Political analyst for the Atlantic writes a particularly brutal commentary on GOP

[CitizenKain]

Odd. the GOP seems to have little trouble winning the majority of governorships and state legislatures, not to mention the federal legislature. But clearly they have a problem connecting to voters.

And it's interesting that gay marriage was so popular, it had to go to the courts to have all the state constitutional amendments banning it overturned.

GOP does extremely well on the local and state level, they have better outreach in midterms.

Plus they work extremely hard at voter suppression, redistricting and doing their damnedest to keep people who don't vote for them from voting.

At a national level though, the GOP is going to have a problem. Especially as they dip ever further into the clown pool for candidates.

 

[Atreus21]

GOP does extremely well on the local and state level, they have better outreach in midterms.

Plus they work extremely hard at voter suppression, redistricting and doing their damnedest to keep people who don't vote for them from voting.

At a national level though, the GOP is going to have a problem. Especially as they dip ever further into the clown pool for candidates.

When Republicans don't win, it's evidence of their being disconnected from voters. When they do, it's only by chicanery. What a bunch of evil bastards.

 

[Moonbeam]

When Republicans don't win, it's evidence of their being disconnected from voters. When they do, it's only by chicanery. What a bunch of evil bastards.

Your criticism makes no sense and can be explained by the fact that while voters are stupid, they are not as stupid as our current Republicans have become. You never go full retard.

 

[Atreus21]

Your criticism makes no sense and can be explained by the fact that while voters are stupid, they are not as stupid as our current Republicans have become. You never go full retard.

...right.

 

[K1052]

When Republicans don't win, it's evidence of their being disconnected from voters. When they do, it's only by chicanery. What a bunch of evil bastards.

Electoral conditions during the midterms were wildly favorable to the GOP for many reasons (record low turnout, seats up for grabs, non-presidental cycle where the opponent party holds the white house). It is not possible to apply the outcome of that election for 2016 which will have basically polar opposite conditions where the larger political and demographic trends of the US will come into expression.

I'm fully expecting the GOP to rend itself apart during the debates though. Trump 2016!

 

[glenn1]

Electoral conditions during the midterms were wildly favorable to the GOP for many reasons (record low turnout, seats up for grabs, non-presidental cycle where the opponent party holds the white house). It is not possible to apply the outcome of that election for 2016 which will have basically polar opposite conditions where the larger political and demographic trends of the US will come into expression.

I'm fully expecting the GOP to rend itself apart during the debates though. Trump 2016!

You're presuming the Dems won't rend apart also. Happened in 2008 with the Hillary PUMA (Party Unity My @ss) crowd although Obama winning helped but didn't completely mend the rift. There doesn't appear to be an inspirational candidate like Obama on either side in 2016 so the eventual nominees from both sides may be flawed or quite damaged by friendly fire once they do hit the general election.

For disclosure purposes, I have doubts that Hillary will be the eventual (D) nominee. I'd bet the Democratic field against her if there was an oddsmaker that offered that bet but doesn't appear to be so now that Intrade is gone.

 

[Sonikku]

You're all underestimating the power of money. Congress upped campaign limits 10x this year and Americans are all but waiting for the airwaves to tell them what to think. Throw in Super Pac's and The koch brothers and a handful of other elite could very nearly drown out the message of the other side with the way things are going.

 

[K1052]

You're presuming the Dems won't rend apart also. Happened in 2008 with the Hillary PUMA (Party Unity My @ss) crowd although Obama winning helped but didn't completely mend the rift. There doesn't appear to be an inspirational candidate like Obama on either side in 2016 so the eventual nominees from both sides may be flawed or quite damaged by friendly fire once they do hit the general election.

For disclosure purposes, I have doubts that Hillary will be the eventual (D) nominee. I'd bet the Democratic field against her if there was an oddsmaker that offered that bet but doesn't appear to be so now that Intrade is gone.

Was the Democratic candidate not elected? Hillary v Obama didn't fracture the party for the general election or turn independents against them with extreme rhetoric.

The rest of your post is extremely wishful thinking bordering on delusional.

 

[CitizenKain]

You're presuming the Dems won't rend apart also. Happened in 2008 with the Hillary PUMA (Party Unity My @ss) crowd although Obama winning helped but didn't completely mend the rift. There doesn't appear to be an inspirational candidate like Obama on either side in 2016 so the eventual nominees from both sides may be flawed or quite damaged by friendly fire once they do hit the general election.

For disclosure purposes, I have doubts that Hillary will be the eventual (D) nominee. I'd bet the Democratic field against her if there was an oddsmaker that offered that bet but doesn't appear to be so now that Intrade is gone.

I think calling 4 people a crowd is a bit of a stretch, which is all the PUMA thing was.

 

[werepossum]

You're all underestimating the power of money. Congress upped campaign limits 10x this year and Americans are all but waiting for the airwaves to tell them what to think. Throw in Super Pac's and The koch brothers and a handful of other elite could very nearly drown out the message of the other side with the way things are going.

I dunno about that, but it's going to make network television unwatchable. Well, more unwatchable.

 

[Newell Steamer]

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/-empathy-gop-presidential-race-2016-/397115/

Ouch. America is diversifying more than ever before, and if GOP candidates continue at failing to embrace those changes, I don't see much hope in them winning presidential races in the near future.

Conservatives have got their political future covered - they will let this guy be their mouth piece in regards to diversification:

 

[Jhhnn]

You're presuming the Dems won't rend apart also. Happened in 2008 with the Hillary PUMA (Party Unity My @ss) crowd although Obama winning helped but didn't completely mend the rift. There doesn't appear to be an inspirational candidate like Obama on either side in 2016 so the eventual nominees from both sides may be flawed or quite damaged by friendly fire once they do hit the general election.

For disclosure purposes, I have doubts that Hillary will be the eventual (D) nominee. I'd bet the Democratic field against her if there was an oddsmaker that offered that bet but doesn't appear to be so now that Intrade is gone.

You're whistlin' past the graveyard. Hilllary would have been the nominee in 2008 if not for Obama, & there's no comparable force against her today. She likely would have won the presidency back then if not for that.

She'll take on more than enough of what Sanders offers to woo the base, might even put him in the #2 spot. If you think rank & file Dems wouldn't mount a charge behind that, you're delusional. It's Repubs' worst nightmare.

A new New Deal, what Dems should have done when they had the chance in 2009. It was their lethargy that brought the backlash in 2010, not their actions. Too bad Obama's first 100 days weren't like FDR's because it would have destroyed Repubs for at least a generation.

 

[werepossum]

Conservatives have got their political future covered - they will let this guy be their mouth piece in regards to diversification:

Dude! No penis pictures are allowed in P&N. Take that shit to 4Chan.

 

[MongGrel]

Your criticism makes no sense and can be explained by the fact that while voters are stupid, they are not as stupid as our current Republicans have become. You never go full retard.

A lot of voters go full retard on a regular basis.

Or the US wouldn't be where it is right now.

 

[Jhhnn]

A lot of voters go full retard on a regular basis.

Or the US wouldn't be where it is right now.

True, but Repubs need some catastrophe to play off of because otherwise they got nuthin', certainly nuthin' new.

They need a way to rev up the hate & discontent, exploit wedge issues. Hillary's emails aren't it, & America is sick of war so an agreement w/ Iran would be welcomed, I believe. Repubs sure as Hell won't win any converts defending the Stars & Bars, bet on that.

What are their issues? What prescriptions do they offer other than ones already failed? Who can they fool, other than the perpetual suckers in their base?

 

[K1052]

The next phase of the nascent Trump latino charm offensive….sue em!

Donald Trump Sues Univision For $500 Million

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/30/418990895/donald-trump-sues-univision-for-500-million

I sooo want him to make it to the debates.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

The next phase of the nascent Trump latino charm offensive….sue em!

Donald Trump Sues Univision For $500 Million

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/30/418990895/donald-trump-sues-univision-for-500-million

I sooo want him to make it to the debates.

Good god trumplestiltskin is an arrogant prick.

 

[werepossum]

A lot of voters go full retard on a regular basis.

Or the US wouldn't be where it is right now.

Awe, c'mon, Obama isn't THAT bad.

The next phase of the nascent Trump latino charm offensive….sue em!

Donald Trump Sues Univision For $500 Million

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/30/418990895/donald-trump-sues-univision-for-500-million

I sooo want him to make it to the debates.

