Defining the 21st Century Republican Party?

[hepcat]

Ooof. Are they fringe people in that arena? Or previously (somewhat) sane candidates who became Trump fans because they’re afraid of him?

Also:

[Holman]

Sadly he's just a representation of millions of Americans who would vote for anything with an (R) rather than admit to themselves that the party they've been groomed to despise is the better option.

Barr is also an ideologue to the core. He's part of Opus Dei, the reactionary Catholic cabal that would be perfectly happy to see theocratic principles enshrined in American law.

[LawBeefaroni]

Who is the namby pamby RHINO raising his left hand?

[Isgrimnur]

Philip Singleton, former Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives for District 71.

[Smoove_B]

I want to say that I can't believe that there are still absolute clowns that will continue to push The Big Lie(tm), but when I stopped to think about it a little more I don't think I really am surprised.

Continuing to hope for deep vein thrombosis is my only play at this point.

[Smoove_B]

I think this goes here? As I keep saying, it's all blending:

“We want to help the women because they were going to end fertilization, which is where, when the IVF, where women go to the clinics and they get help in having a baby, and that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. And we’re for it a 100%. They tried to say that they weren’t for it. They actually weren’t for it and aren’t for it as much as us, but women see that,” he said.

The "party of fertilization". You don't even need me to tell you who said the above; you know it.

[Isgrimnur]

I made it about 40% in before I recoiled at you making me read his words.

[hepcat]

He just revels in lying. And his sycophantic followers bend over backwards for every incomprehensible word.

[Blackhawk]

Generally I get annoyed when I see a quote like that without a title or heading to tell me who said it.

He's one of the few people for whom that isn't needed.

[LordMortis]

Generally I get annoyed when I see a quote like that without a title or heading to tell me who said it.

He's one of the few people for whom that isn't needed.

+1 I was ?? at "end fertilization" and then by "when the IVF" it was obvious . Though if it weren't for the context of the post, I would have assumed I was missing a reference to some sort of sarcasm in the style of...

[Grifman]

Here’s one that speaks the truth:

[Scraper]

Here’s one that speaks the truth:

Kudos to him and I hope we see more of this before November. I doubt it though. I can't say I disagree with anything he said in his opinion piece either. (Policy things aside).

[Grifman]

The dog killer speaks:

[Carpet_pissr]

I'm enraged just reading that, I dare not click play to listen to someone being that stupid (or intentionally obtuse).

I have noticed the "hypothetical defense' being used by politicians more and more recently. It's as if some image consultant has been teaching it to various clients and it's spreading. "Now listen, to avoid the "gotcha" press, anytime they ask you about ANYthing that you or others might or might not do in the future, just say "I don't answer hypotheticals" and BAM! you got em!

Except poor, dumb Kristi with a K is only vaguely aware of how it's supposed to work, or even what the meaning of "hypothetical" is, and totally cocked it up.

[LordMortis]

N V T S - Nuts! And they made her a governor. Remind to not drive the SD again the next time I head out west. I'd hate to get the dog treatment.

[Grifman]

The dynasty begins with the heir apparent:

[Grifman]

N V T S - Nuts! And they made her a governor. Remind to not drive the SD again the next time I head out west. I'd hate to get the dog treatment.

As she has gotten older, Kristi continues to “Barbify” herself more and more. Also looking at older photos it’s pretty obvious she’s had done work done over the years.

[Grifman]

Tim Scott takes interview lessons from Kristi Noem, but he’s still in the VP race because he doesn’t shoot dogs:

[Holman]

The dynasty begins with the heir apparent:

"Nomination delegate" is merely a ceremonial position, though. I've known a couple of people who've done it. All they do is cast a predetermined vote.

[GreenGoo]

Sure, but this is giving him exposure. It's the beginning of the long con.

[Smoove_B]

I'm kinda surprised - he's been rather invisible, and I think that's been intentional on the part of Melania. But maybe now that he's 18 he was told that if he wants more inheritance - above and beyond whatever she negotiated (and then re-negotiated) in her pre-nup, he had to make an appearance and show support for his dad.

