Trump will battle when he wants to stoke his ego, but when he sees a sure thing he grabs it. If he wants a pardon, he’d angle for Pence to do it, should Pence be willing.
But I just can’t see how Pence would want to sacrifice himself for Trump. What’s in it for Pence? As groveling a creature as Pence is, he’s still a political creature. He’d find a way to decline.
I substantially agree with you. I just think Pence can avoid granting the pardon in the same way he can avoid jumping off a bridge. I think the only way Pence becomes an “enemy of the [Trump] people” is if Trump begs, Pence renegs, and then Trump blasts him on Twitter. Pence has to know he “isn’t Trump” and that even Trump lost the most recent election, even with the Trump-base: that is, he needs broader appeal to be successful. I think what will happen (if at all) is: Trump sends out a feeler, Pence demurs, and Trump goes ahead and pardons himself. We’ll have to see. :popcorn-eating emoji:
About the “political persecution” argument: It’s not political persecution if Biden hires prosecutors who prioritize government corruption, hate crimes, and war crimes, and then stands back. If the evidence happens to lead those prosecutors to current and former Republican politicians, well, it won’t be a surprise.
Pence is pretty much beholden to the republican constituency at this point and that means trumpists. I don’t see that he would have any sort of political career if he refused to pardon Trump, just like the Georgia Secretary of State will never be elected to public office again. The Republican party won’t vote for him because he went against Trump and the Democrats won’t vote for him because he’s a christianist etc.
First off; have you been asleep the last 4 years? There is no low the GOP won’t stoop to. There is no point in avoiding “crossing a line” with them; they already accuse Democrats of doing completely made up shit, often shit the GOP have done themselves.
Second; if court packing is off the table, then we might as well go into stasis pods until 2024. The government will get literally zero done. Every single thing the Biden Administration does will be challenged and overturned. Even if he’s not going into it with a court packing plan, thanks to the GOP wedging ACB in at the last minute, he will have to build one or just end up golfing as much or more than 45 did.
I’m tired of predictions. People predicted Hillary would win. People predicted Trump would win. Things happen. After they happen the percentage if people that predicted them will say they knew all along. I’d feel safe making bets that trump will play some golf, cheat people out of some money, and continue a continuous stream of lies. Other than that who the F knows.
The predictions nailed her popular vote margin pretty close but in Amerikkka, luzers win. What a country!
Meanwhile, Prexys have been sworn in by non-Justices, mostly after succeeding a croaked predecessor IIRC. Coolidge was sworn by his JP father while visiting. I don’t know what the practice was in the early decades of our democratic republic and I’m too lazy to research it right now. Help me!
For that reason court packing is in. We’ve seen from how McConnell handled Obama, that it’s always a zero-sum game with the republicans, in or out of power. There is no downside to court packing. They already accuse Democrats of human sacrifice. The only way to deal with republicans is from a position of strength.