Me too. Imagine how sane all the other Pubbies will look.

I cannot imagine that contract did not have a morals clause. Or that every Miss Whatever Pageant together for the next ten years would net $500 million.

 

[davmat787]

Democrat or Republican, if any candidate were to run on the real issues and problems that have infested Washington D.C. they would probably scare the voters so bad he or she would be unelectable.

The country seems to still be in a collective denial about how far we have strayed that we could not handle a candidate exposing and running to fix the problems.

Right, moderate, or left does anyone think we have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people?

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

Your criticism makes no sense and can be explained by the fact that while voters are stupid, they are not as stupid as our current Republicans have become. You never go full retard.

You shouldn't use ableist language on these forums. Especially you Moonbeam.

 

[Blanky]

Well I have been saying this for years (elsewhere). The GOP have completely lost the plot and the only reason they lost the last election is because Romney was a rich old elitist, basically the perfect guy to lose in the current political climate.

I imagine the GOP are going to put forward another idiot next time, because primaries are decided by their most fervent; people voting in them are not thinking long term; not thinking "can this guy actually win?". All they are thinking about is "Man, this is the guy I want as POTUS!" except that he has no chance in a general election to win.

There are so many angry republicans that they'll find the most anti-obama they can. White, obviously--would be very, very surprised if not white--and very wealthy and a good history of doing absolutely jack squat to stand out from the crowd when GOP was stupid in the past. And he'll get thrashed in the general election.

I would actually like the GOP to win the next election (mainly to get another conservative justice in the scotus when one of them retires/croaks in the next several years) but I doubt they will because they are incapable of putting forward good candidates.

I know all of us want Trump to win the primaries only because it would be fucking amazing and hilarious and a train wreck of historic proportions, but he won't, unfortunately.

 

[nickqt]

Democrat or Republican, if any candidate were to run on the real issues and problems that have infested Washington D.C. they would probably scare the voters so bad he or she would be unelectable.

The country seems to still be in a collective denial about how far we have strayed that we could not handle a candidate exposing and running to fix the problems.

Right, moderate, or left does anyone think we have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people?

Bernie Sanders.

 

[werepossum]

Well I have been saying this for years (elsewhere). The GOP have completely lost the plot and the only reason they lost the last election is because Romney was a rich old elitist, basically the perfect guy to lose in the current political climate.

I imagine the GOP are going to put forward another idiot next time, because primaries are decided by their most fervent; people voting in them are not thinking long term; not thinking "can this guy actually win?". All they are thinking about is "Man, this is the guy I want as POTUS!" except that he has no chance in a general election to win.

There are so many angry republicans that they'll find the most anti-obama they can. White, obviously--would be very, very surprised if not white--and very wealthy and a good history of doing absolutely jack squat to stand out from the crowd when GOP was stupid in the past. And he'll get thrashed in the general election.

I would actually like the GOP to win the next election (mainly to get another conservative justice in the scotus when one of them retires/croaks in the next several years) but I doubt they will because they are incapable of putting forward good candidates.

I know all of us want Trump to win the primaries only because it would be fucking amazing and hilarious and a train wreck of historic proportions, but he won't, unfortunately.

That's actually how we got McCain - everybody said he's electable. Forgetting that the only reason the media loved him was his constant attacks on other Republicans. And I don't want Trump to win the primary - that's like saying "wouldn't it be funny if I loaded half the cylinder and played Russian Roulette?" The Hildabeast is very, very capable of imploding during the general, to the point that not even the media can save her.

The only one I like so far is Kasich and he probably won't even make the debate. I would like to think though that there are enough sane Republican primary voters that a pragmatic, non-gay-hating, Obamacare-embracing governor could at least get some traction. But my money isn't riding on it.

 

[davmat787]

Bernie Sanders.

And what would you say his odds are?

 

[Blanky]

I would like to think though that there are enough sane Republican primary voters that a pragmatic, non-gay-hating, Obamacare-embracing governor could at least get some traction. But my money isn't riding on it.

I like fiction, too I'm not sure there are enough.

I don't believe enough republicans realize how quickly things are changing and that they are going to need to give up some of what they want to have a chance for somebody to get in office.