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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNever Trump conservative: Authoritarian Trump lies to smash reality so he is all that matters
TRAVIS GETTYS
05 DEC 2016 AT 09:20 ET
Evan McMullin, the former CIA officer who ran for president as a never Trump conservative, warned that the Republican president-elect posed an existential threat to the U.S. Constitution.
In a New York Times column published Monday, McMullin warned that Donald Trump displayed authoritarian tendencies he had examined among other world leaders who elevate themselves above the law and even truth through their provocations and inconsistencies.
Their profound appetite for absolute power drives their intolerance for any restraint whether by people, organizations, the law, cultural norms, principles or even the expectation of consistency, McMullin said. For a despot, all of these checks on power must be ignored, undermined or destroyed so that he is all that matters.
McMullin was particularly troubled by Trumps inflation of his popular vote performance by questioning the votes of millions as illegal. Authoritarians often exaggerate their popular support to increase the perception of their legitimacy, he said. But the deeper objective is to weaken the democratic institutions that limit their power. Eroding confidence in voting, elections and representative bodies gives them a freer hand to wield more power.
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http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/never-trump-conservative-authoritarian-trump-lies-to-smash-reality-so-he-is-all-that-matters/
Wounded Bear
(58,440 posts)cilla4progress
(24,589 posts)To join our resistance. Their ranks are thin.
True_Blue
(3,063 posts)Let's hope there are a few conservatives in the House & Senate that can foresee the horrors that Trump has planned for America.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,280 posts)to be intentionally undermining constitutional and democratic norms. He's doing the undermining, of course, but my impression of him is that he's basically an unthinking lump of narcissism and rage whose entire goal in life is to get his ego stroked. He'll trample any traditions, protocols and laws that hinder him in that quest, but as long as he can say to himself that he's the greatest and everybody loves him, not much else matters. Even his obvious intent to monetize the presidency is really just part of his monstrous ego trip. His arrogant, bullying attitude appeals to authoritarian-follower types, though; and they are the ones who will do the undermining for him.
2naSalit
(86,072 posts)what he really wants, and intends to have, is to be gawd.
summerschild
(725 posts)Yes, he is a bumbling idiot. And his followers follow him blindly.
But he has powerful people feeding him. Bannon's whole reason to exist is to cause chaos. I think if we could examine Mercer's motives it would be shocking. And every billionaire he's named to his cabinet is now firmly in his corner. DeVos and Price are both Dominionists (on top of everything else negative they are) and there are probably more.
Plus now it is the entire Republican party. They got a lot of mileage out of Reagan long after he lost his mind to Alzheimer's and they will keep Trump propped up as long as he's serving their purpose, no matter how big a nut bag or how dangerous he is. Any way to keep their power is fine with them.