Why would ANYONE with critical thinking skills vote for the guy who consistently disrespects the US military?

 

Then along comes former DOJ acting solicitor general Neal Katyal. I'm not sure why he suddenly became so pessimistic about this election, but he has.

In the next clip, Katyal spells out risks associated with what we already know is Trump's next attempt at a coup d'état. We KNOW, and have known for quite some time, Trump and his acolytes have initiated a serious effort to subvert American democracy, imperfect as it already is. That's a known fact.

In the interview with Katie Couric, Katyal cites several risks. 

These risks include: 

• Infrastructure is being set up to create circumstances in which the election could be rigged; 
• Katyal's conclusion Trump WILL (when he loses) declare victory; 
• Because the polls suggest the race is very close, Trump might be successful if he can reverse the vote in only one state; 
• IF that's the case, it would be easier for him to win in court or in Congress; 
• Stephen Miller and others have already filed ~90 lawsuits to HOPING TO suppress voting rights; however, he "only knows what the newspapers are saying";
• Citation of a litany of reasons more lawsuits could nullify various numbers of ballots; 
• Thus our most precious right might be take away in a back room somewhere (i.e. not transparent process); 
• For her part, Couric asks to Katyal about state laws to prevent replacement of actual election officials with Trump loyalists; 
• Katyal lists problems that MIGHT come up; 
• Personnel changes in the GOP since 2021 are problematic; 
• We don't know what's going to happen when the Georgia election rules decision is appealed (gift article, no paywall at the link); 
• Congress COULD, Katyal further laid out, despite updates to the Electoral Count Act, mess with the results;

Together, it's a fatalistic scenario. To which I say that, IF Trump has his way, of course we'd be f**ked. 

But how possible or probably could that be? I say two chances, Slim and None. And Slim's going to be out of the country on January 6, 2025. Really, however, that seems like a LOT of things that have to all go Trump's way. Oh but, you say, he's got a lot of acolytes working on the scenario? 

  

Does he have Democracy Docket, or CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington); or Protect Democracy; or Common Cause, or Lincoln Project, or any number of other not-for-profit organizations that have already or will obviously join the fight against Trump's efforts to subvert American democracy.

I have to figure Neal Katyal is being overwhelmed and in this is overwhelmingly short-sighted. How much thought did he give to assessing those who will resist Trump's coup? 

I could speculate about the cause of his pessimism. But why should I? It might be as simple as the Russian troll machine manipulating American capitalist media. We know, because of the ongoing degradation of the news media business model that they're desperate for their own survival. They have been brazenly sanewashing Trump.

Trump is NOT sane. And they (the capitalist media) are not acting rationally either.

Nevertheless, Katyal concludes that the situation is dire. The fact that this WILL BE difficult is NOT reason for pessimism. 

It's always darkest just before the dawn.

For a change to the national mood (and if necessary, your mood), listen to historian Heather Cox Richardson:

The video with Professor Richardson was made three months ago. 

We GET TO DO this! And we WILL CELEBRATE!

I would be less optimistic if the path forward would be easy.

Like oxygen to a fire, obstacles became fuel for the blaze that was their ambition. -- Holiday, Ryan. The Obstacle Is the Way (p. 4). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

THIS JUST IN...

Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules in FAVOR of voters: