Can someone explain what has happened to the GOP?

[Correll]

The question is not can the inter-party schism be healed, the question is can we turn this country around from it's path of decline.

Certainly you'd need the votes to do that. Are you confident you can get them on a macro scale?
.

No.

Actually, I think it is very late in the game to turn things around for America.

The most likely scenario for the US, imo, in the foreseeable future, is pretty grim.


But, Trump is shaking things up enough to give me hope.

Especially his strong challenge to Political Correctness.

Oh, yeah, great. The world's in crisis, edging toward catastrophe, and we're supposed to be hopeful because someone can be crude and vulgar.

Hey, I can do both. Does that qualify ME to be President?

The world is "in crisis, edging toward catastrophe" BECAUSE OF WIDELY SHARED IDEAS AND POLICIES.

And part of THAT is that Political Correctness enforces conformity in the madness.

YOu can't see it, because you are part of it.

 

[Correll]

...The additional knowledge and skills of the American workforce is what matters

Yep.

When Bachelor Degrees are as common as toilet paper, burger flippers and toilet cleaners can console themselves with the idea of being better-educated worker bees.

Not everyone will pursue a college degree. Those that do will be able to afford it......the rest can flip burgers

There is no reason a lack of a college degree should relegate anyone to just flipping burgers.

I suspect my plumber might be a millionaire.

I know my electrician is. Skilled trades are a great way to go right now but many young people don't seem to want to go that route.

For the longest time, (still?) advisors strongly recommended against it.

I think the Conventional Wisdom passed on to them is that they must go to college or be losers.

Indeed, I know I've seen some oddly "class" discrimination against people who do NOT have degrees, even in completely unrelated contexts.

 

[dannyboys]

...The Party began its descent into dark madness when it allowed the Necons (Nazis) to seize power. It was mainly the radical Christian fundamantalist Conservatives who supported their rise. These madmen do want their Police State and WWIII. The Republican Party needs to remove them from power. Before it's too late.

The Party began its descent into madness when it stopped being the Party of the Common Man (the Grand Old Party) and allowed itself to be hijacked by the Corporatists, way back in the opening decades of the 20th Century... the better part of a century ago, now. It's weirdo Paulite offshoot was another latter-day harbinger of detachment from Reality.

Ron Paul isn't a Conservative. Neither am i. Conservatives = Nazis at this point. If not stopped, they will have their Police State and WWIII. Republicans are living in denial about what they're supporting. They're supporting their own doom.

Then vote Democrat... I'm sure they won't mind overly much.

I don't like the Communist assholes who run that Party either. Unfortunately, you Nazis and the Communists are the only choices. It's a very sad mess.

Then fucking MOVE. No one will miss you.

 

[Correll]

And maybe explain it without the standard hyperbole and partisan BS. Just some honest, solid analysis. Or maybe provide a link to a piece that someone has written that calmly and reasonably explains it.

I think this "Fox News is the enemy" thing is the final straw with me. I'm now completely lost, and I feel like Sandra Bullock in Gravity, floating away from reality with no way to get back.

To wit:

• The aforementioned darling news network is, overnight, the target of at least as much derision as MSNBC
  
• A bombastic New Yorker who is clearly not a conservative is running away with the nomination
• That same candidate can literally say the most ridiculous things and it only makes his support stronger
  
• Suddenly, nationalism & populism clearly have more energy in the party than "conservative values"
• A nihilistic, "I don't care, just blow the whole thing up" attitude seems to completely permeate the party
  
• The slightest nod toward legislative cooperation is simply no longer allowed in public discourse
• The Establishment, whatever that is, appears to be more hated than any Democrat

It's like half the party has just snapped.

Exactly what is the goal here? And does anyone care if this inter-party schism is healed?
.

Yeah, it's vexing. The GOP has given in to the mistaken notion that people want more of the same, just not as bad as what the left offers. Makes no sense, I know. So, Trump comes along, tells the establishment to fuck off, and its refreshing. After years of Democrat lite, O'Connell, Boehner, Bush, etc., people enjoy watching somebody not pulling punches.

So, we get Trump. Thanks GOP.

What can I say? We have become a nation that misconstrues talking shit as "being strong". And now we have a candidate whose behavior is indistinguishable from drunks right before they get 86ed from the bar.

We are tired of America being the World's Bitch on Immigration and Trade.

 

[dannyboys]

And maybe explain it without the standard hyperbole and partisan BS. Just some honest, solid analysis. Or maybe provide a link to a piece that someone has written that calmly and reasonably explains it.

