The Post-Trump GOP

[Wyatt earp]

What's next for the GOP?

A couple of very interesting pieces this morning. Interestingly, much of what they cover includes what we've been talking about here. The anti-Trump types like the Lincoln Project know damn well that he has a vice-like grip on the party, and will even have to consider running separate candidates, which we haven't really talked about here. The party is so afraid of Trump, in fact, that they're not even engaging in the traditional post-mortem for fear of angering him. Holy crap.

At the same time, they did do better than expected down ticket (or was it the Democrats doing worse than expected?), so that just muddies the waters even more. So what do the next few years look like for the GOP?

sigh.... Mitlaufer Mac, so often wrong, and never understands why.

Here's the thing. The "Never Trumpers" are guys like Bill Kristol, who are upset that Trump wasn't interested in maintaining a permanent presence in the Middle East.

The first thing to understand about Trump is that he's not the disease, he's the rash it's broken out into. The GOP is based on getting working class whites to vote against their own economic interests by playing on their religious, sexual and racial fears. Trump just said the quiet part out loud. While Jeb Bush had just enough intellectual integrity not to repeat racist birther rumors about Obama, Trump embraced them full force.

So looking at the Never Trumpers, it's like looking at Dr. Frankenstein and Igor being horrified as the Monster rampages across the countryside, but taking no responsibility for putting him together to start with.

Now, there are some changes that Trump has actually made in GOP Ideology, such as hostility to free trade and multilateralism. Whether or not those things will stick or not remains to be seen. It probably will, as Biden will no doubt try very hard to repair all the international relations Trump has damaged. This is kind of a retro position, as the GOP was very isolationist all the way up until Eisenhower, who embraced FDR's foreign policies and built on them.

All that said, I don't think that Trump will have that much of a long term effect on the GOP. More likely, he'll become like Nixon, Ford, and the Bushes, guys the GOP kind of shrugs off like some other party put them in the White House.

The real question is, will the Media keep feeding Trump's ego when he is out of office, reporting on his "Shadow Presidency", repeating every Tweet, and covering empty podiums waiting for him to speak, or will they hopefully ignore him.

Voting against their own economic interest


What are you talking about? Illinois , california, new Jersey are all going under

 

[Bernhard]

Republicans are being short sighted

Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.

But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

I think the Republicans are very capable of alienating conservatives if they put their mind to it.

The Late John McCain and Mitt Romney were tremendous in doing that. But the key of the LP folks is to expel the base from the Republican Party so they can reassert control.

John McCain was a Maverick. He would back his party but when given a choice between party and his state, he would do what was in the best interest of his state.

Romney is a devout Mormon. As such, he is repulsed by Trump and his antics. He votes accordingly

McCain was willing to betray his party for good press. He thought that would get him in the White House.


But you people turned on his, on a dime. Because everything you say, is a bullshit. so reversing course is easy for you.


That you took him back afterwards, and that he accepted that, is him being a broken old man.

McCain backed Republicans on Trumpcare, he voted for it.

However, when Republicans pivoted and went to a blind repeal of Obamacare without anything to cover those who would lose coverage......He gave a thumbs down

It's pretty shocking to see how Trump even jumps on fellow party members, or people who supported him in many ways, the moment they disagree with him on one single point.

Trump doesn't even respect his party... it's really all just about HIM all the time for him. He knows no party, no country, all he knows is himself and his own power.

I found that disgusting to see. You don't want such a small minded person to be your boss, let alone running your country.

For example?

Are you really asking?
There were times when no day passed without Trump again firing someone from his government who had previously supported him.

 

[Polishprince]

Republicans are being short sighted

Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.

But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

I think the Republicans are very capable of alienating conservatives if they put their mind to it.

The Late John McCain and Mitt Romney were tremendous in doing that. But the key of the LP folks is to expel the base from the Republican Party so they can reassert control.

John McCain was a Maverick. He would back his party but when given a choice between party and his state, he would do what was in the best interest of his state.

Romney is a devout Mormon. As such, he is repulsed by Trump and his antics. He votes accordingly

McCain was willing to betray his party for good press. He thought that would get him in the White House.


But you people turned on his, on a dime. Because everything you say, is a bullshit. so reversing course is easy for you.


That you took him back afterwards, and that he accepted that, is him being a broken old man.

McCain backed Republicans on Trumpcare, he voted for it.

However, when Republicans pivoted and went to a blind repeal of Obamacare without anything to cover those who would lose coverage......He gave a thumbs down

Never said he was completely useless. AFter all, when your side turned on him because he became a threat, and he won the Primaries,


I supported him for President, and defended him for the hysterical lies and wace baiting from people like you, on this very site.

