“A Republic, if you can keep it.” Donald Trump and the Tyranny of the Mob…

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For the last eight years I’ve been shaking my head, simply bewildered that so many Americans could be so insane as to vote for Barack Obama for president. Not surprisingly, once Obama was ensconced in the White House things played out pretty much as predicted with virtually every month bringing new news of a faltering economy, a shrinking workforce and more government waste, intervention and tyranny. In 2012, after Fast and Furious, the IRS Tea Party scandal, Obamacare and, most of all, Benghazi, I was sure that Americans would rise up and throw out the anti American Obama and vote for the less than conservative, but exponentially superior Mittens Romney. Alas, the population spoke, and they doubled down on the fascist living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

I was certain that year that if only a real conservative who could eloquently articulate the basic tenets of small government and fiscal responsibility had run he would have won by a landslide. After all, wasn’t it obvious that Barack Obama was the worst president in American history and the Democrats were rapidly devolving into open Socialism? But as we know, there was no such conservative running and Milquetoast Mitt was shellacked.

Now, in 2016 we find ourselves in an utterly different situation. We have a rock solid conservative running for the White House. Who can and does eloquently articulate the ideas behind our founding principles of limited government, individual liberty as well as the fundamental idea of American Exceptionalism. Yet, somehow he’s losing the GOP nomination fight… to a guy who’s a big government crony capitalist who has spent most of his life supporting Democrats and their liberal policies. Essentially he’s losing to a vapid populist whose idea of debating is throwing insults and lies around like confetti rather than providing substantive positions on practically any issue.

The next couple of weeks will tell the story, but the fact that we are at this point says a lot about the United States and the American people. That half the population are voting for an avowed socialist or a socialist in liberal clothing is sad. That one third of the remainder are actively supporting a populist candidate with little understanding of the issues at stake never mind the concepts of limited government, free markets and individual freedom upon which this country was founded, is disheartening.

The United States is not a democracy and never has been. We are a republic with a separation of powers and limited government that are unique in the history of government. It was that limited government and the companion individual liberties upon which the government is not to tread that created more prosperity for more people around the world than any government, state or entity in all of human history. Today all of that is in peril as almost 2/3 of the population are seemingly prepared to travel down a path of dismantling the limitations on government our Founding Fathers put in place.

After eight years under a president who decried the Constitution as a “Charter of negative liberties” the next president will have a choice. Either bring the progressive attack on the Constitution and freedom to a halt or pick up where Obama leaves off and continue down that path. Unfortunately, three of the four remaining candidates – John Kasich doesn’t count as a real candidate – are more than happy to jettison the Constitution and pander to the masses. Whether it’s Germany or Argentina or Venezuela, such populist movements rarely turn out well.

Populist movements share one underlying characteristic… they seek to harness the anger of the mob. Once the shackles of constitutional limits are thrown off, there is little to restrain government or the people other than the character of the leaders, and often that’s simply not enough. As Maximilien Robespierre learned, the consequences of doing so can be, shall we say, unforeseen… and unfortunate.

Today we see just such a mob mentality in the GOP race, and it starts at the top. Donald Trump claims the will of the people is being thwarted whenever he loses. He suggests the rules are tilted against him and therefore should be ignored. He’s even suggested that if he doesn’t walk away with the nomination despite not reaching 1,237, there will be riots. His followers have taken to preemptively threatening delegates to the convention if they don’t support him. Even his cheerleader Rush Limbaugh has suggested that if the Donald isn’t given the nomination his supporters will go nuclear. None of that bodes well for the future. If the threat of mob violence and anarchy are enough to do away with the rules when Trump has nothing but a vocal minority of GOP voters on his side, what chance do Constitutional restraints on government have when he is in charge of the entire government infrastructure?

The American people have twice put in office a man with a demonstrated antagonism towards the Constitution and he has spent the last eight years trampling on it. Once that bell has been rung, it’s hard to unring, and history has shown that the siren call of power is hard to resist, even for those without Donald Trump’s HUUUUGE ego. There are four candidates for president remaining. Three of them will pick up where Barack Obama leaves off and continue the progressive march towards the fall of the Republic because they see government as nothing more than an instrument for imposing their ideas on the population. And then there is Ted Cruz, who would turn back virtually everything Barack Obama has done because he understands the value of a strong Constitution, a limited government and a free people.

Emerging from Independence Hall after the Constitutional Convention, Ben Franklin was asked by a woman what kind of government we had. Franklin replied “A Republic, if you can keep it.” One can’t help but wonder if Americans are willing to vote to keep their republic and the rule of law or are instead going to finally pass the torch to the tyranny of the mob, also known as democracy.

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@Redteam, #99:

I think maybe the definition of feminine has changed considerably over the past 50 years.

