LePage Says 'We Need A Donald Trump To Show Some Authoritarian Power'

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) praised Donald Trump as a leader who would "show some authoritarian power" on Tuesday, even as he slammed President Barack Obama as an "autocrat."

"We need a Donald Trump to show some authoritarian power in our country and bring back the rule of law," LePage said in an interview with Maine radio station WVOM. He went on to compare Trump to Obama, decrying the President as "an autocrat" who ignores Congress and "just does it on his own."

As Maine's Sun Journal newspaper noted, the dictionary defines "autocrat" as a person who behaves in an authoritarian manner. LePage was seemingly unconcerned by Trump’s comments about forcing himself on women in a 2005 video that resurfaced last week, but conceded that Trump is not the "ideal guy I'd want my daughter going after.”

Lauren LePage, the Maine governor’s daughter, was hired in August by the Trump campaign as state coalitions director.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/lepage-trump-authoritarian-obama-autocrat

[Hortensis]

1. Barbarians among us, not just at the door.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Straight from the jackass' mouth

That is the essential difference right there...
the rightwing is praying for a hitler messiah.

[underpants]

3. Samantha Bee's completely trashed Lepage (8:24)

[Ratty]

21. That was such an eye opener

I had no idea he was the result of the vote being split by independents. Hope some voters take a good look at this and the brexit debacle.

[underpants]

24. I wasn't aware of that either

I couldn't pathom how that guy got elected.

[longship]

4. Well, bully for you, Paul!

I stress the word, "bully" here.

[trusty elf]

5. These people are out of their fecking minds. n/t

[vlyons]

6. translation

keep those uppity women, gays, and AAs in their place!

[cab67]

7. Why, exactly, is this person still in office?

[GWC58]

11. He was, very BIG SURPRISE to me,

re-elected! How in the hell did that asswipe pull that off!?!🤔😱

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Multiple candidates in a plurality race is why.

[cab67]

23. I understand how he got in.

What I don't get is why he's still there.

[GreenPartyVoter]

28. Because Impeachment proceedings didn't move forward. *annoyed sigh*

And because clearly he still had a large enough following to support him through yet another multi-candidate race.

You should see all the Trump signs in my district (#2.)

[cab67]

32. as a native New Englander,

you have my sympathy. I'm sorry to see something like this happen to a wonderful part of the world.

[GreenPartyVoter]

33. Thanks! We used to be so sensible up here. We used to have conservatives, but they

weren't generally like this!

[cab67]

34. it mortified me to learn that Sheriff Arpaio was born in the same city as me -

Springfield, Mass.

[GreenPartyVoter]

35. I had no idea! *stupefied*

[cab67]

36. I keep reminding myself of the good things that came out of Springfield...

Dr. Seuss, basketball, the rifles that defeated the Confederacy and Nazi Germany, Timothy Leary, Chloe Sevigny, Charles Goodyear.....

and then Arpaio's face pops up.

[GreenPartyVoter]

37. More good than bad, tho!

[Blue Idaho]

8. Another fascist speaks up...

That jumped up little twerp would be right at home in a brown shirt.

[CanonRay]

12. He does have a resemblance to Ernst Rohm.

Give him a little mustache, and you're there.

[Blue Idaho]

14. I'm sure he has a shrine on his dresser at home.

Lighting candles for the end of American Democracy.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. Authoritarian should be a popular theme

NOT

LePage looney!

[hj.anony1]

10. They want to be

ruled instead of governed.

[malthaussen]

13. Confused much, Mr LePage?

So we want a strong authoritarian who obeys the rule of law. Yeah, I'll get back to you on that.

-- Mal

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. I hate my Governor so much. Can't wait to vote for ranked choice initiative!

[TexasBushwhacker]

18. Ranked choice is where it's at

[Eugene]

17. LePutin goes full alt-right without even a pretense of moderation.

The Constitution is broken and America needs a strongman.

LePuke is unfit to hold any public office.

[meow2u3]

22. Do you mean LePutain?

[anoNY42]

19. Dear Paul LePage,

Once, on a trip to Maine logging country long ago, I was forced to stay indoors while 3 feet of snow piled up outside. I also almost went completely crazy, so I totally feel for you...

[dembotoz]

20. when will we be finally able to compare to the nazi folks

i mean damn

[Tommy_Carcetti]

25. He stinks.

[47of74]

31. That's not nice.

Comparing Pepe Le Pew to Paul Le Plague.

[Shankapotomus]

41. A famous p**** grabber

Should be Trump's campaign symbol.

[RAFisher]

26. The article is more insane than the title.

He wants Trump to act more authoritarian while simultaneously decrying Obama for being an autocrat.

[Grins]

27. Bwahahahahaha! Jebus.

He wants an "authoritarian" to "bring back the rule of law" who can ignore Congress, but slams President Barack Obama because he thinks he is an "autocrat" because he uses those same powers???

Was English this guy's second language? There is neither a box of rocks nor a bag of hammers big enough to analogize to this guy. He doesn't want a government, he wants a Thunderdome. Oh, Federalist Society? This is one of yours!

What Reich-wing conservatives crave more than anything else is submission to a powerful authority figure to alleviate their fears of ....well, fucking everything. That defines their "movement", and enables all of its abuses to attack and demonize any and all who disagree with them. (Google Bob Altemeyer's research on authoritarians.)

Americans are taught to abhor authoritarianism and number among some of our proudest moments those occasions when we slammed totalitarianism to the ground, both at home and abroad. Conservatives are working to destroy that. And there are millions of them, and virtually all of them are packed into the same party: the GOP.

[47of74]

30. He's tying the brain cells he has up in knots trying to keep from calling the President the N word..

....like he very, very desperately wants to. And of course this kind of sputtering horseshit is a result.

[47of74]

29. I think I'm gonna start calling this dude Paul Le Plague

[Earth_First]

38. How much more authoritarian can you get than pussy grabbing?

[sinkingfeeling]

39. They're basically synonyms.

[jpak]

40. Cock sucking facist

yup

[bullwinkle428]

43. I initially read the title as "Lebron says" and freaked out! I was like, "Didn't

he come out as endorsing Hillary???"

[Thor_MN]

44. LePage says Trump can hurt the American people without subterfuge...

"Donald Trump on the other hand is a very powerful personality. And he has a very authoritative persona," he said.
"When he is in the room, people notice. He does not have to go behind closed doors with his community activists to get things done and to hurt the American people," LePage said.