More riots & looting coming?

[Capt'n Planet]

I totally agree BMJ. Trump has terrible style, but excellent political instincts. He's been an outsider his whole life, and he tapped into that with the campaign, and in doing so he turned the entire political map upside down. The union Midwest is now completely in play for an entire generation. The Dems were convinced that demographics were their destiny, that a "less white" America put them in political power forever. Trump showed that it's not about color, it's about ideas, its about patriotism, it's about the individual. The latino vote is now up for grabs, and the black vote is not monolithic any more. In that respect, he tapped into some of the positive aspects of the Reagan era. I know the press hates him, but the press also hated Reagan 35 years ago and constantly said he was an ignorant buffoon. History has said otherwise. We shall see....

I didn't vote for Trump in 2016 (or 2020) but if the man does nothing except overturn the sensitivities of basic bitch "Libertarians," and hypersensitive libtards it would have been worth it.

 

[1bigun11]

The 2020 election can be roughly summed up this way:

1) Trump lost

2) House and Senate Republicans drastically overperformed expectations

In sum, America is still a center-right country. Voters couldn't stomach Trump but they liked the idea of divided government with Republicans having control of some of the levers of government.

In other words, the election was a rejection of Trump but not of Republicans more broadly. If anything, voters in downballot races embraced Republican candidates even while breaking from Trump.

In theory then, if Trump stepped off the stage, Republicans would be in pretty good shape. Sure, they'd have a contested and contentious fight to see who the right person is to represent the party in 2024 but it would, generally speaking, be a fight between politicians who can be fit somewhere into the traditional spectrum.

From Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton on the far right to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in the center-ish, the party would spend the next few years choosing which brand of Republicanism or conservatism they preferred. But the debate would, largely, be about policy -- immigration, health care etc. -- and tone. It would not be first and foremost about personality.

To be clear: There's no question that for some swing voters, the residual cloud left by Trump to hang over the party would be a problem. The capitulation of the GOP (and its principles) at the altar of Trump's cult of personality over the past four years would still have consequences for plenty of people.

But with Trump not in contention in 2024, the ambitious 2024 candidates could make the "let's leave the past in the past" argument -- focusing instead on traditional GOP messages like small government, lower taxes and national security while casting Democrats as beholden to their liberal extremes.

All of that goes out the window if Trump is in the 2024 race. Trump would be, without question, the clear favorite for the presidential nomination and, as such, would suck up virtually all of the oxygen within the party. Even if somehow he lost the primary, the race would revolve around him. The working dynamic of the contest -- assuming any serious Republicans attempted to challenge him -- would be Trump vs anti-Trump. Any discussion of policy or the future of the Republican Party would be subsumed by "Oh God, did you see what he just tweeted?!?!?"

Unfortunately for Republicans, we know where that ends. In a loss at the presidential level. Because while voters seem perfectly comfortable sending Republicans to Congress and their state legislatures, not enough of them feel that same way about Trump.

Which means that if Trump runs in 2024, the Republican Party will be frozen in a sort of stasis -- unable to get beyond a person who they know is not only very unlikely to command a majority of the country's votes in the next presidential election but also who will continue to do damage to the party brand along the way.

What if Trump somehow changes his approach, chastened by his 2020 loss? That will never happen. Not just because Trump has proven time and time again over the last five years that he only has one political gear but also because he will never actually concede he lost this election -- meaning that, in his mind, no adjustments need to be made.

Insanity is, by one definition, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Which, well, is what Republicans will be forced to do if Trump, as he seems set to do, announces another run for president.

 

[CFM]

Is @1bigun11 a combat vet?

 

[captaincaveman]

Good post. None of it backed up by history or facts. The only theory that sounds more like a conspiracy than the election being stolen from Trump is that voters voted for members of Congress that have historically low approval ratings....MUCH lower than Trump - and voted for Biden, then switched back and voted for Republicans in record numbers while ousting some some democrats. Biden defied that powerful wave in 10 counties in certain swing states that had certain processes and certain machines.....hmmmmmm. What luck!

So, again, to say that Republican's "over-performed" is unicorn magic just like Biden winning the exact 10 counties he needed to win at 2-4am the morning AFTER polls close and voting machines are taken offline, etc. etc.

Now, who is the conspiracy theorist? At least our side (election fraud) has some evidence that votes and machines were tampered with. You simply say Republicans "over-performed" everywhere else in the country - except 10 counties.

You can't flip a coin 3,000 times and come up with 2990 heads and 10 tails.........well, I guess in Biden world and in 10 counties in America it is possible! Bring on the UNICORNS!

 

[1bigun11]

Is @1bigun11 a combat vet?

USMC Active Duty 1979-1982, then Active Reserves till 1985.

 

[captaincaveman]

Is @1bigun11 a combat vet?

