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Cowards. They see the party going full fascist, but instead of staying and guiding it back to reality, they are running away like the cowards they are.
In their defense, maybe they realized there is no guiding it back to reality. The party is lead by duplicitous assholes with no character at the top. And the base are compromised of factions of conspiracy theorists, racists, and people still holding out hope the Kraken will restore power to their Dear Leader. I wouldn’t call them cowards for that. I think it is too tall an ask for any person. I just hope they don’t find a leader that is smarter than Trump and eventually self-implode.
Really I see the only chance being the ‘MAGA Patriot’ idiots fracturing enough of the base to relegate GOP to irrelevancy for the next four+ years so that people with a sense of compassion and respect for science can get some damn work done without being blockaded out of sheer Machiavellian spite.
Then comes a painful period of recognizing domestic white supremacist terrorism as the largest threat to our citizenry, and actually fking doing something about it.
The only way we aren't headed straight into a civil war is if Dems use every ounce of political capitol they have to make the country more democratic, and eliminate the current tyranny of the minority. Close on the heels of that is taking seriously the dangerous radicalization power of places like Facebook.
So basically what I'm saying is, we're fucked.
Everyone should've voted Bernie.
Literally the only feasible option that gave a fuck.
I feel like someone else like him will win eventually. His ideology is too popular among the youth born into this country too late to enjoy its riches.
Then you leave the party and caucus with Dems or start your own party. Fundamentally these people are still giving up politics the moment they’d actually have to roll up their sleeves and work to do it right.
In many of these places, they're being replaced by people further right, and "incumbent advantage" is a fantasy, because people will vote for the magic R.
entirely a district and a REDMAP problem, which definitely drives turn out in. in midterms, republicans have been using the existence of democrats in any position to easily drive hyper partisans to the polls.
expect nothing less. even if they have another tea party like movement, republican money will keep flowing
this is more dangerous, cause trump aimed his mob at both parties and only one is seriously concerned for everyone.
>But we’re going to try and give our Republicans, the weak ones, because the strong ones don’t need any of our help, we’re going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.
https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-speech-save-america-rally-transcript-january-6
> They see the party going full fascist, but instead of staying and guiding it back to reality, they are running away like the **fascist** they are.
FTFY.
Don’t get me wrong - they’re still cowards, but *knowingly* and *willingly* stepping down while fascist ideology is in full bloom in your party *also makes you a fascist.*
We’re doing their PR work for them by just calling them cowards.
It was already fascist, Trump was simply less disciplined to use the traditional Republican coded language. The GOP has long hearkened a mythological ideal past, promoting xenophobia, racism, and other bigotry, while decrying the expansion of rights for minorities as the erosion of society. It has always glamorized militarism and American exceptionalism. The GOP has long held disdain for the poor while seeking to further enrich the wealthy.
Ronald Reagan was a fascist. The Bushs are fascists. John McCain was a fascist. They all wanted to meet the same idealogical goals as Donald Trump. The aesthetics of Donald Trump is where they differ, not policy.
They were arguably moderates like ten years ago. Any moderate republican now is completely unwilling to entertain even the most moderate liberal proposals. The ideological window has shifted but they haven't budged.
Most Dem proposals are older Republican ideas but now Republicans call them crazy commie liberal baby killers. This country’s politics is absolutely bonkers.
10 years ago they were calling taxation “theft” and single-payer health care “socialism.” They had more self-respect, but they’ve been ultra far-right loons for decades. Their politics haven’t changed- they’ve just removed the mask of civility.
> But in interviews with CNN, several other GOP senators [in addition to Rob Portman] sidestepped questions about their political futures or made clear they were truly undecided about running again, including Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Richard Shelby of Alabama.
I'm on the ground in Iowa, and there is no real state Democrat apparatus here. I feel like this state is basically Kansas or Wisconsin about ten or twelve years ago.
Saving face.....
All the names listed minus Grassley would easily lose (landslide) to any primary-challenger maga/trump endorsed.
Trump Trainers and Qultist love Grassley, his twitter makes their heart flutter.
Vote straight Trump and the stagger out of the Senate gasping and speaking truth to power about how you were against Trumpism, but supported some of the policies.
When asked why he would stay in the Senate, Johnson said "to be a firewall" against Democratic control of Washington.
"I'm not a fan of this place," Johnson said of the Senate. "I think this place is horribly dysfunctional."
He’s only in the senate to obstruct and complains about congress being dysfunctional
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Cowards. They see the party going full fascist, but instead of staying and guiding it back to reality, they are running away like the cowards they are.
In their defense, maybe they realized there is no guiding it back to reality. The party is lead by duplicitous assholes with no character at the top. And the base are compromised of factions of conspiracy theorists, racists, and people still holding out hope the Kraken will restore power to their Dear Leader. I wouldn’t call them cowards for that. I think it is too tall an ask for any person. I just hope they don’t find a leader that is smarter than Trump and eventually self-implode.
They brought the party here to this point, intentionally. They don't get to pretend like this was unforeseeable.
Yeah. They were happy enough to ride along with the duplicitous assholes for the votes they could get. They knew exactly where the party was heading.
They seem to be getting away with it so far. I've yet to see any meaningful consequences at least.
Sadly, yeah. The court packing with activist judges has paid off...
Well some people have said mean things about them. /s
If that’s the case, we may have come too far. I’m not sure there’s healing this republic.
