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Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#333476: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:36:04 AM

If Trump loses spectacularly, I wonder how it will affect the Republican party...they dropped the veil more than one with him in the lead and said the quiet part out loud.

Will it be back to euphemisms and winks and nods from them? Pence and his VP performance suggest so.

We would be entering unknown territory, normally a party would take stock of its current platform and change it to appeal to more people. But the Republicans are not a normal party, they're a hive of irrational fanatics who are devoted to identitarian bigotry.

I suspect they would double down and simply choose another Trump. That could have devastating strategic consequences for them in the long run.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#333477: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:38:10 AM

I did see articles in the past suggesting that Republican Senators will claim that they knew Trump was racist, incompetent etc. all along if he loses. In fact, I am pretty sure I linked them here from this Twitter account.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#333478: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:38:55 AM

Obama's election was supposed to be the GOP's wake-up call, but instead the party doubled down on racism and iconoclasm. It has been speculated by some that we'll need to deal it a series of catastrophic defeats before it'll deal seriously with its own issues. One election, or even two, won't be enough.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#333479: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:41:26 AM

I did see articles in the past suggesting that Republican Senators will claim that they knew Trump was racist, incompetent etc. all along if he loses. In fact, I am pretty sure I linked them here from this Twitter account.

At which point they would promptly be primaried by enraged cultists.

I don't see this happening.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Oct 12th 2020 at 10:41:39 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
ScubaWolf from South Carolina Since: Feb, 2020
#333480: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:42:56 AM

[up][up] One election losing by an electoral landslide would be enough to get their attention. Best case scenario this year, Biden wins by an electoral landslide, and most (if not all) Senate Republicans going for re-election this year lose. A loss on that level would be near impossible for the Republican Party to come back from, it'd mean they lost so many voters that they're no longer viable on the national stage.

Edited by ScubaWolf on Oct 12th 2020 at 1:43:47 PM

"In a move surprising absolutely no one"
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#333481: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:46:03 AM

[up] I honestly don’t think that would be enough for them to do a sober evaluation of their situation. They’re stuck now between a totally irrational base and the consequences of their actions.

They should have sent a poet.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#333482: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:47:15 AM

Their response to this has been to cheat even more openly and pack the courts.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
ScubaWolf from South Carolina Since: Feb, 2020
#333483: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:50:41 AM

[up][up] Then they fade to obscurity while a better party takes their place.

"In a move surprising absolutely no one"
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#333484: Oct 12th 2020 at 10:51:23 AM

Their response to this has been to cheat even more openly and pack the courts.

This is the heart of the matter, they are fundamentally unwilling to reform themselves and thus the only path forward that is palatable to Republican idealogy is setting up eternal minority rule.

Thankfully all available evidence suggests that Biden is going to crush Trump and we may have an opportunity to implement electoral reform and shut down their anti-democratic efforts.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Oct 12th 2020 at 11:00:57 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#333485: Oct 12th 2020 at 11:01:51 AM

Senator Kennedy has called the Kavanaugh hearings, "A freak show like the Star Wars cantina." Also that he's been called a white imperialist, colonialist, and racist.

...

Yeah.

Okay. This is going to go well.

This is the heart of the matter, they are fundamentally unwilling to reform themselves and thus the only path forward that is palatable to Republican idealogy is setting up eternal minority rule.

Thankfully all available evidence suggests that Biden is going to crush Trump and we may have an opportunity to implement electoral reform and shut down their anti-democratic efforts.

At the heart of the matter, a lot of people assume that Republicans aren't racist for the sake of racism but to benefit themselves.

Frederick Douglass said that this was one of the biggest problems he had trying to convey how nightmarish slavery was. To most people, they thought it was because the slave owners wanted free labor and to make money.

He said, roughly, "They would impoverish themselves and kill themselves to preserve slavery. It was the point."

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Oct 12th 2020 at 11:03:32 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#333486: Oct 12th 2020 at 11:26:08 AM

Sure, some will, the rubes who were psychologically manipulated by targeted ads designed to convert their implicit racism and authoritarianism into becoming explicit. But don't forget the force that's ultimately driving movement conservatism—financial interests whose way of life depends absolutely on dominating the federal government. They won't "reform" because they can't reform. And as long as they make large sums of money available, they will find candidates willing to toe their line. They will just try to pick someone smarter next time.