Gross.

[Holman]

Sure, but this is giving him exposure. It's the beginning of the long con.

There's really no exposure to be had there.

Quick: off the top of your head, name any nominating convention delegate.

[LawBeefaroni]

I'm enraged just reading that, I dare not click play to listen to someone being that stupid (or intentionally obtuse).

I have noticed the "hypothetical defense' being used by politicians more and more recently. It's as if some image consultant has been teaching it to various clients and it's spreading. "Now listen, to avoid the "gotcha" press, anytime they ask you about ANYthing that you or others might or might not do in the future, just say "I don't answer hypotheticals" and BAM! you got em!

Except poor, dumb Kristi with a K is only vaguely aware of how it's supposed to work, or even what the meaning of "hypothetical" is, and totally cocked it up.

Well, there's that, since it's a question about an event that did indeed happen. But she's also saying that if she is VP, she won't take the Pence route. It's an explicit nod that she can be counted on to subvert the constitution for her master. I don't doubt that this was on her flash card for questions about Pence and/or Jan 6.

[GreenGoo]

There's really no exposure to be had there.

Quick: off the top of your head, name any nominating convention delegate.

We are literally talking about it. Because the media is talking about it. For days now.

The point is not that you transition from nomination-delegate directly to the white house. That's absurd. Your friend is not drumpf Jr. (I hope?!) and nomination-delegate is not the final result of all of this.

A better test would be: Quick: Name a nomination delegate that has made national headlines previously.

As I said, this is the start of a long con. Get back to me when he turns 35.

[Pyperkub]

What's an incompetent grifter to do? Yup, blame the staff!

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) revealed in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail that she believed her former staffers spied on her, mismanaged close to $1 million from the office budget, and “threatened the interns.”...

However, some of those former staffers not only deny the allegations, they refute the idea that anything was “hacked” — because Mace granted them access herself: “Everything the staff had access to was granted by her.” One staffer said:

She had a personal calendar, a political calendar, and official calendar. All three of those calendars were managed and shared with senior staff so that we could go about the daily operations. No one hacked her accounts. She set them all up.

She routinely would try to revoke access, be like “you can no longer see my calendar” for a couple of weeks. And you know what, we couldn’t do our jobs.

A different staffer also retorted: “This seems to be stemming from paranoia and trust issues. She’s clearly unwell and I hope she gets help.”

[Holman]

There's really no exposure to be had there.

Quick: off the top of your head, name any nominating convention delegate.

We are literally talking about it. Because the media is talking about it. For days now.

The point is not that you transition from nomination-delegate directly to the white house. That's absurd. Your friend is not drumpf Jr. (I hope?!) and nomination-delegate is not the final result of all of this.

A better test would be: Quick: Name a nomination delegate that has made national headlines previously.

As I said, this is the start of a long con. Get back to me when he turns 35.

My point was that being a delegate doesn't give him anything. He's already famous for being Trump's son. He would get the same exposure from being seen at a restaurant or at a ballgame.

I really don't think he's the heir apparent. If he were being groomed for that, he would already have been active in the public eye much more than... not at all, ever.

I think the next political Trump will actually be Eric. Don Jr gets a lot of attention for being loud and coked up, but Eric (and his wife Lara, now head of the RNC) are the ones called in for making political talking points on the news. And Eric is apparently Trump's ambassador to the Christian Right, a role everyone knows Don Jr couldn't even pretend to attempt.

[GreenGoo]

I don't know what to say. If you don't see any value in tying Junior's name early (like, 17 years early) and often to the Republican party so that the average Republican voter associates the two, fair enough.

I disagree.

When the time comes, he'll be the defacto Rep nominee, because of years of conditioning the Rep party to that fact. He'll be touted as the Right's great white hope until it becomes a fundamental truth long before he's actually eligible.

That's the very definition of conditioning.

[LawBeefaroni]

I don't know what to say. If you don't see any value in tying Junior's name early (like, 17 years early) and often to the Republican party so that the average Republican voter associates the two, fair enough.

