.

#3 in line is Utah Senator Oren Hatch, who holds the title President Pro-Tem of the Senate. He's clean, but he's old. A place holder until the 2020 election.

#4 in line is the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.  I only mentioned him in case anybody was wondering.


A lot depends on timing and how and when [Sleezebag] leaves.  a) 2020 Election, b) Resignation c) removed by his cabinet in a 25th Amendment scenario, d) Impeachment?  Will the Mueller investigation release it's findings before the mid-term elections next year? Will the news be so bad that the Republicans lose their majority in spite of their gerrymandering achieved strangle-hold? If so, Pence and Ryan might be removed from the line of succession. Or Pence might have time to choose his replacement as Vice President.   The Democrats will not be so reluctant to impeach. The next President could possibly be Nancy Pelossi.

[E_T]

Just wait till President Pence,  recognizing that this is a Christian Nation, tries to go national with his Indiana reforms ( diverting AIDS Treatment funding to gay conversion therapy, for example) , and puts only righteous judges on the bench. Hallelujahs and Amens shall be uttered.

If This Goes On...

[E_T]

-An obvious question.  Would a semi-competent person who worked within the accepted boundaries/rules of the system -but who had a truly evil agenda- do more harm or less than what we have now?

Sounds like the Plot to the first three Star Wars films...

[E_T]

-An obvious question.  Would a semi-competent person who worked within the accepted boundaries/rules of the system -but who had a truly evil agenda- do more harm or less than what we have now?

Uh, I feared Pence would be worse. Now I'm not so sure.

Getting rid of the experienced people in the top of the state department and gutting it's budget, and being inept at finding and confirming replacements, or outright refusing to do so means that our non-military options for dealing with international incidents are vanishing.

We have a peculiar convergence of partisanship in media and public office. Then there's the Russian thing. I'm also concerned about changing norms, such as ethics, objective truth, and Constitutional interpretation.

We survived Nixon just fine, but I wonder about the lasting effects of the [Sleezebag] administration, including figurative and literal nuclear options. I like to believe that the system is self -correcting, that excess leads to reform and restoration. But when we let partisanship ...." [Sleezebag]" ethics, "[Sleezebag]" objective truth and "[Sleezebag]" Constitutional interpretation, I fear that tit for tat will replace restoring standards in one category or another.

SO- I'm starting to think that what we have now is worse in the long run.

But the "Commander-in-Tweet" can't be wrong....  can he... 

Over the last few weeks, I have been shuddering as to the next crap to come from the "Idiot-in-Chief"...

[E_T]

#1 In line is Vice President Mike Pence. The trouble is I'm pretty sure that the Mueller investigation will implicate him in at least 1) the cover-up of the Flynn-Russia connection. He was the head of the transition team after Christie was fired, so he was responsible for vetting. His lies abut it would indicate he knew what Flynn did was wrong. 2) Pence is also involved in the Comey firing.

On the other hand, Pence used to be a member of the House of Representatives before he became Governor of Indiana. The GOP members see him as a peer and a good guy. They'd be reluctant to start impeachment proceedings against him.

#2 In line is Speaker of The House Paul Ryan. There are hints that he won't come out of this Mueller investigation unscathed, but you can't expect him to impeach himself. But he doesn't want to be President. He ran for vice president with Romney. If he wanted the top job, he would have run in 2016. He's said that repeatedly.  So, potentially he could resign as Speaker, or from Congress.

#3 in line is Utah Senator Oren Hatch, who holds the title President Pro-Tem of the Senate. He's clean, but he's old. A place holder until the 2020 election.

#4 in line is the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.  I only mentioned him in case anybody was wondering.


A lot depends on timing and how and when [Sleezebag] leaves.  a) 2020 Election, b) Resignation c) removed by his cabinet in a 25th Amendment scenario, d) Impeachment?  Will the Mueller investigation release it's findings before the mid-term elections next year? Will the news be so bad that the Republicans lose their majority in spite of their gerrymandering achieved strangle-hold? If so, Pence and Ryan might be removed from the line of succession. Or Pence might have time to choose his replacement as Vice President.   The Democrats will not be so reluctant to impeach. The next President could possibly be Nancy Pelossi.

Thing is, if the Reps couldn't come together enough to repeal and replace, then I really don't see them coming together to Impeach, even with the Dem's help...

[E_T]

c) removed by his cabinet in a 25th Amendment scenario

I don't think they can use the fact that he is a colossal idiot as a reason....

[Geo]

But the "Commander-in-Tweet" can't be wrong....  can he... 

Over the last few weeks, I have been shuddering as to the next crap to come from the "Idiot-in-Chief"...

Why not going for "Idiot-in-Tweet" directly?

[Rusty Edge]

Thing is, if the Reps couldn't come together enough to repeal and replace, then I really don't see them coming together to Impeach, even with the Dem's help...

I agree, that's a long shot. 80% of Americans strongly disapprove of white supremacists, but only about 20 Congressional Republicans ( including the Senate ) in total could bring themselves to  denounce them/ criticize the President after [Sleezebag] reversed himself on Monday. 

It's more likely he'll rage quit, or have a cardiovascular episode from the stress. I'm sure he doesn't want to be the first and only president removed from office. Just look at the way he disbanded his manufacturing advisory board this week and his arts council today. He has a" you can't fire me , I quit!" attitude. Just like he filed for bankruptcies.

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[E_T]

But the "Commander-in-Tweet" can't be wrong....  can he... 

Over the last few weeks, I have been shuddering as to the next crap to come from the "Idiot-in-Chief"...

Why not going for "Idiot-in-Tweet" directly?

You still have to have SOME respect for the office he holds, even though he doesn't deserve to be in it....

[E_T]

Thing is, if the Reps couldn't come together enough to repeal and replace, then I really don't see them coming together to Impeach, even with the Dem's help...

I agree, that's a long shot. 80% of Americans strongly disapprove of white supremacists, but only about 20 Congressional Republicans ( including the Senate ) in total could bring themselves to  denounce them/ criticize the President after [Sleezebag] reversed himself on Monday. 

It's more likely he'll rage quit, or have a cardiovascular episode from the stress. I'm sure he doesn't want to be the first and only president removed from office. Just look at the way he disbanded his manufacturing advisory board this week and his arts council today. He has a" you can't fire me , I quit!" attitude. Just like he filed for bankruptcies.

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but when....  oh when will that come about???   anyone want to start a pool???