What happened to the Republican party?

[TNHarley]

The republicans have been left for years. Reagan ruined conservatism.

billiejeans is a perfect example of todays "conservative"
One that supports leftism.

 

[Tumblin Tumbleweed]

I dunno. I don't think it was an orchestrated conspiracy or anything, but I was working for NBC during the lead up to the election in 2016, at "thirty-rock" no less. And MSNBC ran constantly on monitors throughout the building. Trump got roughly half their fucking air time. I remember thinking it seemed odd at the time. I also remember Dem pundits saying that Republicans nominating Trump would mean a big win for Clinton. They were wrong.

Yep. But, that's also the orange bag O' shit's schtick. Branding and manipulation are literally the only things he does masterfully. He calls media 'the enemy', thus the media is drawn to the slight like flies on shit, and the cycle of back and forth continues to put him in the spotlight. The media is complicit in all of this. Clinton thought she would just walk into the job, and didn't bother campaigning in crucial battleground states. When she did campaign, people found out she wasn't even close to as likable as Bill. The worst part is that the election results were so close.

 

[dblack]

Yep. But, that's also the orange bag O' shit's schtick. Branding and manipulation are literally the only things he does masterfully. He calls media 'the enemy', thus the media is drawn to the slight like flies on shit, and the cycle of back and forth continues to put him in the spotlight. The media is complicit in all of this. Clinton thought she would just walk into the job, and didn't bother campaigning in crucial battleground states. When she did campaign, people found out she wasn't even close to as likable as Bill. The worst part is that the election results were so close.

It's like the hubris of thinking all they needed to do was indict Trump for some crimes to beat him this time around. I knew that would backfire as well, and I think it has. It's become part of his martyr narrative and "proven" that the left cannot be trusted.

 

[elektra]

Why didn't trump do anything about it?

Trump sactioned china while fighting democrats and republicans like mo other politician has had to fight in our history

 

[Tumblin Tumbleweed]

It's like the hubris of thinking all they needed to do was indict Trump for some crimes to beat him this time around. I knew that would backfire as well, and I think it has. It's become part of his martyr narrative and "proven" that the left cannot be trusted.

The 'right' can't be trusted either.

 

[dblack]

The 'right' can't be trusted either.

Couldn't agree more. Republicans have gone "full-retard". After Biden was deemed unworthy, I had fleeting hopes that Dems would nominate a centrist candidate and help to heal the division. But, alas, they decided to stay the course.

 

[berg80]

Then they fell for the most obvious con man in the history of the country simply because he was a flamboyant, shameless celebrity who was willing to pretend he likes them, and attacked those they hate.

I think, among other things, that was the key. trump took their feelings of disaffection, being left behind socially and economically (what happened to the pull yourself up by your bootstraps philosophy?), and gave his minions someone/thing to focus their anger at. Whether it be the gubermint, or snowflakes, or immigrants, or just people "who don't look like me."

Little else can explain how they have been able to remain in a virtual catatonic state with respect to his moral, legal, and ethical violations. The incident at Arlington being the most recent example in a litany of examples.

 

[berg80]

English must be your second language. The Republican Party has not won the popular vote count since Bush. Its getting worse, not better.

Bush having only won because we were essentially on a war footing with Muslim extremists. Eventually, his colossal buffoonery would be exposed.

 

[IM2]

The rank & file became convinced that talk radio rhetoric, MAGA "news" sources and from-Mom's-basement conspiracy websites were "The Truth", simply because they agreed with what was said.

Then they allowed those voices to create an entirely separate, self-contained informational ecosystem that made its own reality as it went. And they went right along with it, hook, line and sinker.

Then they fell for the most obvious con man in the history of the country simply because he was a flamboyant, shameless celebrity who was willing to pretend he likes them, and attacked those they hate.

Now they're in danger in handing the keys to the Left, and if they do, they'll play the victim, as usual.

The keys won't be handed to the so-called left, and it seems that what you call the left are actuallly the reasonable people who want to work on things like climate change, equal opportunity, etc.

 

[Tumblin Tumbleweed]

Couldn't agree more. Republicans have gone "full-retard". After Biden was deemed unworthy, I had fleeting hopes that Dems would nominate a centrist candidate and help to heal the division. But, alas, they decided to stay the course.

