Michael Beschloss is at least in the running for best living presidential historian. He often appears on MSNBC and PBS but only when he is not writing best-selling books centered on U.S. History. As a practitioner of the presidency, Beschloss has studied a lot of torch passing, new administrations, many having to deal with SCOTUS rulings that fundamentally change the fabric of the country and thus the presidency – all of it. But he’s never before seen an actual dictatorship around the corner… But he sees a corner in 31 days if things go wrong.
Beschloss appeared on the gold-standard early morning show “Way Tool Early” with Jonathan Lemire. It is a smart show – a fast moving click-click with guests like, well – Michael Beschloss. This morning, the two discussed the upcoming election and what it might mean for the country. It did not end on a positive note. Beschloss seamlessly wove between the SCOTUS absolute immunity for presidential prosecution and Donald Trump’s threats to imprison his opponents. The two talked about the subject all going into the national election. Per the video below, Lemire started it off:
“… [N]ow he’d be able to stock his administration with loyalists who would carry out [threats to imprison opponents] further and emboldened by the Supreme Court ruling, his executive power has only grown. How worried are you that, were he to win, he’d take this to a very un-American place?”
Beschloss didn’t need a second to reflect on his worries and jumped right in, speaking at a rapid pace, almost stream of conscious.
“Extremely worried. This is something we’ve never seen before in American history. Major party nominees saying, ‘Elect me, and I’m going to use the DOJ, the Defense Department, against my domestic enemies, jail people.”
Yes, if one put the above while discussing Hungary, Russia, China, perhaps Nicaragua, Venezuela, or Mozambique – it doesn’t sound the slightest bit unusual when discussing a tin-pot dictator wearing some cheesy military jacket while smacking on a cigar. It is nearly a stereotype. But put that person in front of the White House holding his hand over his heart as someone plays “Star Spangled Banner” and it becomes something that was never supposed to be here.
We have, however, always heard that when fascism comes to America it will come carrying a bible and holding a flag. Meanwhile, Beschloss wasn’t done:
“What we’ve had for over two centuries of a presidency, operating more or less within the boundaries of the law. Now, with the help of the Supreme Court saying a president is immune from prosecution, we may, in 31 days, have a dictator.”
Yes, let’s look at that SCOTUS ruling out of the Trump cases itself. The Court ruled that the president has “absolute immunity” for official acts as president. It means that anything falling within the definition of a presidential duty – even asking that someone be prosecuted, will be outside the bounds of his own criminal prosecution. It may be okay to impeach the president but we’ve seen that impeachments are nothing more than political theater.
As I wrote this morning, the Democrats and Kamala Harris have major momentum in polling and trends going into the election. Now all that’s left is to give one more donation to bank some money to cover expenses after the election. That and get out the vote.
The nation depends on it – a dictatorship might only be 31 days away.
Can any of us possibly imagine what the ‘decent’ German citizens went through watching Hitler’s brownshirts and secret police drag Jews out into the street, beating them, occasionally shooting them, and arresting them? Then came the day when they came for YOU. You were either arrested as one of the folks on his list, OR you were forced into his nazi army…then forced into either resisting,(a bullet to the head), or becoming part of an evil mass murdering machine. Some probably think I’m given to hyperbole. You folks are fools living in denial. A lot of retirees moved to Asheville to escape the summer heat and other weather disasters. They found out there’s no safe place on earth from climate disasters. If they had studied the history of the area…they would have discovered killer floods had happened there before. What’s the saying…those who ignore history are DOOMED TO REPEAT IT. So what’s it going to be America?
Not to belabor the obvious but that absolute immunity thing the con xtian morons on the s.c. pulled out of their asses does apply to ALL presidents-not just orange idiot ones. Right now there is a good man in the oval and I’ve a feeling he is looking at that ruling right now with an eye to making good and damned sure that at the very least the election is as free and fair as he can possibly make it.
I realize a lot of folks are not looking at that ruling with President Biden in mind and apparently the con xtian morons did not either but the fact is Biden is the President and he has it right now. I hope he’s looking at that power. I hope he taking a real close look at it.