The President Pence Gambit is now openly discussed. And doubling down on insanity

The cycle time for my sci fi forecasts becoming reality keeps getting shorter. See below, how the GOP lords are now openly calling for a scenario to impeach a President Trump and install Mike Pence, exactly as I described.

First...

In an earlier political blog, I showed how those states that have invested in infrastructure, universities and people have vastly outperformed those slashing taxes and services according to Supply Side Voodoo “Economics” (SSVE) theory. Now yet more for the mountain of evidence. Across the nation in August, employers added  151,000 new jobs, meaning that California accounted for 42% of all U.S.job growth with 63,100 jobs. 

Meanwhile the vigorous-moderate California state legislature has been busier than any other session, passing adjustments to archaic laws and helping the state adapt to the 21st century… all the while consulting closely with citizen groups and companies, negotiating compromises under the most open and transparent politics in the country…

…exactly opposite behavior to the Paul Ryan-led US Congress, which has been the laziest in 150 years, unable once since 2010 to even pass a budget. Once. Perfectly happy to leave in place every obsolete code from the 20th Century. Hardly holding any hearings that weren't about Clintons. And never de-regulating a single thing.

Contrast booming California to the archetype, gerrymandered and GOP-run Red State… Kansas. Where they have doubled down on SSVE because slashing taxes on the rich ought to result in greater tax revenues. Right? It ought to work THIS time. Right?

Donald Trump says that his tax cut would cost $4.4 trillion over 10 years, including the childcare plan he announced this week. But he proclaims the cost would be compensated by economic growth. 

Oh. That voodoo again? Does anyone recall Scotty saying “Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me ninety times? Shame on me.”

That is about how often “supply side economics” has been pulled on us by the party of oligarchs, crooning the mantra that slashing taxes on the rich will induce moguls to then invest it all in productive plants and equipment, increasing “supply” so much that the resulting boom will reduce deficits.  The forecast never came true.  Ever.  Even once across 30 years of relentlessly repeated experiments, including the recent spectacular fiscal melt-down in Kansas.  To repeat, SSVE has never had one successful outcomes prediction. Once.  Ever. Yet they double down again and again. Proving what they say about insanity.

  
== Fleeing rats? ==

Below, I will re-describe the gambit being pondered by the topmost GOP leaders. Meanwhile, a swarm of Republicans are ditching Trump... with suspicious correlation to how tight their re-election races happen to be.  As explained by Paul Krugman:

"The probability of a House Republican jumping off the Trump train is strongly related to the Obama share of a district’s vote in 2012. That is, Republicans in competitive districts are outraged by Mr. Trump’s behavior; those in safe seats seem oddly indifferent."

Krugman's appraisal of moral hypocrisy is stinging and on-target. He lists a long series of sexual predator politicians from Hastert to Foley to Ailes, and asks: "Why do all these stories involve Republicans? One answer may be structural. The G.O.P. is, or was until this election, a monolithic, hierarchical institution, in which powerful men could cover up their sins much better than they could in the far looser Democratic coalition.
There is also, I’d suggest, an underlying cynicism that pervades the Republican elite. "

I'm not sure I'd go that far.  Yes Bill Clinton and Anthony Weiner engaged in more consensual, less predatory misbehaviors. Still, there seems to be a bit of a problem with men.  Maybe time to take a break from one at the top.  See my assessment of the second presidential debate.

== And we’re supposed to be impressed? ==

They're baaaaack! The two worst (by far) presidents of the 20th Century. The only living ex-presidents not to even be *mentioned* by name at their own party's recent convention. Presidents whose outcomes across their terms were so universally bad for the nation that historians scratch their heads for a comparison. (Also never mentioned by today's GOP, the words: Cheney, Rumsfeld, (pervert) Hastert, (felon) DeLay, (pervert) Ailes, Boehner and McConnell... what kind of party is so ashamed, with such good reason, that it veers for Trump, thinking: "well, at least he's not like the other leaders we keep choosing!" 

