That said, I don't think that the classic interpretation of a coup has happened, because we did hold elections and Obama did win.
Since winning, Obama has been increasingly usurping powers that he doesn't have, but historically that has been the case with strong president / weak Congress and vice versa, over time. Congress could stiffen up and push back in the next two years if it wanted to, so there are Constitutional means to swing the balance of power back to the equilibrium.
So I'm still sticking to the idea that the coup will happen when the Constitutionally elected president is ousted and replaced via non-Constitutional means.
-PJ
You and I have a different understanding of what transpired in terms of the election.
Having come from Cook County and knowing how machine political corruption ensures the ruling class always retains power - I contend this went national in 2008. 2012 was a textbook example of how the Soviets did their national elections. The coup was simply solidifying it’s hold on power and in most nationally-impacted elections, you see the hand of the Machine ensuring the Ruling Class faces no serious ‘threats’ to itself.
I am of the opinion we have suffered a velvet coup, and that fact is becoming more self-evident every single day. I mean, while castigating the Conservative notion of an Amendment V meeting of the states to rein in the Federal Beast, Schumer introduces an Amendment to the Constitution to regulate the 1st Amendment, stating that “no right is absolute”.
This is the nature of how leaders of a coup act.
No stretch really when you consider most Republics in existence fell in virtually the same way we are.