I think this "Fox News is the enemy" thing is the final straw with me. I'm now completely lost, and I feel like Sandra Bullock in Gravity, floating away from reality with no way to get back.

To wit:

• The aforementioned darling news network is, overnight, the target of at least as much derision as MSNBC
  
• A bombastic New Yorker who is clearly not a conservative is running away with the nomination
• That same candidate can literally say the most ridiculous things and it only makes his support stronger
  
• Suddenly, nationalism & populism clearly have more energy in the party than "conservative values"
• A nihilistic, "I don't care, just blow the whole thing up" attitude seems to completely permeate the party
  
• The slightest nod toward legislative cooperation is simply no longer allowed in public discourse
• The Establishment, whatever that is, appears to be more hated than any Democrat

It's like half the party has just snapped.

Exactly what is the goal here? And does anyone care if this inter-party schism is healed?
.

The Republican Party is now the modern Spanish Inquisition. If you don't worship The Donald you are a heretic.

You could have changed the words Republican party and The Donald for DEMs and Obama. And stuck the word 'racist' in the sentence somewhere.

 

[dannyboys]

...The additional knowledge and skills of the American workforce is what matters

Yep.

When Bachelor Degrees are as common as toilet paper, burger flippers and toilet cleaners can console themselves with the idea of being better-educated worker bees.

Not everyone will pursue a college degree. Those that do will be able to afford it......the rest can flip burgers

The field is already morbidly overcrowded with useless degreed folk... we don't need more, nor the expense of creating more.

It's Marxism at it's finest. Everyone is the same. Everyone deserves a trophy. Everyone deserves a free BA.
Trouble is the theory never has worked ever. The hilarious irony is in even the most Marxist/Communist/Socialist countries there are ALWAYS the not so secret 1% ers who are the billionaires and who totally control the poor 'proletariat'.

 

[Correll]

I'd rather see Trump negotiate nuclear treaties, trade pacts and bringing jobs back to Americans than have Obama and Kerry try. They can't negotiate their way out of paper bag.

As long as Megyn Kelly isn't there lol

Being willing to walk away from a Deal is the strongest leverage.

Agreeing to a game that you know is rigged against you is an Act of Weakness.

 

[dannyboys]

So from what I'm seeing here, it appears that Trump's supporters are confident he can (a) get things done because of his deal-making skills and the strength of his personality, and (b) get things done that will reflect a consistently conservative agenda.

Is that a fair overview?
.

What amazes me is that Trump's supporters want him because they're throwing a tantrum at the establishment GOP. And why are they pissed at the establishment GOP? For too much deal-making. But that's the trait they're most proud of in Trump.

WTF?

You may have to have someone interpret this for you. I'll type slowly OK?
The difference between the fucking so-called 'deal-makers' in the GOP AND LIB 'establishment' and President Trump is very simple: The fucking 'establishment' is made up of professional politicians. Most former filthy 'ambulance chasers'. These assholes have ZERO clue how to 'make deals' that end up benefiting the people of the country. They consistently get their 'lunch eaten' by every country they make 'deals' with. Iran ring a bell? NAFTA? And fucking on and on!
President Trump has a decades long history of deal making successes. He's a fucking winner globally. We must have a winner next time. We must never allow the Clintons back into the White House where Hillary will give Obama a third term to further fuck up the country.

 

[Jackson]

So from what I'm seeing here, it appears that Trump's supporters are confident he can (a) get things done because of his deal-making skills and the strength of his personality, and (b) get things done that will reflect a consistently conservative agenda.

Is that a fair overview?
.

What the country is desperate for is a President who is a proven success as a businessman. Someone who has actually fucking ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING in his life!
The country flirted with the 'First AA' President's Socialist agenda. How did THAT work out??????
Obama had ZERO experience in business, finance, geo-global politics, ME policy. Fucking NIL!
The fucking 'OJ jury' and White guilt soccer moms voted for a fucking 'community organizer' based SOLELY on the color of his skin. OH the sweet irony! The 'OJ jury' and the White guilt soccer moms ended up in worse circumstances under Obama's attempted Socialist wet-dream.
NEVER AGAIN!
This time the country must have a hard nosed 'geterdone! businessman as President.

Well, then, let's run right out and recruit George Soros!

Voting for someone because of his bank account makes no more sense than voting for someone on the color of his skin.

I don't know if you've noticed, but real-estate mogul and President are NOT the same skill set.