@Greg: Yes, now the definition of feminine for Hillary is Sherman Tank. I’m sure a lot of women are gonna now want to be known as ‘as feminine as a Sherman Tank”. I think you’ve hit it Greg. Lot’s of women are gonna be thanking you.

Yep, I was walking down the street with “my little Sexy as a Sherman Tank girlfriend” and she was really turning heads.

I think you’re pretty much demonstrating that you don’t get it. Clinton wouldn’t be put off by the comparison.

Hey, want to buy a Sherman tank? There’s an exceptional specimen for sale in Tifton, GA. Wampus Cat can be yours, for a mere $250K. Top up the tank, and she’s ready to drive home. I guarantee, head will turn.

@Greg: lol tank, not even in another 50 years. Cruz would expose Barking Hillary as the dottering old 1st generation feminist liberal with the same old tired failed policies.

Nah. Clinton would lob a round at him and he’d wet his pants, and then spontaneously transform into Grandpa Munster. He’d then possibly fly off stage like a bat and out the door, headed for the Canadian border.

But seriously… Whatever the final debate match-up might turn out to be, I think it’s going to be one of the most interesting presidential debates we’ve seen in a long while.

@Greg:

Clinton wouldn’t be put off by the comparison.

I’ll bet she’s daydreaming right now: “Yep, every time I see me, I think of a Sherman Tank, big hefty, strong, just what every man dreams of when they think of their ideal lady. Gotta put on a few more pounds to make me even more feminine.”.

That’s why ole Bill has had to spend his married life looking for a female to pair with. Just ask Vince. He found out about them deadly Sherman tanks.

@kitt: Yes, I’m sure a lot of people had to go against Obama’s wishes for this to happen. Obama has never supported any military person.

He’s certainly gotten a lot fewer of them unnecessarily killed than a less thoughtful Commander in Chief might have—or actually have done, in the recent past. As a former soldier, I tend to appreciate an absence of thousands of additional flag-draped caskets.

Cruz is not even liked by those who are in the GOP look at his sorry primary totals
And how many women would vote for a man that says that a woman must give birth to a baby even if sh has been raped
That is the same view that ISIS has about abortion
Cruz is like a Christian talivan

@Greg: #95. You think so? What if the topic of contributions comes up? What if someone mentions emails and national security? What if Benghazi comes up? A debate with Trump might not be a friendly venue like the Democrat debates have been.

@Greg: Marines are posting pics begging not to let them and fellow marines have Killary CIC

@John: With Their popularity poll numbers Endorsements from the establishment is the last thing Cruz wants. The perfect one was Boehner calling him Lucifer in the flesh.
They are much more terrified of someone that honors our constitution than tRump.

Poll numbers have proven to be accurate indications of how people will vote
Neither Trump nor Cruz have good poll numbers

@kitt: that is very unprofessional isn’t it ? To make a political statement in uniform

@John: you talking about the poll numbers that show it at 38-38? Which 38 is a higher poll number than the other 38? Trumps numbers have consistently risen over the last 6 month, Skanks has constantly slid during that time. You see those trends reversing, do you?

@John:

that is very unprofessional isn’t it ? To make a political statement in uniform

Let me see if I’ve got this right. you have some Marines, that voluntarily signed a commitment to give their life, if necessary, for you to have the right to say what you want to say. And you would deny them that very right that they say they would give their life for you to have? Really? Rather selfish of you, isn’t it?
Ask ole Rainbow Warrior Richie if he agrees with you on that.

@Redteam:
Well red team I have no idea what poll has them tied
YOU must provide a link
Also bewary about using any single poll much better to use a average of polls like realvlearpolitics does
Or Predictwise
Ahh
Wait I see which poll it is
It comes from Rasmussen who always has a GOP lean
He had Romney beating Obama up until just a short time before the election
For a thorough analysis on pollsters I would recommend Nate Silvers 538
Or
Just use a site that gives an average of pollsters
Realvlearpolitics typically averages about 7 pollsters to come up with their figure

Yes I do think it unprofessional to make statements while dressed in uniform

@John: I think he has a 1st amendment right in uniform he is not badmouthing his superiors.

@John:

YOU must provide a link
Also bewary about using any single poll much better to use a average of polls like

So you do see the 38-38 but you don’t like it and it doesn’t serve your argument so I should disregard it. Chuckle.

@Greg: Or he’s passing the responsibility on to the next CIC, as to look beneficent, rather than be beneficent.

Did you get an honorable discharge there, soldier?

You speak like a 16-year-old with no life experience. You also make about 10 non-lib supporters every time you mouth off and project your insecurities. Hope you’re getting paid well, because you’re costing your party votes and power.

