If by some miracle Trump is convicted, I'll bet that a lot of elected Republicans will be grateful.

[Silent3]

Even among the cowardly bastards who are unwilling to stand up to Trump and help make his conviction happen. They want it to happen, but not enough to pay any political price themselves to make it happen.

In fact, I imagine for some of these craven slimeballs in the Senate, the ideal outcome is not voting to convict, Trump gets convicted by the (relative) bravery of others, and then they run on whipping up "the base" about the "terrible injustice" done to Trump, promising to be the new Trumpian savior.

[Laelth]

1. No doubt.

Most of them want Trump gone; they’re just too cowardly to make it happen.

-Laelth

[leftieNanner]

3. + 1,000,000,000 nt

[secondwind]

2. For sure...

If the votes were anonymous, the number would be very high..

[OnDoutside]

4. The GOP need him convicted more than the Democratic Party do,

but they think too short term.

[WarGamer]

6. see post 5

[WarGamer]

5. Not true, not a bit

Let's wargame.

17 Repubs vote to convict.

Trump starts a PAC and rallies for 2 years to take down all his enemies in primaries and Repubs get CRUSHED in the 2022 elections because Trumpists say "a pox on BOTH your houses"...

The GOP is stuck with Trump.

Trump OWNS the GOP.

They will just kiss the ring and HOPE he goes away after he gets bored.

To be accurate... the GOP LOVES Trump voters but hates Trump.

[Silent3]

7. I can see that side of it, but I still think Republican see Trump as a bigger liability...

...than an asset, and they certainly know staying on Trump's good side is tricky business. You can be slavishly loyal for years, and thrown under the bus in an instant.

Dump Trump now, and hope for (even help with, behind the scenes) Trump being run into the ground with legal and financial problems. Then Trump can't have the big influence he hopes to have, can't get his own party off the ground. I think that's probably a better bet.

Especially if, as I suggested, you let others do the (public part of the) dirty work for you.

[WarGamer]

8. A few things

One, Trump won't start a third Party. Why would he? He OWNS the GOP with like 90%+ approval.

Two, financial problems? Net worth is calculated by subtracting debt from assets. Forbes currently estimates his net worth at $2.5B

That's including the 900M in debt.

Legal issues, we'll see...

Trump isn't going anywhere.

BEST CASE SCENARIO for the Republican is if Trump rallies the GOP to a '22 win and then declines to run in '24 but pushes Haley.

WORST CASE SCENARIO is for Trump to say "fuck them all" and tell his people to stay home.

They will defend Trump.



I've said it here before... if you don't want Trump to regain power... hope for GOOD GOVERNANCE from President Biden. Hope for a great economy, an end to COVID, no foreign entanglements and Wealth Reform including Wealth taxes, Wall Street taxes and taxing Capital gains as regular income.