Cont: Trump’s Coup - Part 2

[Stacyhs]

it's fear of the Trump base.
I think, long term, an acquittal might be the death warrent of the GOP.

Of course it is. And that is putting their own ambitions above the good of the country. They want to keep their jobs more than anything else and they fear if they vote 'guilty', they'll get voted out next election. Cowards.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

If the GOP senators do not vote to convict, it's not because there is not sufficient evidence to do so, it will be because they are putting partisan politics and/or their own ambitions ahead of the good of the country once again.

The only chance for conviction is if McConnell weighs the pluses and minuses and decides that throwing Trump under the bus is best for the Republican Party. And communicates that to the Republican senators.

Not saying that will happen, but we can only hope.

 

[Stacyhs]

The only chance for conviction is if McConnell weighs the pluses and minuses and decides that throwing Trump under the bus is best for the Republican Party. And communicates that to the Republican senators.

Not saying that will happen, but we can only hope.

Agreed, but only to a certain point. McConnell has power among the GOP senators but not total control. There are a few like Cruz and Hawley who will not vote to convict no matter what McConnell says.

 

[alfaniner]

It takes time too prepare a criminal case, and there is so much to invesrigate.
You can't have everything yesterday...

They've already had four years. I assumed the criminal charges are for actions he performed before he became President.

 

[dudalb]

We also have the claims of several lawyers representing rioters from Jan. 6 that their clients believed they were just following Trump's instructions. There are also the statements of the rioters themselves:




Jenna Ryan, a Texas realtor who has been charged with illegally entering the Capitol:

Ah, Jenna is using the Nuremberg Defense. "I was only following orders" never goes out of style.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

The only chance for conviction is if McConnell weighs the pluses and minuses and decides that throwing Trump under the bus is best for the Republican Party. And communicates that to the Republican senators.

Not saying that will happen, but we can only hope.

I said it in the impeachment thread: McConnell blamed Trump (and others) for the insurrection in a speech on the House floor. This is possibly an indication that he would vote to convict. And he wouldn't vote to convict unless he knew that he had enough support in the Republican party for there to be a conviction.

It's worth noting that there have been stories for a little while that he's been canvassing the opinion of other Senators on whether they'd vote to convict, and that he's seen the insurrection as an opportunity to rid the GOP of Trump and salt the ground afterwards.

No conclusions should be drawn, obviously, but there is reason to believe that Trump will be convicted, and that McConnell will be part of that.

 

[dirtywick]

if you want to realpolitik this, what does the average senator gain by protecting Trump now?

It’s not clear that Trump even has a base anymore for one. And even at it’s peak it wasn’t enough to keep the presidency and it arguably cost them the senate, and brought with it a bunch of loonies in the house.

It’s also readily apparent that Trump has no loyalty to the GOP. Even if you do what he wants, if he even sniffs a break with him he’ll throw you under the bus. He tried to have pence killed for something he couldn’t even do if he wanted to. Can he even be appeased until 2022 and can they count ok his support if they try?

Guys like Hawley and Cruz want the 2024 Trump mantle and with it the presidency nomination, but that doesn’t appear to be working out for them either and no one else seems to have that ambition. And for every Cruz there a Romney, and he made a lot of enemies in the senate.

There won’t be a better opportunity to rid themselves of him.

 

[acbytesla]

Of course it is. And that is putting their own ambitions above the good of the country. They want to keep their jobs more than anything else and they fear if they vote 'guilty', they'll get voted out next election. Cowards.

I believe their thinking is wrong. If ever there was a time for the GOP to act as one, this is it. They need as a group to toss Trump under the bus. They need then to run over him a few times to make sure he can never come back to haunt the party. If Trump is convicted 98 to 2 or 100 to zero. They can then come back. 2 years is a long time. They need to speak as one. We liked many of Trump's policies but America is a democracy and Trump undermined it. This we cannot defend.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

if you want to realpolitik this, what does the average senator gain by protecting Trump now?

It’s not clear that Trump even has a base anymore for one. And even at it’s peak it wasn’t enough to keep the presidency and it arguably cost them the senate, and brought with it a bunch of loonies in the house.

It’s also readily apparent that Trump has no loyalty to the GOP. Even if you do what he wants, if he even sniffs a break with him he’ll throw you under the bus. He tried to have pence killed for something he couldn’t even do if he wanted to. Can he even be appeased until 2022 and can they count ok his support if they try?

Guys like Hawley and Cruz want the 2024 Trump mantle and with it the presidency nomination, but that doesn’t appear to be working out for them either and no one else seems to have that ambition. And for every Cruz there a Romney, and he made a lot of enemies in the senate.

There won’t be a better opportunity to rid themselves of him.

I agree. I think McConnell has been thinking the same thing for a couple months now and certainly since the riot. He was a usual tool and the had to put up with him, but many McConnell and other Republican Senators probably do not like him and his antics and feel he was an embarrassment to the party.

He was an outsider and larger remained an outsider, if if many Republicans felt a need to often agree with him. They don't want to be controlled by someone who is now out of office and certainly an outsider and who has cost them the House, Senate, and Presidency.

He brought many elements into the party that they don't want and would continue to divide the party and push Republicans and Independents over to the Democratic side.

The information that he is planning to start his own party is also a large concern. Some Republican Senators may feel that he should be convicted based on his actions, and possibly even in the interest of the party, but are concerned about the fall out with his supporters in their state. If he is going to take his supporters and oppose Republicans, then that is no longer a concern. The best way to stop the creation of that party, or at least limit its influence, is to bar him from holding public office. He would not be able to campaign or raise donations under campaign finance laws.