I disagree.

When the time comes, he'll be the defacto Rep nominee, because of years of conditioning the Rep party to that fact. He'll be touted as the Right's great white hope until it becomes a fundamental truth long before he's actually eligible.

That's the very definition of conditioning.

So optimistic that he'll be a nominee, as if we'll have voting.

He's an heir and he'll get the crown when his time comes.

[Smoove_B]

Ha! I was right.

News: Trump’s son Barron will no longer serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, per a senior Trump campaign adviser & a statement from Melania Trump’s office

The stmt from Melania Trump’s office said "he regretfully declines due to prior commitments"

[GreenGoo]

Well yeah, but you've got to keep up appearances. Turning the election into a drumpf brand tv show won't work unless people believe it's not fixed.

edit: where's the shrug emoji when you need it?

:shrug:

[Holman]

The basic objection to Barron being Trump's heir is that Barron has never shown any of the qualities that make Trump Trump.

Is he pugnacious? Is he shameless enough to possess the magic? Does he eat potential rivals for breakfast? Has he ever even spoken a word in public?

No.

Leaving aside the plausible rumors that he is pretty seriously autistic, Barron just doesn't seem to have the Trump aura. Name alone is not enough. Plus, the Melania statement that Barron will not be a delegate supports the idea that she and her son aren't invested in Trump's political future.

The next Trump won't be a Trump. They will be something just as socially toxic but politically worse.

[Victoria Raverna]

I'm enraged just reading that, I dare not click play to listen to someone being that stupid (or intentionally obtuse).

I have noticed the "hypothetical defense' being used by politicians more and more recently. It's as if some image consultant has been teaching it to various clients and it's spreading. "Now listen, to avoid the "gotcha" press, anytime they ask you about ANYthing that you or others might or might not do in the future, just say "I don't answer hypotheticals" and BAM! you got em!

Except poor, dumb Kristi with a K is only vaguely aware of how it's supposed to work, or even what the meaning of "hypothetical" is, and totally cocked it up.

Well, there's that, since it's a question about an event that did indeed happen. But she's also saying that if she is VP, she won't take the Pence route. It's an explicit nod that she can be counted on to subvert the constitution for her master. I don't doubt that this was on her flash card for questions about Pence and/or Jan 6.

But if Trump win, it'll be his last time to be president, right? So not going to be another chance for him to have to count on his VP to steal the election.

[Jaymann]

I'm enraged just reading that, I dare not click play to listen to someone being that stupid (or intentionally obtuse).

I have noticed the "hypothetical defense' being used by politicians more and more recently. It's as if some image consultant has been teaching it to various clients and it's spreading. "Now listen, to avoid the "gotcha" press, anytime they ask you about ANYthing that you or others might or might not do in the future, just say "I don't answer hypotheticals" and BAM! you got em!

Except poor, dumb Kristi with a K is only vaguely aware of how it's supposed to work, or even what the meaning of "hypothetical" is, and totally cocked it up.

Well, there's that, since it's a question about an event that did indeed happen. But she's also saying that if she is VP, she won't take the Pence route. It's an explicit nod that she can be counted on to subvert the constitution for her master. I don't doubt that this was on her flash card for questions about Pence and/or Jan 6.

But if Trump win, it'll be his last time to be president, right? So not going to be another chance for him to have to count on his VP to steal the election.

You think a two term limit is going to stop the Orange Turd? At a minimum he could steal the election for one of his devil spawn. At a maximum he could "suspend" elections altogether.

[Kraken]

Yeah, to the extent that he even knows what's in it, trump disdains the Constitution (while ostensibly worshiping it, of course). And that's fine, with SCOTUS on his side.

[Kurth]

I'm enraged just reading that, I dare not click play to listen to someone being that stupid (or intentionally obtuse).

