I doubt either of us would’ve been surprised if he’d turned it over and over in his head four years ago, or eight years ago — but he unsurprisingly wound up with a running mate both times, just like he in fact wound up nominating people to the Supreme Court the same way he wound up putting folks in cabinet posts, and AFAICT not saying anything bad about any of them so long as they stayed on his good side. Which, granted, leads me to figure he’s going to opt for fawning yes-men and yes-women who’ll talk about how great he is while doing as he says, and who get praised by him for doing so — but which, again, leaves me figuring this or that one of ‘em could try later what they can’t do until he’s out of the picture: sing his praises while making a successful play for the top job.
Imagine a Republican runs for president while saying Trump is awful, and while Trump is running; figure the MAGA types will back Trump; figure the generic Republican loses. Imagine another one goes up against Trump while saying Trump is great? Figure MAGA types will back Trump; figure that generic Republican loses too. But once Trump is out of the picture — what? Figure someone who got their praises sung by Trump says the guy was great, and runs against a generic Republican who says Trump was awful; what happens?
In some ways the phenomenon can be explained because Trump has become a blank slate were anyone who is fed up with the current situation in their country (so 90% of the population) can project their hopes for change, any sort of change, away from “business as usual”. That that change would be for the worse, and that Trump’s abhorrent ideas would probably not mesh with the person’s own ideals does not register.
(In other ways the explanation is that unfortunately there seems to be a global rightward movement in the political spectrum )
Well, stupid people everywhere are hearing the same lies, and falling for them. I got into it with one guy at my local pub a few months back, when he started spewing all the anti-trans talking points. Not a single original thought in his head, he just believed every lie the right wing was telling him.
It’s more like he can’t see the point, a pet brings it’s owner no material benefit and needs care and attention. In Trump’s soulless mind there is no justification for a pet.
It looks like, in all of American history, it’s just Donald Trump and the nearly impeached Democratic President, Andrew Johnson, for trying to accept the Confederate states back into the Union without condition, and welcoming Confederate leaders into the Federal government. The 14th Amendment was passed in response.
