Ok, so let me just say that this is exceedingly unlikely to actually happen, and indeed it’s so unlikely that it’s almost not worth mentioning other than for what it says about the extent to which Donald Trump has managed to slowly push some Americans down the road to accepting autocracy.
Critics have long fretted over Trump’s claim that he won the popular vote. The same critics have decried the President’s efforts to perpetuate myths about rampant voter fraud.
Of course Trump didn’t win the popular vote and there was no widespread voter fraud. He’s simply lying.
But it’s not so much the lying that has people concerned – that’s just par for the Bedminster course. Rather, what’s disconcerting is that it kinda seems like Trump may be angling to try and manipulate the next election Erdogan-style. His much-maligned “voter fraud commission” has only served to lend credence to those concerns.
Well, in a chilling testament to the idea that America is indeed on the road to becoming a Banana Republic, a recent WaPo poll found that an astonishing 52% of Republican voters would support postponing the 2020 election.
Here’s more:
The survey interviewed a sample of 1,325 Americans from June 5 through 20. Respondents were recruited from the Qualtrics online panel who had previously reported identifying with or leaning toward one of the two major parties. We focus on the 650 respondents who identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. The sample has been weighted to match the population in terms of sex, age, race and education.
After a series of initial questions, respondents were asked whether Trump won the popular vote, whether millions of illegal immigrants voted, and how often voter fraud occurs.
Nearly half of Republicans (47 percent) believe that Trump won the popular vote, which is similar to this finding. Larger fractions believe that millions of illegal immigrants voted (68 percent) and that voter fraud happens somewhat or very often (73 percent). Again, this is similar to previous polls.
Moreover, 52 percent said that they would support postponing the 2020 election, and 56 percent said they would do so if both Trump and Republicans in Congress proposed this.
Now again, that is so far-fetched as to be laughable, but on the other hand, America is quickly learning that “it can’t happen here” isn’t just a book.
Remember, it’s not always outright strong-arm tactics that allow autocracies to develop. Sometimes, it’s a kind of creeping pacification of the electorate, the majority of which resigns itself to a system that everyone knows is inherently autocratic, but seems to be “working,” where “working” means people’s daily lives aren’t dramatically impacted.
But this can only become America’s reality if the new administration is shrewd. Clever. Cunning. And, above all, patient.
The saving grace for America is that Trump is anything but.
******
No, he is certainly not shrewd, clever, cunning or patient. He is extremely ignorant and so overloaded with narcissism that he is vulnerable to smart evil people using him as their conveyor, i.e, Putin, KKK, Nazi, etc.
Hell, this idiot will be lucky to still be in office within 6 months from now much less still alive by 2020! His eating habits and lack of exercise and sleep habits, and how about stress – all enough to kill a man!
– Murphy
So, let’s unpackage the 52% number.
According to PEW, “Overall, 48% of all registered voters identify as Democrats or lean Democratic compared with 44% who identify as Republican or lean toward the GOP.” – 1992-2016.
And if “52% Of Republicans Would Support Trump Suspending 2020 Election,” that’s 22.88% of those who identify as Republican or lean toward the GOP. Right, and you “know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up. He has given voice to their websites that used to only have 11,000 people — now 11 million. He tweets and retweets their offensive hateful mean-spirited rhetoric. Now, some of those folks — they are irredeemable, but thankfully they are not America.” So, maybe she had the math wrong, but perhaps she was on to something?
And perhaps they simply don’t know that the law or constitution does not provide for a president and the Republicans in Congress to suspend the election merely because they proposed it. Hey, and why should they know that?
1. Fingers crossed. Nary a tear shall be shed at this end.
2. Let’s just throw away the formalities and appoint him Grand Puba of the universe.
I couldn’t stand this guy prior to the “Birthing Scandal” but now I want him and his entire family ruined. I think the Drumpf brand, as it exists today, is dead. It is probably safe to say that most of his base doesn’t have two nickels to rub together, so no support there, and “How do you like my new, Drumpf suit?” may raise eyebrows for a very different reason in the near future. I’ve heard the new brand will concentrate on media and may morph into a political party of sorts. Good. Hopefully it guts the soulless Party of Jefferson Davis as it tries to win any election of note, ever again.
yes! and I read a while back that some of the bldgs in Canada that has his name were having such a hard time (a hotel, I think it was) they removed his name…he does not own it, they just pay him for his name. Wonder if they have asked for a refund now? hahaha!
Oh my Lord, can you imagine a 4th Political Party, of course he would require his name on it — maybe Trump Trash would be a good name! And we have also read that princess ivanka’s overpriced crap is not selling and perhaps has now been removed from store. And I read recently his hotel income is a great deal less than expected. I agree, it would great to see him ruined as a result of his disgusting life of lying and cheating and hurting people!!! The longer he sits in the Oval Office the more angry I am — he is pilfering every day from all of us, sitting on his fat ass in our White House, causing terrible harm to America that will take years to overcome…assuming he does not drag us into WWIII or just kill a million people in n Korea and Guam! hell, maybe even Venezuela!
– Murphy
Does Qualtrics happen to have an average IQ estimate for the survey respondents?
The republican party has no soul and is lost in a haze of power delusion. When that worm turns and it will there will be a “stinking” pile of sh*t left. Progressive minded people will have to then come together and help to heal what is left.
Trump’s attempt to invoke a new “civil war” will make many on the right have to choose between the Trump/Bannon/religious alt-right wing or the David Frum/Michael Steele centrist wing. It will be a battle royal and probably destroy the party. Trump and his minions will continue to tear apart what is left of this once proud conservative movement. They truly deserve what is coming because they have turned into a party of complete hypocrites.
We just might actually become a country again when this happens.