I'd rather see Trump negotiate nuclear treaties, trade pacts and bringing jobs back to Americans than have Obama and Kerry try. They can't negotiate their way out of paper bag.

And those are the only choices? At what point did The Donald purchase and copyright conservatism for his very own, such that there is only his egotistical bloviating or Barack Obama, black or white, yes or no, no third, SANE option need apply?

I can just see Trump negotiating a nuclear treaty: barging into the meeting room and calling the other head of state "fat", bragging about how many Americans voted for him, and then doing an offensive imitation of the guy more suitable for a playground and threatening to take his toys and go home if he doesn't stop saying mean things to him.

Yeah, THAT'S what our foreign diplomacy has been missing: a return to being respected and taken seriously.

Respect certainly has been missing from negotiations as has effective points for the US in the details of negotiations. The Iranian negotiator often screamed at Kerry while. "Death to America" chants were going on outside the building.

Would that have happened on Trumps watch? Definitely not. When we are holding $1.5 B with another $1.7B in interest, we have leverage. Treaties or pacts cannot negotiated when one side doesn't even respect the other. Kerry should have walked out with the blessing of Obama until they decided to take the negotiations as an event that both sides prosper.

 

[dannyboys]

So from what I'm seeing here, it appears that Trump's supporters are confident he can (a) get things done because of his deal-making skills and the strength of his personality, and (b) get things done that will reflect a consistently conservative agenda.

Is that a fair overview?
.

What the country is desperate for is a President who is a proven success as a businessman. Someone who has actually fucking ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING in his life!
The country flirted with the 'First AA' President's Socialist agenda. How did THAT work out??????
Obama had ZERO experience in business, finance, geo-global politics, ME policy. Fucking NIL!
The fucking 'OJ jury' and White guilt soccer moms voted for a fucking 'community organizer' based SOLELY on the color of his skin. OH the sweet irony! The 'OJ jury' and the White guilt soccer moms ended up in worse circumstances under Obama's attempted Socialist wet-dream.
NEVER AGAIN!
This time the country must have a hard nosed 'geterdone! businessman as President.

Well, then, let's run right out and recruit George Soros!

Voting for someone because of his bank account makes no more sense than voting for someone on the color of his skin.

I don't know if you've noticed, but real-estate mogul and President are NOT the same skill set.

I'd rather see Trump negotiate nuclear treaties, trade pacts and bringing jobs back to Americans than have Obama and Kerry try. They can't negotiate their way out of paper bag.

And those are the only choices? At what point did The Donald purchase and copyright conservatism for his very own, such that there is only his egotistical bloviating or Barack Obama, black or white, yes or no, no third, SANE option need apply?

I can just see Trump negotiating a nuclear treaty: barging into the meeting room and calling the other head of state "fat", bragging about how many Americans voted for him, and then doing an offensive imitation of the guy more suitable for a playground and threatening to take his toys and go home if he doesn't stop saying mean things to him.

Yeah, THAT'S what our foreign diplomacy has been missing: a return to being respected and taken seriously.

Respect certainly has been missing from negotiations as has effective points for the US in the details of negotiations. The Iranian negotiator often screamed at Kerry while. "Death to America" chants were going on outside the building.

Would that have happened on Trumps watch? Definitely not. When we are holding $1.5 B with another $1.7B in interest, we have leverage. Treaties or pacts cannot negotiated when one side doesn't even respect the other. Kerry should have walked out with the blessing of Obama until they decided to take the negotiations as an event that both sides prosper.

Obama the Socialist community organiser in chief and Kerry the fucking traitor 'Pickle Lady's Lap Poodle' 'negotiating' AKA losing, with the leaders of a brutal theocracy determined to build nuclear bombs to annihilate Israel.

 

[JoeNormal]

And maybe explain it without the standard hyperbole and partisan BS.

The plutocrats have had their way with the rest of us for years. If you are among the very very rich, you have had it GREAT.

The unwashed masses have finally figured that out.

Trump is offering a authoritarian populist figure as an alternative to the plutocrats that run the country.

The plutocrats are not happy.

Bernie is offering the same idea, just in a different way.

Very interesting.

I'm just glad that people seem to be figuring out where the problem lies.

 

[paulitician]

...I don't like the Communist assholes who run that Party either. Unfortunately, you Nazis and the Communists are the only choices. It's a very sad mess.

"...you Nazis and Communists..." ???

No wonder you clumsy oafs never get anywhere at the polls.