Nice try, but it fails
Democrats voted against McCain and his positions.
We always respected his war record and service to our country.

It is Republicans who threw him under the bus.

Republicans never through McCain under the bus- they nominated for President.

It was the libs who humiliated him in the 2008 campaign, calling him "literally Hitler" and ripping him down for divorcing his first Old Lady to marry the beer heiress.

 

[Correll]

Republicans are being short sighted

Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.

But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

I think the Republicans are very capable of alienating conservatives if they put their mind to it.

The Late John McCain and Mitt Romney were tremendous in doing that. But the key of the LP folks is to expel the base from the Republican Party so they can reassert control.

John McCain was a Maverick. He would back his party but when given a choice between party and his state, he would do what was in the best interest of his state.

Romney is a devout Mormon. As such, he is repulsed by Trump and his antics. He votes accordingly

McCain was willing to betray his party for good press. He thought that would get him in the White House.


But you people turned on his, on a dime. Because everything you say, is a bullshit. so reversing course is easy for you.


That you took him back afterwards, and that he accepted that, is him being a broken old man.

McCain backed Republicans on Trumpcare, he voted for it.

However, when Republicans pivoted and went to a blind repeal of Obamacare without anything to cover those who would lose coverage......He gave a thumbs down

It's pretty shocking to see how Trump even jumps on fellow party members, or people who supported him in many ways, the moment they disagree with him on one single point.

Trump doesn't even respect his party... it's really all just about HIM all the time for him. He knows no party, no country, all he knows is himself and his own power.

I found that disgusting to see. You don't want such a small minded person to be your boss, let alone running your country.

Trump is a narcissist
It is all about him

Reciprocating is not in his nature

Says teh man that voted for both Bill AND Hillary Clinton.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

What's next for the GOP?

More do-nothing dog shit.

Welcome to the future...errr....I mean dog-shit M/IC dong smoking past.

 

[Correll]

Republicans are being short sighted

Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.

But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

I think the Republicans are very capable of alienating conservatives if they put their mind to it.

The Late John McCain and Mitt Romney were tremendous in doing that. But the key of the LP folks is to expel the base from the Republican Party so they can reassert control.

John McCain was a Maverick. He would back his party but when given a choice between party and his state, he would do what was in the best interest of his state.

Romney is a devout Mormon. As such, he is repulsed by Trump and his antics. He votes accordingly

McCain was willing to betray his party for good press. He thought that would get him in the White House.


But you people turned on his, on a dime. Because everything you say, is a bullshit. so reversing course is easy for you.


That you took him back afterwards, and that he accepted that, is him being a broken old man.

McCain backed Republicans on Trumpcare, he voted for it.

However, when Republicans pivoted and went to a blind repeal of Obamacare without anything to cover those who would lose coverage......He gave a thumbs down

Never said he was completely useless. AFter all, when your side turned on him because he became a threat, and he won the Primaries,


I supported him for President, and defended him for the hysterical lies and wace baiting from people like you, on this very site.

Nice try, but it fails
Democrats voted against McCain and his positions.
We always respected his war record and service to our country.

It is Republicans who threw him under the bus.

He was a great person until he was a threat.


Then you reversed your opinion on him, AS A PERSON, in seconds.


And once he was no longer a threat, you reversed BACK again, pretending to respect him again.


He didn't change.



YOu just lied different lies depending on what served your immediate purposes.

 

[Polishprince]

If the GOP Moderates like Kasich and Romney can convince the base that resistance is pointless- the Base will stay home in future elections and they will be able to reassert control of the GOP.

That's their key right there.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

If the GOP Moderates like Kasich and Romney can convince the base that resistance is pointless- the Base will stay home in future elections and they will be able to reassert control of the GOP.

That's their key right there.

The word needs to get out. The GOP is dead.

All 75 million voters need to shift to the Libertarian party and fuck the GOP right up the fucking asshole.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

I've read a couple of times in the past weeks, "Trump is gone, but Trumpism isn't". Though I hope very much this isn't true.

My concerns are less about most of Trump's policies, but his style: That he was running the country on a maximum of division, and that he constantly denied facts and truth, but rather made fuss about fake news stories from the weirdest sources. He constantly fueled distrust and suspicion of the institutions of a constitutional republic, not least by pissing on the Constitution by ignoring the will of the people and attempting to steal the election after he lost.

Trump is a prime example for "party above country", or rather "my own power above country" and for "winning over being right".

