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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 7, 2023

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If Donald Trump wins the general election, disqualified or not, he will still be the president.

I am not going to vote for him and he is a prat, but this is almost a sovereign citizen tier attempt to lawyer what cannot be lawyered, assuming it is actually in good faith.

I am not appreciative of people pushing the Kayfabe that covers "The President is who the most important people believe the president is" to the breaking point like this.

This argument has already won one court case. Never seen a sovereign citizen do that.

Also, there is a built in pressure-valve to ensure that a disqualification does not prevail against the clear wishes of the political system - a 2/3 vote of both houses can remove the disqualification.

And if the King of England went around ordering the execution of those who displeased him and it was his right to do so, how long would he keep the crown?

Not very long, I suspect.

Trump is either an insurrectionist or he isn't, and if he wins the General, rules written, by definition he isn't. Disqualifying him from the General is either perfunctory or damaging to the system and not Trump.

The actual fucking solution to the problem of a second Trump term is to corral the power of the executive rather than an executive.

Wait, how would that be true "by definition"?

if he wins the General, rules written, by definition he isn't

You know, I actually agree with this, there's a certain fairness to it. Someone charged with insurrection should, if they win a presidential election within a reasonable window (four years is fine), be acquitted on the basis that they ultimately won a rightful claim on power.

In this case, though, it's telling that the challenge is from the right rather than the left. The DNC would probably be satisfied with a Biden - Trump rematch, the base rarely gets whipped up for a second term unless there's a real meanie who might otherwise win. Trump is great for Dem donors, street-level activists, all the local and state groups, excellent for down-ballot candidates, and a proven loser against Biden.

It's DeSantis' FedSoc fans, who want a much more radical legislative agenda (and to maintain the house and win the senate) than anything Trump could accomplish, who are mounting this effort.

You know, I actually agree with this, there's a certain fairness to it. Someone charged with insurrection should, if they win a presidential election within a reasonable window (four years is fine), be acquitted on the basis that they ultimately won a rightful claim on power.

It is more a practical thing where it is particularly hard to depose someone who wins 51% of the voting public without breaking everything.

And if the King of England went around ordering the execution of those who displeased him and it was his right to do so, how long would he keep the crown?

Many Kings of England have done exactly this? Not sure what you're getting at.

Presumably they're referring to the current king. Still, the government is quite unpopular, and Charles' enemies are things like the CEOs of fossil fuel companies, monsanto and modernist/brutalist architects, so it's unclear whether this would actually result in his overthrow.

Like every other British monarchist, I had been quietly hoping that our new King had a little list of architects. They'll none of them be missed.