There are some considerable political benefits for Republican Senators to convict.

 

[Trebuchet]

Ah, Jenna is using the Nuremberg Defense. "I was only following orders" never goes out of style.

You beat me to it!

 

[Stacyhs]

I believe their thinking is wrong. If ever there was a time for the GOP to act as one, this is it. They need as a group to toss Trump under the bus. They need then to run over him a few times to make sure he can never come back to haunt the party. If Trump is convicted 98 to 2 or 100 to zero. They can then come back. 2 years is a long time. They need to speak as one. We liked many of Trump's policies but America is a democracy and Trump undermined it. This we cannot defend.

I agree. This is the time for them to say to Republicans "You were lied to. The courts looked at the evidence: there was none. The states, including our Republican governors and Republican majority legislatures looked at the evidence: there was none. The FBI looked at the evidence: there was none. The Dept. of Justice looked at the evidence: there was none.

But it's not going to happen because of reps and senators like Cruz, Hawley, Boebert, T-Greene, Harris, Brook, etc. There are just too many true believers and too many scum who want to inherit the mantle like Cruz.

 

[Stacyhs]

Ah, Jenna is using the Nuremberg Defense. "I was only following orders" never goes out of style.

Jenna, who was busy doing commercials for her real estate business while trying to overturn democracy by storming the Capitol.

 

[dirtywick]

I agree. I think McConnell has been thinking the same thing for a couple months now and certainly since the riot. He was a usual tool and the had to put up with him, but many McConnell and other Republican Senators probably do not like him and his antics and feel he was an embarrassment to the party.

He was an outsider and larger remained an outsider, if if many Republicans felt a need to often agree with him. They don't want to be controlled by someone who is now out of office and certainly an outsider and who has cost them the House, Senate, and Presidency.

He brought many elements into the party that they don't want and would continue to divide the party and push Republicans and Independents over to the Democratic side.

There’s considerations beyond this also. For instance, safely red Lindsey Graham won his re-election, but his win margin closed 6 points in 2020. The Dems turnout more than doubled, as did his own. He was out funded and the race gained national attention.

Do they want to be pro Trump in competitive races in 2022? Do they want to run for open seats as the pro Trump candidate?

 

[acbytesla]

There’s considerations beyond this also. For instance, safely red Lindsey Graham won his re-election, but his win margin closed 6 points in 2020. The Dems turnout more than doubled, as did his own. He was out funded and the race gained national attention.

Do they want to be pro Trump in competitive races in 2022? Do they want to run for open seats as the pro Trump candidate?

Graham won't be running again for another 6 years. Also, SC is still a pretty red State. It should be noted by Republicans that down ticket members of their party did beter than Trump.

 

[dirtywick]

Graham won't be running again for another 6 years. Also, SC is still a pretty red State. It should be noted by Republicans that down ticket members of their party did beter than Trump.

Yes, and Graham can do whatever he wants for a while, but the point is that wasn’t an easy win for him in a safe red state. He had to work for it. a guy like Rubio or Johnson doesn’t have that luxury. They’ll have to explain a vote to acquit on a national stage, fight off the full force of the Dems fundraising, and hope that Trump will not only endorse them but that his base holds strong and shows up for them on a ticket he’s not even on.

And those are the incumbents.

That’s not an ideal situation for a lot of senators.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Graham won't be running again for another 6 years. Also, SC is still a pretty red State. It should be noted by Republicans that down ticket members of their party did beter than Trump.

Yeah it sucks that McConnell and Graham have 6 years in the election-clear now.

 

[Stacyhs]

I'm hoping the Georgia GOP senatorial losses will be a warning to some of these senators that just running on being a Trump supporter ain't gonna hack it no mo'.

 

[Vixen]

if you want to realpolitik this, what does the average senator gain by protecting Trump now?

It’s not clear that Trump even has a base anymore for one. And even at it’s peak it wasn’t enough to keep the presidency and it arguably cost them the senate, and brought with it a bunch of loonies in the house.

It’s also readily apparent that Trump has no loyalty to the GOP. Even if you do what he wants, if he even sniffs a break with him he’ll throw you under the bus. He tried to have pence killed for something he couldn’t even do if he wanted to. Can he even be appeased until 2022 and can they count ok his support if they try?

Guys like Hawley and Cruz want the 2024 Trump mantle and with it the presidency nomination, but that doesn’t appear to be working out for them either and no one else seems to have that ambition. And for every Cruz there a Romney, and he made a lot of enemies in the senate.

There won’t be a better opportunity to rid themselves of him.

Now that Trump is starting his own party, that would have the effect of splitting the Republican vote giving the Democrats an even stronger majority, so yes, more of an incentive for Republican Senators to uphold his impeachment and thus debar Trump from ever standing for election ever again.

 

[Vixen]

Ah, Jenna is using the Nuremberg Defense. "I was only following orders" never goes out of style.

Except, unlike the prison camp guards, there would have been no unpleasant consequence in Jenna Thingybob refusing to participate in Trump's Save America Rally and insurrection.

 

[Horatius]

It should be noted by Republicans that down ticket members of their party did beter than Trump.

This is the part that needs to be hammered home to all the Republicans who are worried about angering the "Trump Base": The Trump Base actually reduces your support. It's a net loss, proven in many different races, all over the country. This wasn't one or two weird off-shoots.

The Trump Base only sounds big because they shout so loud.