Trump, the MAGA base, and election denialism
It has been widely noted that Trumpy Republicans have largely accepted vote tallies and conceded defeat. There have been few strong claims of fraud or election theft by major candidates (the main exception so far appears to be Kari Lake), and no efforts that I am aware of to mobilize protests against the election results, much less violent protest.
So that raises the question we have been grappling with for 6 years now: to what extent is Trump sui generis? Does his charisma (yes, he has charisma) and connection to the MAGA base give him the power to mobilize anti-democratic violence and election denialism, a power that most of his potential MAGA replacements lack?
Can you see MAGAs storming the Capitol for DeSantis or Cruz or Haley or Rubio?
“Can you see MAGAs storming the Capitol for DeSantis or Cruz or Haley or Rubio?”
No, of course not. The anti-democratic seditionists who stormed the Capitol were Trump cultists. None of these others, no matter how contemptible they are, have tried to establish a religious cult following like the Orange Jesus.
OTOH, I can’t see DeSantis or Cruz or Haley or Rubio announcing their opposition to a Trump 2024 campaign when Trump announces it this evening.
What about Christy or Hogan or Pence? Do you think Trump will clear the field?
@Eric,
Trump clears the field by running. The GOP is not a political party, it is a cult, and Trump is its deity.
I would love to be wrong about this.
what would it change?
DeSantist is much more evil than Trump. He doen’t need to storm the Capitol like Trump followers.
Stealth will do the trick. it’s been working for the R-s since long before Trump.
I think you guys miss the point. It all seems like electoral politics to you. You are not seeing the deep rot within.
Without Trump, they will keep trying to prepare to do it themselves, or just engage in spontaneous stochastic terrorism.
Fraud:
I would put nothing past them. I always like the part where we are supposed to just shut up and take it. “No more jello for me Mr. Republican . . .”
Trump, ignoring the midterms’ verdict on him, announces a 2024 run.
NY Times – just in
Donald J. Trump, whose historically divisive presidency shook the pillars of the country’s democratic institutions, on Tuesday night declared his intention to seek the White House again in 2024, ignoring the appeals of Republicans who warn that his continued influence on the party is largely to blame for its weaker-than-expected showing in the midterm elections.
His unusually early announcement was motivated in part by a calculation that a formal candidacy may help shield him from multiple investigations into his attempts to cling to power after his 2020 defeat. …
Trump’s Don’t-Blame-Me Calculus
NY Times – Nov 16
The announcement of another White House run by Donald Trump showed that in his heads-I-win-tails-you-lose world, all successes accrue to him. Any failings are someone else’s fault.
There’s a plethora of US voters who really like the idea of a Bad Boy president & would dearly love to have him back in office.
It turns out that Trump is a great admirer of Grover Clevland, the only bifurcated president in US history. (Let’s keep it that way!)
@Fred,
While Trump hopes to *emulate* Cleveland, I doubt he *admires* Cleveland.
https://thefranklinnewspost.com/partners/cnn/donald-trump-is-no-grover-cleveland/article_bd54bbb2-2002-51b9-a42a-7dee37065774.html
I’m guessing that Trump has never even heard of Grover Cleveland.
Mike Pence says voters are ‘looking for new leadership’ after Donald Trump announces another White House run
Boston Globe – Nov 17
Great. Just think what the R’s could have done by now if Trump had not tried an armed coup.
Have you taken a look at the new Reopublican leadership?
Obviously, Pence thinks very highly of himself, just as the other ‘new’ GOP leaders-in-waiting think of themselves. Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, MTG, Matt Goetz to name a few. I have some passing respect for Liz Cheney & Mitt Romney – the guy who inspired ObamaCare, dontchaknow. I’d never vote for any of them.
Y’know, the GOP came up with the notion of mandated private health insurance as an alternative to the Dems ‘socialized medicine’, sure that Dems would never go for it. A Harvard prof who was advising Romney, who was trying to cement his reputation – as a moderate – for the 2008 GOP presidential nom (which he got in 2012). Romney went for it.
Anyway, when Obama got the chance, he called their bluff. And so it went. Sure ‘socialized’ single-payer would be better, if we ever get there.
Jonathan Gruber
The Republicans have always been for mandatory spending on social security and med[ical]care. As long as they get the money they are fine with government spending.
i’m glad you would not vote for Romney. He, like the devil, can appear to be a perfect gentleman, well dressed and soft of speech, while he invites you out to his place for dinner, You respect him for killing Medicare for all…as long as “the government pays.” that is you pay. and 90% of the money goes to him, 10% for dubious health care.
trying not to say this outloud: the Left is just like the Right…all they care about is the money, as long as someone else pays (or so they think) they are happy to sell their souls.
The 2022 mid-term election is not quite over.
Lauren Boebert’s tight House race in Colorado probably headed to recount
LA Times – Nov 17
DENVER (AP) – Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, a controversial conservative whose combative style helped define the new right, is probably headed to an automatic recount in her bid to fend off a surprisingly difficult challenge from a Democratic businessman from the ritzy ski town of Aspen.
The Associated Press has declared the election in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District too close to call. AP will await the results of a potential recount to call the race. With nearly all votes counted, Boebert led Democrat Adam Frisch by 0.16 percentage points, or 551 votes out of nearly 327,000 votes counted.
A margin that small qualifies for an automatic recount under Colorado law in a race that has attracted national attention as Republicans try to bolster their advantage in the U.S. House after clinching a narrow majority Wednesday night. …
It ain’t over til it’s over.
Lauren Boebert’s House race in Colorado probably headed to recount
Lauren Boebert’s House race in Colorado probably headed to recount.
She leads by .16%, >95% of the votes counted.
LA Times – Nov 17