Fear and Loathing in the Republican Party
Here we go again. The midterms are upon us and the republicans are bringing on their closing arguments. Are they pushing a meme of how successful they have been during the past two years? Of course not…….a party whose greatest successes were pushing through a tax scam package that made the rich, richer and and are now looking to pay for it by attacking social security, medicare, and Medicaid, and shoving through a reactionary SCOTUS nominee whose greatest claims to fame were that he made Scalia look like a liberal, and had his head so far up the president’s butt that he couldn’t find the sun in a nova. No, the closing argument is “fear and loathing in the United States”.
You must be afraid, very afraid of the seven thousand refugees, now in southern Mexico, who according to the republicans are rife with MS-13 criminals and middle eastern terrorists. The infants and children undertaking this dangerous trek are coming to rape your parents and steal your minimum wage jobs {that you won’t take or don’t need}. These people will steal your voting rights because they are black and brown. They will steal your religious liberties because they are Muslims who will force us to accept Islam and Shariah law. These refugees will overcrowd our schools and cost more tax money, while your child gets a voucher for your private or religious school. They will be given new cars, luxury housing, and free money while you starve {primarily because your health care costs are going through the roof because of republican mismanagement of the system}.
Look at the television ads. Attack a candidate whose profession was once a rapper {how dare he live in a lily white suburb}. Attack a candidate because he has used a different name than his father {how dare the man try to separate himself from a father who stood for everything the candidate opposes}. Attack a candidate or candidates because they are members of the LBGT-Q community {using the undercurrent that these people are going to force “alternate life styles” on them or their children}. Attack female candidates because they might actually bring a sense of civility and work toward equal rights for all. Most of all look for a positive ad by republican candidates…… Keep looking because they are few and far between. Look for ads that talk about policy and what they want to do……Not there. The name of the game is fear and the over arching message is protect what is yours and hate anyone who is not like you {in religion, color, sexual orientation, or even gender}.
Watch the president make nice with people like Ted Cruz {remember “Lyin Ted” whose father was part of the assassination of JFK}. Watch the rallies, the hatred and frenzy being encouraged by the president. It’s 2016 all over again. The difference is that we’ve had two years of this bull, and if we are smart are not going to buy it again.
There is nothing wrong with liking President Trump if you agree with his economic and foreign policy. It is fine if to vote for a republican if you believe s/he will bring civility and reason back to politics. What you can’t do is vote for a republican if you believed them in 2016 that they would drain the swamp. The swamp has become a morass. You cannot vote for a republican if you want to see politicians work across the aisle in order to pass legislation that benefit us all. You can’t vote republican unless you want to see two more years of vitriol. I’m certain that there are many who will vote republican anyhow.
I wonder whether there are republicans out there who are looking for independence from what the President says? Are there any republicans who can stand up for political decency? Most of them have been pressured out of office by the presidential “dittoheads”. What is left are those on the far right. Even so called moderates are forced to be reactionaries {see Susan Collins on the Kavanaugh nomination}.
This is a mid-term like no other. We have a political system that has become increasingly tribal. It is therefore necessary for every person to come out and vote. It is critical that this become an election that demands change. The President and the other Trumpikins will only get the message if people ignore the jobs and mobs saying and stop the fear and loathing rhetoric and substitute it with a saying and practice of “whatever you do, vote blue.
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It's time to stop cowtowing to the Republican bully in the White House and hit him hard with our own candidates. If Trump loses the House, it is over for him. A congress that does oversight is Trump's worst nightmare. It's almost Halloween. That makes it apropos for Trump to become afraid, very afraid.
They are freaking out on the AM dial. Instant Marxist dictatorship, end of the civilized world, etc, etc, etc. Send us cash!
Now THAT, is an example of a completely formulated paranoid rant.....
No matter how insane it actually is.... (and they claim the republicans are freaking out!)
"Fear and Loathing in the republican party?"
Not really. The F&L has infiltrated the American society. The Russians have perfected the art of 'smart weaponry' in the use of propaganda. Of course an electorate at the mercy of DeVos Education tactics are a big help also.
MAGA
Democrats, Republicans, Green Party and my fellow Independents all need to get out and vote - pick public servants rather than professional politicians. Disregard or look past party affiliation and pick the best woman or man for each job!!!
I think it would be much better for the country if every citizen eligible to vote lived up to their civic duty and did so regardless of whom they are voting for in the election.
I am not a Trump supporter, but neither did I vote for Hillary (who I also thought was not right for the country), but rather for a third party candidate who I felt was more qualified than either major party candidate.
Everyone, regardless of party affiliation should be encouraged to vote in every election from village level through national elections - it is not just a right it is a responsibility of citizenship.
