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0 pointsmullingitover1y ago0 comments

This isn't Musk+Trump, it's Musk+Thiel+Yarvin+Heritage+Vance, with Trump as a hood ornament. His job is simply to sign whatever they put in front of him and play golf.

Cholesterol getting the best of Trump isn't going to derail this, since Vance is more than happy to continue the amassing of unchecked executive power.

"You won't have to vote again."

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scarface_741y ago

The difference is that it is never about policy with MAGA voters. It’s about Trump.

You see how quickly MAGA voters went from “America first. No foreign entanglements” to “let’s send troops to the Middle East to clear out Gaza” as soon as Trump said we should do so?

Anytime that Trump hasn’t been on the ballot since 2018, Trump voters stayed home.

Presidents have always been about personality and not policy. Biden and Bush I being the exception in my lifetime - or at least since Reagan.

mullingitoverOP1y ago

> The difference is that it is never about policy with MAGA voters. It’s about Trump.

This is why there's an effort to centralize power in the executive at a blistering pace, so the opposition can be permanently defeated even without Trump.

Watch for three things: ignoring the courts, snuffing out the influence of non-party sources of authority (the press, academic institutions), and centralization of police power. I don't think they're going to wait past April before they do all three.

toomuchtodo1y ago

When Trump dies, do you think they will they stay home forever? Because he will die eventually (and is already past male US life expectancy), and I’m curious if the cult disbands at that point (if facts and policy don’t matter to them). If so, we’re really just defending against harm caused during his remaining life expectancy (unknown) and term (<4 years).

dmvdoug1y ago

The other wannabe Trumps don’t have the draw/sway with MAGA folks that Trump does. DeSantis tries and tries but he’s perceived as just a weirdo for the most part. Vance likewise. There’s something uniquely compelling about Trump to the MAGA crowd.

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scarface_741y ago

Look at all of the other Republican candidates in the last primary. None of them would have ever gotten the cult like following if they had made it through the primaries.

I’m not saying another Republican will never win. But they will be your bland mostly inoffensive Republicans like Haley (2024), McCain, Romney, Bush I and II and Dole.

You might disagree with them on policy around the edges. But they won’t bring the destruction of Trump.

Desantis tries his best to be Trump and he flamed out marvelously on the stage. Even in Florida (where I live), he is losing his grip on the legislature.

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scarface_741y ago

The difference is that it is never about policy with MAGA voters. It’s about Trump.

You see how quickly MAGA voters went from “America first. No foreign entanglements” to “let’s send troops to the Middle East to clear out Gaza” as soon as Trump said we should do so?

Anytime that Trump hasn’t been on the ballot since 2018, Trump voters stayed home.

Presidents have always been about personality and not policy. Biden and Bush I being the exception in my lifetime - or at least since Reagan.

mullingitoverOP1y ago

> The difference is that it is never about policy with MAGA voters. It’s about Trump.

This is why there's an effort to centralize power in the executive at a blistering pace, so the opposition can be permanently defeated even without Trump.

toomuchtodo1y ago

dmvdoug1y ago

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scarface_741y ago

Look at all of the other Republican candidates in the last primary. None of them would have ever gotten the cult like following if they had made it through the primaries.

I’m not saying another Republican will never win. But they will be your bland mostly inoffensive Republicans like Haley (2024), McCain, Romney, Bush I and II and Dole.

You might disagree with them on policy around the edges. But they won’t bring the destruction of Trump.

Desantis tries his best to be Trump and he flamed out marvelously on the stage. Even in Florida (where I live), he is losing his grip on the legislature.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse