WHITHER THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

The Grand Old Party is brand new and not so grand. Is it actually a political party?

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/13/trump-republicans-sanford-resistance-644721

 

Sanford declared in his concession speech that “we are a nation of laws, and not men. It is part of my creed that I believe in as a Republican: that I am indeed to cower before god, but no man.” He described his primary as part of “an inflection point” for the country and the GOP. “There’s been too much made of, ‘Are you for one personality, or against it?’ What we’re about as a nation is not being for one, or against one personality.”

“I stand by that belief although in this case it may have had significant electoral consequence,” he said.

Then Sanford walked away from the microphone and headed back to his final months in Congress. Meanwhile at her victory party, Sanford’s opponent, state legislator Katie Arrington, said, “We are the party of President Donald J. Trump.”

 



It reminds me a bit of the events of the 1930's where people, tired of trying to engage with a changing world, are retreating to the comfort of their own tribes and the cult of personalities has returned.


We as a nation have been seduced by a Master Showman.  He is quite adept at the smoke and mirrors game.  Surprising just about everyone he rolled over all other nominees to garner his party nomination.

He appeals to fear and promises to make all things better.  I heard that before as George Wallace's people appeared in Military Park in Newark many years ago.  One woman held a sign that said "Save our house George

I never thought I would look to the Democratic Party to restore this Nation's soul.


That or maybe the Special Prosecutor



He bought the GOP the same way he buys everything:  with other people’s money. 


I've got to wonder if the parties start to fracture and the platforms will need to be re-invented.  I think the traditional party lines may be changing.  They never made sense to me, so maybe I'm completely wrong. 


#MAGA....it's not too late to join.


Whither the Republican Party is a good question. Perhaps if the Democratic Party wasn’t in such disarray itself, it would be able to take advantage of the situation. 


Finally, we've got one!

ramsraymond72:

Hey, if Crimea is part of Russia because they speak Russian, is the USA part of England?  

I have a follow-up question, but will wait for your no doubt enlightened response.


I did a search......your comment was attributed to CNN word for word...I'm guess you just copy and pasted it??


Goid night....how many inches of snow is falling in Maplewood?


LOST said:
The Grand Old Party is brand new and not so grand. Is it actually a political party?
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/13/trump-republicans-sanford-resistance-644721

Not to refute Arrington’s declaration, but the national GOP had abandoned Sanford years before Trump ran for president. These bona fides laid out in the Politico article ...

Sanford is a former governor of his state and well-established member of the House. He’s broken with his party many times over other issues. He’d been around forever. He was durable. But he couldn’t withstand fighting Trump.

... leave out the scandal that cost him that party support and that led, during his messy divorce, to further questions about his personal behavior. Those issues, too, probably weren’t far from Republican voters’ minds this week when presented with a choice, making Sanford an awkward test case.


Sanford was elected to Congress after that scandal, defeating Stephen Colbert's sister. His Primary opponent specifically attacked him for disloyalty to Trump. I have not read anywhere that she raised the issue of his adultery and divorce.

And I believe Sanford voted with the Republican leadership lose to 90% of the time and was either a member of or very close to the Freedom Caucus.


Smedley said:
Whither the Republican Party is a good question. Perhaps if the Democratic Party wasn’t in such disarray itself, it would be able to take advantage of the situation. 

 It does not appear to me that the Democratic Party is an any more disarray than has been normal since at least when Will Rogers said "I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat", which was in the 1920s


terp said:
I've got to wonder if the parties start to fracture and the platforms will need to be re-invented.  I think the traditional party lines may be changing.  They never made sense to me, so maybe I'm completely wrong. 

 Ahem, there is only one party where the lunatics are running the asylum, not two.


LOST said:


Smedley said:
Whither the Republican Party is a good question. Perhaps if the Democratic Party wasn’t in such disarray itself, it would be able to take advantage of the situation. 
 It does not appear to me that the Democratic Party is an any more disarray than has been normal since at least when Will Rogers said "I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat", which was in the 1920s

The democrats are in the lowest level of disarray since a long time. They have been very disciplined, not a lot of infighting going on. I believe they will benefit greatly from the GOP disarray if they can keep this up. It will take a bit of time for it to start happening though. As Winston Churchill said (loose quote): Americans will always do the right thing, after exhausting all other options. 


terp said:
I've got to wonder if the parties start to fracture and the platforms will need to be re-invented.  I think the traditional party lines may be changing.  They never made sense to me, so maybe I'm completely wrong. 

 They are not logical which is why they do not make sense to you. They are historic reasons for why they are what they are.

And, BTW, no one cares about the actual Platforms any more.


Why in the world is Schumer supporting this tariff idiocy?


LOST said:


Smedley said:
Whither the Republican Party is a good question. Perhaps if the Democratic Party wasn’t in such disarray itself, it would be able to take advantage of the situation. 
 It does not appear to me that the Democratic Party is an any more disarray than has been normal since at least when Will Rogers said "I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat", which was in the 1920s

 I’m judging it largely by the fact HRC (blech) was the best they could come up with in 2016, and almost halfway to 2020, all they seem to have on their bench are old fogeys and not-ready-for-prime-time players. 

