# Bricker is becoming more and more like Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 17, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261 "2018-06-17T14:50:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/181 "2018-06-21T18:29:39Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > New York mogul and a tyrant walk into a room > Not really foes, as it goes > > They emerge with a contract, ties to No. Ko. > And a presidential row in tow. So: > > No one else was in the room where it happened > The room where it happened > The room where it happened > > No one else was in the room where it happened > The room where it happened > The room where it happened > > No one really knows ‘bout the art of the deal > How the lies sound so real > And the health care’s repealed > > We just assume that it happens > But no one else is in > The room where it happens. \*\* Bricker\*\* is highly intelligent and has a sense of humor, so there are two important ways in which he doesn’t at all resemble Trump. I think that his philosophy of Constitutional interpretation is horseshit, but he does at least _have_ a coherent philosophy which he has maintained over a period of many years, which again isn’t something Trump would be capable of or even see the value of. I disagree with Bricker about almost everything, but would have him switch jobs with Trump in a heartbeat if it were within my power to do so. OTOH, I agree that he is often unnecessarily condescending , snarky and just plain mean, and frequently misrepresents the arguments of his opponents. He often seems like he is much more interested in “scoring points” than in engaging in constructive discussion. Those are Trumpian characteristics, but I don’t see that he has gotten any worse in these areas lately. **septimus** , however, is a very good and worthwhile poster and those who have said otherwise are wrong.😛 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/182 "2018-06-21T19:10:12Z")
So, if **septimus** is named absolute dictator of the Boards, you’re OK with that? Right? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/183 "2018-06-21T19:16:11Z")
Let me answer that question by engaging in pedantic nitpicking about the definition of the word “absolute”… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/184 "2018-06-21T19:38:38Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > So, if **septimus** is named absolute dictator of the Boards, you’re OK with that? > > Right? > [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Let me answer that question by engaging in pedantic nitpicking about the definition of the word “absolute”… We also need to define which [septimus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septimus) we are talking about. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/185 "2018-06-21T19:41:17Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > I think that his philosophy of Constitutional interpretation is horseshit, but he does at least _have_ a coherent philosophy which he has maintained over a period of many years “At least it’s an ethos”. > [@](#): > > I disagree with Bricker about almost everything, but would have him switch jobs with Trump in a heartbeat if it were within my power to do so. Is it better to have repugnant positions implemented competently than not? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/186 "2018-06-21T19:44:23Z")
We would need first to establish the size of his… hands. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/187 "2018-06-21T20:26:26Z")
Not it! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/188 "2018-06-21T20:41:09Z")
We are all gentlemen, so let’s just rely on self-reporting. Like golf. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/189 "2018-06-21T22:49:00Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > “At least it’s an ethos”. > > Is it better to have repugnant positions implemented competently than not? Why choose either of them when we could have you and get repugnant positions implemented incompetently? Everybody wins! Until you have a bad day, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/190 "2018-06-21T22:58:02Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Credit where due. That’s funny. Thank you. To the specific issue of the OP, I feel pretty casually confident in saying it’s bullshit. An aspect of your time here that I will never hesitate to describe positively is the information you have written about interpretations of the 14th Amendment, particularly the levels of scrutiny. A straight reading of the 14th in isolation suggests any number of laws were and are _obviously_ unconstitutional, except that they obviously _weren’t_ obviously so since laws based on race and gender (among other traits) persisted for decades after ratification. The U.S. Constitution is a “broad strokes” document, and rather than cite it, a debater would be better served citing a relevant court case, which would follow: 1. A legisature passing a law. 2. A court upholding that law or striking it down, which will serve to establish that _this_ is how the courts will interpret the constitution on this issue. Thing is, the courts don’t simply rule “yes/no, up/down”. Standards are created for future challenges, including the aforementioned standards of scrutiny for “equal protection” cases, as well as the Lemon test for 1st Amendment “establishment clause” cases, for example. I gather without these standards, a legislature could see one of its laws struck down, change the wording slightly and pass a virtually identical law the next day. For this edification, I offer Bricker suitable respect in a way I cannot imagine ever extending to word-salading bullshit-spewing Trump. That said, I remain personally unclear what bright line, if any, exists where this crosses into “judicial activism” or “legislating from the bench”. My layman’s understanding of _Dred Scot v. Sandford_ suggests that if judicial activism exists (in the sense of SCOTUS deciding to ignore laws it just doesn’t like, on the basis of politics or morality or other non-legal reasons), it surely exists in this case. The ruling goes out of its way to declare that blacks could not be American citizens, when in the free states, blacks had already been enjoying citizenship and voting right rights for decades. If someone is declaring that _Dred Scott_ is a reasonable application of judicial power but, say, _Roe_ is activism based on fiction, then I think it fair to question that person’s commitment to consistency. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/191 "2018-06-22T14:32:26Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > \<_snip_\> Well now I see what **Scumpup** ’s on about. That post wasn’t funny at all. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/192 "2018-07-01T16:09:54Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > He opposes the death penalty and did not vote for Trump. You could say worse about a guy. This. As much as he can sometimes infuriate me, he still has good points. But don’t quote me 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/193 "2018-07-02T00:13:54Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > This. As much as he can sometimes infuriate me, he still has good points. > > But don’t quote me 😃 Maybe if you asked a little nicer… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/194 "2018-07-02T00:41:39Z")
I’m just about all out of nice. All I got left is dumb as dirt and a mean streak a mile wide. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/195 "2018-07-03T02:31:57Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Maybe if you asked a little nicer… It’s just more fun to be an asshole 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261/196 "2018-07-03T06:33:27Z")
Even more fun to have _been_ an asshole. Look back and savor petty vengeance and ruthless conniving with pious disdain. Repentance is fun too if you are regretting something really juicy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bricker-is-becoming-more-and-more-like-trump/816261.md?page=9)