BTW, the CIC’s job isn’t to look pretty on Ellen and talk shows at large, passing on the world’s crises for another President to take care of by being forced to use American lives…like a less thoughtful Commander in Chief might have done—or actually have done, in the recent past.

All service member lives lost from 2017 to 2024 will be on Barack Obama’s ledger, so make sure you keep count, Civ.

@Nathan Blue, #123:

If we’re lucky, we’ll get either Clinton or Sanders, and then we won’t have to find out how quickly a bombastic reality television host showing signs of grandiose delusions or a Canadian-born evangelical dominionist who’s selected an art historian as his campaign’s national security adviser can run up a body count.

Yeah, I was honorably discharged at Fort Meade Maryland six months after my year in RVN ended and six months ahead of my original ETS date. Very nice of them. I had over 25 years of civilian service after that. I’ve got certificates of appreciation from a couple of past presidents, neither of whom I voted for, and medals from a country that no longer exists, just like a lot of other vets. I keep them in a drawer with other assorted “life experience” mementos.

Life experience and years of observation tell me that the GOP has gone to hell in a handbag.

I also know that not losing American lives unnecessarily takes a lot more leadership skill than doing so. Obama’s approach to ISIS has been methodical, persistent, and increasingly effective—witness the fact that republicans have suddenly shut up about it during an election year. Additionally, it hasn’t resulted in thousands of flag-draped caskets and military funerals all across the nation. Putting another large U.S. expeditionary force on the ground in Iraq and Syria almost certainly would have yielded such a dismal harvest. It’s not clear how that would produce any greater degree of Middle Eastern stability than it was previously .

All service member lives lost from 2017 to 2024 will be on Barack Obama’s ledger, so make sure you keep count, Civ.

Rather than adding up the future’s hypothetical dead to justify getting people killed today, I prefer to think about those still living who have been spared an early grave. I did learn something from Vietnam: It would have been better if we’d stayed out if.

Yes I DID see the poll 38-38 itvwascby Rasmussen
It was the only poll that showed a tie the other SIX on RealClearPolitics all showed Clinton to be rather far ahead
I put no emotion into reading polls they are what they are
I did not provide a link but I did tell you how you could easily find to what I was referring, RealClearPolitics can easily be found by using any search engine
That is MY link

RED TEAM when I post on iphone i usually can not provide a direct link, so simply direct people by telling them how to find my source. You never do. I was able to find the poll that showed a 38-38 tie. I thought it was an outlier, one different from the others and that is what it is. Rasmussen definitely has had a GOP lean in the past however I am using my laptop now and can show you that YES he is the only pollster currently showing a tie

PollsElection 2016VideoWritersMore

Polls
ArrowQuick Poll/Map LinksAdvanced SearchFind Any Poll
Try ‘Iowa,’ or ‘Obama’

General Election: Trump vs. Clinton
22.1k Shares Cruz vs. Clinton | Kasich vs. Clinton | Trump vs. Sanders | Cruz vs. Sanders | Kasich vs. Sanders
Polling Data
Poll Date Sample MoE
Clinton (D)
Trump (R)
Spread
RCP Average 3/29 – 4/28 — — 47.4 40.1 Clinton +7.3
IBD/TIPP 4/22 – 4/28 814 RV 3.5 47 40 Clinton +7
Rasmussen Reports 4/25 – 4/26 1000 LV 3.0 38 38 Tie
USA Today/Suffolk 4/20 – 4/24 1000 LV 3.0 50 39 Clinton +11
GWU/Battleground 4/17 – 4/20 1000 LV 3.1 46 43 Clinton +3
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 4/10 – 4/14 1000 RV 3.1 50 39 Clinton +11
FOX News 4/11 – 4/13 1021 RV 3.0 48 41 Clinton +7
CBS News 4/8 – 4/12 1098 RV 3.0 50 40 Clinton +10
McClatchy/Marist 3/29 – 3/31 1066 RV 3.0 50 41 Clinton +9

Out of the 8 pollsters that RealClearPolitics uses. Rasmussen was THE ONLY one that showed a tie
ate Silver @ 538 rated on pollsters he gave Rasmussen a “C” rating for accuracy and has him leaning Republican and has him leaning R+2
http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/pollster-ratings/

Now, have you had a chance to double check your post about MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD
That “thing” about voter fraud in Wood County, you can easily check that for yourself by looking at the official voting results for Ohio. There you can see that Obama did NOT receive all or more votes than there were registered voters. In fact he received only about 52%
You got hoaxed there Red Team Please DON’T trust Snopes or any other single source, always go and check original primary sources. here is a link to the official 2012 voting results for 2016 in Ohio
Sorry, no sign of the massive voter fraud
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Ohio,_2012#By_county