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Miriam Lewis's avatar

I'd say that the inmates have taken over the asylum, but that's maligning people with mental illness. It will be interesting to see if Republicans such as Liz Cheney can rescue something from the wreck of the GOP.

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Jamie Holmes's avatar

Let’s hope so because WOW - that’s the clearest the line’s been drawn in a while. No more polite, just..squeaking ...under the surface kinda racism. They’re gonna show themselves in the light of day.

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Donna Burrell (LI, NY)'s avatar

Absolutely. At first I was shocked and repulsed at the surgical theater lighting on this document. The next second, I was appreciative of the bandage being fully & completely off the infected wound. Gotta see the pus in order to treat it.

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MaryPat's avatar

And smell it.

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TCinLA's avatar

As leRoi Jones (later Amaru Baraka) put it: I'd rather deal with a Klansman than a white liberal, because at least I know to keep my eye on the knife.

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MLMinET's avatar

Well now that motives are clear, we have some major work in front of us.

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Reid (Seattle)'s avatar

I just keep wondering: where are the Republicans with guts? So many of them must find this rhetoric utterly repugnant, but I actually find McCarthy and Cheney's rebuttals rather mild in response to the white supremacist hatred spewed in this statement. They should be denouncing their colleagues and calling for their removal. Saying, "naughty, naughty" is not enough. While we're on the subject, what's up with the fact that Mitt Romney seems to have entirely lost his voice?

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TCinLA's avatar

You can find them at places like The Bulwark, where daily I find myself completely shocked and awed to discover I agree with Bill Kristol about so much. Who knew? At least he seems to have had a moral compass even if he let it wander afar, but he discovered it before he became a boiled frog in the pot.

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Reid (Seattle)'s avatar

I am always shocked how often I agree with George Will and even, though less often, with Ross Douthat. At least they are articulate and somewhat thoughtful, though they reach entirely different conclusions than I do.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

George Will is as conservative as ever, but first with Shrub, then with 1/45, he's increasingly appalled by GQP admins and their outrages. He's among the best wordsmiths, sometimes making him more dangerous than the semi-literate dolts. Still, he's been more refreshing in recent years with so much to deplore.

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Joan (CA)'s avatar

I agree! Also, David Frum... He also has a moral compass, I think.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

The difference with both Kristol and Frum is that neither is an elected official, so they're not as affected by the MAGA megaphone.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

Lord only knows what kind of threats Mittens hears behind closed GQP doors.

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David Holzman's avatar

I have trouble imagining what it would be like to be Romney or Liz Cheney in this Republican party, but maybe they feel they need to save their political capital for heavier stuff?

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TCinLA's avatar

Rmoney's "backbone" is made of overcooked angel hair pasta.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

The rusted iron shaft of a political weathervane.

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Reid (Seattle)'s avatar

Very poetical.

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Sharon's avatar

I don’t think there is anything heavier at this point in time. This is where all the violence and police abuse is coming from. Trump and his base are the root of the problem.

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Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

They're AT the root of the problem, but it long predates either one of them. I think it's important to remember that, lest we get sucked into the notion that it's mostly a personality cult.

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Lanita Grice (WA, the state)'s avatar

While I agree with the weightiness, I think the root is much older - which the language of the document announcing the new America for White People Only Caucus shows.

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David Holzman's avatar

Saving our Democracy is more important.

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Sharon's avatar

This is what we have to fight to save our democracy. This shows exactly what we’re up against.

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Peri (South Dakota)'s avatar

Or a John Thune who may or may not be running this year. He hasn't declared. Good heavens he's number 2 in the Senate.

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William's avatar

Well, there is a wikipedia entry on those anti-trumpers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Republicans_who_opposed_the_Donald_Trump_2020_presidential_campaign

It make take time for some folks to cultivate the biota in their guts, but assuredly, there are those who are appalled that white, Eurocentric ideology is becoming normalized.

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Lanita Grice (WA, the state)'s avatar

An interesting cross-check would be to find out how many of them subsequently publicly signed on to the Big Lie that T**** won.

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MaryPat's avatar

Does anyone have a clear idea of how many "Republicans" are "American First" white supremists, and how many are, well, just Good Old Republicans? When the party splits, what percent can Liz Cheney count on in her camp?

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daria (MID)'s avatar

The problem is this: the Good Old Republicans stoked the fire box which allowed the America First Train to leave the station. Every single time Republicans refuse(d) to act on behalf of all Americans and turn(ed) their backs on taking the high road, including impeachment x 2, Biden vote certification, sticking by the Big Lie, the RNC continuing to prop up Donald, etc., they enabl(ed) the America Firsters to increase their footprint. They birthed a monster under Reagan, Gingrich fed it steroids, Trump "legitimized" it. Good Old Republicans sat on their rear ends and let it happen. Ye reap what ye sow and they sowed choke weed.

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Reid (Seattle)'s avatar

Yes, exactly this, although as Heather points out, the beginning was with Nixon. He birthed the monster and Reagan bottle-fed it.

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janjamm's avatar

I think Heather would show that the link for this thinking comes from the Confederate States manifestos. Nixon and many others, particularly the radical right, embraced it for their own political ambition, as the Am 1st group is now.

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TCinLA's avatar

Nixonm, as history showed, was willing to do *anything* to win. And thus we got the Southern Strategy and initial employment as professional scumbags for a young Karl Rove and Roger Stone and Paul Manafort.

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Lanita Grice (WA, the state)'s avatar

The southern strategy is now associated with the GOP, but it certainly was used by FDR in his concessions to southern Democrats by allowing and supporting segregation in public housing and other government programs where whites were always given preferential treatment.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

Very astute, Lanita. FDR didn't announce it so brazenly as Nixon, and it helped to pass the new Deal, which was a good thing.