Anyone who votes a straight ticket without evaluating the pro's and con's of each candidate regardless of party is a fool. The distribution of a$$hole$ and idiots is fairly even in the two major parties.
Nope I'm voting straight Democrat.
I'm sick of your both sides shit.
I'm no fool.
So long as you vote I care not who you vote for and as it being a fool's errand to vote a straight ticket without regard to who might be suited for the position on the ballot - we can agree to disagree.
I am also sick of you folks (on both sides) that vote straight tickets disregarding who might be best qualified content to be identified as a Jackass or an Elephant rather than doing the work to understand which candidate is better qualified and perhaps even creating a basis for bipartisan cooperation in government.
I fully agree with not voting straight party line and have not done so myself for years.I spent the time doing research to determine who I believed is best qualified as well. BUT this election the democrats have a distinct edge IMO for my vote in the federal area this time. I want a balance returned to congress !!! In our state and local elections it's back to the best qualified regardless of party for me.
Steve
Good point balance in Congress is indeed important, but I fear that the balance we might end up with is a Democrat controlled House and a Republican controlled Senate with the hyper-partisanship raised to a new level resulting any total legislative gridlock, except of course that the Senate will continue to conform conservative judges in the federal courts impacting the country for generations.
Perhaps if even at the national level we eliminated professional politicians (of both parties) and elected public servants we could return sanity and reason to the legislative process. Just a thought, crazy I know.
Unfortunately from what I'm hearing that may be the best the dems can do at this point, to me that's better than a one sided congress with little to no checks and balance.
Perhaps if even at the national level we eliminated professional politicians (of both parties) and elected public servants we could return sanity and reason to the legislative process. Just a thought, crazy I know.
That is exactly why I stopped voting straight party line long ago..
This will be my exception to my rule, with a good cause I believe and then only federally even this hopefully last time.
321steve
Again I respect your perspective and am glad that you are going to vote, so many million will not
But a question ( serious one) - do you honestly believe that electing an unqualified democrat is better than electing an independent or a republican who is qualified to serve in the House for instance?
And by the way I appreciate the back and forth
If we have divided government again I’ all for it if it prevents Congress from passing more laws and spending more of our money
No especially under normal circumstances.
However at this time I dont know and kinda doubt the people I will vote for will be unqualified.
They will probably be a help politically in the checks and balance that I believe we so desperately need right now and into the future though.
That this time sways my vote but not destroys the importance I place n my right to vote. It does promote the party division but that's out of my control all I can do is hope to hep restore IMO: the needed checks and balances of our government.
I too appreciate the civility... thanks
LOL.. Me too and I'd be shocked IF they actually also started solving some of the common problems of america like the interstate highways and its bridges, immigration and campaign finance reform.
IMO: Unaddressed problems usually cost more some days than it wold today, I know My problems seem to grow when left unattended then it cost me more to fix it all in the long run. I fix my leaking roof before I need to replace my furniture and carpet. Duuu
Not the county.
steve
discussion and debate is how I learn things and it is a much more viable learning situation when we can be civil with each other, even when we disagree on the basic premise of what we are discussing. I like that and look forward to many more exchanges and discussions with you.
One more question, if I might
Would you agree with me that the system of checks and balances (which we both value in our federal government) was never meant to be accomplished in a partisan way and is not likely to be effective? By that I mean partisan "checks and balances" which would occur if the election turns out as we both think it will (democrat House and republican Senate) will not be checks and balances at all but rather hyper-partisan induced gridlock
I am of that mind of our entire system at this point. The founding fathers worked together to establish the constitution, I'll bet they intended it to be worked in the same way as much as possible. it isn't by a long shot and hasn't for many many years.
I'm actually amazed we have what we do left of our government's effectiveness at all.
This common division of today may be leading us towards another civil war of sorts that actually hurts us all.
United we stand, devided we fall. I think that's much more that a cute saying, I think its reality.
Time will tell. Good Luck America !
I do get kinda of a chuckle when people tell me "I want a unified America, I just want it unified My way !"
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Good points
See ya around
For many years I voted for the person I thought would do the least harm in office, then when Newt and, the gang took charge in Congress I decided I had to do something else, I've been voting straight party ticket ever since that time and, I will continue to do so until this shit ends.
Galen
I respect your choice but for so long as you and others continue to vote straight ticket without regard to qualification for service, then "this shit never ends".
Hear, hear! The Republican Party has begged for it.
The intelligence level of candidates for the Republican Party has significantly dropped since the days of Reagan so, until they decide to start fielding smarter people, I will continue to vote the way I am voting.
