# Will Trump pull an LBJ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 29, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700 "2020-06-29T21:07:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/81 "2020-07-04T01:51:05Z")
Seems unlikely. But who among us would want him to anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/82 "2020-07-04T04:34:31Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > If Biden wins, what are the chances Trump even attends the inauguration? To be fair, Trump didn’t get a chance to see a large inauguration crowd yet. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/83 "2020-07-04T04:54:37Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > If Biden wins, what are the chances Trump even attends the inauguration? Slim. I predict Trump will use the excuse that it was an invalid election and he’s refusing to attend as a protest. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/84 "2020-07-04T11:54:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But you can’t ignore the opposite side of that; Trump also has genuinely enthusiastic opponents. There are plenty of people who won’t vote for Trump but would vote for an ordinary Republican like Romney. There are some people who don’t like Trump at all, but voted for him anyway because they don’t believe a woman should be President. I got the impression that many, possibly a majority, of these voters are Republican women. They will have no problem voting for Biden. Have no idea how many people fall into this category, unfortunately. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2020, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/85 "2020-07-04T12:13:15Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > By the way, not the topic, but please everyone, please don’t start taking his defeat at the polls for granted. Do whatever you can to get out the vote, because you know that’s what they are doing. The Republican party chose to ride the Trump tiger; they deserve whatever consequences they’ve reaped. It’s time to hold the Pubs under water until the bubbles stop, then wait another ten minutes. ---
**Author:** ![anny\_m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@anny\_m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anny_m)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/86 "2020-07-04T13:58:40Z")
> [@Win\_Place\_Show](#): > > I wonder about the possibility of Trump quitting _after_ the election and before Biden’s inauguration. Something like tossing the WH keys to Pence and telling him “lock up when you leave”, then he and Melania fly off to the other side of the world. I don’t think Melania would go with him. Ivanka might. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/87 "2020-07-04T14:09:41Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Slim. I predict Trump will use the excuse that it was an invalid election and he’s refusing to attend as a protest. He’ll probably say he didn’t hear about the inauguration because he was on the golf course and left his phone in the clubhouse. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/88 "2020-07-04T16:40:07Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Slim. I predict Trump will use the excuse that it was an invalid election and he’s refusing to attend as a protest. Slim? None. It is completely beyond any analysis of the evidence that Trump can be that good a loser. He’s still bitching that he never won an Emmy. ---
**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 4, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/89 "2020-07-04T19:42:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > You forgot possibility #4: > > 1. Fox’s real backers (Koch? etc.) have now lined up a competent RW tyrant to succeed Trump, a guy who sorta ran off the ranch once they’d assisted him into the WH. “Leaking” Trump having second thoughts now is step one of switching him out for the new guy. Who’ll be just as much a favorite of the MAGA crowd but a lot more dangerous. > > If soon you see Fox, Hannity, Limbaugh _et al_ coalescing behind one new RW standard bearer be afraid. Be very afraid. And be sure to vote. I read the other day that Tucker Carlson is a possibility. ---
**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 4, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/90 "2020-07-04T19:47:25Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > You and I view this upcoming transition nightmare exactly the same. We’re in for a very rough ride, even if the election is a landslide and decisive. > > I’d like to see Bill Barr disbarred. Tout de suite. > > A girl can dream. Dream about Biden offering all of the ousted IGs their positions back, would you, please? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/91 "2020-07-04T19:51:20Z")
Every night. Every. Single. Night. The good thing is, Biden is the one who has the long-term experience to actually pull this off. He’s the guy who knows who to call and can get those that are gettable back into service as fast as possible. There is so much damage to undo, it is still going to be a hellish slog. But at least we’ve chosen the person with the right experience for the leviathan task at hand. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/92 "2020-07-04T19:55:40Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I predict Trump will use the excuse that it was an invalid election and he’s refusing to attend as a protest. Not a chance of that happening because “invalid” has three syllables. He will say “fake”. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/93 "2020-07-04T20:09:37Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > > Slim. I predict Trump will use the excuse that it was an invalid election and he’s refusing to attend as a protest. > > He’ll probably say he didn’t hear about the inauguration because he was on the golf course and left his phone in the clubhouse. Nah. The excuse will be that no one briefed him on it. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/94 "2020-07-04T21:55:04Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Nah. The excuse will be that no one briefed him on it- True. It has to be someone else’s fault. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/95 "2020-07-05T00:59:31Z")