That's the thing to worry about. It may take them another eight years to do it, but they will come back stronger and better organized. They have no choice.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#333487: Oct 12th 2020 at 11:30:40 AM

I suspect rather than the Republican Party reforming in the event of a landslide Biden win, we might see a bit of a free for all, as the Lincoln project start their own party and run candidates, as the Libertarians get more aggressive about trying to pull away Republicans and maybe even as the Republican leadership try to block Trump out and cause him to start his own party.

I’ve spent a lot of time look at the fall of both the Federalists and the Whigs, and a repeat of either requires certain conditions. The Federalists fell because they kept loosing over a long period of time, while the Whigs collapsed because a number of third-parties were already growing and they got pulled in multiple directions and were shattered.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#333488: Oct 12th 2020 at 11:36:16 AM

A large portion of the Republican base wants Trumpesque candidates and will vote accordingly in primaries. Until that changes, the Republican party won't be able to moderate, even if it faces internal splits and electoral shutouts in general races.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TitanJump Since: Sep, 2013 Relationship Status: Singularity
#333489: Oct 12th 2020 at 11:46:41 AM

How are the hearings going?

Complete circus?(From the GOP)

Or are Team Blue utterly and rightfully roasting the GOP as they deserve for doing this?

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#333490: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:14:00 PM

A large portion of the Republican base wants Trumpesque candidates and will vote accordingly in primaries. Until that changes, the Republican party won't be able to moderate, even if it faces internal splits and electoral shutouts in general races.

This. If Trump loses, that won't really be enough to determine the course of the GOP going forward. What will decide the GOP's direction going forward will be the outcome of the 2022 and 2024 Republican Primary elections for House, Senate, and President. Those will be the points at which Republican voters meet and decide what their party identity will be in a post-Trump world.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Oct 12th 2020 at 12:14:38 PM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#333491: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:21:45 PM

Yeah a big thing will be come 2022, do they nominate moderate Republicans in Pennsylvania and North Carolina? Does Murkowski get primaries again? If Grassley retires do they run Steve King for his seat? Do they primary Tim Scott?

2024 will be the big one, especially if one of the Trump family runs for the nomination (which they could even do from prison).

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Wryte Since: Jul, 2010
#333492: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:28:05 PM

I don't expect the Trump clan to retain any political relevance after Donald's not the president anymore.

Junior is a simpering suck up, Kushner is a lump of moldy drywall, Ivanka is a future Fox hostess at best, and none of the others are even on the radar. None of them have the derangement that passes for Donald's charisma, and the Trump name is going to be political poison to anyone outside of whatever remains of his cult once he's out of power.

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#333493: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:31:24 PM

Best case is that the worst they'll do is try to scam donors out of cash for the Trump Presidential Library.

"You can reply to this Message!"
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#333494: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:35:00 PM

.."And here we have the Trump Presidential Library, it is the world's smallest libary, all the books contained within are transcripts of Trump's twitter account.."

Edited by Ultimatum on Oct 12th 2020 at 7:35:20 PM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#333495: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:40:38 PM

I fully expect the GOP base to continue to nominate nutters outside of a few New England holdouts etc, followed by nominating someone like Tom Cotton in 2024 to run for the White House.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#333496: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:41:16 PM

Now now, I’m pretty sure that the documentation of his crimes will take up plenty of library space.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#333497: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:42:39 PM

The split after corruption is kinda what broke the two party system my country had. I wonder if it may happen for the U.S.

Good news: The libertarians did not rise.

Bad news: every option still sucks.

Worse news: one of the groups that rose was strictly super ultra rabidly evangelical and they had a sieable amount of votes.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#333498: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:56:38 PM

Not to mention all the books published about him...

Which makes me wonder, how many books do presidents generally see published while in office?

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Kardavnil The Polisci Majoris from Sweden Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: In my bunk
The Polisci Majoris
#333499: Oct 12th 2020 at 12:58:48 PM

@Wryte: I dunno, maybe Kimberly Guilfoyle could shriek her way into the nomination? Some people do seem to equate being charismatic with being loud and bullish (see Trump) [lol]

Roll a Constitution saving throw to make it through the year.
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#333500: Oct 12th 2020 at 1:00:34 PM

I'd rather have Libertarians than Evangelicals as the dominant right force. Assuming by libertarians we mean the Bill Weld types, as opposed to, say, Objectivists, Randians, and other megacorporatists.


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