Bemused, liberals want to to turn the clock back to the 1960s. Conservatives want to turn the clock back to the 1860s. If I am right about Trump not being one of them, but rather being one of us, then they may want to impeach him but they are stuck with him.

I really don’t think he’ll be impeached. Not so long as the GOP thinks he’s useful to draw attention away from their attempts to take the USA back into the days before Theodore Roosevelt (no social safety nets, bullying at home and abroad, lots of wars to keep people on their toes, etc.).
There’s no holding President Trump back, however, and I trust that even his own supporters will start to realise what a bad light “their” man is throwing on them and theirs. They don’t care much for ordinary people, especially now that it’s more difficult to turn them into cannon fodder. Expect massive investments in rider-less weapons (aka drones).

Kevin K, it’s always fun to visit the various web sites listing the republican hawks who limped their way out of Vietnam service but ran to invade Iraq. Also fun is Al Franken’s fictitious story of all the R draft dodgers in a Vietnam firefight led by Ollie North. With North crying out near the end, “Come back here you gutless cowards!!!”.

I’m kind of thinking there are countries that might want to test Trump. Soon. Like when China tested Bush right out of the gate. With Trump talking about rewriting trade agreements, that’s got to chap China’s ass. Capitalist pigs. Mao is rolling over in his grave.

We’ll find out soon how well he steers the ship. I seriously hope he does not mentally freeze. That could be a catastrophe all the way around.

We need a time clock for Trumpster’s impeachment, which is coming down the pipeline.

David, I would add Bill O’Reilly to that as well. He made sure to get a deferment so he wouldn’t have to go to Vietnam. This was decades before he would tell falsehoods about his “combat zone” experience in Argentina, etc. But we digress.

I doubt there will be any attempt to do anything with the draft, in that the Pence White House will be looking to have their conflicts be more trade-oriented than military. When it comes to ISIS and other groups like that, Pence will simply order bombing raids. He won’t want Trump to have to explain lots of casualties coming back home as would happen if they instigated a ground war. I think they picked up one lesson from Iraq, which was that they got themselves into a stupid quagmire with that one and they don’t want to repeat it.

I agree with Bemused that the rioters yesterday did not help anyone’s cause. If anything, they just gave Fox News and the Right Wing a reason to dismiss the more important marches happening today. And sure enough, the Right happily went about referring to the rioters as “typical liberals” and “snowflakes” and other nonsensical phrases. I’d frankly be very curious to hear exactly who was rioting and who instigated it. It’s most likely just the same people who do this every time there is civil unrest, but it would bear examination to confirm that there wasn’t any covert involvement by some who wanted that to be the headline for the Left.

I realize that it looks unseemly for a bunch of people to choose not to be part of Trump’s coronation, but I also see it from John Lewis’ point of view. Make no mistake, Donald Trump has repeatedly conducted himself in a disgraceful manner, embarrassing the nation with his repeated personal swipes at anyone he thinks has insulted him. He has conducted himself in an offensive way, repeatedly saying bigoted and sexist things and generally trying to bully everyone else to his will. His conduct yesterday was typical of that behavior – he didn’t speak of bringing anyone together or of working with anyone or of acknowledging that most of the country did not vote for him. Instead, he pumped his fist and gave a vicious, angry, bullying screed that had to have shocked people both in the country and abroad. I can see why Lewis did not want to sit there for that.

I do understand the notion of “respecting the process.” But the issue at hand is that Donald Trump has never respected the process. He repeatedly said everything was rigged against him, he repeatedly demeaned everyone who was trying to work within the actual electoral process and he repeatedly encouraged violence and viciousness towards those with whom he disagreed. At what point did Donald Trump ever show respect for anyone else when he wasn’t thinking he was being magnanimous after bullying them? Given that Trump has no respect for the process, and given his documented hatred for most of the other people involved, anyone attending this event would have to either be an ardent supporter or a reluctant attendee trying to at least put on a good face. But how can one put a good face on a situation where you have Sean Spicer, Rush Limbaugh and all the various personalities on Fox News repeatedly, angrily screaming “WE WON! YOU LOST! GET OVER IT, SNOWFLAKE!” and demanding that the rest of the country now just let bygones be bygones and happily support our new Tweeter in Chief? In other words, the Right Wing has openly tried to bully everyone else into getting in line behind Trump, including by spending their day watching Trump and Pence be crowned.

I fully understand why John Lewis and the others felt they needed to make a statement against this kind of bullying. I fully respect them making that statement, and I really appreciate the Dems who said that they intended to spend the day with their constituents in their districts trying to get some real work done. That’s a fully honorable thing to do, and I’m glad they did it.

And again, I don’t give any credence to Right Wing howls about them making a principled stand against bullying, when the Right never gave any respect to Barack Obama. Sure, they sat at his inauguration – which they immediately ridiculed for a flub that happened when John Roberts and Obama tripped over each other’s words. For the Right, that day was about making fun of President Obama, not celebrating a peaceful transition of anything. And people like Newt Gingrich finished that day by plotting to obstruct every single thing Obama did. And let’s not forget Rush Limbaugh feeding the flames the prior week by screaming “I HOPE HE FAILS!” Sure, the Right really supported a peaceful transition and got behind Obama all the way, didn’t they? Only if you were completely asleep for the past 8 years would you think so.

Richard S, I don’t see either a hawk or a dove reinstating the draft. Although it would be more to a dove’s advantage. A draft means everybody gets a chance to fight and die and usually gets to be pretty unpopular after a while. Charlie Rangel toyed with the idea during the Iraq War. The volunteer army usually skews to the poor kids who aren’t surrounded by job prospects. And their parents don’t have the kind of pull that the W or the Donald have.

