First, some news about a lawsuit, and then I’ll answer some questions.
The N.A.A.C.P. filed a new lawsuit against Trump, Giuliani, the Proud Boys, and Oathkeepers on behalf of Rep. Bennie Thompson.
The complaint is here.
He accuses Defendants of violating the KKK act, which outlaws (among other things) preventing an official from discharging duties.
Facts: When Trump, Proud Boys, and pals incited the insurrection, they hindered Thompson in the discharge of his official duties and deprived him of his right to be free from intimidation and threats in the discharge of his duties.
Here’s what they’re seeking:
There is something perfect about suing them under the KKK act. After all, they carried the Confederate flag, which is exactly who they are and what they stand for.
It’s also another opportunity to bring facts to light. Discovery will be (shall we say) interesting.
Q: Will Trump ever be stopped?
I think the question is whether what Trump has unleashed can be contained. The answer is that it will be difficult, and will take time.
Before the Senate trial, I pointed out that either the Senate Republicans will vote to deprive Trump of the right to hold future office after the insurrection, or the party will close ranks around Trump and harden into a far-right White nationalist party.
They are closing ranks around Trump.
This poll came out today:
The value of this poll isn’t what it tells us about 2024. The value is that it offers a snapshot of the Republican Party as it stands now.
Much can change, but what we have right now is the party closing ranks. They’re going full-in fascist, anti-democracy and anti-truth.
Fascist parties usually represent about 1/3 of the population. Hitler came to power with about 1/3 of the vote. Not coincidentally, political psychologists tell us that about 1/3 of the population has an anti-democratic, authoritarian disposition.
I’ve said before: Authoritarians have always been with us. They wanted slavery. They wanted Jim Crowe. They erupted with rage when the Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of Education. Now they have their own party (and lots of power).
This is why I always say “shrink and harden,” and not just harden.
At the same time, they are vastly outnumbered, so if the remaining Americans come together, their power (and the threat they pose) can be contained. However, they’ll remain dangerous.
Their shrinking numbers will make it harder to win national elections, but most of their power is now local. The solution is for people to get more involved in local politics and vote in every election at every level. Make sure Qanon people don’t get onto your local school boards.
RE: your post with Lindsay Graham saying that McConnell’s rebuke of Trump will come back to haunt them in 2022. He then appeared on Fox saying that Republicans are going to win the House in 2022 and threatened VP Harris with impeachment for contributing to bail funds during BLM protests. I feel like this would get nowhere, even in an R House, but what’s his end game here?
The goal of a fascist anti-democratic party is to kick up dust and undermine truth. They want to stoke outrage and grab headlines and keep everyone frustrated as they try to debunk a firehose of falsehoods.
Threatening to impeach VP Harris is exactly that kind of tactic. The very suggestion automatically sends people into a spin because it has to be dealt with. The goal is to stoke the base, who want to “fight” the enemy (the Democrats) and win.
