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we all should’ve died in 2012
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everyone on tumblr: *collectively forgets every stage of government but president*
Republicans literally won the senate and the house what the fuck are you talking about
Yeah but they’re not going to cooperate with Trump? Trump isn’t your run of the mill GOP candidate. So many of them distanced themselves from him, and with good reason. I’m not endorsing the GOP, but there’s a big fuckign difference between them and Trump, and it’s highly unlikely that they’ll work with him. Trump is inexperienced and has no clue what the fuck he’s talking about, and congress will absolutely prove to be fiscally conservative, but not to the xenophobic, racist, sexist, homophobic extent that people expect Trump to be.
Here’s a friendly list of all the republicans who are deeply against Trump.
CTRL-F the word “nay.”
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Anonymous asked: can you please talk about those protections to curtail executive power I'm really, really scared and could use the reassurance thank you
THINGS A PRESIDENT CANNOT DO:
- Reverse any Supreme Court decision
- This includes Obergefell v. Hodges, which made same-sex marriage a constitutional right; Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, which reaffirmed a woman’s right to choose first articulated in Roe v. Wade, another Supreme Court case. Grutter v. Bollinger, which instituted affirmative action, the entire body of Civil Rights case law, plus anything related to due process, including the right of minors to due process, your right to an attorney, Miranda rights, inadmissible evidence, etc.
- (Even if Trump appoints the worst possible SC nominee, they still can’t reverse any of these decisions without a really significant case coming before the Court with new facts, and then they have to write an opinion stating how this case is different than that other case…it’s unlikely to happen.)
- Write law or repeal any existing law
- While traditionally, presidents have exerted influence on the legislative agenda (see, Obama’s role in advancing and promoting the Affordable Care Act) they cannot actually write or pass legislation. Bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions must be introduced in the House by a Representative.
- Presidents cannot strike down law. Only Congress can repeal laws, and only the Supreme Court can strike them down as unconstitutional.
- Presidential influence is just that—influence.
- (And if—for example—you are hated by 95% of the party you joined last week, and burned all your goddamn bridges by insulting them at various points in your campaign…..they’re unlikely to partner with you in crafting legislation.)
- Make any law or declaration that infringes in any way on the rights of the states
- So in the US, most of the rights are reserved to the states. You name it, it’s a state-run power. Criminal procedure and law? States. Medicare and Medicaid? States. The definition of marriage? States. Insurance, health departments, housing, unemployment benefits, public education, all these are state programs. And the president cannot infringe on those powers given to the states.
- (This is why down-ticket voting is so important, because Mike Pence as governor of Indiana had 800x the power he’s going to have as VP.)
- Declare war.
- This one is the most complicated, because with the advent of our “conflicts” in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc. there has been a significant shift in the articulation of the war doctrine, and it is one of the least restricted of the president’s “restricted” powers. But, despite all that, a president still has no power to declare war.
- Unilaterally appoint heads of administrative departments
- Unilaterally make treaties with foreign nations
Essentially, while presidents have a lot of power, it’s mostly unofficial—they can’t make sweeping laws, they can’t overturn existing rights, the most they can do is refuse to enforce them (which is absolutely a threat! and a problem!) but we aren’t electing de facto royalty here.
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formerlybees asked: Man I'm scared, can you say something reassuring? I think Tumblr's overexaggerations are making me freak out a bit.
Neither Trump nor Hillary can do most of the things people seem to believe they can. While I do feel bad things may happen, they certainly won’t be as bad as tumblr’s predicting.
We won’t be put in concentration camps, or send to mandatory conversion therapy, or have our rights stripped away overnight. We will have every opportunity to speak out and fight anything we believe to be unfair. America’s not going to become North Korea in the span of twenty four hours.
It’s a scary time, but it’s not the end of the world.
this gained almost 2k notes in less than an hour
i’m just glad it’s helping folks feel better
one thing that sucks about this post tho is that more people are fear-mongering in the notes.
it’s really unfortunate, and i hope y’all aren’t taking it to heart. these people want you to fall apart and fear for your lives. they want you to stir the pot in negative ways rather than try to make a positive impact. that’s how they are–they try to scare you with what-ifs and maybes, all nebulous things that may or may not come to pass, but they don’t offer up any solutions.
don’t listen to that kind of useless prattle. try to keep a level head and a calm disposition. fear and anxiety are valid responses, but we should deal with the punches as they come, not rile ourselves and others up with speculations.
this is a time for supporting one another and staying strong, not falling to pieces over things that may not even happen.
you deserve to feel hopeful. you deserve to feel optimistic. you deserve to keep your mind open to more positive possibilities. you do not have to give in to fear-mongering or hysterical statements made by people who think they know it all.
i don’t feel good about the next four years. i’ve been very honest and open about that. i am worried, and i am afraid. i’m not speaking from a position of privilege. i’m not speaking as someone who won’t be affected by negative changes to our country.
i’m speaking as someone who’s lived through enough presidencies to know that most of the things presidents say they’ll do, they never end up doing–for a variety of reasons. i’m speaking as someone who would rather encourage and reassure than spread more fear.
i’ve spoken to people who are suicidal tonight. i’ve tried my best to comfort and reassure. this is not something we can overlook in favor of speculating on nonsensical doomsday prophecies. people are frightened, and you do not make frightened people fear more–you support them, you give them needed and helpful information, and you assure them that they can overcome this.
that’s what i’m going to keep doing, no matter what.
I needed this
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like…. i literally don’t know what to say except he is not my president. not in his fucking dreams
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As a white person, I would just like to apologize for what other white people have done tonight. It’s fucking terrifying that this is our reality.
Its not your fault unless you voted for him.