I have noticed the "hypothetical defense' being used by politicians more and more recently. It's as if some image consultant has been teaching it to various clients and it's spreading. "Now listen, to avoid the "gotcha" press, anytime they ask you about ANYthing that you or others might or might not do in the future, just say "I don't answer hypotheticals" and BAM! you got em!

Except poor, dumb Kristi with a K is only vaguely aware of how it's supposed to work, or even what the meaning of "hypothetical" is, and totally cocked it up.

Well, there's that, since it's a question about an event that did indeed happen. But she's also saying that if she is VP, she won't take the Pence route. It's an explicit nod that she can be counted on to subvert the constitution for her master. I don't doubt that this was on her flash card for questions about Pence and/or Jan 6.

But if Trump win, it'll be his last time to be president, right? So not going to be another chance for him to have to count on his VP to steal the election.

You think a two term limit is going to stop the Orange Turd? At a minimum he could steal the election for one of his devil spawn. At a maximum he could "suspend" elections altogether.

Holy shit? Seriously, VR? Have you not been paying attention to anything that’s been going on in the U.S.?

Exactly what Jaymann said.

[LordMortis]

You think a two term limit is going to stop the Orange Turd? At a minimum he could steal the election for one of his devil spawn. At a maximum he could "suspend" elections altogether.

I think I minimum is to choose a puppet who isn't his spawn, but family is the more probable. It's TFG's way. I don't see the maximum happening but he has been know to exceed my expectations and his senility/dementia really does seem to be picking up the pace. If he wins, and I don't see that as highly improbable, I don't see his influence ending in four years unless he dies of natural causes and infighting destroys the party.

[Victoria Raverna]

I'm enraged just reading that, I dare not click play to listen to someone being that stupid (or intentionally obtuse).

I have noticed the "hypothetical defense' being used by politicians more and more recently. It's as if some image consultant has been teaching it to various clients and it's spreading. "Now listen, to avoid the "gotcha" press, anytime they ask you about ANYthing that you or others might or might not do in the future, just say "I don't answer hypotheticals" and BAM! you got em!

Except poor, dumb Kristi with a K is only vaguely aware of how it's supposed to work, or even what the meaning of "hypothetical" is, and totally cocked it up.

Well, there's that, since it's a question about an event that did indeed happen. But she's also saying that if she is VP, she won't take the Pence route. It's an explicit nod that she can be counted on to subvert the constitution for her master. I don't doubt that this was on her flash card for questions about Pence and/or Jan 6.

But if Trump win, it'll be his last time to be president, right? So not going to be another chance for him to have to count on his VP to steal the election.

You think a two term limit is going to stop the Orange Turd? At a minimum he could steal the election for one of his devil spawn. At a maximum he could "suspend" elections altogether.

Holy shit? Seriously, VR? Have you not been paying attention to anything that’s been going on in the U.S.?

Exactly what Jaymann said.

If he is powerful enough to change the term limit and be a candidate for the third term, I don't think he is going to need a VP's help to steal election, right?

[Blackhawk]

That part is true. If he goes that far, he'll have passed voting 'reforms' that guarantee that he won't lose the electoral college. Ever.

[milo]

If he is powerful enough to change the term limit and be a candidate for the third term, I don't think he is going to need a VP's help to steal election, right?

The President cannot change the US Constitution unilaterally. However, the term limit for president in the US Constitution does not prevent anyone from running for a third term. It only states that they are ineligible to *serve* a third term.

If Trump runs for a third term, say as the Trump Party nominee, he will need his own VP to override the will of the voters and the plain language of the constitution by certifying only the (T) electors. At that point, the Democratic candidate would sue in the US Supreme Court to be elected as the rightful President, by virtue of being the qualified candidate. The Republican-dominated USSC would then deny certiorari to avoid appearing "political". The Democrats in Congress may try to submit a bill of impeachment to the Senate, but the Republicans in the Senate would prevent conviction by the required two-thirds majority.

So you can see that Trump's VP choice for his second term could be the lynch pin to enable his serving a third term.

[Smoove_B]

If he gets re-elected, we're going to have much more to worry about in the short-term than what his plans are for 4+ years later.