I've had this hunch lately that Donald Trump may not be on the ballot in November.
The American economy is reeling. A recent poll finds that almost two-thirds of respondents hold Trump personally to blame for many Covid-19 deaths. Now Trump repeatedly shows he's lost interest in the pandemic.
A lot of congressional Republicans are facing a tough battle for re-election this year and they're worried. Trump is falling behind in many of the critical states. Biden has a solid two-digit lead in the polls while Trump is in a slump.
Throughout his life Trump has shown himself to be a survivor. He knows when to cut and run. He will throw everyone else to the dogs while he makes his escape. And it has worked.
Trump is all about "the numbers." He's a ratings guy. It's rumoured that he's rabid about polls showing him trailing badly in the runup to November. And he knows that, if the Dems take the White House, all that presidential immunity will be gone.
I'm thinking he might just do a Richard Milhouse Nixon and pack it in. Pence will succeed Trump as president, sit down behind the Resolute desk and start signing presidential pardons for Trump and his kids as they fly south to supervise the sandbagging of Mar-a-Lardo.
Interestingly, veteran Democrat campaigner, James Carville, also thinks there's a "significant chance" Trump is going to hit the silk.
If Pence heads the ticket,
ReplyDeleteWill Biden keep hiding?
and as long as we're pitching game-changing hypotheticals ...
Watch for the Dem VP pick: Michelle Obama
Pence can pardon all he wants, but once he's no longer president Trump still faces the NY tax investigation, the civil rape case and many other allegations of sexual assault. He won't have Barr and congressional Republicans running interference, he won't be able to appeal to the Supreme Court at taxpayer expense and the judges won't show him any of the deference that comes with being president. Tovarich Trump better be picking out a dacha by the Black Sea.
ReplyDeleteCap
Carville is usually plugged in to what is happening in the US. Interestingly, his wife, Mary Matlin, was a well known Republican. I guess we'll just have to wait with bated breath? There have been others who seem to have some "insider stuff", but don't they all? Pence??? good luck with that.
ReplyDeleteWell, NPoV, you're certainly original. M.O. as veep never crossed my mind. Well played.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I suggested he might turn Mar-a-Lardo into a sandbagged Festung, Cap. I don't think New York holds the allure for Trump that it once did.
ReplyDeleteHere's a question for you. How long, after Trump stands down, before Melania files her papers?
I don't imagine Pence is remotely electable, Lulymay. His would be a rearguard presidency to give Trump until January 20th to bury the evidence and make his escape.
ReplyDeletePardons or no pardons, the chances of Herr Trumpenstein being prosecuted Federally are nil. It's the old political division argument... you want to mollify the other side, not motivate them by creating a martyr while even more deeply embedding this global leftist cabal fantasy that seems to be a foundational ingredient in Budweiser. This is not a good thing, of course. Pardoning Nixon, the Iran Contra crooks, and Obama's looking forward, not backward on the torture regime that preceded his administration, all of these speak to the free reign given to corrupt governments in the US Federally. I agree with Anon above... state level prosecutions are our only hope.
ReplyDeleteWell, Brian, Trump does seem to have burned his bridges in New York which helps explain why he has switched his permanent residence to Mar-a-Lardo.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIn today's NYT, conservative pundit David Brooks writes that America's spirit is broken and everyone blames Trump. Brooks believes that Trump is irredeemably finished.
If by "extreme" you mean into an early grave* then I suppose you're right, Fr. SMC. To suggest that Americans opposed to Trump "must be against the USA and in favour of tearing down Mt. Rushmore" suggests that someone is delusional and I'd suggest you get tested for that. The people of the rest of the world have always had strong views on America. Some admired the United States, some thought the worst of it. Today, thanks to your Mango Mussolini, the world just pities the American people.
ReplyDelete* Just for the record, how many tens of thousands of your fellow Americans have paid for Trump's incompetence with their lives? At least there's one area where the US is still Number One - Covid deaths.