In “Jurassic Park II: The Lost World,” Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldberg) tells John Hammond’s ambitious and foolish nephew, “Taking dinosaurs off this island is the worst idea in the long, sad history of bad ideas.” Indeed, a T-Rex does run amuck in San Diego later thanks to the irresponsible scheme, eating several people in the process.
But taking a Tyrannosaurus Rex to the U.S. was still a better idea than the idea being floated by some deranged Republicans to make Donald Trump Speaker of the House. I’m not convinced that making a T-Rex Speaker of the House wouldn’t be a better idea.
Most Americans don’t know that the Speaker can be anyone—you, me—whether or not that individual is a member of House of Representatives. Every Speaker has been a member, however, for the obvious reason; bringing in an outsider is dangerous and an invitation to disaster. Making Trump Speaker would be infinitely worse. The chaos he would cause in beyond even my fertile imagination to consider. Any Republican that seriously suggests such a thing should be marked for shunning and political cancellation.
Here’s the scary thing: if Democrats want to destroy the Republican Party as surely as dropping them all in an acid bath, voting to give Trump the Speaker’s position would be the way to do it. Could they be that Machiavellian? Well, it’s the same party that spent millions winning primaries for the very same GOP “election deniers” they later declared to be clear and present dangers to democracy—and that cynical, hypocritical strategy worked.
I wouldn’t put it past them.
I wouldn’t put anything past them.
Ethics Alarms 
That hurts the brain. Hurts…. So bad…
I spent 2016 saying, “If Donald Trump gets the Republican Nomination, I’m going to vomit.” I didn’t actually vomit, but I figure I did so figuratively enough. But in leading up to the general election, I did say, “Hold your nose and vote for Trump”, and I fully agreed with the joke stickers that said, “I voted, and now I feel sick.”
Trump needs to go away. He did the work he needed to do (I do believe divine Providence was at work in his election, so I’ll give that nod to Sarah Huckabee Sanders, but God works frequently with weak, flawed tools to humble the arrogant), but the torch has passed. Please, dear God, let that torch be passed.
Would the Democrats be so Machiavellian? I know it has been a political tactic to register as the opposing party in the primaries and vote for the weaker candidate, but the amount of money this midterms dumped into the Trump-selected Republican candidates exceeded that Machiavellian tactic by light-years. Would the Democrats vote for Trump as Speaker? If they thought it would actually reap political rewards in two years, I wouldn’t put it past them.
Or in Wyoming terms:
JM: Could they be that Machiavellian?
Democrats: Hold my beer.
The Democrats couldn’t do it without shattering their support base. They’ve spent the past–what, eight years?–consolidating the narrative that they must seize and hold power at all costs because it keeps Trump and people who vaguely resemble him as far from power as possible.
No matter how much it would damage the reputation of the Republican party to let Trump preside over the House of Representatives in his usual sloppy, devil-may-care manner, it would also be an unspinnable choice by the Democrats to place Trump perilously close to the top of the presidential line of succession. If Biden
becomes unfit to perform the duties of presidentcrumbles to dust, and Harris has a medical emergency from repetitive use of the same empty phrases too many times, then Trump becomes president again.I guess the plus side is he could only be president for two more years and couldn’t be reelected after that?
Actually, I’ll have to check the exact wording of that amendment. It could be that if he served less than two years he’d still be eligible for another full term.
But yeah, that might be a Trump too far for the Democratic strategerists.
Yep, if he served less than two full years of someone else’s term — he’s still eligible to be elected to two full terms. That’s how I read the 22nd Amendment.
But I also don’t think they’d have to worry — after another couple years of Trump, I suspect he’d have about as much chance of reelection as Hoover did.
And we are actually sitting here talking about this? What’s wrong with us?
Actually, it would be delicious. Imagine the havoc he c/would wreak.
I figure it this way: elected officials should be terrified of the electorate and act accordingly.
I don’t think January 6th was that huge threat to democracy but watching these people whinge and gnash their teeth over it tells me this: they think they are out betters and we should do what they say and like it.
But, then, a bunch of unarmed, angry voters disturbed their little slice of Heaven. Good for the protesters. After all, they saw what happened to the blm insurrectionists, or what didn’t happen to them. The Squad, Pelosi, Shiff, all those jerks will tell us harrowing stories of their bravery defending the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Please.
jvb
This is an idea akin to the recent speculation that Biden might replace Harris with Gavin Newsom, then resign from office, making the California Psycho the president. For some unknown reason.
The American political class and its flunkies and hangers-on need to calm the fuck down with these idiotic clickbait fever dreams before somebody takes one of them seriously and actually tries to do some of this dipshittery.