No idea. I like bigun. We always got along well and still do. We are going to have a virtual beer inside a hacked Dominion voting machine.

 

[CFM]

The 2020 election can be roughly summed up this way:

1) Trump lost

2) House and Senate Republicans drastically overperformed expectations

In sum, America is still a center-right country. Voters couldn't stomach Trump but they liked the idea of divided government with Republicans having control of some of the levers of government.

In other words, the election was a rejection of Trump but not of Republicans more broadly. If anything, voters in downballot races embraced Republican candidates even while breaking from Trump.

In theory then, if Trump stepped off the stage, Republicans would be in pretty good shape. Sure, they'd have a contested and contentious fight to see who the right person is to represent the party in 2024 but it would, generally speaking, be a fight between politicians who can be fit somewhere into the traditional spectrum.

From Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton on the far right to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in the center-ish, the party would spend the next few years choosing which brand of Republicanism or conservatism they preferred. But the debate would, largely, be about policy -- immigration, health care etc. -- and tone. It would not be first and foremost about personality.

To be clear: There's no question that for some swing voters, the residual cloud left by Trump to hang over the party would be a problem. The capitulation of the GOP (and its principles) at the altar of Trump's cult of personality over the past four years would still have consequences for plenty of people.

But with Trump not in contention in 2024, the ambitious 2024 candidates could make the "let's leave the past in the past" argument -- focusing instead on traditional GOP messages like small government, lower taxes and national security while casting Democrats as beholden to their liberal extremes.

All of that goes out the window if Trump is in the 2024 race. Trump would be, without question, the clear favorite for the presidential nomination and, as such, would suck up virtually all of the oxygen within the party. Even if somehow he lost the primary, the race would revolve around him. The working dynamic of the contest -- assuming any serious Republicans attempted to challenge him -- would be Trump vs anti-Trump. Any discussion of policy or the future of the Republican Party would be subsumed by "Oh God, did you see what he just tweeted?!?!?"

Unfortunately for Republicans, we know where that ends. In a loss at the presidential level. Because while voters seem perfectly comfortable sending Republicans to Congress and their state legislatures, not enough of them feel that same way about Trump.

Which means that if Trump runs in 2024, the Republican Party will be frozen in a sort of stasis -- unable to get beyond a person who they know is not only very unlikely to command a majority of the country's votes in the next presidential election but also who will continue to do damage to the party brand along the way.

What if Trump somehow changes his approach, chastened by his 2020 loss? That will never happen. Not just because Trump has proven time and time again over the last five years that he only has one political gear but also because he will never actually concede he lost this election -- meaning that, in his mind, no adjustments need to be made.

Insanity is, by one definition, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Which, well, is what Republicans will be forced to do if Trump, as he seems set to do, announces another run for president.

I doubt very, very much anyone voted for Trump as a person. I know I didn't. I voted and will probably always vote against Democrats.

 

[captaincaveman]

USMC Active Duty 1979-1982, then Active Reserves till 1985.

Appreciate your service sir.
Much respect to you.

 

[CFM]

No idea. I like bigun. We always got along well and still do. We are going to have a virtual beer inside a hacked Dominion voting machine.

I always liked him too, until he went on his tirades. Claims he is Libertarian while praising Biden. Biden and his band of rioters and looters have no place in America.

 

[1bigun11]

Good post. None of it backed up by history or facts. The only theory that sounds more like a conspiracy than the election being stolen from Trump is that voters voted for members of Congress that have historically low approval ratings....MUCH lower than Trump - and voted for Biden, then switched back and voted for Republicans in record numbers while ousting some some democrats. Biden defied that powerful wave in 10 counties in certain swing states that had certain processes and certain machines.....hmmmmmm. What luck!

So, again, to say that Republican's "over-performed" is unicorn magic just like Biden winning the exact 10 counties he needed to win at 2-4am the morning AFTER polls close and voting machines are taken offline, etc. etc.

Now, who is the conspiracy theorist? At least our side (election fraud) has some evidence that votes and machines were tampered with. You simply say Republicans "over-performed" everywhere else in the country - except 10 counties.

You can't flip a coin 3,000 times and come up with 2990 heads and 10 tails.........well, I guess in Biden world and in 10 counties in America it is possible! Bring on the UNICORNS!

No. What I basically say is Trump lost, and the sooner you whiny bastards get over it the better the Republican Party will be. Till then you will continue to get your asses kicked. Meanwhile, see you on January 20. Till then go buy yourself a box of Kleenex. You’ll need a few of them.

 

[1bigun11]

I always liked him too, until he went on his tirades. Claims he is Libertarian while praising Biden. Biden and his band of rioters and looters have no place in America.

You are a complete idiot if you think I praised Biden anywhere in this thread. You’re an idiot.

 

[CFM]

I am over it but curious, how is Portland these days? Did the Liberal Cunts run out of mommy and daddy's allowance money and go home?