Throughout history, grandiose visions of world-altering consequences have motivated political assassins. Gavril Princip’s June 1914 rendezvous with Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo is a horrifying example.

Despite the historical track record, until James T. Hodgkinson’s June 2017 criminal assault on a Virginia baseball diamond, a chilling congressional coup d’état scenario which alters history in these United States would be little more than an edgy plot-line in a paperback thriller. In the Hollywood movie version there is a one hundred percent certainty right wing activists would be the monsters who attempted the coup.

Unfortunately, the scenario is no longer over the edge. Whether intended or unintended, a change in control of the House of Representatives could well have been a consequence of Hodgkinson’s crime.

Calculating the number of congressional Republicans hard left terrorist James T. Hodgkinson could have murdered on his baseball diamond battlefield reveals a megalomaniacal political scheme that may have inspired his savage assault: a history-altering Capitol Hill coup d’état within the electoral system.

Farfetched? Simple and truly fascist bloodbath math makes the case that Hodgkinson’s crime could have created political circumstances where Democrats might gain control of the House of Representatives.

As strategists say, that shift in power would “set conditions” for impeaching President Donald Trump, a man Hodgkinson hated and whose election and administration Hodgkinson and millions of his fellow Democrats believe to be illegal and illegitimate.

I am not attempting to read the assassin’s mind. But we know he intended to massacre Republicans, which tells us a lot about his mindset and his motives. We also know he committed the crime.

Now examine the Republican baseball team roster from the perspective of an angry, outraged hard-left Bernie Sanders progressive who for the last eight months has absorbed an acid hot media-political narrative ritually vilifying Trump. Mainstream media headlines and the rhetoric of Democrat leaders persistently arouse and incite the Democrat Party base, claiming Trump is a traitor, his administration is illegitimate and that evil Republicans are plotting to repeal Obamacare so they can kill senior citizens. Why, Paul Ryan still wants to push old ladies off a cliff!

After examining the baseball roster, count the current number of Republicans and Democrats serving on Capitol Hill.

Seventeen Republican congressional representatives and two senators remained on the baseball practice field when Hodgkinson launched his one-man Red Army assault. Three Congressmen, Representatives Tom Rooney, Mark Walker, and Bill Johnson had just left.

Call it luck, call it grace, but another 12 team members (and elected officials) missed the practice.

Though New Math scholars may arrive at a different answer, classic 1 + 1 = 2 addition says Hodgkinson could have killed 32 Republican members of the House and two Senators.

The current GOP-Dem breakdown in the House is 239 Rs to 194 Ds. The Senate is 52 Rs and 48 Ds.

If the following strikes you as brutally cold remember Hodgkinson was a terrorist intent on cold blooded mass slaughter. Killing 32 Republican members of the House reduces the Republicans to 207 seats. That means the nation must conduct 32 special elections. That means the Resistance (which includes Hillary Clinton) has 32 opportunities to seize a Republican seat in a special election.

Would the Democrats sweep them all? Mainstream media portray radical members of the Resistance as aroused and ready to act. So voila Hodgkinson — he’s now Exhibit A for arousal and radical action.

Agreed, murdering two Republican Senators doesn’t shift power in that chamber, but it also necessitates two special elections where — in the hate-filled Occupy Whatever brain of a Hodgkinson — a Democrat might replace a Republican.

Flipping the House makes Nancy Pelosi the Speaker, and gives her the votes to impeach Donald Trump. It takes two-thirds in the Senate to convict, so Trump won’t be removed. But the Democrats would get their trial.

Check the terrorist’s math. Subtract Republicans, then add Democrats.

Even if Hodgkinson didn’t see this possibility with clarity, his murder spree had this evil potential. Extremist Democrats have touted every single mid-term election as a political opportunity. The races for House seats in Montana and Georgia are two examples.

Way beyond the edge political and rhetorical incitement poisoned Hodgkinson’s media and Democrat activist environment.

Examples of septic incitement come in bushel buckets, but two illustrate how violence permeates current far left Democratic politics.

During the election Democrat operative and covert terrorist Robert Creamer routinely employed violence to disrupt Trump rallies and Republican campaign events.

Recall Obama Administration Attorney General Loretta Lynch said we need more marching, blood and death on the streets.

Well, Loretta, James T. Hodgkinson heard you. And he spilled the blood you demanded.

Analyzing Hodgkinson’s tactical planning and his tactical movements on the ball field demonstrates he intended to murder Republican leaders en masse.

We know his attack was premeditated. Police have recovered a list he kept with the names of several Republican lawmakers.

He chose to attack the practice field because it was a “soft” target. The annual congressional baseball game in Nationals Park would have extensive police protection. Besides, in the annual game he could only kill Republicans on the field and a stray round might hit a Democrat. On the practice field he could kill enough Republican representatives that the Democrats might take control of the House and set conditions for Trump’s impeachment.

Hodgkinson may or may not have been aware of Rep. Steve Scalise’s protective detail, but assumed his semi-automatic rifle had the firepower to handle a cop or two.

From a position behind the third base dugout, Hodgkinson began his assault by shooting in the direction of third baseman Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) and second baseman Scalise (R-LA). He may have been specifically targeting Scalise since he considered Scalise to be a Ku Klux Klansman, which demonstrates historical ignorance since the Ku Klux Klan was a Democrat organization.

Hodgkinson’s first volley wounded Scalise in the hip and pelvis, and the wound is severe. We know he continued to draw blood. He wounded lobbyist Mike Mika and congressional staffer Zack Barth. We know he moved behind the dugout and started to approach home plate.

The movement towards home plate indicates the terrorist wanted to close with his targets. He couldn’t help seeing the dozen or more men diving and hiding in the first base dugout. At close range the dugout offered no cover. In fact, it became one confined kill zone, perfect for his massacre.

Then courage and devotion to duty by two armed police officers wrecked Hodgkinson’s evil plan. Suddenly Special Agents Crystal Grinel and David Bailey of the Capitol Police appeared from behind the first base dugout — and they were shooting back, shooting at him. A firefight ensued. Hodgkinson retreated. He also wounded Grinel. She may have wounded him.

Essentially, Grinel and Bailey counter-attacked Hodgkinson as the terrorist tried to approach the home plate area. Their fire and audacity forced him to withdraw behind the third base dugout. Eventually the police officers, assisted by Alexandria police, wounded and subdued Hodgkinson.

Everyone knows Hodgkinson’s dead.

We can hope his treasonous cause died with him.

However, what Hodgkinson wanted to do with bullets, hostile mainstream media in league with the Democratic Party and anti-Trump Deep State bureaucrats seek to do with relentless fake news, relentless legal shenanigans and relentless political theater.

At the bottom line they want to overturn a legitimate election. So did Hodgkinson, the Progressive Terrorist. Hodgkinson belongs to them. And now they own him.

copyright Austin Bay June 18, 2017

AUTHOR NOTE: It takes 2/3rds to convict in the Senate. However, an early version of this essay speculated that Hodgkinson thought a 50-50 Senate might convict. He may have thought so, it’s impossible to know, but the essay implied it was possible. The error has been corrected. Thank you, readers.