Trump 2016

[Malcolm]

he's going to stop Republicans that don't endorse Trump from running on the Republican ticket in the future

In the fuck?

[TPRJones]

Honestly lately I've started to think that perhaps a Trump Presidency is the best thing that could happen to the U.S. No, wait, hear me out. Clearly it's going to be a dumpster fire of one sort or another. Of that I am certain. But there's good to be had there.

Over the past several decades, the power of the President has been increasing tremendously. Presidents have just made decrees about new powers they will have now all willy-nilly for any old reason. It's madness, for reasons I think almost everyone here understands clearly without any lecturing from me. And what is needed is a lesson in why the Constitution worked so hard to limit governmental power in general and the power of the office of the President in particular. I can't think of anyone more qualified to teach that lesson in the most flagrant ways possible than Donald Trump.

Before the phoenix can rise from the ashes, there first have to be ashes.

[GORDON]

Or, as I have been saying for years now, let it burn. Glad to have you on board.

[Malcolm]

Honestly lately I've started to think that perhaps a Trump Presidency is the best thing that could happen to the U.S.

No, the best thing that could happen to the US is a league of Wanted-style assassins hunting down every member of the federal gov't plus the less cooperative state pricks and executing them one at a time live on youtube, publicly over the course of a few days while a huge screen projected hidden camera footage of every bribe and kickback, every crony who ever got them to put a rider on an otherwise sensible bill, every lie, and every illegal bullshit tactic they've ever pulled.

Before the phoenix can rise from the ashes, there first have to be ashes.

Fuck that. I see two problems: (i) fires look shitty from the inside and (ii) the phoenix here is made of asbestos.

[Vince]

Honestly lately I've started to think that perhaps a Trump Presidency is the best thing that could happen to the U.S. No, wait, hear me out. Clearly it's going to be a dumpster fire of one sort or another. Of that I am certain. But there's good to be had there.

Over the past several decades, the power of the President has been increasing tremendously. Presidents have just made decrees about new powers they will have now all willy-nilly for any old reason. It's madness, for reasons I think almost everyone here understands clearly without any lecturing from me. And what is needed is a lesson in why the Constitution worked so hard to limit governmental power in general and the power of the office of the President in particular. I can't think of anyone more qualified to teach that lesson in the most flagrant ways possible than Donald Trump.

Before the phoenix can rise from the ashes, there first have to be ashes.

I think you have far more faith in congress to decide he needs to b held in check than I do. I think Trump will continue the direction of expanding Presidential autonomy, probably in was never dreamed of as of yet. And just like how the Republicans never really did anything about the IRS abuses, nothing will be done about Trump's. The reason the Republicans really did nothing to fix the IRS was because a) the only group that hates small government conservatives more that Washington Democrats are Washington Republicans, and b) if they fixed it they wouldn't be able to use that power once they have control of the executive branch.

The only thing that will fix this is a Convention of States. Progressives will never push for that because the whole idea of progressivism is that a central governing power will decide for you what's best. Individual freedoms and rights go against that. Unfortunately, I fear the Republican state representatives (state level) will go back to sleep with an R in the WH.

[TPRJones]

I think you have far more faith in congress to decide he needs to b held in check than I do.

Hahahaha! No. Not in the slightest. I think he's going to do whatever he wants and it's going to be a huge disaster and Congress won't be able to do a thing about it. That's the whole point. It's the reaction to that disaster that I think may lead to a little sanity and pressure by the general public to reduce Presidential power. Perhaps by a new Convention as you mention. But I can't see anything short of a full-blown Trump disaster getting us to that Convention at all, much less with any call to do anything like limiting Presidential power.

[Malcolm]

I think he's going to do whatever he wants

No shit.

...and it's going to be a huge disaster and Congress won't be able to do a thing about it.

No. This is the same dude that got screwed out of electoral votes left and right because the process of nomination in the Reality TV Party was too heady for him. Congress could pass a law that guts his authority, and as long as they hid it in the fine print and didn't talk about it openly, Donnie Dickweed wouldn't notice and would most likely sign off.