A President who uses lying and disinformation as his main tactic for governing is dangerous for any free, constitutional republic. Because constant lying, fake news and disinformation erodes the very basis the republic is founded on.

It's sad to see what the once "Grand Old Party" has become. They used to have decent people like Reagan, Bush sr., John McCain ... people you didn't need to agree with, but whom you could respect as decent people who have the best of the country at their hearts.

I really hope this party comes back to its senses.

It won't.

Trump was the product of the madness that is the GOP.

 

[Mac1958]

Republicans are being short sighted
Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.
But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

Might be true, but the Dems are making a big mistake if they assume too much. They're certainly capable of going too far, as well.

This is why I don't like seeing the GOP turn into a fuckin' psycho ward like this. We need (at least) two strong parties.

 

[Mac1958]

Republicans are being short sighted

Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.

But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

If anyone bothered to check the young voted this year in large numbers. They know this is their future. We have a highly Educated group who know climate Change is real. They are not happy their future is not as bright as their parents. They are fixing to change that.

I have been listening closely to the difference between this generation and the last. Find it very interesting!

One of my favorite parts of this election -- aside from schologing Trump -- was seeing the size of the young vote. Our daughters (22 & 25) couldn't freaking WAIT to vote.

We older folks think we have all the answers because we're older. Yet look at what we're leaving them.

The question is whether they REMAIN engaged.

 

[Bernhard]

Republicans are being short sighted
Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.
But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

Might be true, but the Dems are making a big mistake if they assume too much. They're certainly capable of going too far, as well.

This is why I don't like seeing the GOP turn into a fuckin' psycho ward like this. We need (at least) two strong parties.

When I checked the website of the Dem's national convention in 2016, it took me 15 minutes of clicking around until I saw the first picture of a white male who wasn't obviously depicted as gay.

It's all nice and fine when Democrats care for the issues of non-whites and other minorities ... but if they give a damn about white workers, they shouldn't be surprised when 70% of them then vote for someone like Trump.

 

[Mac1958]

The real question is whether Trumpism is an aberration or a continuation of Republican “conservatism”.

If Trumpism is merely a continuation, which it may very well be, then Trumpism will not only survive Trump but thrive. The Republican Party was headed towards a more populist position regardless of Trump. With the election of Obama and the the Koch Bros bankrolling the Tea Party the dye was cast as to where the party would be heading. A party angry at the elites, angry at the changing nature of the country, angry at the globalization of the world economy, etc. Trumpism has unleashed that genie and that genie will not be easily put back into the bottle.

As such I don‘t think Trumpism is an aberration. This sense of grievance will only grow with the increase of right-wing media playing to this grievance 24/7.

Trumpism may not need Trump to survive. Trump is an incredibly flawed person, but he has hit a cord.

There is speculation that Ivanka will run for the senate in Florida against Rubio. That will be the bell weather where the GOP is heading. I would expect her to crush him in the primaries.

Yeah, this is clearly not going away.

The questions going forward may be (a) can it just be reduced and marginalized to a point where it is manageable, and (b) how to motivate them to still vote.

I suspect one important element of any Republican candidate's campaign going forward will have to include regularly screaming COMMIES AAAUUUGGGHHH COMMIES AAAUUUGGGHHH COMMIES AAAUUUGGGHHH. Something like that.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

Might be true, but the Dems are making a big mistake if they assume too much. They're certainly capable of going too far, as well.

If by "capable" you mean CERTAIN then yes, the Dems are "capable" of going too far.

They have nothing close to even resembling a shadow of a mandate, but they were over play their motherfucking hand like they always do, because they don't give a shit, they are fucking communists and you fucking know it and you fucking voted for them.

 

[Polishprince]

Republicans are being short sighted
Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.
But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

Might be true, but the Dems are making a big mistake if they assume too much. They're certainly capable of going too far, as well.

This is why I don't like seeing the GOP turn into a fuckin' psycho ward like this. We need (at least) two strong parties.

So you don't think the "psychos" will leave the Republican Party to the Moderates if they think its a quixotic effort to gain power?

 

[Mac1958]

I've read a couple of times in the past weeks, "Trump is gone, but Trumpism isn't". Though I hope very much this isn't true.

My concerns are less about most of Trump's policies, but his style: That he was running the country on a maximum of division, and that he constantly denied facts and truth, but rather made fuss about fake news stories from the weirdest sources. He constantly fueled distrust and suspicion of the institutions of a constitutional republic, not least by pissing on the Constitution by ignoring the will of the people and attempting to steal the election after he lost.

Trump is a prime example for "party above country", or rather "my own power above country" and for "winning over being right".