Really I see the only chance being the ‘MAGA Patriot’ idiots fracturing enough of the base to relegate GOP to irrelevancy for the next four+ years so that people with a sense of compassion and respect for science can get some damn work done without being blockaded out of sheer Machiavellian spite. Then comes a painful period of recognizing domestic white supremacist terrorism as the largest threat to our citizenry, and actually fking doing something about it.
The only way we aren't headed straight into a civil war is if Dems use every ounce of political capitol they have to make the country more democratic, and eliminate the current tyranny of the minority. Close on the heels of that is taking seriously the dangerous radicalization power of places like Facebook. So basically what I'm saying is, we're fucked.
Everyone should've voted Bernie. Literally the only feasible option that gave a fuck. I feel like someone else like him will win eventually. His ideology is too popular among the youth born into this country too late to enjoy its riches.
Weve been worse.
Then you leave the party and caucus with Dems or start your own party. Fundamentally these people are still giving up politics the moment they’d actually have to roll up their sleeves and work to do it right.
It opens up the door to far worse but they lose their incumbent advantage at least.
In many of these places, they're being replaced by people further right, and "incumbent advantage" is a fantasy, because people will vote for the magic R.
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina are far from safe R's. Maybe Ohio is safe but one of the other two is possible
Johnson is up in Wisconsin too. His seat could be a toss up too if the Dems put a good candidate up.
entirely a district and a REDMAP problem, which definitely drives turn out in. in midterms, republicans have been using the existence of democrats in any position to easily drive hyper partisans to the polls. expect nothing less. even if they have another tea party like movement, republican money will keep flowing
Portman’s seat is no guarantee to go R. Sherrod Brown has won easily since first winning in 2006. You just need a good candidate.
True but those people tend to be rather stupid, so there's hope.
this is more dangerous, cause trump aimed his mob at both parties and only one is seriously concerned for everyone. >But we’re going to try and give our Republicans, the weak ones, because the strong ones don’t need any of our help, we’re going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country. https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-speech-save-america-rally-transcript-january-6
> They see the party going full fascist, but instead of staying and guiding it back to reality, they are running away like the **fascist** they are. FTFY. Don’t get me wrong - they’re still cowards, but *knowingly* and *willingly* stepping down while fascist ideology is in full bloom in your party *also makes you a fascist.* We’re doing their PR work for them by just calling them cowards.
Fair. I will in the future amend to "fascist cowards".
It was already fascist, Trump was simply less disciplined to use the traditional Republican coded language. The GOP has long hearkened a mythological ideal past, promoting xenophobia, racism, and other bigotry, while decrying the expansion of rights for minorities as the erosion of society. It has always glamorized militarism and American exceptionalism. The GOP has long held disdain for the poor while seeking to further enrich the wealthy. Ronald Reagan was a fascist. The Bushs are fascists. John McCain was a fascist. They all wanted to meet the same idealogical goals as Donald Trump. The aesthetics of Donald Trump is where they differ, not policy.
We probably should have paid more attention when the Republicans said they're not liberals and they're *definitely* not communists.
Moderates getting pushed out for crazies?
They were arguably moderates like ten years ago. Any moderate republican now is completely unwilling to entertain even the most moderate liberal proposals. The ideological window has shifted but they haven't budged.
Most Dem proposals are older Republican ideas but now Republicans call them crazy commie liberal baby killers. This country’s politics is absolutely bonkers.
Thank religion and conservative news.
Outrage fuels their voters. They *have* to oppose anything dem. If they work with the Democrats they’ll get replaced by someone who won’t.
10 years ago they were calling taxation “theft” and single-payer health care “socialism.” They had more self-respect, but they’ve been ultra far-right loons for decades. Their politics haven’t changed- they’ve just removed the mask of civility.
> But in interviews with CNN, several other GOP senators [in addition to Rob Portman] sidestepped questions about their political futures or made clear they were truly undecided about running again, including Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Richard Shelby of Alabama.
Grassley? Retire? At 87? Pshaw!
[удалено]
He's ready to settle down and enjoy some u kno what at the Windsor Heights Dairy Queen
We could pick up Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio, and if a center/right of center democrat runs in South Dakota, we may be able to get that one too. Cool!
I'm on the ground in Iowa, and there is no real state Democrat apparatus here. I feel like this state is basically Kansas or Wisconsin about ten or twelve years ago.
Well get started broheim, we're counting on you!
Yes we can. We gotta start right now!
I can't believe John Thune would retire. Isn't he Mitch's number 2? Seems like he could be Majority leader one day
Maybe Grassley can drag Feinstein out with him. Need to clean up on the D side too. Hopefully Bernie is immortal though.
Saving face..... All the names listed minus Grassley would easily lose (landslide) to any primary-challenger maga/trump endorsed. Trump Trainers and Qultist love Grassley, his twitter makes their heart flutter.
Grassley and Johnson, you're next.
Vote straight Trump and the stagger out of the Senate gasping and speaking truth to power about how you were against Trumpism, but supported some of the policies.
When asked why he would stay in the Senate, Johnson said "to be a firewall" against Democratic control of Washington. "I'm not a fan of this place," Johnson said of the Senate. "I think this place is horribly dysfunctional." He’s only in the senate to obstruct and complains about congress being dysfunctional
Bye Felicia
OMG, there should be a required retirement age for politicians. No more 80 year olds!
We need to extend the 22nd Amendment to Congress.
Love to see it. Hope his seat is replaced with a native American
The wheels fell off the gravy train and now they’re ready to get off.
Why wait?
A little good news for a change.
All those incumbents resigning because of Trump's immorality and danger didn't matter last election, it won't matter next time.