Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort Charged with "Conspiracy Against United States" - Polidicks

How can the presidency even be legit if the campaign manager is convicted of Conspiracy Against The US? Oh I hope he is, how fun it will be

[QUOTE=TheTalon;52838789]How can the presidency even be legit if the campaign manager is convicted of Conspiracy Against The US? Oh I hope he is, how fun it will be[/QUOTE] This is something I've been wondering. If such a large part of the election team and something that directly involves the president elect, is under investigation by literally every justice agency and branch, why are they still allowed to government? It seems to me when something as a serious as a conspiracy or treason charge is presented that everyone possible involved should be removed and an emergency government/council run the damn place. I understand the implications of what I'm saying or suggesting but I think once this is all over will be a lesson on how we can improve our election process and presidential powers.

[QUOTE=AlbertWesker;52838218]Why is any form of bail even being considered? Wouldn't they be huge flight risks? I mean they obviously have the money and connections to bribe a few officials and get out of the country. And even if they weren't a flight risk, they should probably be in custody for their own personal safety and for the integrity of the investigation. The stakes definitely seem high enough where someone high up would want to "tie up loose ends".[/QUOTE] Following up on this, just learned that Manafort and Gates have both had to surrender their passports to the FBI [url]https://twitter.com/Tom_Winter/status/925062646835138565[/url]

[QUOTE=The Rifleman;52838813]This is something I've been wondering. If such a large part of the election team and something that directly involves the president elect, is under investigation by literally every justice agency and branch, why are they still allowed to government? It seems to me when something as a serious as a conspiracy or treason charge is presented that everyone possible involved should be removed and an emergency government/council run the damn place. I understand the implications of what I'm saying or suggesting but I think once this is all over will be a lesson on how we can improve our election process and presidential powers.[/QUOTE] For the time being all they have to say is "oh he was only part of the campaign in a very limited sense he didn't really contribute anything" and that gets them off the hook for now. It remains to be seen what dirt comes out in the next few days.

[QUOTE=TheTalon;52838789]How can the presidency even be legit if the campaign manager is convicted of Conspiracy Against The US? Oh I hope he is, how fun it will be[/QUOTE] 1) We still voted him in, regardless of your opinion on the electrical college. 2) There's been no conviction. [editline]30th October 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=The Rifleman;52838813]This is something I've been wondering. If such a large part of the election team and something that directly involves the president elect, is under investigation by literally every justice agency and branch, why are they still allowed to government? It seems to me when something as a serious as a conspiracy or treason charge is presented that everyone possible involved should be removed and an emergency government/council run the damn place. I understand the implications of what I'm saying or suggesting but I think once this is all over will be a lesson on how we can improve our election process and presidential powers.[/QUOTE] There's nothing that says a standing president cannot be a criminal(though if a sitting president did a crime that got them put in prison, impeachment would probably be fairly certain) You'd still have to impeach them, iirc. Also, there's no treason charges and conspiracy is nowhere near as severe. [editline]30th October 2017[/editline] Also, you'd have to first get to the point where there is beyond a reasonable doubt, enough evidence to say that all those people are involved. We are not there yet.

[QUOTE=TheTalon;52838789]How can the presidency even be legit if the campaign manager is convicted of Conspiracy Against The US? Oh I hope he is, how fun it will be[/QUOTE] The campaign manager ceased to be involved with the administration as soon as he was let go, but that doesn't mean further legal action cannot or will not be taken over evidence that arises during his indictment proceedings or conviction. That said, the election itself is not being contested here and would remain legitimate even if the President and his entire administration were to be impeached over obstruction of justice or some such charge. [QUOTE=The Rifleman;52838813]This is something I've been wondering. If such a large part of the election team and something that directly involves the president elect, is under investigation by literally every justice agency and branch, why are they still allowed to government? It seems to me when something as a serious as a conspiracy or treason charge is presented that everyone possible involved should be removed and an emergency government/council run the damn place. I understand the implications of what I'm saying or suggesting but I think once this is all over will be a lesson on how we can improve our election process and presidential powers.[/QUOTE] All parties involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty. For the government to treat them otherwise without due process would be a violation of the Constitution. Without a repeal of the 5th/14th amendments it is unlikely such a system would ever be established in the US.

[QUOTE=RenegadeCop;52838635]In the aftermath, will Trump supporters still be in a state of endless denial? Will 30 percent of the population have logic skills on par with moon landing deniers? Because that's still a problem. The people are there and the method is proven. Who will be the next to exploit misinformation to rally the ignorant? The issues are far from over. This collusion is just a symptom.[/QUOTE] Trump acted as a stress test to show how far someone can go in US politics. What I'm afraid of is others with extreme competences, opportunistically exploiting the limits that Trump showed was possible with the least amount of culpability.

