Donald Trump remarkable acumen on the ''separation of power'' things.

[Moralgy]

The US president isn't an absolute dictator. He doesn't get to order executions.

I wonder how hard people would scream if Obama had said this exact line? "Obummer wants to execute anyone he wants" would be the slipper slope argument that would happen the moment it was said.

[Reeve]

So he wants anyone who kills a police officer to be sentenced to death? I hope he takes accidents into account aswell.. It seems awfully unfair to execute someone who accidently kill a police officer.

Or kills a police officer in self defense. Or kills an officer in a car wreck. Or whatever.

But that isn't even the part that bothers me. It's that Trump keeps saying he'll do these things, as if the President has the power to do them. The scary part is that if you have a big enough mob eating up what you say, it doesn't matter what the actual rule of law says. You can do it. It happened with Caesar and it happened with Hitler.

[Ausr]

So he wants anyone who kills a police officer to be sentenced to death? I hope he takes accidents into account aswell.. It seems awfully unfair to execute someone who accidently kill a police officer.

It's usually a death sentence anyway when you see news like that anyway. Kill one, you fucked with em all, basically.

[Felya]

I wonder how hard people would scream if Obama had said this exact line? "Obummer wants to execute anyone he wants" would be the slipper slope argument that would happen the moment it was said.

It's not even Obama or democrats... Anyone from either party saying what Trump does would kill their careers. It doesn't mater to Trump supporters. When have you heard of a republican candidate taking this much power from states to hand over to federal government? The same people, (see Hooked, Vyxn) who would lose it if any other candidate said this, will justify or be apologist of Trump to no end. Anyone who supports this should be ridiculed any time they complain about federal government over reach or try to argue in favor of small government. It's downright cult like...

[Moralgy]

It's not even Obama or democrats... Anyone from either party saying what Trump does would kill their careers. It doesn't mater to Trump supporters. When have you heard of a republican candidate taking this much power from states to hand over to federal government? The same people, (see Hooked, Vyxn) who would lose it if any other candidate said this, will justify or be apologist of Trump to no end. Anyone who supports this should be ridiculed any time they complain about federal government over reach or try to argue in favor of small government. It's downright cult like...

I still think Trump is the purple man. "He says it like it is" is like an infection that is spreading, altering what people really believe.

[Felya]

It's usually a death sentence anyway when you see news like that anyway. Kill one, you fucked with em all, basically.

Not in states that do not have the death penalty. For what he is saying to be true, it infringes on the judicial power of following states/US territory:

Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, District of Columbia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

In many of these states this would force the death penalty on states that have voted against it. The expansion of federal government to dictate state penalty would be a pretty major expansion of federal government. It probebly wouldn't fly in SCOTUS review, but if it would, this would set a pretty significant precedent for taking away of power from state legislature.

[Sir Andy]

It's not even Obama or democrats... Anyone from either party saying what Trump does would kill their careers. It doesn't mater to Trump supporters. When have you heard of a republican candidate taking this much power from states to hand over to federal government? The same people, (see Hooked, Vyxn) who would lose it if any other candidate said this, will justify or be apologist of Trump to no end. Anyone who supports this should be ridiculed any time they complain about federal government over reach or try to argue in favor of small government. It's downright cult like...

Which is why I'm baffled by anyone claiming that Trump is a "conservative."

[Felya]

I still think Trump is the purple man. "He says it like it is" is like an infection that is spreading, altering what people really believe.

He doesn't even say it how it is, his comments are becoming predictable. He is appealing to a very specific demographic, which might succeed in primaries, but I doubt will have similar success in general elections. I don't think his supporters realize that 'anyone but Hillary' will not work, when that anyone causes people who would otherwise not vote, to vote for Hillary, just to keep him out office.

I feel like Trump supporters versus keeping Hillary out of office, are willing to keep the fox out of the hen house, by letting the wolf devour the sheep.

- - - Updated - - -

Which is why I'm baffled by anyone claiming that Trump is a "conservative."

Why are you baffled? Republicans have squarely placed them selfs as the conservatives, demonizing Obama as a hard core liberal for a near decade. Why would it suprise you that a candidate then, that's leading republican primaries would be considered a conservative? Why would it suprise you that members of a Conservative party nominating Trump, wouldn't mean he is conservative? You either admit that republicans are not conservative or that Trump is the best conservative choice to them.

