#Threat to Democracy

[philosophicalconservatism]

A Threat To Democracy?

The Democratic party begins the election season with the legal prosecution of its political opposition on grounds, and by procedural methods that even Left-wing legal experts like Elie Honig and Mark Geragos describe as outlandish. these are the kind of shenanigans employed by authoritarian regimes. The party then proceeds to unseat the sitting president, clearly against his will, and replaces him with a candidate of the party elite's own choosing, entirely bypassing the democratic process. The people of that party have no say in who their leader is to be, and this leader is also an individual who was nominated, not elected to their last political office.

Now I can hear someone responding to this by pointing out that the individual in question is at present leading slightly in the general election polls. This of course is simply a way of doubling down "You see that! the people don't really need the right to elect their leaders, we actually know what is best for them". But of course making a decision for people, and then presenting them with a second decision obviously does not tell you what decision those people would have made in the first instance if given a choice (especially when the same candidate had been roundly rejected in the primaries before).

And to solidify its political choice the Democratic party now attempts to gaslight the entire country (another tactic of authoritarian regimes) into suddenly believing in the amazing leadership attributes of a candidate that none of them ( including those same party elites) saw as an astounding leader ten minutes ago. In other words, naked and obvious propaganda. And this is the party that tells us that the opposition candidate is a "threat to democracy"; a candidate that we have already seen in office.

[aunti-christ-ine]

[vizrecon]

[tomorrowusa]

Right now is the time to get involved in the defeat of America's most dangerous enemy since the Cold War.

The traditional election season, starting on Labor Day, is a thing of the distant political past. And considering the magnitude of the threat to democracy, even waiting for the end of the primary season may be too late.

The worst president in our history is, arguably, stronger within the leadership ranks of the Republican Party than he has ever been. He is now the most dangerous presidential candidate in U.S. history. As a consequence, the great question before the rest of us is whether enough of us are ready to do whatever is necessary to defeat this threat as we have all those that have come before. Sadly, there is reason to believe that this time we may not meet the challenge. Right now, Donald Trump is one of two people who could be our next president. The race, at the moment, between him and President Joe Biden, is too close to call.

The people with their heads up their ass over Biden's age are either hypocrites or dissemblers. On Inauguration Day 2025, Donald Trump will be 95.66% of Joe Biden's age. And Trump will also be older in January of 2025 than Biden was upon assuming office in 2021. Biden may have a lifelong stutter but he is still grounded in reality in a way the narcissistic nepo baby Donald Trump never was.

Joe Biden by any objective metric has been one of the most successful presidents in modern U.S. history. He has led the creation of more major legislative initiatives benefiting the American people than any president in 60 years. He oversaw the creation of more than 14 million jobs during his first three years in office. He has brought down inflation and reduced the prices of vital medicines to affordable levels. He has restored American leadership worldwide, expanded our vital alliances like NATO, and stood up to our enemies. All presidents face challenges and make missteps. But it is hard to deny that in the wake of the U.S. economic recovery, the passage of the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the CHIPs and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the expansion of NATO, and the creation of new Indo-Pacific alliances, Biden’s record is formidable. That a president with this record is in a horse race with a candidate who is a menace to the country, who led an insurrection, who is a pathological liar whom courts have found to be a fraud and a rapist, and who has no real ideas, no credible policy proposals, no record of actually ever achieving anything for the American people is chilling.

In normal times, over 40% of US voters would NOT pick a notorious sex offender for president. But these are not normal times.

You would have thought that the sight of mobs carrying Trump flags and weapons and chanting for the death of Vice President Mike Pence on January 6, 2021, would have been alarm enough. You would have thought the same of Trump’s Access Hollywood tape, in which he confessed his impulse to abuse women. You would have thought the two dozen women who accused him of abuse would have had that effect. Even if none of those things were quite warning enough, you would have thought the findings in the E. Jean Carroll case would have been enough. After all, respected federal judge Lew Kaplan wrote, “The fact that Mr. Trump sexually abused—indeed, raped—Ms. Carroll has been conclusively established and is binding in this case.” It should have been enough. But so far, it has not been.

And who would have thought that the party of Ronald Reagan is now led by a stooge of the Evil Empire?