You flunked "plays well with others" - long ago.

Not many choices for Americans. It's either you deranged Nazi Republicans, or the asshole Communists in the other Party. The country needs more options.

 

[rightwinger]

The rest of the world think it is fucking stupid that Republicans would nominate Trump

The rest of the world is benefiting from an America that has been the World's Bitch on Trade and Immigration.

And is wrong.

Once again, Republicans think trade agreements have to be 100% in your favor to be acceptable.....the real world doesn't work like that

No Republican has said anything to support you claiming that.

Where did you get that?

Where did I get that?

From the party of no compromises

So, you can't support your claim at all.

Good. That's settled.

A President Trump, would for the first time in living memory negotiate from a position of strength and with the interests of the American Worker as his goal AND with world class skill.

Do you understand what strength is?

Making unreasonable demands that the other party will not agree to is not strength. Trump does not have strength with Congress and does not have strength with other nations

Mexico will not pay for his wall
Congress will not repeal Obamacare

Bravado is not strength

 

[paulitician]

...The Party began its descent into dark madness when it allowed the Necons (Nazis) to seize power. It was mainly the radical Christian fundamantalist Conservatives who supported their rise. These madmen do want their Police State and WWIII. The Republican Party needs to remove them from power. Before it's too late.

The Party began its descent into madness when it stopped being the Party of the Common Man (the Grand Old Party) and allowed itself to be hijacked by the Corporatists, way back in the opening decades of the 20th Century... the better part of a century ago, now. It's weirdo Paulite offshoot was another latter-day harbinger of detachment from Reality.

Ron Paul isn't a Conservative. Neither am i. Conservatives = Nazis at this point. If not stopped, they will have their Police State and WWIII. Republicans are living in denial about what they're supporting. They're supporting their own doom.

Then vote Democrat... I'm sure they won't mind overly much.

I don't like the Communist assholes who run that Party either. Unfortunately, you Nazis and the Communists are the only choices. It's a very sad mess.

What's sad is this sort of delusional stupidity.

Sadly, it is either you Communists or the Nazis in the other Party. Those are the only choices for Americans. We're flucked.

 

[candycorn]

The rest of the world is benefiting from an America that has been the World's Bitch on Trade and Immigration.

And is wrong.

Once again, Republicans think trade agreements have to be 100% in your favor to be acceptable.....the real world doesn't work like that

No Republican has said anything to support you claiming that.

Where did you get that?

Where did I get that?

From the party of no compromises

So, you can't support your claim at all.

Good. That's settled.

A President Trump, would for the first time in living memory negotiate from a position of strength and with the interests of the American Worker as his goal AND with world class skill.

Do you understand what strength is?

Making unreasonable demands that the other party will not agree to is not strength. Trump does not have strength with Congress and does not have strength with other nations

Mexico will not pay for his wall
Congress will not repeal Obamacare

Bravado is not strength

Being happy to "walk away" from the table is great except when the guy on the other side happens to own your livelihood.

Basically the trump supporters are putting their faith in someone who has never done anything that they are electing him for.

He has never "brought jobs back" to the nation (whatever that means). He has zero leverage with Apple, Samsung, etc... And if you think the people will be happy with a 50% tariff on every I-Phone made....uh no.

Negotiating trade deals? Never done it.

Standing up to Russia? Never done it...

You'd figure at some point they'd embrace the reality of the situation...

 

[Correll]

The rest of the world is benefiting from an America that has been the World's Bitch on Trade and Immigration.

And is wrong.

Once again, Republicans think trade agreements have to be 100% in your favor to be acceptable.....the real world doesn't work like that

No Republican has said anything to support you claiming that.

Where did you get that?

Where did I get that?

From the party of no compromises

So, you can't support your claim at all.

Good. That's settled.

A President Trump, would for the first time in living memory negotiate from a position of strength and with the interests of the American Worker as his goal AND with world class skill.

Do you understand what strength is?

Making unreasonable demands that the other party will not agree to is not strength. Trump does not have strength with Congress and does not have strength with other nations

Mexico will not pay for his wall
Congress will not repeal Obamacare

Bravado is not strength

Opening a negotiation with a high demand is good negotiating tactics.

If Trump is President of the United States of America and is talking to the head of some Third World shithole, then he is negotiating from a position of strength.

And I am sick of pussies that don't realize that.

With Congress? You're not suggesting that the Dems would refuse to work with him are you?

