No Kings Saturday Forum
For those who celebrate.
Steven L. Taylor
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Saturday, March 28, 2026
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27 comments
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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Re-upping my comment from the previous post in case no one is checking in on it anymore.
https://outsidethebeltway.com/meanwhile-in-north-korea-16/#comment-3026949
LOL. This is precious:
@Jen:
If Democrats pursue impeachment, again, without 60 votes in the Senate then they are fools.
@Daryl: Agree. I just love the image of Matt Schlapp in front of a CPAC crowd, asking that question and getting that response.
Not for nothing, CPAC is pretty vacant this year. Lots of photos of almost-empty rooms.
Cracks are starting to appear.
The Director of the FBI getting hacked doesn’t inspire confidence.
@Daryl:
Disagree. Impeachment triggers a trial, talking about Trump’s outrages should be helpful.
For example, the current illegal war with Iran will, I predict, be way more unpopular by then.
Also, any senator who votes to acquit can and will be politically attacked for that vote.
And, BTW, conviction requires 67 votes, not 60.
@charontwo:
I tend to agree with charontwo on this. Yes, given the political numbers, it may seem like a hollow gesture. But, if nothing is said or done publicly, Trumpania will have once again moved the line, lowered the bar, not been called out, and dangerously destructive precedents advanced. If we see something, we always have to say something. It’s not about the sociopathic law and ethics breakers, it’s about all of the bystanders looking to their society and culture for cues and moral framework. We should have made a much bigger deal about the illegal war in Iraq in 2002. The line was moved.
It’s official – the US is now a pariah state, thanks to the efforts of the Pariah in Chief.
burner phones for European officials coming to USA
At an investors’ meeting Friday, Trump proposed naming the Strait of Hormuz after himself,
@charontwo:
@Rob1:
IMHO, it depends on what is going on. We’re talking next January at the earliest, and that’s a lifetime in politics. As Charon notes, the threshold for conviction is 67 votes, which is unlikely even in a blue wave (tsunami?) scenario. Does it matter to do the right thing? Yes, absolutely. But Democrats MUST prioritize what they can accomplish, so they can win in 2028.
Sitting on the sidelines hoping for people to vote for you doesn’t work, and principles aren’t the same as power.
My wife, who has just reached the end of a pretty grueling 18 day book tour, changed her schedule to get up at 5 AM to catch a flight from Denver to Minneapolis so she can be there for the No Kings Rally in St. Paul – home office of No Kings. Here in Las Vegas, our rally is at 4 PM because we want to catch the absolutely hottest part of the day, expected to be 90 degrees. Which is hot, but still ten degrees shy of Vegas hot. It’ll be 29 degrees in St. Paul, so that’s a win for me.
@charontwo:
Yeah, 2/3rds, whatever.
The American people will just be pissed.
Because that’s been super effective to date. Do the people’s work and then prosecute him on outstanding indictments the second he is out of office.
As Trump works to destroy everything that this country has ever been, we’ve got to look for hope wherever we can. And for me, I saw one little bright spot the other day.
It was the first teaser for the HBO Harry Potter series. I’ve got no real opinion on whether the world really needs another interpretation of the series, but the name of the first season made me very happy for our culture.
It’s called “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” Which is of course the name of the first book… in Britain. In America, the publisher decided that American kids wouldn’t read anything with philosophy in the title and that it would make the whole book look boring. So they changed it to the idiotic “Sorcerer’s Stone.”
And now HBO has decided that America’s children are ready to embrace the series, even if it does include that difficult, offputting word. Score one against the dumbing down of everything
@wr:
Not at all what’s going on with another kidlit adaptation near and dear to my heart.
@Daryl:
Persistence is key…
Got home from my local No Kings demo. The first two had a couple hundred demonstrators here in my little suburban red corner of FL. Had to be at least a thousand today. Trump seems to have really shat the bed.
@Michael Reynolds: So sorry to hear that.
Weeeeellllll, I know I certainly feel safer. Don’t you, boys and girls???
Of the sheer number of absurdist stories you may have missed in the news recently, one is that in public court filings slamming common-sense laws to prevent gun violence, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice refused to rule out nuclear weapons from the kinds of arms it claims the average citizen may be entitled to possess under the Second Amendment.
Source: Slate
https://share.google/9clFHc8Hto6HO1uv3
@Flat Earth Luddite:
I don’t know how to make a nuke, and getting the materials would be hard and costly.
But I know how to make a dirty bomb. Getting the materials is risky, and requires breaking into nuclear waste storage sites, and specialized equipment to handle it safely. But other than that, it’s easy and relatively cheap.
@Daryl: Keeping in mind that I think removal is basically dead letter, I think that impeachment still has a function in calling out bad behavior in a way that can be instructive.
I think the last impeachment, for example, really told history quite a lot about the Republicans.
But more importantly, I think that if handled like the January 6th committee that impeachments might be guides for future prosecutions (if the next admin doesn’t drag their feet) and public education.
If there is going to be any sort of legal reckoning post-Trump, the Dems have to start somewhere. Impeaching Trump again and some cabinet officials might very well be a way forward.
And while I am sure such actions would piss off some voters, they would delight others.
@Kathy:
Iirc, long long ago, in a galaxy far far away, there was an article in one of the science fiction magazines (analog?) detailing what would be involved in time, materials, and personnel to manufacture a dirty bomb, with or without the introduction of reactor grade fissible materials. He also pointed out that it was significantly less costly in time, materials, and personnel, to completely blackout the entire Eastern seaboard of the United States via selective targeting of transmission and substation infrastructure by conventional methods.
That hasn’t changed, but then, low cost/ low risk guerilla warfare is more appealing to Luddite than being a standing target.
On a lighter note,
Judge scolds defendant for driving during virtual hearing
https://share.google/1wzrf9MnHVid7CGL8
At this point, I’m eagerly awaiting April’s Fool Day…
We know this has to be true, because fiction has to make sense. And this poor fool certainly isn’t making any sense in her particular version of reality.
H/t to nbc news for today’s third giggle at Casa Luddite
@Steven L. Taylor:
But those who are delighted will only vote blue, regardless.
The idea just strikes me as pointless given the probable outcome. Fatso saying he’s been exonerated once again.
@Daryl: I think that when Trump or any president directly violates Congress’ prerogatives, such as declaring war or spending money, they should impeach him. It’s about boundaries. It’s about saying what’s wrong or right.
I mean, yes, I agree in many areas that it’s best to pick your battles.
However, I would love to see people weigh in on “The constitution gives Congress authority to declare war, what does this mean to you in this context?”
The war isn’t popular, and it’s going to get even less popular.
Political pressure is a thing, and changing people’s minds is a long, hard slog. It is never one and done. Press in places where you have advantage. This is one.
@Daryl: And the ones who would be pissed off vote red.
By definition, any action (or inaction) is going to upset some segment of the population in these polarized times.
It is a fair position, but I think I made a case for the notion that it isn’t pointless.
Indeed, I am more prone to think it would be potentially quite useful if it were done in a way as part of a broader long-term strategy (and especially if it included cabinet officials as well).
At a bare minimum, the Dems need to use their investigative powers to the max, and with strategic intent, should they win control of either or both chambers.
@Jay L. Gischer:
Agreed.
@Daryl: Put another way: if the goal is conviction in the Senate, your position is on point.
But if the goal is one prong of an attempt to educate the public, it could be a useful tool.