2. The critics of Trump-is-an-authoritarian-threat (most cogently @CoreyRobin & @moyn) have long pointed out that in terms of actually getting things done, or even persuading the public, Trump has been a singular failure. This is true but a weak president can still be dangerous.
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3. As a reality show president, Trump's always been more interested in the symbolic part of rule (playing at leadership) than actually doing things. And the way he's performed the presidency has, in fact, broken new grounds in incitement.
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4. Again, Robin, Moyn & others are right in pointing out that much of Trump's anti-democratic & racist rhetoric is part of a larger GOP trajectory that goes back (at least) to Goldwater. But even so: refusing to accept a clear election defeat & trying to over election is new.
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5. Some more thoughts on the Trump as weak authoritarian.https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-weak-undermine-democracy/ …
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It's a mistake to treat incompetence and democratic backsliding towards authoritarianism as if they're contradictory. They're not. Often, they go together.https://twitter.com/NGrossman81/status/1310568687628419074 …
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That we got lucky. If he hadn't been an idiot he would have been even more dangerous.
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I generally believe that being weak in terms of public policy influence is pretty orthogonal to being a threat as an authoritarian. In some ways, it might even be beneficial to be weak, if opposition and policy failure allows you to justify unilateral action.
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Absolutely agree with that. Moreover, weakness as viewed through the lens of legislative accomplishment is meaningless when the goal is to rule by fiat and dictates. One of those things is not like the other. AND his inability to get anything passed legislatively gives...
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I would say that authoritarianism raises out of a crumbling society, which can be exploited by Trump or anyone else. Trump is also strong at inciting racial violence.
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