 

[paulitician]

It was hijacked by the Nazi element within it. Today's Republican Party really does resemble the Nazi Party. All the hate and disdain for the least fortunate among us. And the lunatic obsession with starting more wars.

It all started when the Neocons seized control. They're very dangerous people with a Nazi mentality. They want our poor to just die, or even have them locked away in cages. They want them disappeared. And they desperately want to start WWIII. I can't call myself a Republican at this point.

Bullshit!

The Party began its descent into dark madness when it allowed the Neocons (Nazis) to seize power. It was mainly the radical Christian fundamantalist Conservatives who supported their rise. These madmen do want their Police State and WWIII. The Republican Party needs to remove them from power. Before it's too late.

Agree--the demise of the Republican party couldn't be better explained than in this article.

Why Romney Lost And Republicans Keep Losing

And of course the Tea Party has thrown gasoline onto the fire by chasing off large voting blocks. In 2012 it was women, in 2016 it's Hispanics. It's really impossible for Republicans to win the White House anymore.

Column: Trump exploits rational political ignorance
Let’s Elect Hillary Now

The Party allowed the Nazi element within it to seize control. The Neocons backed by insane religious fundamantalists, have just about destroyed the Party. They've led its members into dark madness.

The Neocons (Nazis) are incredibly dangerous people. If not stopped, they will have their Police State and will start WWIII. Most Republicans are sadly oblivious to what they're supporting. They're supporting dark bloody madness. I can't call myself a Republican or Conservative anymore.

 

[paulitician]

...The Party began its descent into dark madness when it allowed the Necons (Nazis) to seize power. It was mainly the radical Christian fundamantalist Conservatives who supported their rise. These madmen do want their Police State and WWIII. The Republican Party needs to remove them from power. Before it's too late.

The Party began its descent into madness when it stopped being the Party of the Common Man (the Grand Old Party) and allowed itself to be hijacked by the Corporatists, way back in the opening decades of the 20th Century... the better part of a century ago, now. It's weirdo Paulite offshoot was another latter-day harbinger of detachment from Reality.

Ron Paul isn't a Conservative. Neither am i. Conservatives = Nazis at this point. If not stopped, they will have their Police State and WWIII. Republicans are living in denial about what they're supporting. They're supporting their own doom.

Then vote Democrat... I'm sure they won't mind overly much.

I don't like the Communist assholes who run that Party either. Unfortunately, you Nazis and the Communists are the only choices. It's a very sad mess.

Then fucking MOVE. No one will miss you.

I might at some point. America has become a very ugly place. It deeply saddens me.

 

[Wilbur Right]

Sadly, it is either you Communists or the Nazis in the other Party. Those are the only choices for Americans. We're flucked.

"




Donald seems to be offering authoritarianism.

Read the definition of authoritianism. It is a recognized form of government. As well as being hard to spell.

And I beleive it comes naturally to Donald.
And some people want to be ruled that way. For a while anyway.

 

[Correll]

Once again, Republicans think trade agreements have to be 100% in your favor to be acceptable.....the real world doesn't work like that

No Republican has said anything to support you claiming that.

Where did you get that?

Where did I get that?

From the party of no compromises

So, you can't support your claim at all.

Good. That's settled.

A President Trump, would for the first time in living memory negotiate from a position of strength and with the interests of the American Worker as his goal AND with world class skill.

Do you understand what strength is?

Making unreasonable demands that the other party will not agree to is not strength. Trump does not have strength with Congress and does not have strength with other nations

Mexico will not pay for his wall
Congress will not repeal Obamacare

Bravado is not strength

Being happy to "walk away" from the table is great except when the guy on the other side happens to own your livelihood.

Basically the trump supporters are putting their faith in someone who has never done anything that they are electing him for.

He has never "brought jobs back" to the nation (whatever that means). He has zero leverage with Apple, Samsung, etc... And if you think the people will be happy with a 50% tariff on every I-Phone made....uh no.

Negotiating trade deals? Never done it.

Standing up to Russia? Never done it...

You'd figure at some point they'd embrace the reality of the situation...

I don't want him to "stand up to Russia".

I want him to NOT fuck with Russia.

The COld War is over. I don't care about Russia.



He has plenty of experience negotiating. And if he is negotiating with the interests of Americans as his goal, then he is already far ahead of everyone else who has negotiated for US for a long time.


And no one he will be negotiating with will own our "livelihood". We own theirs.

We are the largest Economy and Market in the World. We have leverage like no one else.

And we have made no effort to use it to our advantage.