[QUOTE=_Maverick_;52838758]Could you imagine a fucking mein kampf 2.0 written by the walking fucking pumpkin that is trump :v:[/QUOTE] I actually really could not, but who the fuck knows, that'd be nuts [editline]31st October 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=torres;52838759]He did go to jail, but Hitler was pretty young when he did. A slob like Trump, at age 70, will not be able to handle prison well, especially at the lengthy terms his potential (and likely) charges carry. They don't even have gilded toilet seats! Dunno if it's why the Nazi-party became so popular though. I think it was a mix of many different things.[/QUOTE] It wasn't the reason or a reason, it was just a thing that happened and didn't really hinder the nazi-party in the long run.

[QUOTE=Howlthrug;52838850]Trump acted as a stress test to show how far someone can go in US politics. What I'm afraid of is others with extreme competences, opportunistically exploiting the limits that Trump showed was possible with the least amount of culpability.[/QUOTE] It turns out its super easy to become president. Just tell everyone how big and tough you are, make a comment about how big your dick is and label any criticism of you as fake news. Congratulations you're president of the US. Would you like to schedule 3 days of golf this week or just 2?

While this whole thing is very interesting to see go down, I am afraid not much will change, corrupt people will be replaced by corrupt people and the status quo will be upheld while the american people grows more frustrated. Hopefully it does set some sort of precidency for improving the system though, but unless you get the right people in the right places the chances for that don't seem so high.

[QUOTE=The Rifleman;52838376]Went to a Trump rally near me when he was running to experience first hand. It was absolutely terrifying.[/QUOTE] i was at the inauguration and it felt extremely weird, people booed literally every time obama or hillary were on the big screens they had set up, there was a dude in a diaper playing the guitar, and a fucking ton of MAGA hats. i saw one dude masked up holding a sign protesting trump and i was somewhat surprised to see nobody harassing him.

[QUOTE=_Maverick_;52838758]Could you imagine a fucking mein kampf 2.0 written by the walking fucking pumpkin that is trump :v:[/QUOTE] what would it even be about? Trump's been president for nearly a year and i still don't know what ideals he actually holds

Trump's Twitter is eerily silent. Has he gone this long without shitposting on Twitter before? :v:

[QUOTE=BlindSniper17;52838884]Trump's Twitter is eerily silent. Has he gone this long without shitposting on Twitter before? :v:[/QUOTE] either there's no service in the panic bunker or people took his phone away for his own good

[QUOTE=BlindSniper17;52838884]Trump's Twitter is eerily silent. Has he gone this long without shitposting on Twitter before? :v:[/QUOTE] When his phone's been taken away. IIRC something like this happened a few times when Trump would've implicated himself and others if he'd opened his fat mouth on Twitter.

Is this the first domino in a series of charges, or is Manafort the fall guy?

We need to start preparing ourselves for the very likely possibility of a Trump impeachment and the imminent collapse of this administration’s structure. 1) It’s going to get MUCH worse before it gets better. There will very likely be riots and violence in the streets. 2) The old guard of oligarchs, right-wing propagandists and even some Republican voters will use every available tactic in a desperate attempt to hold on to control. They will likely attempt to force existing divisions wider as a diversion. Families, friendships, and social structures will be strained to the point of breaking. 3) The public must demand a snap election to replace this entire administration. Polling stations will be particularly dangerous and likely the target of violence/terror attacks from Trump loyalists. Extra security and transparency is therefore crucial. 4) The time has come to stop “getting used” to Trump, his lies, and the lies of those who support or work for him. We were horrifyingly close to accepting the future he and the dark forces controlling him had in store for us - it almost became the new normal. Starting today, we are burying that future. The collective gaslighting of our nation ends now. We must pull ourselves together, acknowledge the truth that’s staring us in the face, and do everything possible in our power to reject Trumpism and eschew the dark impulses to ignorance and hatred that lay its framework. 5) We must pass comprehensive, bipartisan anti-corruption laws including compulsory release of taxes, transparency of social media ad spending, and the elimination of fake social media accounts. Most importantly, we must move to a system whereby elections are PUBLICLY FUNDED.

