I’m continuing to see a pattern here from the Washington Post Editorial Board. It’s another day, another crazy editorial from the WP editorial Board. Previously, we’ve learned that a Pres Trump could deport freely (hooray!), that he’d end the era of US global leadership (not much left to lose after 8 years of Obama) or something, that he could wreck progress on ‘climate change’, and that he could destroy the world economy. Now we see that the WPEB should write disaster books
How much damage could a President Trump do? We can only begin to imagine.
A PRESIDENT TRUMP could alter the face of this country and its role in the world, in many cases with Congress and the courts having little power to check him. In a series of editorials over the past several days, we have described the vast reach of executive power in areas where Mr. Trump has made his intentions clear. He could, in fact, unilaterally order mass deportations, resume torturing detainees, undo the preservation of natural treasures and tear up long-standing trade agreements.
But we should be clear: The scope of the damage a President Trump could do cannot be fully predicted or imagined. His candidacy forces us to confront the extent to which democracy depends on leaders adhering to a set of norms and traditions — civic virtues, to be old-fashioned about it. Mr. Trump has made clear his contempt for those virtues, norms and traditions: He despises the press, threatens his enemies, bullies the judiciary, disparages entire religions and nations, makes no distinction between his personal interest and the public good, hides information that should be revealed and routinely trades in falsehoods. Handed the immense powers of the presidency, what could such a man do? The honest answer: No one can be sure.
That’s interesting, because it explicitly describes the Obama presidency, which the WPEB lauds. Actually, Obama does more than just threaten enemies: he acts on it. Hillary does the same. Both disparage large swaths of American citizenry. She certainly makes no distinction between her personal interests and the public good….well, really, she has appeared to use the public sector to enrich her and her family through mixing with her foundation.
She’s hidden vast amounts of information, just like Obama, and routinely lies to the extreme. Falsehoods is such a mild word.
In one of the more thoughtful examinations of the danger, the Brookings Institution’s Benjamin Wittes explained why checks and balances cannot be counted on to protect the nation from an elected leader with contempt for democracy. “Ultimately, the entire executive branch is corruptible by one person because constitutionally, the executive branch is one person,†Mr. Wittes wrote on the Lawfare blog. “Everyone else is just his arms, hands, and fingers. That means that over time, the executive branch under Donald Trump becomes Donald Trump.â€
The irony of this all is amazing, after watching what has happened with Obama in office, and the heavy politicization of agencies such as the FBI, DOJ, EPA, and so many others. Reading that paragraph and thinking about the Executive Branch becoming Hillary Clinton is enough to make me want to vote against her and check the box for Trump. Hilariously, the editorial alludes to the problems that could occur within the National Security Council and federal law enforcement under Trump in exactly the way we’ve seen happen under Obama, without acknowledging the problems, before moving on to
If Mr. Trump wanted to wield the IRS against that Chicago family; if he tried to use U.S. diplomats to help his hotel business in Russia or Azerbaijan; if he barred disfavored reporters from the White House; if he ignored a judge who told him, say, that immigrants had to be given hearings before being deported — what recourse would Americans have?
Obama has wielded the IRS against numerous people and groups that oppose him. Hillary used US diplomats to help her Foundation, increasing her personal bank account. Obama has barred reporters from the White House and his campaign, and has even had them locked in sheds during events. Hillary has also barred reporters from her campaign, and even corrals them like they are cattle. Obama has ignored judicial rulings numerous times.
We have faith, ultimately, in the integrity of the federal workforce, the resilience of the U.S. system and the essential fairness of the American people. But all three could be tested as never before by a Trump presidency. The nation should not subject itself to such a risk.
Just imagine that this was written about Obama in 2008. Or2012. It could be written about Hillary quite easily.
Again, do not take this as an endorsement of Trump. I’m simply amused by the incoherence, apoplexy, and fear-mongering of the WPEB, which never seems to question Hillary Clinton and her ideas in the least. Or Obama.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
Trump is the turd that frustrated Americans hope to throw in the punchbowl. Many Americans are angry and frustrated with business as usual between government and the economic elites.
Half of American families make under $56,000 a year. Hillary makes that much in 10 minutes speaking to Wall Street execs. Trump makes that much in 10 sec speaking to the gaming commission of NJ. Many of not most don’t understand the collusion between all levels of government and the wealthy and corporations that pull the strings on every issue from taxes to labor to healthcare to immigration to trade, but they do understand the dream isn’t working quite as well for them. Internet access and cable television has revealed the real America to the masses – the widening gap in income inequality wasn’t an accident – it was policy.
Along comes a demagogue blaming Mexicans, Blacks, Muslims and women – blaming everyone but himself and the government cronies he and others paid off. Laws were crafted so that a horrid business deal that would ruin a normal person allows a wealthy elite to make BILLIONS in income without paying taxes for decades. Laws were crafted so that bad decisions that would ruin a normal family business allows a wealthy elite to declare bankruptcy 6 times, stiffing investors and contractors, and still walk away as a billionaire. Millions of Americans lost their homes and savings in the Great Recession, and Democrats and Republicans alike rallied to make the Wall Street banks and executives whole – and the media wants us all to look the other way.
