Jan 6 Committee Public Hearings

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I think it’s a mistake to focus on the steering wheel lunge, happened or not. It took me about 2 seconds to figure out that his supporters will just see it as his dedication to fighting for them. At minimum I wouldn’t expect them to be horrified by it or see it as an example of him only caring about himself. And if it gets disputed by the secret service then they’ll see it as proof the entire hearing is a sham. I think they should have left that genie in its bottle. It’s in no way a deciding moment that outweighs everything else but it opens the door to those on the fence leaning towards supporting Trump to use this as an excuse to blow off everything else.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I'm finding the smoking gun headlines about yesterday's hearing a bit disturbing because we all know where that type language has gone before....nowhere. I guess "news" organizations can't help themselves. And I say "news" because news isn't full of opinion descriptors...or at least it didn't use to be. But I'm sure there are many alive today who aren't aware of how that used to be...just like they aren't old enough to know a time when the government wasn't a hot mess of corrupt minority rule, and I'm including rich elites in that equation. Minority rule existed even before racist evangelicals were handed the baton.

 

[lizkat]

Yep, I was going to say that as well. This guy was in charge of the most powerful country in the world. Terrifying.

Terrifying that but for a few individuals, Trump almost shredded the Constitution's safeguards against exceeding the brief of his office, even as we looked on figuring "hey well this too shall pass even if it's pretty bad".

"Pretty bad" morphed into Jan 6th. Something no one alive today had seen in our history. Something that too many Rs are still shrugging off as an exercise in freedom of expression. Even knowing that Trump was dead serious about not leaving office.

But what can we do? The 25th A is hard enough to implement even for physical illness, never mind trying to take on a decompensating narcissist. There was "talk" about it in Trump's cabinet, but no appetite to go for it. Meanwhile the government almost fell. WTF. And some people still think this was cool?

You'd think the Republicans would join Democrats in trying to shore up legislative safeguards against this stuff, but all this crop of Rs seem interested in is making it possible for a political minority to take and then retain powers of governance regardless of actual vote counts. They're well positioned to give it another go in 2022 and 2024 if you ask me. And they know it. Their only weak spot is still in the federal courts at levels below SCOTUS, notwithstanding all those McConnell ram-throughs of young right wingers who may prove problematic for democracy going forward. These midterm elections in 2022 are more than usually significant for that reason. I hope the Dems can turn out a vote for democracy in spite of the fact that all ordinary pocketbooks are getting hammered these days by inflation.

 

[Roller]

I think it’s a mistake to focus on the steering wheel lunge, happened or not. It took me about 2 seconds to figure out that his supporters will just see it as his dedication to fighting for them. At minimum I wouldn’t expect them to be horrified by it or see it as an example of him only caring about himself. And if it gets disputed by the secret service then they’ll see it as proof the entire hearing is a sham. I think they should have left that genie in its bottle. It’s in no way a deciding moment that outweighs everything else but it opens the door to those on the fence leaning towards supporting Trump to use this as an excuse to blow off everything else.

If the committee has testimony that corroborates Hutchinson's statements about what Omato told her with Engel present, I would think they would have presented that as well. From the legal perspective, whether or not Trump lunged and/or reached for the driver's neck doesn't make that much of a difference, except maybe to show his intent to go to the Capitol. But it does affect public opinion. Not for the supporters who will claim it's a witch hunt no matter what the evidence shows, but for the people who are still unsure whether Trump should be indicted. Getting them on board will be important if and when the DOJ moves forward.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

If the committee has testimony that corroborates Hutchinson's statements about what Omato told her with Engel present, I would think they would have presented that as well. From the legal perspective, whether or not Trump lunged and/or reached for the driver's neck doesn't make that much of a difference, except maybe to show his intent to go to the Capitol. But it does affect public opinion. Not for the supporters who will claim it's a witch hunt no matter what the evidence shows, but for the people who are still unsure whether Trump should be indicted. Getting them on board will be important if and when the DOJ moves forward.

I'm saying that single event isn't going to change opinion and if it's disputed by the secret service or not corroborated there will be issues with opinion linked to doubts about other insane behavior.

 

[Runs For Fun]

Pretty good analysis

Thread by @AmoneyResists on Thread Reader App

@AmoneyResists: Here’s why Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony to the January 6th committee was the end for Trump from a prosecution standpoint (Thread) Trump’s whole “case” relies on 3 “defenses”: 1. He really believed ...…

threadreaderapp.com

 

[Macky-Mac]

I'm saying that single event isn't going to change opinion and if it's disputed by the secret service or not corroborated there will be issues with opinion linked to doubts about other insane behavior.

