So I'm reading Malcolm Gladwell's "Talking to Strangers," where in one chapter he talks about how Neville Chamberlin met with Adolf Hitler before the war, and came away convinced Hitler was a good guy. Had no plans to take over neighboring countries. All the fear-mongering about him from politicians and analysts, who had never met him, was overblown. He'd looked him in the eyes and seen a man he could trust.
In fact several politicians had met Hitler, and they all came away impressed. The only statesmen who didn't trust him were those who hadn't met him in person.
Last night I listened to a PoliticsGirl podcast, where she had Thom Hartman on her show. They talked about the Supreme Court--which had given itself the power to "interpret" the Constitution in 1804, this was never supposed to be in their remit--and how stacking the court might be the only solution. Eventually we need term limits, where SCOTUS members are drawn from the 13 circuit courts around the country, serve a few years, then go back to their lifetime appointments to the circuit courts. There should be an age limit, where at 70 justices no longer have a vote. They could participate in debate and oral argument, but as non-voting members. (I've ordered Thom's book on this.)
They also talked about what's going on in, I believe it was 23 states, where the Supreme Court is set to hear
Moore v. Harper this term. If the court sides with Moore, then state legislatures would be empowered to send slates of electors to the Electoral College of their own choosing, regardless of who won the popular vote in that state. It's John Eastman's "fake electors" scheme made legal, and something like 23 states are passing laws to allow this in their states.
So, in 2024, it won't matter who wins the popular vote (Republicans have already accepted it won't be them). Republican state legislatures will simply hand the presidency to the annointed GOP candidate.
Putin's plan for an American oligarchy will have arrived.But here's the missing piece of this plan: Trump isn't very popular (except inside his bubble). DeSantis isn't any better.
In order to pull this off, in order to end democracy as we know it without violent riots in the streets, the Republicans need to find a Hitler. They need a charismatic leader, whom everyone will trust and like, despite the circumstances of his "election." They need someone likable, someone photogenic, someone who "sounds presidential" and acts "presidential" and reassures the public that the coup taking place is for their own best interests. It won't be an actor or a TV personality or a sports star. Needs to be somebody credible.
I'm wracking my brains trying to think of anyone who might fill this role.
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