Kind of like the New York Mets. 


It's not a Republican Party.  Its the Party of Trump. 

Deconstructing the Republican Party is central to his political agenda, supported and assisted in large part by the Democratic leadership.  While they move to the left in opposition, they continue to solidify and increment his base moving center-right constituents to his fold. His re-election in 2020 is assured.  


"The best they could come up with"  was the former Secretary of State, former United States Senator, commencement speaker at her College graduation, top graduate of the number one Law School and winner of the popular vote. And she actually won the nomination by winning the primaries. She would have been the first female President.

Hindsight is 20/20.

BTW in the Primary I voted for an elderly Jewish Socialist from one of the smallest States who was almost unknown to the general public.



alex4855 said:
It's not a Republican Party.  Its the Party of Trump. 
Deconstructing the Republican Party is central to his political agenda, supported and assisted in large part by the Democratic leadership.  While they move to the left in opposition, they continue to solidify and increment his base moving center-right constituents to his fold. His re-election in 2020 is assured.  

 How have they "moved to the Left"?

Why would truly "center-right" people who did not previously support Trump decide to now support him? Since when did the "center-right" however you define it, support tariffs, cozying up to foreign dictators, embracing ultra-conservative Evangelical Christians or extremely harsh immigration policies? 


Yes HRC was a very well-qualified candidate, on paper. But she also was a deeply flawed candidate, with enough baggage to fill multiple overhead bins.

 There’s no point in re-litigating the 2016 election but there were reasons why so many voters pulled the lever for who they disliked less, rather than for who they liked more.


LOST said:


alex4855 said:
It's not a Republican Party.  Its the Party of Trump. 
Deconstructing the Republican Party is central to his political agenda, supported and assisted in large part by the Democratic leadership.  While they move to the left in opposition, they continue to solidify and increment his base moving center-right constituents to his fold. His re-election in 2020 is assured.  
 How have they "moved to the Left"?
Why would truly "center-right" people who did not previously support Trump decide to now support him? Since when did the "center-right" however you define it, support tariffs, cozying up to foreign dictators, embracing ultra-conservative Evangelical Christians or extremely harsh immigration policies? 

The left appears to lack solutions / ideas focusing primarily on subjective self righteousness.  Those Democrats that seek solutions are looking more and more to the Trump Party for representation.  It's easier to forget Obama's comments to Medved for Putin's ears, or his $Gazillions to the Iranians, or his displacement of illegal immigrants, etc.. Evangelical Christians... another way to divide and identify and entire group of people.  That's like describing Jews as radical leftists- an entire group.    Trump is going to win... and the Democratic left is making it happen.



ramsraymond72 said:
I did a search......your comment was attributed to CNN word for word...I'm guess you just copy and pasted it??

 Show me the source and I'll point out the differences.


alex4855 said:


The left appears to lack solutions / ideas focusing primarily on subjective self righteousness. 

Yes, this is why they consistently outpoll the Republicans on a national basis. Because no one likes them.



drummerboy said:


alex4855 said:


The left appears to lack solutions / ideas focusing primarily on subjective self righteousness. 
Yes, this is why they consistently outpoll the Republicans on a national basis. Because no one likes them.



 The point defies the reality of Trump's consistent increases in poll numbers.   Worse, despite the overwhelming opposition, his popularity grows- on a national basis.  The left is fueling his success as he chisels away at the Party's once solid base...he will be re-elected no doubt.


alex4855 said:


drummerboy said:

alex4855 said:


The left appears to lack solutions / ideas focusing primarily on subjective self righteousness. 
Yes, this is why they consistently outpoll the Republicans on a national basis. Because no one likes them.
 The point defies the reality of Trump's consistent increases in poll numbers.   Worse, despite the overwhelming opposition, his popularity grows- on a national basis.  The left is fueling his success as he chisels away at the Party's once solid base...he will be re-elected no doubt.

 bzzzzzzzt!

Innumerate and data denying.

And a bit nutty if you think he's drawing support from "the left". His support is coming almost solely from the crazy high approval numbers from rank and file, dyed in the wool Republicans.


I can’t tell if alex4855 is an irrationally exuberant MAGAer or some Russian bot lol. 

That said, while Trump’s 2020 re-election is hardly “assured”, i believe that he probably would win were the election held tomorrow. His first 17 months have not been disastrous in the national view, and as alluded to previously, there is no savior on the democratic side. At least not at this time.


alex4855 said:


Evangelical Christians... another way to divide and identify and entire group of people.  That's like describing Jews as radical leftists- an entire group.   

 Self-proclaimed "Christians" who are Evangelical Christians are overwhelmingly supportive of Trump. Their leadership has turned a religious group into a political constituency.

It's like describing Jews as overwhelmingly supporters of Israel.


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