Trump Trial Time - banish all memories of Mueller.

[Spandauer]

Is this #132?
Still trying to rid the world of this troublesome twat.

Old thread here:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4912378-trump-gets-gagged-mccarthy-gets-booted-whats-next-in-trumpworld

Rachel Maddow is great. I wish they could have her as the debate moderator but I guess she's not exactly neutral 😆

It really looks like Harris is now going to be approved as the nominee so the next media hoo-hah will be the VP choice. I couldn't remember who Hillary had on the ticket when she ran so I had to look it up. It was Tim Kaine (Virginia senator). Nope - still no recall - yet if she'd won he'd have been someone in the running for president - probably now!

If Hillary had won, this would be a whole different world, can you imagine! Trump would be out of it, surely? Oh, no, maybe not, he is insiduous.

I see Vance is trying the Andrea Ledsom school of debate be saying that because Kamala doesn't have her own kids she is not invested in America's future.

Way to alienate the female vote JD <slow handclap>

The challenge for the Democrats is to unite, and not descend into squabbling. All I know is they are often equated with the UK Labour party ....

Biden still has power in this game. Possibly the nuclear move. But if he were to stand down as president following the finest medical advice, not only would it put Harris and who she chooses as VP onto the ticket as incumbents. It also allows a really bigly narrative for the Dems to go "Yeah, probably best not have an old man as POTUS" <mic drop>

If that were going to happen, I'd hazard a guess it would be after the convention.

Given the Supreme Court's presidential immunity judgement, Biden could have some fun in his last 6 months

Has the lettuce countdown began with Vance?I

Biden has dropped out of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics - Jill Biden [and other dignitaries] attending in his place

If you were going to embark on a narrative that Biden is becoming "incapacitated" then what would your first move be ?

From afar it's obvious that the Democrats have (hopefully knowingly and under direction) made themselves the story and moreover placed their own timeline on it. Nothing Trump can do.

I am seeing more and more commentators saying that the timing is <chefs kiss> as it has left Trump lumbered with a really unsuitable VP.

In fact if Trump were to win, I suspect he will end up devoting 110% of what little mental capacity he has to actively ensuring Vance remains VP.

(Because I don't subscribe to cancel culture, I am still allowed to recall the cats cradle in the US "House of Cards" that Underwood strung up to usurp POTUS. I have no reason to doubt there are similar forces working around Vance ....)

Also - again from afar, but I have US friends - it seems the Trump "strategy" seems to be predicated on the fact that MAGA voters have more than one vote. Since he is basically still just preaching to the converted. He still needs those swing voters.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Trump can’t “sack” Vance? He’s been confirmed as the VP nominee by the party, it’s no longer Trump’s “choice”.

https://x.com/BBCSteveR/status/1815669967771369756

How's the Russian press reporting events in America? One paper today: “As for Russia’s interests, we have no reason to be sad about Biden exiting.”

Also, incredible vitriol against Kamala Harris & hopes that a Trump win will enable “substantive Russia-US dialogue.”

He's got the RNC backing now. Admittedly at Trumps direction. But it would need another convention (or "incapacitation") to shift him. Unless he withdrew himself.

All of which is a great way to get team Trump to piss away money and time on totally non productive in fighting. Which explains the rather comedy demands from Trump that the Democrats pay him compensation. He really was saying the quiet bit out loud.

This is well out of my pay grade, but a really wounded bigly beast like Trump could do something spectacularly nasty when cornered. Putins rat story comes to mind for more than one reason. In fact I wonder if Trump will blow up at Putin - surely this wasn't supposed to happen ?

We can only thank God, our saviour, who in his infinite mercy has sent St. Nigel of Clacton to aid and comfort the Messiah. A lower rent John the Baptist is hard to imagine.

I'll let you break that one to Trump the all powerful, who is going to stop all wars with his great power.

Assuming Harris gets the nom, I wonder who would be her VP pick?
Pete Buttigiegs name is frequently mentioned. I really like him but i think even Democrats are too conservative to risk putting Woman and Black and Gay all on the same combined ticket

On Day 1 of his presidency no doubt!

Isn't the accepted wisdom to try and spread appeal ? Which is why Trumps picking Vance is ... brave. Really he needed to pick a less loonybins running mate to provide moderate republicans with a figleaf.

So what are Harris' weaknesses and who offsets them best ? Especially since if Harris were to become POUTS before November, she'd have to appoint a VP anyway.

Names I've seen/heard mentioned so far:

Pete Buttigieg
Gretchen Whitmer - Michigan
Josh Shapiro - Pennsylvania
Gavin Newsom - California
Roy Cooper - North Carolina
Andy Beshear - Kentucky

Of those, Josh Shapiro would make most sense as you'd think he'd deliver Pennsylvania which is going to be a crucial swing state.

Seems there is an embarrassment of possibilities.

From MSNBC

The Harris campaign has requested vetting materials from the following potential vice presidential nominee picks:

NC Gov. Roy Cooper
PA Gov. Josh Shapiro
AZ Sen. Mark Kelly
MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
MN Gov. Tim Walz

Yes, on Day 1. The day he's going to name himself a Dictator. But only for that one day, mind you.

The man is a legend in his own mind. And a real danger, not just the US Democracy, but to the world at large.

And then blame it on 'old age'! Cop a 'diminished capacity' plea.

Works for me!

The Party is going to have to be extremely practical. And unfortunately that means excluding some excellent choices.

Pete Buttigieg "Too gay for the USA" He'd be my choice but it's too 'iffy' for now if the Party wants to get disaffected conservatives & independents

Gretchen Whitmer - Michigan No chance of having 2 women on the ticket, we're in uncharted territory (female and 'non-white') as it is

Josh Shapiro - Pennsylvania A good 'maybe' to get the swing vote. We've never had a Jewish VP. The US Midwest still has a hard enough time with a Catholic, so will his religion be an issue?

Gavin Newsom - California Potential problem with the electoral college + I don't think he'd accept the offer. He's looking to 2028 and doesn't want to be VP under the incumbent.

Roy Cooper - North Carolina Who? No real 'name recognition' + he's in his late '60s (I know that's not old) and I think we're looking for 'the torch being passed to a new generation' thing.

Andy Beshear - Kentucky Well spoken, has 'name recognition' and is would be a 'moderate' choice. Plus he's a white male. I hate to have to think that way, but there it is.

Ha! I feel like a racetrack handicapper.

So my odds would be on "Beshear by a length at 2 to1, Shapiro's and Cooper's equal odds at 5/1".

There go some of my 'handicaps', lol.

But just because they haven't requested vetting materials for some of the others, doesn't mean they're completely out of the running. I'm sure the Dem Cmtee is keeping its cards close to its vest.

Josh Shapiro - Pennsylvania A good 'maybe' to get the swing vote. We've never had a Jewish VP. The US Midwest still has a hard enough time with a Catholic, so will his religion be an issue?

It would be interesting to see if Republicans wanted to use that as an attack line though, given Trumps delicate relationship with the religion.

And JFK was openly Catholic ....

Al Gore's VP pick was Joe Lieberman - Jewish senator from Connecticut (2000 election)

They won the popular vote but not the electoral college.

Gore was the incumbent VP... so same as now.

And 2000 election - the result wasn't known for about a month I think. Several states were too close to call. At one point Gore called on Bush to concede but it all came down to Florida (the state we all love) which had to have several recounts. It was a nail-biting result!

Hopefully history won't repeat itself this time.

edited to add - but of course no women involved!

I'm sorry to lower the tone with this cartoon.
Also, I'd go for Josh Shapiro if I were a Democrat with a casting vote.