The Machiavellian solution for handling Bush & the Repukes for good:

[Paragon]

Let Bush win.

All the scandal investigations that have been put on hold (presumably, to avoid looking "partisan" in an election year) will EXPLODE, one after another, making Nixon look like a champ, getting Bush kicked out of office, and Republicans out of the White House & Congress for generations.

So...what do ya think? ;-)

[ThomCat]

1. I think he'll hurt us more than we'll hurt him.

[Paragon]

2. Is that possible?

What has he touched that he hasn't fucked up already?

[ThomCat]

28. It's more a matter of what could he fuck up even worse.

In 4 more years the public schools are gone, public lands are given away, and the only things left in the federal budget are military, law enforcement, and corporate welfare.

It's bad now. I could get much much worse.

[giant_robot]

29. The supreme court. n/t

[Jim Sagle]

3. If he "wins", there won't be ANY investigations of him. There won't be

any more elections, either.

[acmavm]

4. How do you figure that will help? If he wins there won't be anyway to

investigate the scandals. There won't be any laws left to prosecute him, they'll all be done away with.

We can't afford more of bush*. He's killing us already. Giving him more time is NOT the answer.

[benburch]

5. You assume...

that a re-elected Bush won't sign a blanket pardon for everybody.

[archineas]

12. with respect to pardons

i believe that a conviction, along with a suitable period of time passed, are requirements necessary before even applying for a presidential pardon.

i think formal charges would have to be raised first.

does anyone know if the pardon rules changed after ford/nixon?

j

[Dogmudgeon]

17. Nope

Presidential pardons are absolute. It's in the Constitution -- you can get a copy on any of the Internets :) .

This all came out in early 2001, when Republicans groused at the Clinton pardons, especially that of Marc Rich ... before they were embarrassed by Marc Rich being an Israeli industrial spy working for the USA.

--bkl

[RobertSeattle]

6. Bill Maher says something similar

If Bush wins, for once in his life he has to handle his own f-ups. With a (R) Congress, there will be no blaming of Clinton, etc in a 2nd Bush Administration.

But is it worth the risk? I doubt it.

[Unstuck In Time]

7. Crap-o

Nixon already looks like a champ compared to Bush...

We're kicking Bush out on Nov 2 (effective Jan 20)...

And, once JK is in the White House, we can go about systematically exposing the so-called republicans for what they really are.

Next!

[Dhalgren]

8. How's this for a "Machiavellian solution"?

We form a huge conspiracy - amongst ourselves. We lie to the electorate that we are against abortion, for prayer in school, for huge tax cuts, and against the poor in any form that they may take. Now all Democrats will know that none of these things are true, but there will be plenty of "goobs" who will switch to us for no other reason than we're not repubs. Then we take over the world! HAAAA HAAA HHAAAA!!! Too much?

[seabeyond]

9. others to me have suggested if bush wins

wont be two years in office before it all catches up with him. the thing, he did so much shit in just four years, what would he do in two, and to get his ass out of trouble

lordy the man took cheney in with him on 9/11 investigation

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. He stays in power

the House remains in REPUBLIICAN hands,

How exactly will things change?

No this is not a solution.

By the way, I hope you realize a Bush win means no elections in 2008. This is Germany, crica 1934... oh there will be elections, after the end fo the war... and what form will a new Republic take (assuming the US survives) is a good question

[CBHagman]

11. No matter what, the hard work begins after the election.

Seriously, no matter who is declared the winner of the 2004 election (and we may not know that by November 3rd), there is a lot of hard work up ahead for progressives. We have to push for even the slightest bit of progress, and we know that the allies of Satan (say, for example, Grover Norquist) are arrayed against anything that smacks of fairness and justice.

Moreover, whoever becomes our next president is going to face some extremely painful situations, whether he likes it or not. Bush's policies have resulted in huge deficits and debt, which will eventually have their effect on the economic state of the country.

There are also national security issues Bush has failed to deal with, and I shudder to think of the consequences involved if they aren't dealt with soon (I'm thinking of nuclear monitoring, chemical security, etc.).

That said, I don't rely on Bush's personal folly and corruption to dispose of him so neatly. He must be voted out of office, as far as I'm concerned. If he remains in office and the GOP controls Congress, there will be internecine bickering but not necessarily investigations. The GOP may implode but don't expect honest investigations. That will take a bipartisan effort (What a concept!).

[mzmolly]

13. Sorry, I'd rather prosecute him after he's left office.

:hi:

[kentuck]

14. Not possible with Republican Congress and Senate...

at least, not possible with this Republican Congress.

[wtmusic]

15. Ah, the old 'reverse psychology' trick

which works only when the subject (American public, in this case) has intelligence and forethought

[LuminousX]

16. Machiavelli? No. That is more of an Art of War tactic

Machiavelli wouldn't have a good response to this scenario as he would have been more interested from working on the Other side... the side that is in power. Machiavelli wrote about keeping how a Prince can keep power, not how to overthrow power.

[Paragon]

19. Yes, Machiavelli.

Machiavelli himself certainly wasn't part of the power structure in his native Italy -- in fact, rather the opposite.

He wrote The Prince as an astute observer of just how evil the people in power were.

[LuminousX]

23. He wrote the Prince as a way to get in good with the Medici's

[lectrobyte]

18. I don't know, think of Suprememe Court appointees etc. The sooner * is

out, the better.

[LiberalEsto]

20. Think Supreme Court!

I don't want to give these monsters ANY opportunity to appoint as many as 4 new Supreme Court justices because that could destroy our freedoms for untold years to come.

[ibegurpard]

21. In a world with honest Republicans maybe

with this party of water-carriers it ain't going to happen.

[leftofthedial]

22. the repukes control all branches of government

there will be no investigations

[Jackpine Radical]

24. Getting Bush investigated for misdeeds by a Repug Congress

would be like trying to get Satan investigated by the Attorney General of Hell.

[Nordic]

25. didn't work for Reagan. He's now a fucking saint

even though he had more indictments of his people than any other administration EVER.

The most corrupt administration EVER and the man was just deified by the media.

BAD idea.

[VOX]

26. Won't work with all three branches of gov't in right-wing hands...

The way it stands now, the Repugs control the game. And they're not likely to turn on one of their own.

[blindpig]

27. environment

interesting tactic but I can't stand to see what those fucks are doing to the nonhuman portion of our nation, planet. Mountains to be topped, old-growth forest, endangered species, these will not wait. How many more species will be pushed to the brink? I can't bear it.