You would have thought that Trump reaching out on national television to our Russian adversaries for aid during the 2016 campaign would have been enough. You would have thought the conclusive findings of every major U.S. intelligence agency that Russia sought to aid Trump’s campaign would have been enough. You would have thought that Robert Mueller’s finding 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice by Trump would have been enough. You would have thought Trump kowtowing to Vladimir Putin and taking his word over that of our intelligence and law enforcement communities would have been enough. You would have thought his illegally withholding aid to Ukraine to seek dirt on Joe Biden would have been enough. You would have thought his impeachment for that would have been enough.

Are you willing to spend more time and money than in previous election cycles to end a major threat to Western democracy and to undermine homegrown fascism for at least the rest of this decade?

So, ask yourself, is that enough to make you do more than you have done? Is that enough to commit for the next 10 months to do more than you have ever done during an election year? To give more? To canvas more? To spread the word more? To help get voters to the polls? To ensure every member of your family, your friends, your co-workers do the same? The stakes are too high to do less than everything you can.

I rarely quote Margaret Thatcher and would probably disagree with at least 90% of her views. But she did know something about winning elections and combating the USSR. If she was good for just one thing, it's for this observation in a speech made in her retirement.

[N]o battles are ever finally won; you have to go on winning them by example and by being prepared to defend your way of life against those who would attack it.

If we learn just one thing from the Trump threat, it's that we can never rest on our past laurels. A slacker democracy is one which will not outlast a determined demagogue.

Civic involvement by pro-democracy citizens is absolutely necessary to maintain freedom.

[hale-nathan]

Trump Weird News - Prominent Federal Judge endorses Harris

Trump Clear and Present Danger

Trump Threat To Democracy

Trump Makes Mockery of Constitution

Trump Makes Mockery Of Rule Of Law

Patriotism Requires Voting Country Over Party

[markfaustus]

I thought questioning an election was a threat to Democracy?

[zzoemaii]

This election has set women’s position in politics back years! The Democratic Party will not send another woman until they are consistently elected over the Republican Party.

Choosing a male candidate is a far safer strategy especially knowing a notable portion of US citizens general response to Kamala was negative. Even though a large portion of the population supported her, voting blue, and, many Republicans will have had other reasons they chose not to vote Harris, the population of voters who elected not to vote for her due to her being a woman is significant and will have to be considered in future elections. I can’t imagine how they’d be able to overlook it.

Unless Trump makes a complete mess (likely), and also is held accountable for it (less likely), in which case I imagine a female candidate may be elected just for the sake of democracy and avoidance of Republican leadership, then I cannot imagine a woman will be set to run again for a number of years unless the Democrats become overwhelmingly favorable.

Sending all my love the the women of USA and everyone else who is undoubtedly going to be greatly effected by Trumps re-election.

I hope this nation doesn’t forget the fundamental values of unity, liberty, equality and diversity, on which it was built and from which it gained so much global esteem and collective pride; stay strong— there will be a day where once again we will move ‘out of the black and into the blue.’🇺🇸💙

[imkeepinit]

[lasseling]

Nancy Pelosi Admits on Tape to Being Part of a Silent Coup to Oust Joe Biden

Like a true mafia boss, Nancy Pelosi took credit in a recent interview on ousting Joe Biden in the Democrat Party coup.

[carolyn-magazine]

This is a letter I wrote to my Secretary of State in regard to the disqualification of Donald J. Trump, and any others, from holding public office, per the United States Constitution, Amendment 14, Section 3.

[Disclaimer: this letter has been altered by me to remove the name of this state's Secretary of State in case anyone else would like to copy and send it to their Secretary of State or Lieutenant Governor. [Note: In Some States the Lieutenant Governor also serves as the Secretary of State and/or Chief Election Officer]

Dear Secretary of State [insert name] ,

In addition to serving as Secretary of State of [insert state], you also serve as Chief Election Officer. As a proud resident of [insert state], I am aware that you stand by the wisdom of The United States Constitution, as we all should. I implore you to please read, and take into serious consideration, the below information.

I am writing to your offices urging a formal review of whether Donald J. Trump, and any others, are barred from the ballot in this state by way of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That Amendment disqualifies from the ballot any person who “shall have engaged” in an “insurrection.”

For such a disqualification, there is no requirement that Trump or any person be first convicted of any crime - as the Congressional Research Service notes.

