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We Asked an Expert What Would Happen if Donald Trump Actually Became President
Vice ^ | July 22, 2015 | Mike Pearl, staff writer

Posted on 07/21/2015 11:09:16 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

It's the morning of Friday, January 20, 2017, and it's Inauguration Day. Donald John Trump Sr. has his hand on a Bible, and America looks on, agape, as he swears to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

How we got to this point isn't important. The question now is, what the [expletive] is about to happen?

To come up with even the vaguest answer, we have to look back at history. Because as British TV science guy James Burke once said, "Why should we look to the past in order to prepare for the future? Because there is nowhere else to look." If that sounds a little ominous, that's because we're talking about the presidential administration of the "You're fired" guy from TV.

University of Virginia historian Brian Balogh was game to talk to us about whether a Trump presidency is really the doomsday scenario it sounds like. Why should you listen to Balogh? Well, for one thing he's an expert in 20th-century American politics, and hosts a pretty popular radio show about history called Backstory With the American History Guys. And when I emailed him to set up an interview, he made a prediction about Trump that has already come true.

In an email on Friday, Balogh wrote that while the Donald's tendency to shoot his mouth off seemed to be working for him so far, "Trump would soon use it on a person or organization that the broad majority of the public admires, respects, [or] pities, and it would work against Trump."

The very next day, Trump went off the rails, disparaging Senator John McCain's war record during a speech at a Republican candidates forum in Iowa. "He's a war hero 'cause he was captured," Trump said of the former POW....

(Excerpt) Read more at vice.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: 2016election; arizona; brianbalogh; demagogicparty; election2016; iowa; jamesburke; johnmccain; mccain; memebuilding; mikepearl; newyork; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; senatorjohnmccain; senatormccain; trump; uva; vice; virginia
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To: lee martell

Ford, despite his cocaine habit and loud personality, did some really good things and was well received in Toronto.


61 posted on 07/22/2015 10:09:55 AM PDT by Solson (Grand Old Party 1854 - 2010 RIP.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I posted this early this morning.


Worst case scenario: Trump wins the election, and on January 21, 2017, John Boehner files for impeachment in the House.
-PJ
62 posted on 07/22/2015 10:10:41 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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Comment #63 Removed by Moderator

To: Georgia Girl 2
My my, such language, I think I struck a fanboi nerve.

There is no comparing the Donald to the Austrian, per se, they are their own persons...one considerably more vile than the other. Personally, I'm not for or against Trump. What I am saying is beware the cult of personality that could arise here, which apparently you fell face-first into like a low-info voter.

I'm not here to affect public opinion, there's no money in it for me.

64 posted on 07/22/2015 10:38:24 AM PDT by thescourged1
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To: thescourged1
The American politico who has repeatedly used the same sort of techniques as the Nazis--right down to understanding the Stadium speech technique, and focusing on demonizing 1% of the population, as scape-goats, is Barack Obama. (See Leftwing Chickens Coming Home.)

Donald Trump's techniques remind one of Teddy Roosevelt, but not anyone overseas. (And Teddy though a reformer, never flirted with foreign socialists, as did his cousin Franklin, after Franklin betrayed the platform on which he had run for President. And at least two of Teddy's kids ended up being strong Conservatives, after World War II.)

65 posted on 07/22/2015 10:45:49 AM PDT by Ohioan
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To: Ohioan
Nice response, well stated FRiend!

I hadn't really looked at it from a oratorical technique point of view, so your analysis put another light on the subject that I personally find intriguing.

All I'm trying to put forth, is that folks need to keep their wits about them and be analytical, if not cynical. Even I have to keep my enthusiasm in check for The Donald until I see more.

66 posted on 07/22/2015 11:19:39 AM PDT by thescourged1
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To: Vermont Lt

I’m not so sure. The WH would look like the Playboy Mansion but if he made any decisions I bet they’d be 100X better than what we’re getting now. At least he’s an American.


67 posted on 07/22/2015 11:24:20 AM PDT by TigersEye (This is the age of the death of reason and rule of law. Prepare!)
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To: thescourged1
The parallels to the Nazi takeover of Germany are particularly relevant, as the Nazis, although they were winning the street war with their ideological Marxist cousins, were ultimately dependent upon the election process to gain apparent legitimacy. Their Bolshevik cousins seized power by force, and then had rigged elections. The Nazis became the dominant party in an election--the last unrigged one.

The mistake many make, is that they do not see either the Communists or Nazis as technicians in the power game, and focus more on their ideological pronouncements rather than what was actually in play in the pursuit of power. The pronouncements in both cases were part of the techniques. There doubtless were some who really believed in the rhetoric, philosophically--as with Lenin's "useful idiots." But the "useful idiots," would never have been able to consolidate a major nation into a monolithic totalitarian Socialist state.

68 posted on 07/22/2015 11:31:03 AM PDT by Ohioan
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To: thescourged1
" Stay amused, but stay frosty."

That's tagline material right there.

