# The American Coup: 11.9.2020 - **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 9, 2020, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182 "2020-11-09T23:29:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 83
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1643 "2020-12-28T20:57:25Z")
I have said from the very beginning that no GOP/conservative with the actual power to change the election has moved to do so. Governors, SoS, judges, state legislatures (as a whole); they’ve all shot down every attempt by other Republicans. I stand by that. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1644 "2020-12-28T22:40:34Z")
As there is no one with the actual power to change the election, that’s a pretty empty claim. ---
**Author:** ![Holy\_Basil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c0e974/32.png) [@Holy\_Basil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Holy_Basil)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1645 "2020-12-29T03:23:46Z")
Taking bets that CFSG thinks coup is pronounced “coop”. hah ha. Remember when he talked about the “Marine corpse”? ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1646 "2020-12-29T05:05:28Z")
If that’s true then why all the hand-wringing about Trump trying to stay in office? Clearly you think someone has the power to do something. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1647 "2020-12-29T11:54:35Z")
CFSG? Canadian Forces Support Group? Is it? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1648 "2020-12-29T11:59:46Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > CFSG? > > Canadian Forces Support Group? Is it? - Cheeto Faced Shit Gibbon. An ancient Scottish curse from early in his Mis-Administration. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1649 "2020-12-29T13:37:51Z")
Well, in order for that to be true, it would have to be the case that I think that this election would be flipped. I don’t, so clearly you are wrong. However, it is doing substantial damage to our democracy, our faith in our election system, encouraging violent and malevolent actors, and scouts out a path for a future authoritarian to exploit. That people in positions of power support this coup, even if their power is not enough to actually pull it off, is pretty concerning. A close call is supposed to be something that you learn from, not something that you walk away from and assume will never happen again. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1650 "2020-12-29T13:44:28Z")
Well said. The reasons why many of us are concerned about the attempted election steal has been enumerated for [Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg) many times at this point. But you summarized particularly well. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1651 "2020-12-29T14:10:50Z")
So, once January 6th comes and goes, and Trump realizes that Pence does not actually have the power to unilaterally assign the presidency as he sees fit, what then? Unless he starts thinking that the Chief Justice doesn’t actually have to administer the oath to the person who won the election, and can pick whoever he wants, he’s out of non-violent “options”. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1652 "2020-12-29T14:30:31Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Unless he starts thinking that the Chief Justice doesn’t actually have to administer the oath to the person who won the election, and can pick whoever he wants, he’s out of non-violent “options”. Actually, the Chief Justice doesn’t have to administer the oath. I think it can be administered by any notary public or judge, but may be wrong about that. But there have been presidential oaths administered by other people in the past. Lyndon Johnson’s first oath, for example, which was administered in an emergency situation in the aftermath of the assassination. If Trump wants to do a parallel swearing in, he is unlikely to get any of the Supreme Court justices to do the honors, so it won’t have near the prestige. So he’s unlikely to do one. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1653 "2020-12-29T15:45:06Z")
I will be very surprised if he doesn’t declare Marshal [sic] Law on twitter. I will be _more_ surprised if anything comes of it, but I do know that he likes to run his mouth and make threats. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1654 "2020-12-29T15:47:25Z")
As the oath wouldn’t be binding or legal, it really doesn’t matter who does it. I can see him getting Kirk Cameron to administer it for him. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1655 "2020-12-29T16:28:08Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > think that you have the analogy backwards. The idea is that you are moving them so that they are where _you_ are kicking the ball, not that you are moving them to prevent the other person from scoring. Kind of like the Mark Rober [Automatic Bullseye Dartboard](https://youtu.be/MHTizZ_XcUM?t=290) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1656 "2020-12-29T16:36:13Z")
If the Dems do with both GA races, then I wouldn’t be surprised to see a real judge administer the oath of office. Betcha Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and ACB will be getting some phone calls… Regardless, there are enough dorQs with law licenses and working as judges so that _someone_ would be thrilled to stop the steal. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1657 "2020-12-29T16:47:32Z")
Huh, I’ve seen that, impressive engineering. Need to find a way to make it into a meme. > [@JohnT](#): > > If the Dems do with both GA races One can only hope. And that’s all that is is hope, certainly no expectation. > [@JohnT](#): > > I wouldn’t be surprised to see a real judge administer the oath of office. Betcha Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and ACB will be getting some phone calls… I kinda would. If an actor or celebrity does it, and everyone knows that it is fake, then it’s a play, its entertainment, it’s not something that anyone can legally take seriously. I would say that anyone who actually _could_ legally administer the oath would be committing some sort of crime if they were to do so. If it’s a crime to impersonate the president, then it seems it would be a crime to legitimize a fake one as well. If Trump goes down a road that makes him an enemy of our nation, if he is “leading” a revolt against our government, then anyone who aids him in that, and I would consider administering a fake oath of office to be aiding, would be guilty of the specific constitutional wording of treason. I don’t know that it would stick, but I would think that anyone with a law license or working as a judge would have to think twice before going down that road. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1658 "2020-12-29T17:05:52Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Huh, I’ve seen that, impressive engineering. Need to find a way to make it into a meme. Especially appropriate is Rober’s final comment. > In general we found if you’re really drunk you get _so_ pumped at your new abilities, if not slightly confused. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1659 "2020-12-29T18:18:21Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I don’t know that it would stick, but I would think that anyone with a law license or working as a judge would have to think twice before going down that road. “Who is … [Judge Jeanine Pirro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanine_Pirro#Justice_with_Judge_Jeanine_on_Fox_News), Alex ?” ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1660 "2020-12-29T18:56:17Z")
Now that we have the Never Trump (actual conservatives) folks on the same side as the progressives with Trumpists trying to overturn an election on the other side, is the political reorganization that used to be centered around either liberal vs. conservative or urban vs rural recentering around pro vs. anti-democracy? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1661 "2020-12-29T18:59:37Z")
I was thinking Judge Judy. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182/1662 "2020-12-29T19:00:57Z")
On facebook, theres this “pastor” who says he is prophesying that Trump will serve another 4 years. I don’t think he realizes if that supposedly happened, there would be massive riots. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182.md?page=82) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-american-coup-11-9-2020/925182.md?page=84)