Imagine the terrible precedent that would set if a non-member became Speaker. May I introduce you to future Speaker of the House George Clooney? Not too terribly unrealistic when next the Democrats take the House. A parade of Hollywood celebrities- attractive, charismatic and longtime mouthpieces of Democratic talking points – to dazzle the electorate with their pseudo-intelligence and credibility is exactly what we can expect if Republicans go this route.
For once, I wish the parties would think about what norms they choose to breach in terms of what the other party will do when it gets in office. It’s almost as if they either don’t conceive of the other party ever being in charge again or they just don’t care.
The Blaze article cites Jamie Raskin (D) MD making the claim and does not give any basis in fact that other Republicans are pushing it his idea.
Yes, I do believe Raskin would try to create an issue because what he lacks in intelligence he makes up in guile.
This post should be focused on the Democrats trying to create dissension rather than Republicans pushing an I’ll advised idea
The only Republican that is quoted is Matt Gaetz in March of 22 – in political terms a prehistoric time period-, at a rally saying if we take the House, he will nominate Trump for Speaker. That is not the same as saying some Republicans are considering this as a real possibility. To suggest that now in November, after the election, what was said at a rally to ramp up the base, is being bandied about in the Freedom Caucus or anywhere else is fake news and designed to cause more political animus. Jamie Raskin is a fraud and Gaetz needs to know when to get mouthy and when to purse his lips.
The best time to smother bad ideas is the second you realize they are bad. Bad ideas are like viruses (See: open borders; defund the police; men can become women by deciding the they are.)
I don’t disagree but I thought Gaetz’s idea was merely campaign rhetoric that had no traction because I never heard it mentioned again.
All this revulsion over the possibility of Trump as speaker of the house is an unconscious manifestation of nearly a decade of non-stop anti Trump propaganda. Realistically, what has Trump done during his time in office that was anything other than excellent? And that includes foreign policy in addition to creating a vibrant and stable economy. To those that would incur a meltdown over the prospect, I would ask: Putting your obvious TDS aside for a moment (if that’s possible), Why?
Finally, to those that would incur massive mental meltdowns resulting in uncontrollable bodily functions, I would say there’s no real cause for concern because it will never happen. That said, even the prospect of such a turn of events manages to cause uncontrollable spasms of sphincters for some.
Ed
Much of what you wrote I can agree with. As the Chief Executive, Trump could get away with some bluster and bravado so long as the economy was humming along as it was. The Speaker’s role is to speak for the entire House of Representatives which means that the Speaker must consider the rights and privileges of the minority party. I don’t think Trump is suited for the role of consensus building. Simply because Pelosi and Schumer ran their respective houses based on might makes right and snide behaviors, if we are to Make America Great Again we have to start being able to come to agreements on significant issues. The speaker of the House must be a person that has the strength to bring opposing combatants to the table but also to help them work through the issues at hand for the benefit of most Americans.
Bringing in a lightning rod, whether it is Trump, Pelosi or anyone else who feels they must get their way 100% of the time, and if doesn’t look like they will get it they resort to underhanded tactics, will not help us maintain a global leadership position. The Republicans must choose wisely.
Chris, What you write is fine except: Have you noticed what the democrat party has become? They’ve regressed into an authoritarian/totalitarian party where there is no opinion but their own where compromise is never an option. They not only reject other opinions but attack any that would not submit to their agenda.
Despite your assertion, Trump was not like that except as portrayed in the incessant anti Trump propaganda issued by the corrupt media. And that constant anti Trump drum beat has indeed had an affect on many people.
CNN had gone so far at one point to have claimed Trump told something like 40,000 lies during his presidency. Do the math to see how many lies a day that works out to, yet many people actually believe such nonsense.
Anyway, this remains moot because Trump won’t become speaker, and as a surprise, I doubt he would accept it if offered.
Ed
I know full well what the Democratic party has devolved into. Much of that is because they have made so many promises to so many different people to simply get votes they are now using Gestapo like tactics to force the other side to agree to their demands.
My assertion about braggadocio and bravado I think is appropriate, but I am willing to allow that during periods of non-competition he probably is a good family man and treats many with respect. Unfortunately, when he is in competition mode, he resorts to tactics that many find unbecoming of the man who heads our nation.
I pay no attention to the propaganda mills of CNN, MSNBC, ABC, PBS, or even FOX. Each has an agenda and is in business not to inform but to entertain and to deliver an audience that will help them garner financial support. People believe what they want to believe. So, it is important that we find the rhetoric that is not inflammatory but highly expository. I simply believe Trump was the right man at that time, but we need different skills sets if Republicans take control of the House.