Status quo usually wins. I gotta admit, in both strategies of the parties' quests for absolute power, it seems like the winning one. We're fucked.

 

[IM2]

I think, among other things, that was the key. trump took their feelings of disaffection, being left behind socially and economically (what happened to the pull yourself up by your bootstraps philosophy?), and gave his minions someone/thing to focus their anger at. Whether it be the gubermint, or snowflakes, or immigrants, or just people "who don't look like me."

Little else can explain how they have been able to remain in a virtual catatonic state with respect to his moral, legal, and ethical violations. The incident at Arlington being the most recent example in a litany of examples.

This has been something boiling since Reagan. There are three figures including Trump that caused this imo. Reagan, Newt Gingrich and now Trump.

 

[IM2]

The Republican Party got stale because of Rino policies. The MAGA movement has reinvigorated the GOP.

MAGA has destroyed the Republican Party.

 

[berg80]

ILMAO Trump is far right huh? Cool story Berg, that must make you feel good.

I'm surprised you mentioned the attack on our democracy bit. Liberals shut the door on that BS narrative when Kamala, a radical leftist was installed without one.

Trying to equate the unusual circumstance by which Biden delegates ended up pledging themselves to Harris after he dropped out of the race, with trump attempting to steal the election, has been a loser since the false equivalence was hatched in some rancid, right wing talking points, boiler room.

 

[IM2]

Couldn't agree more. Republicans have gone "full-retard". After Biden was deemed unworthy, I had fleeting hopes that Dems would nominate a centrist candidate and help to heal the division. But, alas, they decided to stay the course.

WTF do you people consider centrist? Because nobody wants a Joe Manchin.

 

[berg80]

This has been something boiling since Reagan. There are three figures including Trump that caused this imo. Reagan, Newt Gingrich and now Trump.

Gingrich especially. Steve Kornacki has written a terrific book including that period of time titled, "The Red and the Blue." If there is one historical figure who is most responsible for the disaster of trumpery it's Newt.

 

[berg80]

The republican party has turned into the know nothing party.

It's a shame because there were some prominent, principled, intelligent Repubs at one time. Now they're called never trumpers, trying to maintain their relevance in a party that's lost its way.

 

[IM2]

Gingrich especially. Steve Kornacki has written a terrific book including that period of time titled, "The Red and the Blue." If there is one historical figure who is most responsible for the disaster of trumpery it's Newt.

Yes, I agree. He had his propaganda MEU and ushered in the belief of no compromise with democrats. Gingrich led an extremist movement in congress and it still affects us now.

 

[dblack]

WTF do you people consider centrist? Because nobody wants a Joe Manchin.

Someone who isn't taking sides on the culture war. Someone who isn't trying to use the government to "reshape" society.

Joe Manchin wouldn't be great, but he'd be way better than Harris or Trump. We need someone who most voters can find acceptable. The two party circle jerk just doesn't work.

 

[dblack]

Gingrich especially. Steve Kornacki has written a terrific book including that period of time titled, "The Red and the Blue." If there is one historical figure who is most responsible for the disaster of trumpery it's Newt.

Yep. He's one who ramped up party loyalty as the only metric. But Obama didn't help by quipping "Elections have consequences". That phrase epitomizes everything that's wrong with our political landscape.

 

[Mac1958]

I think, among other things, that was the key. trump took their feelings of disaffection, being left behind socially and economically (what happened to the pull yourself up by your bootstraps philosophy?), and gave his minions someone/thing to focus their anger at. Whether it be the gubermint, or snowflakes, or immigrants, or just people "who don't look like me."

Little else can explain how they have been able to remain in a virtual catatonic state with respect to his moral, legal, and ethical violations. The incident at Arlington being the most recent example in a litany of examples.

Yeah. There had been (and I guess we didn't see it) a pretty fucking deep reservoir of rage and resentment building over the last three decades or so, amplified 100x by 24/7/365 talk radio and Fox and the internet. And then a shameless con man came along and let it all out.

I'm not saying their concerns are without merit, and I have some general agreements with them. But the way they have been manipulated into advocating for them has put this country right on the fucking edge, and you see people across the political spectrum saying it.