[Hiricine]

Its interesting that states rights suddenly become an issue for many people here who otherwise insist on the supremacy of the Federal gov. All he'd really have to do is deny some sort of block grants to states without the death penalty for cops (like highway funds, similar to how the legal drinking age works)

To Trumps credit, its probably a good thing if people who are convicted of killing a cop get the death penalty. Also I'd imagine in the short sound bite of a speech he didn't exactly have the time to say "except accidental, and when the cop wasn't in uniform, and in self-defense" etc.

To his discredit, I don't think the issue with cop killing is the severity of the sentence, most cop killers probably get sentenced pretty hard as is.

[Felya]

Its interesting that states rights suddenly become an issue for many people here who otherwise insist on the supremacy of the Federal gov. All he'd really have to do is deny some sort of block grants to states without the death penalty for cops (like highway funds, similar to how the legal drinking age works)

You are doing 2 things here. Creating a wicker man of those who support Federal supremacy, which I assume includes the constitution. But, also ignoring that the reason it's brought up is because the party that he is running as and those who support him, actually have small government and federal law limitations in their platform. Not just assuming for absolutely no reason that's justified in this thread or any political platform, but the actual GOP platform. Your 'suddenly become' is completley misplaced, as it focuses on an assumption versus actually being incongruent with party platform.

[Moralgy]

He doesn't even say it how it is, his comments are becoming predictable. He is appealing to a very specific demographic, which might succeed in primaries, but I doubt will have similar success in general elections. I don't think his supporters realize that 'anyone but Hillary' will not work, when that anyone causes people who would otherwise not vote, to vote for Hillary, just to keep him out office.

I feel like Trump supporters versus keeping Hillary out of office, are willing to keep the fox out of the hen house, by letting the wolf devour the sheep.

Yea I just don't get it. I refuse to believe people, such as my grandmother, suddenly became assholes towards illegal immigrants and muslims considering she believed the exact opposite of all of this crap earlier this year, so he can't be "saying it like it is" in her eyes. I feel like it is just one of those social phenomenon that people are going to study for decades.

[Elegiac]

Its interesting that states rights suddenly become an issue for many people here who otherwise insist on the supremacy of the Federal gov.

I don't give a shit about states' rights. What disturbs me is the violation of due process.

To Trumps credit, its probably a good thing if people who are convicted of killing a cop get the death penalty.

The death penalty is not a good thing.

[Reeve]

Trump is running about 36% right now in the polls. That sounds really good, unless you consider that the 36% may be the cap of his popularity. Anyone who already agrees with Trump's craziness probably already wants to vote for him. There's still 64% of the Republican Party who wants to vote for any other candidate. As candidates start to drop out during the primaries, support will likely coalesce around a single opposition candidate, in which case I could easily see Trump getting knocked out of the race.

[Daymanmb]

Finally! My youth spent reading and playing (paper and pen) Judge Dredd will come to fruition!
Sarcasm meter pegged*
Well , to a point anyway.

Worst Super Nintendo game ever!

[Matchles]

Its interesting that states rights suddenly become an issue for many people here who otherwise insist on the supremacy of the Federal gov. All he'd really have to do is deny some sort of block grants to states without the death penalty for cops (like highway funds, similar to how the legal drinking age works)

Actually he'd have to change 40 years of jurisprudence. As has already been pointed out by myself and others, this is clearly unconstitutional. You can't have a mandatory death sentence for a crime according to the Supreme Court in Gregg v. Georgia.

[Noradin]

Actually he'd have to change 40 years of jurisprudence. As has already been pointed out by myself and others, this is clearly unconstitutional. You can't have a mandatory death sentence for a crime according to the Supreme Court in Gregg v. Georgia.

You shouldn't have any mandatory sentences ever in my opinion.
They open up the door to blackmail innocent people into plea deals even wider.

[Matchles]

You shouldn't have any mandatory sentences ever in my opinion.
They open up the door to blackmail innocent people into plea deals even wider.

I agree. These are a couple wonderful sites for resources on sentencing and the death penalty. For those that are interested.

http://www.sentencingproject.org/template/index.cfm

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/