Additionally, last year after a trial in New Mexico, a judge ruled that Jan. 6 was an “insurrection” within the meaning of the 14th Amendment and that Otero County Commissioner Cuoy Griffin was removed from office and disqualified from the ballot for “engaging” in that attack. Mr. Griffin is also prohibited from ever holding an elected position in the state of New Mexico.

Donald Trump’s actions - as detailed in the final report of the “Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack” - far exceed the actions of Griffin in terms of “engaging” in the Jan. 6 insurrection. While that New Mexico ruling is not binding in this or any other state, it is persuasive in its reasoning, and I urge your offices to read it.

Recently, conservative legal scholars (former Federal Judge on the Court of Appeals 4th circuit, J. Michael Luttig, and Professor Emeritus at Harvard Law School, who taught Constitutional Law at Harvard for nearly five decades, Laurence Tribe) have recently penned articles reaching the conclusion that given Trump’s conduct, the US Constitution does in fact bar Trump from the ballot.

Article VI of The United States Constitution reads, "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any state to the Contrary notwithstanding."

Amendment 14, Section 3 of The United States Constitution reads, "No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability."

As Americans, we should always take the Constitution seriously, and most people do, including Donald Trump, as we've witnessed him repeatedly standing by the 1st and 5th amendments.

We can't pick and choose which amendments are legally binding because each one is considered part of the supreme law of the land, as stated above in Article VI of The Constitution.

The time is now to review if Trump, or anyone for that matter, has done just that, and is barred from the ballot - well before the 2024 election.

George Santayana once famously wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." 

We must learn from History and there is a reason why Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was written into The Constitution - as a way to prevent our democracy from being destroyed.

Thank you for considering this issue that is vitally important to protecting our Republic.

Sincerely,

[insert your name here]

References

https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/constitution.htm

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/donald-trump-constitutionally-prohibited-presidency/675048/

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:d5f3903a-9ef1-413d-8b62-d42d1e8f44a5

https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2022/09/06/nm-judge-orders-couy-griffin-to-be-removed-from-otero-county-commission-bars-him-from-holding-any-office-in-the-future/

https://www.c-span.org/video/?507774-1/president-trump-video-statement-capitol-protesters

https://iep.utm.edu/santayan/

https://youtu.be/5Aaqz4qiQYM?si=ls1xrwNcKcFZrVMd

[tomorrowusa]

« If the first Trump term was akin to the random destruction of a toddler, a second would be more like the deliberate demolition of a saboteur. With the benefit of four years of governing experience and four more years of planning, Trump and his team have concluded that the problem with their first game of Jenga was that they simply did not remove enough of democracy’s blocks.

[ … ]

As Trump degrades government, following the Orbánist playbook with at least some success, much of the public would justifiably lose their already-battered faith in the American system of government. And whether it could long survive such a disaster is anyone’s guess. »

— Zach Beauchamp at Vox.

People who claim that a second Trump term would be no worse than the first one have forgotten how disastrous it truly was. Trump's completely botched response to COVID-19 not only drove up the US death total by hundreds of thousands but set in motion economic difficulties which lasted for several years.

And the collection of sane pro-democracy individuals who kept Trump's more dangerous impulses in check during his administration will not be there to keep the country from going off the rails.

The long term damage Trump could do to American democracy could be even worse than the second term itself.

It's always easier to prevent dictators than to oust them once you get them. So save yourself a lot of work in the future!

You don't have to be in a swing state to help get out the vote in such a state.

Volunteer | Kamala Harris for President

[usindistress]

Schwarzenegger might not be the best person ever. But this is some excellent gloating over the defeat of the undemocratic "independent state legislature" theory.

[archangel-dormiens]

He's not even trying to hide it.

[tomorrowusa]

« Donald Trump is the first American presidential candidate to explicitly threaten the democratic system on which a free press depends. He could win. Considering the stakes for the country, that ought to be the campaign issue that dwarfs all others. »

— Journalist John Harwood at Zeteo.

Mr. Harwood formerly worked for CNN and CNBC. Zeteo is a Substack founded by Mehdi Hasan who used to be with MSNBC.

Ultimately, all issues in the upcoming election must be looked at in the context of the danger Donald Trump poses to American democracy. Though that doesn't mean we should ignore other issues in efforts to defeat him.

Above all, we need to remind people: There is no such thing as a dictator for just one day.