I hope this goes all the way to the top. [editline]30th October 2017[/editline] Good odds this is where they try to flip Manafort. The funniest thing is that Manafort told the press recently that he felt there was 'no indication' he was going to be the one charged, and that he wasn't worried. It's a strange thing to lie about if he knew better, which means he didn't - he was completely in the dark. I anticipate Flynn going down next - and Trump will ultimately follow.

[img]https://i.gyazo.com/9c58cb3e129e27801d950b936cc0ac88.png[/img]

[QUOTE=ilikecorn;52838996]Manafort will absolutely flip if given the chance. Given the choice between decades in prison or a few years in prison, the choice is obvious, especially when the chips are starting to fall.[/QUOTE] If he believes he has a case against the charges levied against him, he may not. If sources are to be trusted, [URL="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-30/manafort-gates-placed-under-house-arrest-after-not-guilty-pleas"]he and Gates have already entered not-guilty pleas[/URL] and will be taking this matter to court shortly. Pending further information, I would think FBI missed their chance to cut a deal with him for information, if that was the intention. [QUOTE]In a statement, Glenn Selig, a spokesman for Gates, said his client “welcomes the opportunity to confront these charges in court.” A lawyer for Manafort, Kevin Downing, told reporters after court that the charges have nothing to do with the Trump campaign and were based on a seldom-used legal theory.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;52837717][media]https://twitter.com/MyDaughtersArmy/status/924702075170193408[/media] Here's a concise and efficient butchering of the Hillary uranium manufactured controversy. TL;DW Hillary wasn't involved in the panel that approved the deal and Hillary's involvement with the Uranium One guy was years before she was in the State Department; the two facts have nothing to do with each other rather than paint a smoking gun of conspiracy.[/QUOTE] Holy fucking shit, give that woman a medal. THAT is how you run a news show, come prepared and just fucking eviscerate these bullshit propagandists the moment they step out of line. We need to stop letting people just make shit up and manufacture stories for the sake of being polite. Honestly, kudos to that woman, that was beautiful. [editline]31st October 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Chonch;52839014]If he believes he has a case against the charges levied against him, he may not. If sources are to be trusted, [URL="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-30/manafort-gates-placed-under-house-arrest-after-not-guilty-pleas"]he and Gates have already entered not-guilty pleas[/URL] and will be taking this matter to court shortly. Pending further information, I would think FBI missed their chance to cut a deal with him for information, if that was the intention.[/QUOTE] God it is fun watching you squirm. You actually think Manafort and Gates have a good chance to fight these charges just because they plead "not guilty"? Hahahaha. You sweet child.

[QUOTE=srobins;52839016]Holy fucking shit, give that woman a medal. THAT is how you run a news show, come prepared and just fucking eviscerate these bullshit propagandists the moment they step out of line. We need to stop letting people just make shit up and manufacture stories for the sake of being polite. Honestly, kudos to that woman, that was beautiful. [editline]31st October 2017[/editline] God it is fun watching you squirm. You actually think Manafort and Gates have a good chance to fight these charges just because they plead "not guilty"? Hahahaha. You sweet child.[/QUOTE] You've got me all wrong -- I want to get to the bottom of these charges just as much as anyone else. I'm just trying to clarify the situation, not pass any sort of speculation on what might happen next. Curb your enthusiasm.

I hope nobody minds me posting this Keith Olbermann video. Whatever your view of his commentaries, in this one where he discusses the indictments, he paints the broader picture of where they fit - and why they're significant. It's a good watch. [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8WKlg7jOtY[/media]

[QUOTE=SeamanStains;52839003][img]https://i.gyazo.com/9c58cb3e129e27801d950b936cc0ac88.png[/img][/QUOTE] is this real or..?

[QUOTE=Amplar;52839064]is this real or..?[/QUOTE] If real, the dude's almost certainly out of a job by now, and may even end up dead if they can't spin it properly.

I don't know how reliable this source is (Dem Coalition) but... [media]https://twitter.com/funder/status/925170443077799938[/media]

Glad Trump has apparently lost his ability to keep a lid on all this insanity.

He's only going to consider resigning if he sees a possible indictment heading his way. And resigning won't save him from jail then.

[QUOTE=BlindSniper17;52839106]I don't know how reliable this source is (Dem Coalition) but... [media]https://twitter.com/funder/status/925170443077799938[/media][/QUOTE] The WH confirming or denying anything isn't exactly part of an argument.

[QUOTE=BlindSniper17;52839106]I don't know how reliable this source is (Dem Coalition) but... [media]https://twitter.com/funder/status/925170443077799938[/media][/QUOTE] I would say he's too prideful to quit but he settled for that Trump University lawsuit