Our esteemed host wrote:
As does Donald Trump, but at least Mr Trump disparages the large swath that needs to be disparaged.
After reading Jeffrey’s comment, the obvious question is: why is he voting for Hillary Clinton? Why isn’t he voting for Gary Johnson, or at least the idiot woman running on the Green Party ticket?
I’m in Pennsylvania, where my vote won’t matter: the Democratic nominee has carried the Keystone State in every election since 1992. Thus, I can, and will, vote for Governor Johnson without any worries that I might be somehow contributing to a Clinton presidency.
The question on the playground when I was in elementary school was: if you were standing up to your neck in [insert slang term for feces here], and someone threw a bucket of [insert slang term for urine here] at your head, would you duck? That’s pretty much how I view this election. The most I can say is that I will be less unhappy if Mr Trump wins than I would be if Mrs Clinton wins.
I’m more anti-Trump and anti-Republican than pro-Clinton. Trump is too immediately dangerous; conservative policy is strangling the working classes longterm.
I believe Secretary Clinton will make a much better president than Trump. She will stand against the Republican House and Senate. I don’t practice protest votes.
I wouldn’t vote for libertarian even if they had a chance to win. I disagree with the cult.
I assume that most reasonable Trump supporters (not those driven by racist rage) negate Trump’s ignorant belligerence toward governance and favor his potential as a supporter of tradition elite Republican policy – massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, “deregulation” etc.
A difference of opinion. I think Clinton disparaged the far-right racists.
becoming increasingly clear that Trump has been found to be unelectable.
Really the only question now is how much damage down ticket will he cause.
Yep. Trump’s the problem alright…
Shades of Whitewater…
https://bunkerville.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/fbi-missing-boxes-of-clinton-emails-in-latest-scandal/
Yep. Trump’s the problem alright.
Prez Loose Shoes knew all along…
http://lidblog.com/new-emails-show-from-day-1-obama-administration-involved-in-managing-clinton-email-scandal/
Trump: “I grab them by the pussy!”
What a guy.
Yep. Trump’s the problem…
This bitch gets to vote…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmINJq0GywE
Yep. Trump’s the problem…
http://nypost.com/2016/10/06/fbi-agents-are-ready-to-revolt-over-the-cozy-clinton-probe/
America was greatest with a Democratic Congress and either a Democratic or decent Republican president. Historians consider Obama to be an above average president but consider the current Teabagger Congress the worst ever. Sad to say but Nixon was the last sane Repub Prez. McCain was/is a decent man and may have been able to kill the Teabag wing of the GOP. Things have gotten so bad in Congress that Randian Paul Ryan is considered reasonable.
What I find comical is how the right seems taken aback by Trump over all this….Like come on people….this guy has been like this for 30 years. Hes a billionaire who thinks he can do anything he wants…..
He did this stuff because Im sure in his own mind there was NEVER any thought of being a politician in which he would have to account for his remarks and actions…..and any accounting was always handled with a checkbook.
Well then he went and hit a nerve with the GOP who are so angry over all this political correctness bullshit that the right lost their minds an nominated a totally unworthy and incapable Billionaire con artist to run against the one person in America that probably more people hate then Trump……..
HRC…..So despiste HRC calling America a BUCKET OF LOSERS AND A BASKET OF DEPLORABLES…that is somehow okay…in comparison to a man treating women as sexual playthings………
Neither is acceptable but in America its always been the degree of the crime not the fact that a crime was committed……Everyone who is anyone knows HRC bribed the FBI and Justice to not prosecute her and Comey is coming off as a really, really bad liar who cannot stomach what he has been paid to do.
That is HRC….no different then the Donald….the difference is that It was bill Clinton grabbing them by the Pussy and not HRC….at least not caught on tape.
There is something wrong with Jeffy. His thought process seems to stop before the “consequence” side has a chance to debate his initial thought. Either he has no ability to weigh moral outcomes or he’s a liberal.
There is something wrong with TeaPotty. His thought process seems to stop… oh never mind, he’s a teapottier so his thought process never starts. They are brain dead automatons who do what rich republicans trick them into doing.
Teapottyguardian, LOL. What do you guard, the potty from gays? The teapotty was astroturfed by far-right monied republicans who want to privatize social security, end Medicaid and Medicare, weaken the tort system and above all cut taxes for billionaires and corporations. Teapottyguardian, LOL.
Laim is correct in surmising that no one should be surprised by Trump’s antics. He’s just a normal billionaire egoist with no moral compass. He grew up privileged and rich and has lived his life that way, grabbing them by the pussy as he goes.
Where Laim is wrong is in asserting that Director Comey was bribed and that Secretary Clinton called America a bucket of losers. Did you hear Trump on a hot mic, Saturday night, live, saying he wished he was hurricane Matthew smashing through all that hot Miami pussy?
Laim’s suggestion that Secretary Clinton physically grabbed women by their pussies is Trumpian in vulgarity.
Thanks Donnie for coarsening American even more. Your followers feel liberated.