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Out of Chaos Comes Order (?)
Even Werner Heisenberg would be shaking his head at the unpredictable mess that is election 2016. And consider this; we may not have seen anything yet. In today’s New York Post Charles Gasparino offers this tidbit:
FBI chief James Comey and his investigators are increasingly certain that presidential nominee Hillary Clinton violated laws in handling classified government information through her private email server, career agents say. “You don’t start granting people close to Clinton immunity unless you are seriously looking at charges against your target,” one former official told me. [… Some] FBI staffers suggest the probe’s at a point where Comey might quit in protest if Justice ignores a recommendation to pursue a criminal case against Clinton.
If Hillary is criminally charged and is required to suspend her campaign, the internal strife for Democrats will make the current GOP family squabble look like a meditation circle.
The Hill considers the chaos scenario for Democrats:
It’s the scenario that Republicans dream of and Democrats believe is all but impossible: Hillary Clinton being forced to drop out of the presidential race due to criminal charges over her email server. Any bombshell findings in the FBI’s investigation of Clinton could plunge the Democratic race into chaos.
Bernie Sanders could stand to gain. As the only other candidate in the Democratic race, the party could quickly coalesce around him in an effort to halt the bedlam. But that’s far from a sure thing, with many in the party fearful he would be a weak general election candidate.
In the event that Clinton stepped aside after winning the nomination at the convention, the Democratic National Committee could decide on the replacement on its own.
[…]Then there are the superdelegates, the 712 Democratic Party leaders, including members of Congress, who have the freedom to support any candidate at the convention.
The superdelegates are supporting Clinton in droves right now — 95 percent of those who have expressed a preference have chosen Clinton. But they could desert Clinton just as emphatically if her candidacy came to the brink of imploding, some say.
“The superdelegates would flee first because they are politicians,” said one Democratic strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns.
“They are most likely to feel the pressure not to cast their ballots in favor of a nominee under indictment.”
If enough pledged Clinton delegates and superdelegates went to Sanders and delivered him 2,383 delegates, he would win the nomination.
[…]“Superdelegates do not necessarily vote as a bloc in a contested situation … there would be superdelegates going any number of ways in this scenario,” Putnam said.
So if the Democratic race ends up with its own contested convention, all bets are off on how it would conclude, since the final decision ultimately rests on the whims of the 4,765 delegates.
“It would be a [expletive] of the first order,” the Democratic strategist said.
DC partisans are nervously/gleefully whispering rumors in huddled packs. The fact is, we can only wait and see what comes from the FBI and what, if anything, the Obama Department of Justice will do with it.
It seems clear that Director Comey is personally overseeing this investigation. The overwhelming pressure can not be understated as he is undoubtedly aware of the likely profound, historic and pivotal ramifications of his findings on a presidential election.
Published in Politics
I think it is the GOPe’s convention. What the GOPe wants, it gets.
This is anecdotal, but I have heard from several liberal democrats whose preference is Sanders first, Trump second. The combination of Hillary’s history of deception and six figure speeches is too much for them anymore.
None of these people are party leaders, however, who will only be swayed by perception of electability. I don’t know if the principled liberals have enough sway in the electorate.
Ha!
Clarification: Nietzsche was the source of the post title.
But how will that impact the voters?
Possible weird scenario: Hillary is indicted before primary season is much further along. Mainstream media becomes alarmed that with Hillary out of the race Trump could actually become president. They immediately unload all the opposition research on Trump that they had been saving to use against him in the general election. This ensures the nomination of of Ted Cruz. Reality check. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. But I can dream, can’t I?
Save a padded room for me.
As long as they continue the meds, why would we care?
Michael,
Keep dreaming.
Regards,
Jim
But they won’t continue the meds. They will “mainstream” the patients and put the into society (out on the street) so they can live up to their potentials as actualized handicapable human beings.
He does worse against Bernie. Anyway, he usually just says what is on the top of his head, it seemed like the thing to say at the time; that the crowd would like it. He’ll pardon her, more than 50% chance.
The meds will run out.
I think what you mean is, “how will the voters react?” First, I don’t think Obama really cares. Second, the Democrats, by and large, have not been repulsed by Hillary’s past behavior, and considering all the “wonderful things she’ll give them,” I don’t think that voting for a pardoned criminal will be a bridge too far for most of them – particularly if they can comfort themselves with the reminder that her opposition is (probably) Donald Trump and the evil Republicans. Third, there’s always the possibility that Obama cuts a deal with her: in return for the pardon, she voluntarily withdraws her candidacy. The Democrats then have a convention where Bernie doesn’t have enough votes for the nomination and the delegates end up (after a deadlock of sorts) voting for their new dream ticket: Biden/Warren. Then an overwhelming majority of Democrats and probably of independents (who can’t stomach Trump) will flock to the new Democrat nominee and the third term of the Obama/Biden administration will commence. Meanwhile, the Republican Party will lay in ruins.
Ever heard of Richard Nixon?
Hey, I dreamed I got six likes. When I woke up it was true!