From Kevin Koster’s comment:

“But we can make sure they don’t get away with this stuff in darkness.”

Especially when Dense Pence and Der Fuehrer III attempt to REINSTATE THE DRAFT! Mark my words folks: sooner or later they WILL attempt to do this — I GUARANTEE IT! Because always remember this: the wars that Pence is ITCHING LIKE HELL to start (especially with ISIS and Iran) NEED TROOPS — HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM!

As usual, Kevin said it very nicely. Our own experience with the Trump prototype called Berlusconi (elected three times!) is potentially instructive: the only effective way to win a battle with this sort of “leader” is to avoid frontal confontation and remain as active as possible on the more intelligent, less physical playing field where they are so ill-prepared: e.g. facts, reason, logic, history, and – above all – the Constitution.

The protesters in Washington are playing right into the hands of the Trumplicans who’d like nothing better than an excuse to deny the First Amendment to certain categories. America has done that in the past, e.g. by allowing neo-Nazi groups, rampant anti-semitism, etc. while also banning anything related to Communism, even the books. Even today, I’m told that people can graduate in political science without reading Marx (!?). That sort of thing can and will come back under Trump/ Pence, especially if we try to condone any form of violence. Let “them” continue to take that totally un-American route.

I still haven’t made up my mind on the boycott of the inauguration by Dem Reps. Although I, myself, found it impossible to watch that event, they should have had more stomach, if only in the name of “peaceful transition”. There are days where I’m actually a tad relieved that Trump won. Just thinking about what his lot would probably have done still terrifies me. And there’s no possible doubt that he would have been all too happy to see the blood flow.

We have two years to rally behind the Democratic Senate candidates. I not normally very political nor am I comfortable in a leadership role. But I feel strong enough to step out of my comfort zone to do whatever is necessary to fight against the blackness I see in our future.

mlp, I can’t concur strongly enough!! Democrats need to vote like it’s a religion and they are zealots. Republicans do.

Richard,

I have the Boycott Trump app on my phone and higher recommend it. I don’t always use it but it’s a handy resource when I’m trying to decide on a brand or product.

I think that if we as progressives/liberals/leftists don’t learn from this, we will be doomed. Those that were stupid enough to stay home on November 9th just to prove a point have to wise up and be willing to vote FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY. Hillary had some problems as a candidate, but there was a whole lot of room between her problems and those of Trump. If we can survive for the duration of this dreadful reign, we still need to learn to function as a political force, not a gaggle of misfits. Truthfully, I’m not optimistic that we will.

THIS…https://youtu.be/uMq66DhYUmM

I believe we can all take heed from the words of Martin Niemoller:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me"

If you see something, say something.

When these guys try to bully you, stand up to them. Tell them no.

When these guys try to rewrite history, correct them before they can get away with it.

When these guys try to dismiss the misery they are causing, call them on it.

I also recommend for those attending Town Halls and such as part of the Indivisible approach, which I commend: Make sure your objections are based in actual policy. Don’t worry about whether or not the Russians hacked someone’s email. If you’re at a Town Hall for your congressperson, then have a discussion with them about what they are doing at the Capitol. What made the Tea Party protests so nasty was that they would disrupt Town Halls to insist that President Obama wasn’t even born in the country and say other nonsensical things. We will need to stay on more relevant and appropriate ground than that. If we do that, and if we continue to talk to each other, and if the Dems have any sense of backbone over the next four years, we may at least be able to keep people aware of how much damage the Pence White House is doing.

Remember that we cannot stop it, since acting President Pence has sufficient control over Congress and has a compliant Tweeter-in-Chief to sign his actions. But we can make sure they don’t get away with this stuff in darkness.

Presidentypussygrabber will never earn the respect the office deserves. He is a liar and a fraud, and I will tell him so every freakin day.

Kinda nice to watch reruns of Blood Bloods & NCIS all day today. Gonna take a while B4 I can even think of listening to ANY news. Can only pray the Obamas are blessed as richly as their presence in the White House blessed so many throughout the world. My prayers are also with the folks at NewsHounds who will take the responsibility of watching the news for the rest of us.

From truman’s comment:

“Perfect. Another disengaged President and another VP chomping at the bit to start another war or two.”

Yes — FOR CHILDREN OF PEOPLE NOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO “HIT THE BIRTH LOTTERY” TO FIGHT AND DIE IN!

;^(

Also Ellen, in case you don’t know yet, there is a “Boycott Trump” app available for Android smartphones and iPhones at Google Play and Apple.

I have an idea Ellen:

From this moment onward, I will drive 25 miles to the Lowe’s store in Nanuet, NY instead of The Home Depot store that is within walking distance of my home in Mohegan Lake to get wood pellet fuel for my pellet stove. Here’s the reason why: I’ve heard that the founder of Home Depot (Bernie Marcus) is a DIEHARD SUPPORTER OF DER FUEHRER III.

Remember: $$$$ TALKS — BULLS**T WALKS!

I am watching Idiocracy. Fitting.

Orange Donald is too lazy to be anything other than a token President. The real executive power will be Dense Pence. And Pence has told us that his VP role model is Little Dick Cheney. Perfect. Another disengaged President and another VP chomping at the bit to start another war or two.

I am running LMN movies all day and lifetime movies the WOMEN channel!!!!!!! To let them know there are a lots of men standing with you and the others who will be standing and fighting against DON the CON and the right wings NAZI!!!!!!

I really think that Trump’s idea of a rotten President is George W Bush. The animosity shown to Obama was window dressing for the rubes.

The tiger may turn out to be a pussycat.

We’ll see.

Saw a suggestion that everyone run their TV all day to any network not covering The Inauguration, to help bring the ratings down.