That's the whole point. It's the reaction to that disaster that I think may lead to a little sanity and pressure by the general public to reduce Presidential power.

This is where shit falls apart. The general public already has the means to reduce presidential power, it is simply too stupid and fragmented to use it. When those stupid, fragmented groups are confronted by crisis, do you think it's more likely they'll: (i) find the balls which have been so far absent and stand up to their corrupt overlords or (ii) double down like whiny, pussy bitches and bicker among themselves about which candidate they'd prefer to see shove a cactus up the Constitution's ass even harder? I'm going the latter.

Perhaps by a new Convention as you mention. But I can't see anything short of a full-blown Trump disaster getting us to that Convention at all, much less with any call to do anything like limiting Presidential power.

I believe this is called the "Rocky Balboa" strategy. Get hammered, get angry, hit back. In this case, the amount of force you'd need to hit Rocky (the voting public) with would bend his spine end over end and send his head flying backwards into his own asshole.

[Vince]

I think you have far more faith in congress to decide he needs to b held in check than I do.

Hahahaha! No. Not in the slightest. I think he's going to do whatever he wants and it's going to be a huge disaster and Congress won't be able to do a thing about it. That's the whole point. It's the reaction to that disaster that I think may lead to a little sanity and pressure by the general public to reduce Presidential power. Perhaps by a new Convention as you mention. But I can't see anything short of a full-blown Trump disaster getting us to that Convention at all, much less with any call to do anything like limiting Presidential power.

I actually think a Hillary Presidency would get us there as quick or quicker. Most state legislatures are Republican run. Hopefully not national Republican tainted. A President Hillary will hopefully motivate them. As I said, I fear a President Trump would just allow them to go back to sleep.

[GORDON]

But then the convention would be decried as motivated by sexism and hatred. Is that the tone you want in done in? The new constitution will be full of SJW insanity.

[TPRJones]

However it shakes out it's going to be a hell of a show.

[GORDON]

Unless I am personally involved it will be a disaster.

I don't have enough money to buy my way in. The next constitution absolutely will be written by money, unless the revolution is extremely brutal and bloody.

[Malcolm]

The next constitution absolutely will be written by money

You're saying the Constitution wasn't penned by wealthy landowners?

[Vince]

But then the convention would be decried as motivated by sexism and hatred. Is that the tone you want in done in? The new constitution will be full of SJW insanity.

A convention of states wouldn't be an open convention where a new Constitution is written. It's a convention where amendments are written. And it's done with representatives from the state level. Aside from CA and NY and a couple other NE states, you rarely hear about the leftist insanity that inflicts us nationally. Again... having that power at the local and state level is the antithesis to progressivism. If two thirds of the states pass an amendment saying something SJW stupid, then we're already done. Actually, I think for a convention of states it requires 3/5 of the states as the federal government has no say in it.

[GORDON]

I don't think the current system is fixable. Yeah, we have a great constitution... which was used to line the seat of FDR's wheelchair, and it hasn't mattered since.

Burn it all. Build something new. Hope it isn't insane.

[Malcolm]

Burn it all. Build something new. Hope it isn't insane.

You're running your ideas on a platform of hope and change?

[GORDON]

At least I am not lying about what I am planning, and I can't be bought.

Probably can't be bought.

[Malcolm]

At least I am not lying about what I am planning, and I can't be bought.

Probably can't be bought.

The only reason you can say Trump isn't lying about what he's planning is because he doesn't yet know what he's planning.

[TPRJones]

Yeah, we have a great constitution...

It was fine for it's time, but it could be a hell of a lot better. I could make a list if you like.

[GORDON]

At least I am not lying about what I am planning, and I can't be bought.

Probably can't be bought.

The only reason you can say Trump isn't lying about what he's planning is because he doesn't yet know what he's planning.

I would not argue with that. I personally think he's much dumber than the average person.

[Alhazad]

Yeah, we have a great constitution...

It was fine for it's time, but it could be a hell of a lot better. I could make a list if you like.

I'd read one.