Opinions are already set......although some of the info is amusing and entertaining

 

[SuperMatt]

Opinions are already set......although some of the info is amusing and entertaining

The rule of law trumps people’s opinions. Maybe most people think Trump is a jerk, but you can’t just shoot him and get away with it. Same for him. If he broke the law, he broke the law.

 

[fooferdoggie]

The rule of law trumps people’s opinions. Maybe most people think Trump is a jerk, but you can’t just shoot him and get away with it. Same for him. If he broke the law, he broke the law.

but he does get away with breaking the law. though not his minions.

 

[lizkat]

Opinions are already set......although some of the info is amusing and entertaining

I should think it might give at least a few of the high dollar pro-Trump donors in the RNC's rolodex pause, long enough to ask themselves whether they really want a guy with such poor impulse control to regain the power to launch our nukes.

It won't stop them from bankrolling a guy like DeSantis, but it might put a stop to their support of another actual run by Trump.

The prospect of a third run by Trump in 2024 does seem a little remote to me at the moment, all things considered. but then I never really thought Trump would get the nomination in 2016 never mind win, and forget about imagining he'd run for re-election or get RNC's affirmation of him in their winter meeting in 2021.

So it's probably safe to pay no mind to my speculations on Trump's future: they've all been way off the mark when it comes to evaluating potential Republican support for him. I'm aware now that my blithe "that's not who we are" assessment of my fellow countrymen in 2016 was also way off the mark, but somehow I still can't get my mind around the idea that after all this he could still gain the Rs' nomination in 2024.

It seems like some sort of death wish on the part of the GOP. They've exhausted the actual marginal utility of Trump as an elected official, even if he can still attract votes. I mean there's no more money for tax breaks and the Supreme Court is already politicized with a rightward lean. Those were the two discernible planks in what passed for the GOP's platform the past 12 years. Their 2020 platform was just "Trump's our guy". It looks like the only thing can upset that going forward is Trump checking out via one too many cheeseburgers, else maybe a blue wave that we're not likely to see in November of 2022 thanks to the economy.

Trump wasn't suited for the Presidency, didn't like the actual job, hated the establishment even after it was his establishment, and yet clung to power figuring --I guess-- that if he hung on long enough, maybe he really could become president for life and so end up able to change the specs of the job much more to his own liking. I might have laughed at that in 2016 too. Not any more. I sure hope the DoJ is not going to bring us to another dead end on tripping this guy up over his abuses of power.

 

[Eric]

JFC...

 

[Roller]

I should think it might give at least a few of the high dollar pro-Trump donors in the RNC's rolodex pause, long enough to ask themselves whether they really want a guy with such poor impulse control to regain the power to launch our nukes.

It won't stop them from bankrolling a guy like DeSantis, but it might put a stop to their support of another actual run by Trump.

The prospect of a third run by Trump in 2024 does seem a little remote to me at the moment, all things considered. but then I never really thought Trump would get the nomination in 2016 never mind win, and forget about imagining he'd run for re-election or get RNC's affirmation of him in their winter meeting in 2021.

So it's probably safe to pay no mind to my speculations on Trump's future: they've all been way off the mark when it comes to evaluating potential Republican support for him. I'm aware now that my blithe "that's not who we are" assessment of my fellow countrymen in 2016 was also way off the mark, but somehow I still can't get my mind around the idea that after all this he could still gain the Rs' nomination in 2024.

It seems like some sort of death wish on the part of the GOP. They've exhausted the actual marginal utility of Trump as an elected official, even if he can still attract votes. I mean there's no more money for tax breaks and the Supreme Court is already politicized with a rightward lean. Those were the two discernible planks in what passed for the GOP's platform the past 12 years. Their 2020 platform was just "Trump's our guy". It looks like the only thing can upset that going forward is Trump checking out via one too many cheeseburgers, else maybe a blue wave that we're not likely to see in November of 2022 thanks to the economy.

Trump wasn't suited for the Presidency, didn't like the actual job, hated the establishment even after it was his establishment, and yet clung to power figuring --I guess-- that if he hung on long enough, maybe he really could become president for life and so end up able to change the specs of the job much more to his own liking. I might have laughed at that in 2016 too. Not any more. I sure hope the DoJ is not going to bring us to another dead end on tripping this guy up over his abuses of power.

In some ways, I think DeSantis would be even more of a threat to the country. Trump is so obviously crazy, narcissistic, and stupid that it was possible for people to prevent implementation of some of his most off-the-wall impulses, like firing rockets into Mexico. DeSantis is despicable, but has a thin veneer of respectability, so he'll get the donations and support that Trump wouldn't.

 

[Joe]

This is a grown man throwing temper tantrums like a little kid when his mom said we aren't going to the playground.