69 posted on 07/22/2015 11:35:02 AM PDT by CatherineofAragon (("This is a Laztatorship. You don't like it, get a day's rations and get out of this office."))
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To: Georgia Girl 2; thescourged1
"Donald Trump is anything but obscure. He has been a known quantity in American life for 30 plus years. Trying to compare Donald Trump to Hitler is just imbecilic.

Try to come up with something original and credible if you want to affect public opinion. Otherwise STFU!"

Georgia Girl, thesocurged1 wasn't implying that Trump is another Hitler. That's a kneejerk response. It's clear, if we put aside emotions, that he's just saying bad things happen when we get caught up in emotional frenzy and elect leaders based on such feelings.

Honestly? Your post sort of makes his point for him. You're protective of Trump to the point of cursing a fellow Freeper. You're quick to lash out where he's concerned.

We need cool heads here. It isn't about the personality---it never was. It's about the country.

70 posted on 07/22/2015 11:42:47 AM PDT by CatherineofAragon (("This is a Laztatorship. You don't like it, get a day's rations and get out of this office."))
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To: CatherineofAragon

Since when does thesocurged1 need you to translate for him?

I am very comfortable with my understanding of what he said and what he meant. It was a clear statement. Stupid but clear. There is no need to analyze it further.

You are the only emotionally charged kneejeck on my BS detector at the moment. :=)


71 posted on 07/22/2015 11:59:00 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: thescourged1

You are not adding much to the conversation here with the Hitler stuff. If you have legitimate problems with Donald Trump’s position on immigration, obamacare, the vets then fine just voice it. Otherwise you’re fired. :=)


72 posted on 07/22/2015 12:06:25 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2; thescourged1
"Since when does thesocurged1 need you to translate for him?"

He doesn't. I chimed in with my opinion. Public forums work that way.

"I am very comfortable with my understanding of what he said and what he meant. It was a clear statement. Stupid but clear. There is no need to analyze it further."

So you're calling him a liar, then. Got it.

"You are the only emotionally charged kneejeck on my BS detector at the moment. :=)"

I'm not the one who screamed out and cursed another Freeper over misplaced hero worship of some Democrat.

73 posted on 07/22/2015 12:50:02 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon (("This is a Laztatorship. You don't like it, get a day's rations and get out of this office."))
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To: CatherineofAragon

Again with the emotions. Calm down and take a breath. :-)


74 posted on 07/22/2015 1:07:23 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: thescourged1

Enjoy the fires Trump is setting under the establishment, but use logic and reason before you vote. The Germans were wild for an obscure Austrian corporal and his nationalist rhetoric back in the 30’s. See how well that worked out? Stay amused, but stay frosty.


Just to clarify my understanding....are you comparing Trump (and his popularity) to Hitler (and Hitler’s “rhetoric”)? TIA.


75 posted on 07/22/2015 1:13:04 PM PDT by Jane Long ("And when thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek")
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To: Georgia Girl 2
"Again with the emotions. Calm down and take a breath. :-)"

Georgia Girl, where did you see all caps and cursing in my post? Can you point it out? Thanks.

You, on the other hand, have to add an emoticon to each post.

76 posted on 07/22/2015 1:14:46 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon (("This is a Laztatorship. You don't like it, get a day's rations and get out of this office."))
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To: CatherineofAragon

Well I think you have to fight emotions with emoticons. :-)


77 posted on 07/22/2015 1:46:26 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Fight harder.


78 posted on 07/22/2015 1:56:40 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon (("This is a Laztatorship. You don't like it, get a day's rations and get out of this office."))
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To: CatherineofAragon
Georgia Girl, thesocurged1 wasn't implying that Trump is another Hitler. That's a kneejerk response. It's clear, if we put aside emotions, that he's just saying bad things happen when we get caught up in emotional frenzy and elect leaders based on such feelings.

******

Hitler, an unknown German-Austrian nobody who somehow rose to supreme power in Germany on the false hopes and frenzy of Germans hungry for change.

So it is Obama, not Trump: Hitler's seemingly divinely inspired rise to power reminds me a lot of the similar rise to power of an unknown community organizer and two-year United States Senator, Obama.

Unknown Obama rose to sudden power on the wings and frenzy of mesmerized dreamers who wanted so badly to be part of history by electing the first black person to be president, that they forgot to stop and take the time to really examine Obama's background to make sure that Obama was the real deal and not the fraud and incompetent president he has turned out to be.

So to me, Hitler's magical rise from a nobody to supreme political leader reminds more of the breathtaking rise to power of an obscure Obama than to the political rise of Trump, who has been in the public eye for at least 30 years.

79 posted on 07/22/2015 3:03:37 PM PDT by john mirse
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To: sf4dubya

Don’t worry, it happened to people in MN as well with Jesse Ventura.
Big ‘rasslin hero was a sissy boy liberal at heart who sued the widow of the Greatest War Hero in 40 years.


80 posted on 07/22/2015 3:56:07 PM PDT by rikkir (Anyone still believe the 8/08 Atlantic cover wasn't 100% accurate?)
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