CNN Panelist on Comey Firing: “This is How Democracy Dies”
Johnson: current situation “is no longer a functioning democracy”
How do you know that Jason Johnson was peddling hyperbole? Because after making his melodramatic statement, he insisted, “that’s not hyperbole.” On CNN this morning, Johnson—of Univision-owned The Root—speaking of the Comey firing, declared “this is how democracy dies.” He said of the current situation that it is “no longer a functioning democracy,” adding the obligatory “this is a constitutional and sovereignty crisis.”
On the same panel, CNN’s Ron Brownstein portrayed President Trump as “a president who simply is systematically committed to delegitimizing and undermining any institution that he believes can check or challenge him.” Brownstein claimed that “the only question is how does the political system respond? Does it have the will to defend the checks and balances that have constrained the arbitrary exercise of presidential power?”
RON BROWNSTEIN: I think the more evidence we have, the more clear it was that the only thing that is really relevant here is that the president fired the senior law enforcement official leading the investigation into the conduct of his campaign in 2016 and whether it colluded with the Russians in their efforts to destabilize the US election and everything else is noise. That is ultimately what happened. And I think you have to see this as part of a pattern we have talked about before. It goes along with the attacks on the fake news, on so-called judges who rule against him, on members of congress who vote against him. This is a president who simply is systematically committed to delegitimizing and undermining any institution that he believes can check or challenge him. And I think we all know that now. All of the members of congress know that now with this decision. And really, the only question is, how does the political system respond? Does it have the will to defend the traditional checks and balances that have constrained the arbitrary exercise of presidential power? That is the question. President Trump has kind of indicated his direction. The real issue is how everyone else responds.
. . .
JASON JOHNSON: This is how democracy dies. And that’s not hyperbole. When you have a situation where issues of national security are sublimated in favor of the personal desires, whims and loyalty pledges to the President of the United States, that is no longer a functioning democracy. This is a clarion call to every single member of congress to stand up and call for an independent investigation of this entire administration, above and beyond what happened with Russia. So, it doesn’t matter who the president picks. It doesn’t matter who he picks to replace him. This is a constitutional and a sovereignty crisis.
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Comments
An apt comment…about eight years out of sync…
And that friends is how you end up with a Civil War on your hands.
And, the funny thing is this Civil War won’t really be about any great issue. It will just be Smug Urban Elites against regular people.
And that wouldn’t last long. All those urban dwellers think electricity comes from the wall outlet and food comes from the supermarket.
And don’t forget who has all the guns
The Phantom Menace: Russkie Election Interference. Is there on shred of evidence the Russkies did something to our elections? How much money are we going to waste investigating something that doesn’t exist?
Evidence??? Hahahahahaha…you don’t need no stinking evidence!!!!
I’m still waiting for an independent investigation of one of the many real Obama administration scandals. Did Johnson ever ask for one of those? Didn’t think so.
Notice how they are all concentrating on the democracy aspect – the popular vote, the NYT tag line, voter id, etc. What they are trying to forget, as well as change, is that we are a constitutional republic.
Touche! Constitutional Republic only, and forever.
(See my comment below about how there are only “republics” and not a single “democracy” today in the entire world.)
DNC and MSM want a MOBcracy. But if they get it, they will find themselves trapped in a new “French Revolution.” Their stooges and tools will go after them with a vengeance, imo.
You know, the US news media has been burning their credibility for many years, but over the last few years they’ve thrown more and more onto the flames until now we have huge bonfires across the country.
And they wonder why people are turning to other sources of news.
When you have a situation where issues of national security are sublimated in favor of the personal desires, whims and loyalty pledges to the President of the United States, that is no longer a functioning democracy.
He’s talking about Hillary, right?
I don’t think that word, Democracy, means what he believes it does.
Real people are going to have to get adamant about the proper usage of language.
I know of no “democracies” in this entire world. (That’s were every citizen must vote for themselves on every single thing that is decided at all levels of government. You can not have a “representative” represnet and vote for you in a democracy!)
Tell the “paper-mill” colleges’ graduates that there are only “republics” in this world currently!
The Root. Another racist outfit.
It’s a Modern Tribe with special and peculiar interests. [class] diversity includes racism, and more.
As Tucker Carlson has pointed out: how can there be a “constitutional crisis” when firing Comey is allowed by the constitution?
“no longer a functioning democracy” … never was one.
Is this guy kin of Hank Johnson?