comment: >
  
  "We generate an average of 10,450 kilograms of Trumps every day here!  Once they've been completely cleared for application, we can use Trumps as soil treatments or even substrates to absorb toxic metals in polluted sediment!"
context: It says a lot about our justice system's inability to discipline the rich & powerful when we are at 'wait until he dies' as an option. >
  
  I get the sensation that every alphabet agency has a press release at the ready, stating, "we had plans to charge Donald Trump with X, Y, and Z crimes and had all the evidence in the world to do it, and we were totally going to issue the charges this month, but he's dead now so oh well," and they'll use his death to sweep all of it under the rug rather than confront the game of proscutorial musical chairs/hot potato they've found themselves in. >
  
  I hope he lasts as long as the 2024 election so that he can split the GOP voter base >
  
  If not his mini me in Florida can do it. >
  
  If you mean DeSantis I don't think he'd split the GOP vote, I think Republicans will really rally behind him.  That man is a real threat.  I'm just waiting for Trump to start screaming the primary election was stolen from him too when he inevitably loses it.  Maybe then some of the election deniers will start to see the light. >
  
  I don't think DeSantis is crude enough for the base.  He sounds like such a wimp when he talks.
  If DeSantis gets the nom, I can easily see Trump splitting the vote. >
  
  The base will vote for whomever is the GOP candidate on the ballot, whether they’re into them or not. As such, it can go his way and the American Experiment will die. >
  
  That was the thinking in 2008, with GOP nominee John McCain. And in 2012, with Mitt Romney.
  The same proposition applied to Democrats in 2000 with Al Gore, and 2004 with John Kerry.
  One of the key factors in any election is likability. While I regard Donald Trump as a grotesque and despicable person, many Republicans harbor some affection for his personality - wealth, swagger, 1950's "good ol' boy" attitude, etc. His image is the basis of the cult of personality that has cropped up around him.
  Take that principle and look backwards. Barack Obama has great personal charisma and rhetorical skill. George W. Bush projected a similar "good ol' boy" sensibility as Trump, but less cruel and more bumbling. Bill Clinton was described as having a JFK-like aura. George Bush Sr. had a more tepid presence, but he also served only one term. And before him, we had a movie star.
  In sum - personal likability of a candidate drives turnout, and turnout drives election results.
  Now consider Ron DeSantis. Nobody likes Ron DeSantis. He is a nasty little hobgoblin with no sense of humor. He's an indoctrinated right-wing culture warrior and he takes everything too seriously, especially himself. I don't think I've ever seen the guy smile.
  Finally, keep in mind that a 2024 Biden vs. DeSantis election wouldn't be a question of whether people like or dislike DeSantis. It would be whether they like him enough to unseat an incumbent president, which, historically, has been a high bar. In recent times, voters have evicted an incumbent president only in the case of clear error, such as George Bush Sr.'s mismanagement of the economy or Donald Trump's mismanagement of, well, everything. In the absence of a huge national crisis or some other problem (such as health issues), Biden will retain a big incumbency advantage that DeSantis likely cannot overcome. >
  
  I want to believe that still, but I can’t. I was doing that same kind of thinking coming up to the 2016 election - looking at case studies and stuff  from the past that could give some informed observations that could suggest that Trump probably win. Then, Trump won in 2016, and the shocks have continued unendingly since then.
  I’m not giving in or saying the R side will win the next Presidential election. I’ll fight like hell against that. >
  
  I understand the PTSD effect of the 2016 election. But defaulting to pessimism isn't good for one's mental health - it leads to cynicism.
  I believe that it's possible to hold an objective view of the realities of politics and the likelihood of various outcomes, while also remaining vigilant and avoiding overconfidence. That should be the goal. >
  
  I didn’t indicate that I’m pessimistic, though. I just don’t feel any comfort looking at data from another time in this instance. >
  
  Well, well, well....that's just too bad for the American people.  Don't you guys know that he had the best results his doctor had seen from a physical exam on someone his age, maybe even EVER!! He's in perfect health and medical professionals are in awe of his vigor!
  ​
  **don't mind the sarcasm....but I am reminded of when he was bragging about the results of his physical during the first few years of his presidency. >
  
  The fact that he feels no guilt or anxiety over the awful things he does probably contributes quite a bit to his unfortunate longevity. Anyone with a conscience would have stroked out years ago. >
  
  His mother lived to be 88 despite multiple health issues from the time of Robert's birth. His father lived to 92. His two older sisters are still alive. He has some of the best healthcare the country offers. >
  
  Plus, he doesn't exercise, so he doesn't drain his body's finite energy resources, which we all know will kill ya real fast
  ^(/s) >
  
  I strongly suspect he went around bragging in college about how he could have been a professional athlete until someone challenged him and humiliated him in a game. Then he came up with that excuse to avoid participating in sports in front of his peers. 
  He still skied and went to baseball games after that (although he only played with his kids and their cousins.) Ivana said he always resented she was a better skier and his first three children laughed about him pulling them back or trying to knock them over to win family skiing races. >
  
  Except when he does, prepare for the onslaught from MAGA to want to build statues in his name, rename airports, post offices, military installation sites, highways, etc. >
  
  Waste processing plants sound like good candidates, or maybe landfills >
  
  No those things are useful >
  
  Wastewater treatment residual biosolids holding tanks.  That's what's left after they drain the swamp - seems appropriate. >
  
  Rename the solids to trumps