Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said in a recent interview that he is worried about the upcoming presidential election because former President Trump “learned” the political system’s weaknesses in 2020.
“The problem is now, Trump and the Trump-type folks have learned where the weaknesses are in the system,” Kinzinger said on The Bulwark podcast on Tuesday.
I don’t believe Trump has learned shit. I don’t think he’s capable of learning.
The people he keeps around that know how to manipulate him, though…they’ve definitely learned from their first run.
Absolutely this. Trump is a moron, a compulsive liar, but most importantly for this case is that he is a textbook narcissist. The only thing he cares about is his image. As long as everything his shitbag handlers do gets him praise, he doesn’t give two fucks about what those actions may be.
I don’t think he’s a puppet. I think there are things he cares about and things he doesn’t care about. If he doesn’t care about something then he’s happy to use it to get something he wants. I think he cares deeply about adoration, sex, and money. Everything else is just a means to get more.
I agree overall, but I don’t think he knows or cares how to improve his first run. The Wormtongues he keeps around know how to manipulate him to make him think he will make lots of money by following guides like Project 2025.
Ahh yeah I’d buy that argument
I’m calling it right now. We missed our chance to kick him out of office we are going to miss our chance to see him answer for his crimes. He will be elected president through cheating, gerrymandering, and anything they can try. After that we will only have elections as a facade and we will be ruled by a right wing oligarchy. Probably will resemble Russia in the most part. Ukraine will be given to Russia and the us will help make that happen. Israel will get even bolder because the Christian right want to bring on the apocalypse. A new world order will be born with China and Russia at the front. This made possible because they will succeeded in neutering the us by helping install a useful idiot in trump and all the other Republicans that are on the pay roll. Buckle up because shit is about the get even worse. We haven’t even started on how right wing governments are absolutely terrible with dealing with any outside threat because they are so fucking corrupt. Climate change is going to devistste the entire plant and these right wing ass holes will only make it worse and worse until it’s way past redeemable. The wars that are going to start over territory and resources will be like no conflict this plant has ever seen.
That’s very pessimistic. Pessimism leads to apathy. I prefer to remain cautiously optimistic.
Oh I am far from apathetic. I am fucking pissed off and nothing will stop me from getting to the voting booth along with my SO. However, I am not optimistic for the USA or the world at this point. I hope I am wrong but as far as I can tell we are headed in the wrong direction all over the globe. Millions and millions of people are turning towards authoritarian governments. You have a very very loud minority in our country that wants to install a christofascist government and Im pretty sure they aren’t going anywhere and will do anything for power.
To me the fact that you’re passionate about voting means you believe that it’s possible for things to improve and in my book that’s being optimistic.
I do have hope because it’s hard to live without it. I’m probably a little jaded because I live in a predominantly red area. I’ll just keep voting and doing my best to get others to vote as well. Also planning on going to some school board meetings soon if it works with my schedule.
Yes I have offspring
I hope people remember what it was like and what was done under that president and what that party has done lately. I worry people have either stop paying attention or have grown apathetic. That’s what will lead to trump again because we have to come out in large numbers to counteract all the Tom foolery they’re going to be up to.
Respectfully, I disagree. I don’t think you understand what he’s facing in NY and Georgia.
The former is a state civil matter, and the Trump Org is already in the process of being sold off in its entirety. The remaining proceedings are for punitive damages, i.e. money he has to pay for fucking around. It’s already happening, and cutting him off from his Org means he will have to rely solely on donations to operate. While he does get millions from that grift, it’s not a bottomless stream of cash, running a campaign and fighting/losing legal battles is expensive, and he no longer has other assets he can leverage.
In Georgia, he’s facing RICO charges from laws designed to take down mob bosses and their associates, and these are State charges. He can’t presidential-pardon himself out of them. Unless Judge McAfee throws him a gigantic bone (and he’s basically shown so far that he’s a no-nonsense, rule-of-law judge), or Kempf pardons him (which he’s given no indication that he wants to), Trump and others will very likely go to prison. It’s not happening quickly enough for the public, but it’s not likely either of these proceedings will drag on, either.
I understand the urge to just give up, but it’s a little early to throw in the towel.
I’m not throwing in the towel I’m just looking at the facts of what happens to rich white men in this country. He has found a way out of everything. People have been saying he’s goong to prison since 2016. They don’t call him Teflon don for nothing. I hope to see him pay for his crimes but I think it’s more likely he cheats to become president again and then it will all just go away. He also has the backing of the supreme Court and the Dems have a really hard time holding seats in Congress because we aren’t playing a fair game.
Yes, and I get all of that, but he’s “Teflon Don,” because his modus operandi was to make somebody else do his dirty work; he could claim plausible deniability.
He royally fucked up in Georgia, because not only was it him that made the call (because arguably, it couldn’t have been anyone else for his purposes), but Georgia is probably the worst state in the US to try to do what he did due to the power and breadth of their RICO laws.
And while I agree that the rich, white men among us often escape punishment, I do not think the facts of the case, the laws themselves, the judge he got, and his dollar store clown-show of a defense team can get him out this time. His goose is cooked.
I hope you are right and this time we can get a least some justice for all the damage and crimes he has done.
Georgia law only allows a pardon after your sentence is completed. So at least there’s that
He will be elected president through cheating, gerrymandering, and anything they can try
I’m not from the US, but doesn’t gerrymandering have no impact whatsoever on the presidential election? Only on the House, maybe on the Senate.
Gerrymandering is a big problem, but conflating it with other issues just detracts from your points.
You’re right, but it does have a secondary impact when it can determine control of congress and the state legislatures. Remember, states control their individual voting processes for President, and there’s plenty of ways for them to “cheat” legally or otherwise.
You are correct I was mostly adding that because that aids in their ability to steal power away from the majority. I guess I could have just said cheating as that is a good blanket term for what they do.
The weakness he exploited was conservative ignorance.
…and collective indifference.
We’re already ruined by right wing Kleptocracy; but I’m not supposed to notice the Overton window was shattered decades ago.
I know what an Overton window is but what do you mean by it being shattered? And what exactly shattered it?