That's the alpha male conservatives love lmao

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

That's the alpha male conservatives love lmao

Anytime there is a Trump or Trumpism event the local opposition should cover the advertising signs with “Insecure men symposium”

 

[Edd]

I should think it might give at least a few of the high dollar pro-Trump donors in the RNC's rolodex pause, long enough to ask themselves whether they really want a guy with such poor impulse control to regain the power to launch our nukes.

It won't stop them from bankrolling a guy like DeSantis, but it might put a stop to their support of another actual run by Trump.

The prospect of a third run by Trump in 2024 does seem a little remote to me at the moment, all things considered. but then I never really thought Trump would get the nomination in 2016 never mind win, and forget about imagining he'd run for re-election or get RNC's affirmation of him in their winter meeting in 2021.

So it's probably safe to pay no mind to my speculations on Trump's future: they've all been way off the mark when it comes to evaluating potential Republican support for him. I'm aware now that my blithe "that's not who we are" assessment of my fellow countrymen in 2016 was also way off the mark, but somehow I still can't get my mind around the idea that after all this he could still gain the Rs' nomination in 2024.

It seems like some sort of death wish on the part of the GOP. They've exhausted the actual marginal utility of Trump as an elected official, even if he can still attract votes. I mean there's no more money for tax breaks and the Supreme Court is already politicized with a rightward lean. Those were the two discernible planks in what passed for the GOP's platform the past 12 years. Their 2020 platform was just "Trump's our guy". It looks like the only thing can upset that going forward is Trump checking out via one too many cheeseburgers, else maybe a blue wave that we're not likely to see in November of 2022 thanks to the economy.

Trump wasn't suited for the Presidency, didn't like the actual job, hated the establishment even after it was his establishment, and yet clung to power figuring --I guess-- that if he hung on long enough, maybe he really could become president for life and so end up able to change the specs of the job much more to his own liking. I might have laughed at that in 2016 too. Not any more. I sure hope the DoJ is not going to bring us to another dead end on tripping this guy up over his abuses of power.

I share your frustration in my inability to predict what the GOP will come up with next, in terms of candidates. “Someone shitty” is the safest bet. Can Trump even tie his own tie? Buckle his belt? We know umbrella functionality is beyond him. Biden rides bikes. For Trump that’d be like going to the moon.

 

[DT]

In some ways, I think DeSantis would be even more of a threat to the country. Trump is so obviously crazy, narcissistic, and stupid that it was possible for people to prevent implementation of some of his most off-the-wall impulses, like firing rockets into Mexico. DeSantis is despicable, but has a thin veneer of respectability, so he'll get the donations and support that Trump wouldn't.

I'm already seeing this locally, morons are pivoting from DRUMPH 2024 signs to DEATHSANTIS 2024, and I see quite a bit of local chatter about supporting this kook (keep in mind, I'm in Flori-Duh ...)

You are also spot on, he's got a just-as-bad social-political outlook, that's not diluted by the same level of stupidity as the orange halfwit.

Again - and I can absolutely guarantee this isn't lip service - we will, at the very least, bail from Florida depending on the political situation in the next couple of years.

 

[lizkat]

That's the alpha male conservatives love lmao

At least the extreme form.... I was recently binge-rewatching some of The Sopranos, so yeah, I say that's on the money.

All about grab and go and let out the rage with fists, knife or gun if someone tries to get in the way. Little to zero impulse control.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I'm already seeing this locally, morons are pivoting from DRUMPH 2024 signs to DEATHSANTIS 2024, and I see quite a bit of local chatter about supporting this kook (keep in mind, I'm in Flori-Duh ...)

You are also spot on, he's got a just-as-bad social-political outlook, that's not diluted by the same level of stupidity as the orange halfwit.

Again - and I can absolutely guarantee this isn't lip service - we will, at the very least, bail from Florida depending on the political situation in the next couple of years.

I've heard from some never Trumper right leaners that DeSantis lacks the part of Trump's personality that makes him a national superstar and DeSantis would be less appealing nationally based on that. I don't know what that means exactly, but like many on here, I feel many on the right would welcome a Trump-like candidate that doesn't have all the baggage. On the other hand it seems like DeSantis is busying himself creating his own baggage that won't be appealing to others.

Regardless, we should all be horrified that one of the major parties is finding great success by making one of the worst human beings this country has ever produced the base model that all contenders should try to emulate.

 

[Macky-Mac]

The rule of law trumps people’s opinions. Maybe most people think Trump is a jerk, but you can’t just shoot him and get away with it. Same for him. If he broke the law, he broke the law.

unfortunately some people get away with breaking the law......forever.

Is it even remotely possible to create an impartial jury to try Trump for anything?

 

[SuperMatt]

unfortunately some people get away with breaking the law......forever.

Is it even remotely possible to create an impartial jury to try Trump for anything?

He’s entitled to trial by a jury of his peers. It shouldn’t be too hard to find 12 narcissists in America.