I live in a deep red state. To get change, I had to vote straight democratic. And I did. I'm proud of it
Trout Giggles
And were the people you voted for qualified for the positions that they were running for?
I am glad you realized the change that you were looking for
more qualified than the dung heads who were already in office
Except I didn't get to vote against either of my senators (blech)
Trout
I am glad you were able to select more qualified people, that effected needed change
I try never to voted "against" anyone, but rather vote for someone that I think will be effective and productive in the particular position. History tells us that "voting against" most often results in the "lesser of two evils" more that it does in the best person for the job.
When you live where I do sometimes voting for the lesser of two evils is all you have.
I did have to vote for one republican because he? she? was running unopposed. My voting machine would not let me continue until I touched the damn dot
T G
That is a sad (but true) commentary on the times we live in
For me, though I would write in a choice rather than vote for someone I am not positive can do the job - voting against someone rather than for someone - seems wrong to me
Maybe I'm stupid (maybe?), but those voting machines wouldn't allow me to write in a candidate. I couldn't see how I could.
I don't think I'm liking all the new fangled tech for voting. I really do prefer paper ballots and a pencil
T G
I am sure you are not stupid quite the opposite
We still have paper ballots that we then feed into a computer to be read - an advantage to living in a small village miles from the nearest town and many miles from the nearest big city.
It could be that they are trying to phase out write in votes with technology ?advances?
WE have nothing but paper mail-in ballots here in WA and a write-in vote doesn't get counted either.
The reason? you have to be a registered candidate in the state, if you aren't they don't count the vote....
But then the Republicans and Democrats in this state got together and sued the electorate to take control of the voting process and limit candidates to only those their respective parties choose.....
One of the astounding things that most are unaware of, the political parties control the voting process and work together to eliminate choice...
It's a conspiracy I tell ya! Even Nowhere Man agrees!
And so does Xmm!
Maybe I should have voted third party where I could have.....
They also shouldn't force you to vote for someone who's running unopposed. I didn't want to fill in that one circle but the machine wouldn't let me advance until I did.
I know, I know....he/she still would have been elected but he/she would have gotten to office without Trout Giggles' vote!
It's Arkansas not Florida!
I see no benefit to encouraging knuckleheads to get out and vote.
So Donald Rump voters stay home then!
Every citizen should vote, it is more than a right is a responsibility of being a citizen of this great country.
Vote Red, vote Blue, vote Green hell vote for your pet iguana if you want to , but get out and vote
I have been seeing a lot of former Republicans turning to Dems. Several candidates have had prominent state and national newspapers that are traditionally conservative endorse the Democrat, prominent former Republican politicians have endorsed many Democrats, and several prominent Republican millionaires coming forward in support of Democratic candidates for the mid-terms.
A couple of terrible Republican candidates have had their entire families publicly denounce their own relative and endorse the Democrat candidate.
The GOP has destroyed everything they can with the tax cuts in the biggest open payback scam to pay off their donors and now threaten the middle class, the elderly and poor with further cuts to Social Security, Medicare and anything to complete the destruction of the middle class.
They don't even pretend any longer, except to lie in campaign ads about how junk insurance is going to cover pre-existing conditions when they know they are telling lies to the American people.
Insurance companies should not have the right to issue worthless policies to consumers just because they donate to Republicans and Republicans are willing to back them up and lie day after day after day. Lies.
[deleted]
You can't really believe this. So long as there is a Republican in the White House, and Conservative majority in the Supreme Court the left will never be satisfied.
So are you advocating for one party rule? That is is the only that will make the left happy. Complete and absolute control of everything. No dissension from the party line allowed.
Seems you left out calls for voting Democrats out of office that are supporting violence. Or doesn't it matter so long as they have a D behind their names?
You act as if this is all something new. Every election cycle the divisiveness gets ratcheted up; and we seem to eat it up.
Vote straight Blue ticket, vote straight Red ticket. As if it will make any difference.
The Dems will bitch there is a Republican in the White House, and they didn't get enough seats in the House and Senate to override a VETO. They will do everything they can to obstruct all judicial nominations. Just like they did when they won control of the Senate during Bush's last two years. Just like the Republicans did when they won back the Senate to Obama's nominations.
The Republicans will bitch about losing any seats, even if they maintain control of Congress, as it will diminish their power- and allow the obstructionist Democrats to dig in further.
Both sides will gear up the rhetoric and prep for the next end of days election cycle once this one ends. There will be no working together. Each side will have to up the fear level to keep their bases expanding. There will be no civility as long as we allow it.
Anyone that isn't willing to hold both sides accountable for the current division is part of the problem.
WELL said!
But,
That being said, does anyone in the parties have the required ability to be introspective? rather than holding themselves blameless?
I highly doubt it....