A President who uses lying and disinformation as his main tactic for governing is dangerous for any free, constitutional republic. Because constant lying, fake news and disinformation erodes the very basis the republic is founded on.

It's sad to see what the once "Grand Old Party" has become. They used to have decent people like Reagan, Bush sr., John McCain ... people you didn't need to agree with, but whom you could respect as decent people who have the best of the country at their hearts.

I really hope this party comes back to its senses.

Right now, 95% of the energy in the party is 100% with Trump. The anti-Trumpsters have their work cut out for them.

It was said earlier here that the smartest thing they can do is bring him down no matter what the short term damage is, and that may be true. Rip off the scab.

No doubt they're thinking about it, and no doubt they're trying to figure out how. It won't be easy, but there's no way of knowing how much anti-Trump sentiment exists under the surface.

Anything you heard from left-wingers is a lie.

End of story.

You are definitely one of the best Trumpsters here.

You're welcome.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

The real question is whether Trumpism is an aberration or a continuation of Republican “conservatism”.

If Trumpism is merely a continuation, which it may very well be, then Trumpism will not only survive Trump but thrive. The Republican Party was headed towards a more populist position regardless of Trump. With the election of Obama and the the Koch Bros bankrolling the Tea Party the dye was cast as to where the party would be heading. A party angry at the elites, angry at the changing nature of the country, angry at the globalization of the world economy, etc. Trumpism has unleashed that genie and that genie will not be easily put back into the bottle.

As such I don‘t think Trumpism is an aberration. This sense of grievance will only grow with the increase of right-wing media playing to this grievance 24/7.

Trumpism may not need Trump to survive. Trump is an incredibly flawed person, but he has hit a cord.

There is speculation that Ivanka will run for the senate in Florida against Rubio. That will be the bell weather where the GOP is heading. I would expect her to crush him in the primaries.

Yeah, this is clearly not going away.

The questions going forward may be (a) can it just be reduced and marginalized to a point where it is manageable, and (b) how to motivate them to still vote.

I suspect one important element of any Republican candidate's campaign going forward will have to include regularly screaming COMMIES AAAUUUGGGHHH COMMIES AAAUUUGGGHHH COMMIES AAAUUUGGGHHH. Something like that.

if they wouldn't speak like goose-stepping pinko commie shit twinkle-toed cocksuckers, then they wouldn't be called Goose-stepping pinko commie shit twinkle-toed cocksuckers.

Something tells me you have not been paying attention to what kind of shit is idiots have been spewing.

 

[Mac1958]

Republicans are being short sighted
Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.
But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

Might be true, but the Dems are making a big mistake if they assume too much. They're certainly capable of going too far, as well.

This is why I don't like seeing the GOP turn into a fuckin' psycho ward like this. We need (at least) two strong parties.

So you don't think the "psychos" will leave the Republican Party to the Moderates if they think its a quixotic effort to gain power?

I don't know. The Trumpsters have the power right now, and the job will be to marginalize them just enough.

Will that happen? I don't know. It may split the party in two literally, and you'll all receive Thank You Cards from the Democrats.

 

[Wyatt earp]

Republicans are being short sighted

Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.

But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

If anyone bothered to check the young voted this year in large numbers. They know this is their future. We have a highly Educated group who know climate Change is real. They are not happy their future is not as bright as their parents. They are fixing to change that.

I have been listening closely to the difference between this generation and the last. Find it very interesting!

One of my favorite parts of this election -- aside from schologing Trump -- was seeing the size of the young vote. Our daughters (22 & 25) couldn't freaking WAIT to vote.

We older folks think we have all the answers because we're older. Yet look at what we're leaving them.

The question is whether they REMAIN engaged.

Yeah your daughters couldn't wait to vote so you would just shut the fuck up at the dinner table listening to AM radio and crying about it

 

[Wyatt earp]

Republicans are being short sighted
Pandering to the MAGA crowd may help them win with the older, white Christians who fear their loss of power.
But younger Americans and minorities are repulsed by the actions of the far right. They are lost forever

Might be true, but the Dems are making a big mistake if they assume too much. They're certainly capable of going too far, as well.

This is why I don't like seeing the GOP turn into a fuckin' psycho ward like this. We need (at least) two strong parties.

So you don't think the "psychos" will leave the Republican Party to the Moderates if they think its a quixotic effort to gain power?

I don't know. The Trumpsters have the power right now, and the job will be to marginalize them just enough.

Will that happen? I don't know. It may split the party in two literally, and you'll all receive Thank You Cards from the Democrats.

The damage is done, Trump did one heck of a job slamming main stream media and bringing out the true colors of the left.