That was not the claim. Just that Trump news are nasty and Trump is one of the few Republicans who has enough charisma to end up in the news. If he gets voted out, there is a good chance of him never running again and fading away into the background. It means the Republicans need a new leader and whoever that is, is probably going to fail.

I know what you're saying. That the environment that gave us Trump would still exist. Sure. All the issues, both illegitimate (white resentment, racism, propaganda) and legitimate (wealth disparity, disillusioning political figures, late stage capitalistic despair), would still remain.

But that also gives too little importance to Trump's unique place in this. He is a uniquely cynical, sociopathic trigger that is exploiting this populist anger, while being so incompetent that he fails to solve any of those issues underlying it.

He thus is simultaneously perpetuating those issues, while feeding off of them - both creating and burning the fuel of populist anger. DeSantis, Vance, Hawley, all the other toe-headed power-simps who would step in to take his place would fail to hold that paradoxical balance for long - they think they can learn it, but Trump is built for it. That is Trump's unique skill, his singularly destructive, delusional, sociopathic egomania.

Like a wildfire - yes, when there are dry hot conditions, many things could start one. But it's also true that you may have been almost through the dry, hot season when a wildfire hits. And if you could have prevented that first fateful spark a week - maybe a day - longer, you could have avoided catastrophe and tragedy.

I think that's where we were in 2016, and we failed to contain it. It spread so far, that we were barely able to contain it in 2020. But if we can avoid it in 2024, if we can prevent Trump from sparking another wildfire, maybe the season could change.

Also, if they think he'll just fuck off if he loses, they've not been paying any fucking attention..

Others don't seem to have the hold over those clowns as he does. Meatball Ron fell flat. Vance wouldn't maintain this level of support for 5 minutes. Hawley can't. Horse face green is just a clown and not a serious candidate.

I think his losing again would snap some people out of it.

I think the party would bail on him. Especially if he causes losses down the ballot. They won't back him for another election.

I think it would work reasonably well, because losing twice in a row sends a pretty clear message.

Someone younger than him will pick up the torch though, so his ideas will unfortunately live on.

I was thinking, "Wait, we can vote him out of existence?"

We would be happy to see him running from prison.