Sincere question: Which is more important to Trump, power or huge, adoring crowds? If COVID and decreasing enthusiasm mean lots of empty seats at rally venues, would he want to stay in office for the power alone? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/96 "2020-07-05T01:05:00Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Sincere question: Which is more important to Trump, power or huge, adoring crowds? If COVID and decreasing enthusiasm mean lots of empty seats at rally venues, would he want to stay in office for the power alone?– Musing… I don’t think the power by itself means anything to him without the adoring crowds, twitter followers, being in the headlines, etc. If he could pull the strings of power while sitting in a windowless, soundproofed basement room with no wifi, I don’t think he would be interested. But if he COULD have rallies every day with thousands of people chanting his name, I think he WOULD be okay if he didn’t accomplish one g.d. thing. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/97 "2020-07-05T01:10:08Z")
Any possible substitute will be the goat for all of trump’s f-ups but not have the ability to galvanize the trump base whose loyalty is to him and only him. And don’t think that just because he loses by big numbers he won’t claim it was rigged: “Do you SEE these numbers??? That can’t be real.” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/98 "2020-07-05T19:45:19Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > But the strategy may be to let the presidency go and save the senate, but keep the base intact regardless of what happens. Trump still has his base, and he is doing everything in his power to keep them in the fold. Republicans cannot challenge Trump publicly because they made a deal with the devil of xenophobia between 2012 and 2016, and Trump was the product of that pact. > > As I’ve alluded to before, we sometimes put too much focus on Trump while ignoring the bigger picture, which is the political alignment between the American aristocracy and white Christian nationalists. I don’t think this goes away with Trump’s absence. Yes, this is a huge concern – we have to wrap our minds around the notion that there may not be a “normal” Republican Party to go back to. That in fact it will be a _Trumpist_ party and the best we may hope for is that after a couple of cycles that turns into just a meaningless brand shibboleth just as “fiscal conservatism” or “moral values” did but unlike those be replaced by something better, not worse. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/99 "2020-07-05T20:59:20Z")
The problem Republicans have is that the party orthodoxy has always been highly tolerant of economic inequality in general. In fact the ideology espouses policies that encourage it. That’s not to say that Republicans are evil, but going back to the late 1800s, they’ve been a party of big business. Economic inequality is always going to be something that plays into the hands of political extremists. The difference between the two parties’ extremists is that the extreme left’s answer to inequality is government-run everything, whereas the extremist right’s answer is to create a social and political niche for the masses of angry whites. Trump is what happens to the Republican party when the Republican party runs out of ways to justify giving disproportionate economic and political power to the billionaire class. It shifts the discussions away from economics and pointedly toward culture. The thing that Republican administrations and businesses encouraged for years - mass immigration of low-wage workers and shipping jobs outside the United States - becomes something that the Republican party stopped defending. Mind you, they still do it, and privately still encourage such policies behind closed doors. But publicly, they don’t dare promote immigration or globalization anymore because as I’ve said before, they sold their souls to the devil of white Christian nationalism. And they devil has come to collect on that contract and there’s no escape clause. That’s why even though Republicans know that Trump is basically shooting torpedoes at his/their own ship, they’re nearly powerless to stop him because they created this beast - and they know it. Still, all of that aside, there is a huge problem that will linger after November 2020. What it means for Biden is that he will have to be the most progressive president since Lyndon B. Johnson, and perhaps even since Franklin D. Roosevelt. People want more economic equality, and reversing decades of policy will be critical not only for the Democratic party’s success but for the future of American democracy. You can check my past posts: I’m far from a Bernie Bro. But Bernie Sanders’ vision for the future of the country is a movement that has finally found its time. That doesn’t mean he’d necessarily be the best presidential option, and I still don’t really buy into some of his specific proposals, but he’s always been correct about what’s ailing the country (even the globe) and we’re running out of time to fix it. Biden will have to fight for progressive values, and more than that, he’ll have to score some big wins. If we’re still begging for universal access to affordable healthcare in 2024 and begging for more livable wages and lower taxation on Jeff Bezos, I think America will slide - rather quickly - from being a democratic republic to being a broken, bitterly divided republic that poses sometimes as a democracy but functions more like a Roman senate. That sort of situation would be ripe for a charismatic, bible-spanking former military general turned private sector millionaire populist. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2020, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700/100 "2020-07-05T21:51:17Z")
Normally a religious guy like Romney would have a good chance to win. But plenty of Christians don’t like Mormons. Evangelicals are almost all against Mormons. They even say Mormons are not Christians. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-pull-an-lbj/913700.md?page=6)