To call Donald Trump a break from that tradition is iffy.  Sure, he expresses the contempt the confederate masses rightfully feel toward the Bush-Cheney-Murdoch-Ailes cabal that so betrayed them. But his behavior is just an extension – a multiplication – of the Fox-Limbaugh ethos. “If my side does anything it is automatically fine, and it’s good to make up things to hate the other side for, out of thin air!”

Though I admit that the following news made me (briefly) consider dropping Hillary Clinton - till I recalled the guilt-by-association should be limited:  Former Republican president George H.W. Bush plans to vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton in November rather than his party’s presidential nominee, according to a family friend. 

To be clear, I deem Bush Senior to be the worst US president of the 20th Century, having done America and the world relentless harm. Even worse than his catastrophic son. No wonder there was no mention of either Bush, or Cheney, Hastert, DeLay or any GOP leader between Reagan and Ryan, at the recent RNC. Still, without a doubt, Trump would eclipse them both.  

So will Reince Priebus “punish” the elder Bush for this betrayal? “The head of the Republican Party suggested that he might punish the fellow 2016 presidential candidates who don't support Donald Trump.” In a sense it is easy to see his problem. First, his initials are the same as Republican Party, so maybe he feels entitled. 

Second, for 25 years the GOP was the most tightly disciplined partisan force in US history. Any talking point issued by Roget Ailes had to be repeated within 48 hours by every Republican office holder or Fox would punish them. Even organize a primary challenge against them.  Now that Ailes is exposed as a sexual pervert-predator and GOP cohesion seems shattered, the party elders are still rallying their media empires to try reinforcing that old discipline.

Shatter it.

== Finally, what I hope will remain a sci fi scenario ==

On Quora someone asked… “What will happen if Trump becomes President?"

First thing out the gate? Revenge, that will be Donald Trump’s first priority, if he is ever sworn into the presidency. Against every slight he imagines that he ever suffered.  Um duh?

(Late breaking examples! His threats against disloyal Republican office holders and his debate-vow to send prosecutors after Hillary Clinton, the moment he's in office.) 

Beyond that, once in office he will scurry to find allies - including some liberal ones — because of one big problem that he has. It outweighs every other consideration.

That problem is Mike Pence.

Pence was Trump’s olive branch to both the GOP establishment and the very far-right culture warriors. In theory, it could keep them calm and loyal enough to get the ticket elected. But in picking someone acceptable to the establishment, he made a huge mistake.

Because Pence is a hack and trivially controllable by the Murdoch-Koch-Saudi masters of the GOP. And he is beloved by the fundies. With him as figurehead, they might rebuild the Bushite Cabal.

This means Mike Pence is impeachment bait. And though it seemed science fiction when I first mentioned this, right during the Rebublican convention, the scenario is now being offered up in Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal - I kid you not. It's simple. A win-win for Rupert.

The very instant that President Donald Trump commits some over-the-top public relations calamity - and it will happen swiftly, as he reflexively seeks revenge for past slights - Paul Ryan will be out there making deals! Ryan & Murdoch will count on Democrats to scream for Trump’s head, while the Speaker deftly makes his move.

As Democrats foolishly fall for the trap, McConnell and Ryan will provide JUST enough Republican votes to carry a Bill of Impeachment, then Trump’s conviction and removal —

—leaving Mike Pence in the White House, puppeted by Murdoch and the Bushites. What about all the angry Trump supporters? Those Fox-Watchers will be diverted to froth hate and blame for Trump’s ouster on Democrats!

Not only is this a possible scenario… it is the only possible scenario, should Donald Trump get into office. Seriously, do you think that anything else is even plausible?

He shoulda picked Gingrich.

== Think it through ==

This scenario has an even deeper purpose. Yes, it offers the Murdoch-Bushite-Romney lords a way out, if Trump wins. It also offers them a rationalization to offer the myriad rats... um, defectors... bolting from the GOP. It's their way of saying: "Come back and help get out the vote for down ticket races. Because even if Trump wins, it won't be for long!"

Donald, you are boned. Better take your revenge on those lords now, before the election.