I've been seeing calls for Biden to order assassinations and arrests all day and I've been thinking...

Why doesn't he take a very simple, demonstrative, non-violent approach to demonstrating just how bad the precedent is?

He could order that the 6 SCOTUS justices that voted for absolute immunity get put under house arrest, under armed guard, every weekend until they reverse the decision. This would be enough to send a message without being overtly tyrannical itself. And it would be difficult for them to complain about him exercising a power that they gave him and he demands they overturn.

#uspol #scotus

@LouisIngenthron slippery slope, of course. GOP mouth-breathers latche onto it with their usual bluster of "oh my, watch me clutch my pearls as I denounce this tyrannical abuse of power"

It would require that no Republican ever gains the Presidency ever again.

@randy I mean, it's kind of hard to clutch those pearls when the only demand to end the tyrannical abuse of power is to revoke the tyrannical abuse of power.

@LouisIngenthron I guess I mean for it to say: whenever D's try to exercise power that would be an actual, real use of power, the R's invariably use the opportunity to wail about how it's against norms and customs, and how dare the D's engage in this abuse of power.

When the roles are reversed however, the R's have a track record of just ignoring whatever anyone else says, and they just do the thing. Plenty of examples out there, I may try listing some in a thread.

Slippery slope.

@randy I agree with all that, and sometimes keeping up appearances matters, but sometimes it's important to stop caring what the opposition will say and just do what's right.

@LouisIngenthron @randy
What you suggested in your OP was obviously not the "right" thing to do so why are you attacking Democrats for not doing it?

@GreenFire @LouisIngenthron this right here.

I admit I toyed with the fantasy of Biden doing something provocative and audacious with this new absolute immunity gifted to #POTUS by #SCOTUS, but just because it's supposedly legal doesn't make it right or proper. It's disruptive.

I get that having principles represents a gigantic privilege. Perhaps there's a better way to exercise executive power that helps shape our society towards what we want it to be. I don't know.

@randy @GreenFire You both make good points. I could never get behind Biden using these powers to harm anyone or make permanent changes.

However, "disruptive" was a good word choice.

And if a little disruption now can prevent a lot of violence later, then I think that's the right thing to do.

@LouisIngenthron @randy
I get it, but I feel certain that the new powers that the Republican justices only apply to Republican POTUS's.

@GreenFire @randy I tend to agree, but I would very much like to force the Republicans to say it aloud.

@LouisIngenthron @randy
I trust Joe Biden to know better than I do what is the best approach politically and constitutionally than anyone else I know.

He has a long track record as both a public servant and a political campaigner. The very first thing he needs from the public though is more political capital demonstrating that he has people power behind him because that's how democracies work the best and are at their highest strength.

@GreenFire @randy I wish I had the level of trust you do.

At this point, I don't even trust him to win the election.

@LouisIngenthron @GreenFire well, that makes one of us. I think he can win the election. Furthermore, I think he really must win the election, and my hope is that he successfully articulates a vision for the nation where it builds the permission structure for voters to vote Democrat up and down the ballot in order to make improvements to (and not just defend or persist) the shitty cishet white male advantaged democratic-seeming oligarchic-actually republic that we're living in.

@randy @GreenFire
> my hope is that he successfully articulates a vision for the nation

Yeah, that was my hope for the debate last week too. His utter failure to do so drives much of my concern.

@LouisIngenthron @randy
Maybe this articulation from our POTUS will help alleviate the concerns you have after ninety bad minutes out of a fifty year career hopefully.
https://www.threads.net/@potus/post/C87ey4bMyHl

@GreenFire @randy I watched that live, and unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. Now is a time for action, not for passively leaving it to the voters.

If he can't clearly articulate his vision for America and what actions he will take to get us there, then he's unable to GOTV from the middle and Trump will win on that alone.

@LouisIngenthron @randy
Okay, I see that you've apparently given up on Democrats and democracy. I'm hoping you are wrong about what American voters will choose this fall, but we can only find out at the ballot box so we'll have to wait to see.

I'm sticking with Biden/Harris over their opponents personally.

@GreenFire @randy Don't get me wrong. I'm voting for whoever the Dem ticket is.

I just don't think Biden has what it takes to win anymore.