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Reid (Seattle)'s avatar

Good point. Which also means it goes back further yet to those Europeans who redefined worthiness as whiteness in order to justify slavery and African colonization and exploitation.

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TCinLA's avatar

Nixon was only the guy who put it to use. Read Richard Hofstadter "The Pseudo-Conservative Revolt" (1954) or recall that President Truman back in 1948 said "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." These guys have been scum since they sandbagged President Grant.

The only three "good" Republican presidents were Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower, and each was privately detested by the party. Lincoln was derided as an "idealist", TR had been put in the VP to shunt him aside, and Eisenhower was nominated over their favorite "Mr. Conservative" Robet Taft, because they'd been out of power for 20 years and figured he was the only one who get all the former GIs to vote against their interests.

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daria (MID)'s avatar

Funny thing. I just woke up with that very thought...Apologies to Heather for mis-stating the genealogy. Thank you for correcting my error with the absolute correct step in development!

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

When there were so many at fault, you can be pardoned for leaving only one out, Daria.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

Shrub was the bastard child of Nixon and Reagan. Don't expect me to explain the biology, but it's true.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

And Poppy was the figleaf of legitimacy.

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Carolyn Ryan's avatar

So right on! I never got over Reagan's whining about his own tax rate, or his sneering at 'welfare queens,' nor Gingrich's contract 'on' America, as I called it. Trump didn't legitimize anything; he just had a bigger, louder microphone than Gingrich. People seemed to whitewash Reagan's dementia even before he left office. Since then, the so called Reagan Republicans have run a canonization campaign.

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TCinLA's avatar

When it was publicly announced he had Alzheimers, I asked "How could they tell?" I once met the Ray-Gun when he was governor here. James Garner's two-word review was right: "amiable dunce."

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Carolyn Ryan's avatar

True story. In his last year in office, Reagan kept saying totally inaccurate things (people kept track back then) and his aides prepped him to correct them for the next press conference. I was at Ebbitt's Grille in DC when the Gipper came out for a touted press conference. A couple of his aides were at the bar watching and listening carefully to the tv. Apparently, they were two of Reagan's preppers for this presser. One of them let out a howl, stood up and screamed, "I don't believe it! He fucked it up again!" Then they both dashed out of the bar presumably to try to do some damage control. The man couldn't keep two thoughts straight, and there he was again, screwing up something he was supposed to be correcting. I often thought of this scene during the last four years when the latest demented Republican president ranted and raved at pressers.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

I kept telling everyone that he had dementia before it was being whispered. As for Failed45, add evil, ignorant, and stupid to the mix.

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joe denning's avatar

Nancy, you are so right .

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William's avatar

Trump may be evil, ignorant and uneducated, but he isn't stupid at all.

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Annie D Stratton's avatar

I wouldn't call him intelligent, either, though. Wily, yes. But he's a promoter with no follow-through.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

Hmmm . . . sounds familiar, like the 1/45th president.

Perhaps un-Quakerly of me, but we can't help feeling aversion.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

I'm not so sure. My belief is that he's been being coached by others - ultimately the Russians - to carry out his devious plots. I don't believe that he has the capability to have crafted his actions. His abilities lie in his ability to intimidate and manipulate, but strategy is another matter.

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Lanita Grice (WA, the state)'s avatar

I think T**** is certainly no intellectual giant. However, as intelligence can be measured from many angles, I think he does have some kind of smarts, but I'm not sure what you'd call it. Maybe it's just in knowing when and upon whom intimidation and manipulation will work.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

It's probably categorized as a killer instinct - highly valued by his father. Still, considering his appalling lack of understanding of history and government, I can't be convinced that he wasn't thoroughly coached in how to proceed with placing people in secure positions and how to maneuver political situations.

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Hope Lindsay's avatar

Craftiness? Measured cruelty?

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Hope Lindsay's avatar

It seems that VP taunted him with the promise of building a Trump tower in Moscow. It's unlikely to happen, because T did not deliver the goods Putin wanted, especially more $ for his oligarchs and less democracy for us.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

No doubt that was Putin's hook. Consider, though, that Putin got quite a lot for his offer - total chaos in our country and with our allies, the opportunity to not only meddle with two elections, but get no pushback about Ukraine, none about human rights, and carte blanche for his goons to have hacked into our government and industrial computers. We haven't yet figured out what the cost of that alone will be. I'd wager that Vlad is pretty happy. Failed45 was rewarded with power and flattery, until he wasn't.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

I sometimes have the same problems, but then, I'm not president.

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joe denning's avatar

Hmmmm.... my advise is do not get caught President or not.

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joe denning's avatar

Please, let me remind you that Reagan was elected President. That is a big thing......

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

In 1980 the Reagan campaign sabotaged Carter's foreign policy. They engaged in criminal, perhaps traitorous contacts with Iran, to interfere with Carter's hostage negotiations.

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joe denning's avatar

Besides being only a b-movie actor he was another President who was not capable of doing the job. He could not be honest, straightforward and trustworthy. We have had too many of these men. There are better people who would handle the way it should be done. One such person is our current President.

It turns out that Sleepy Joe is not so sleepy after all. He had learned some great lessons in his experience as a government worker and he is a worker, a smart one.

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David Holzman's avatar

I would say that in 1980, Carter would have been a poor candidate even without the Iran hostage-taking, and Reagan's role in it. But our country sure suffered for having Reagan as president.

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Lanita Grice (WA, the state)'s avatar

Never saw the man's charm, neither as third-rate B actor nor GOP politician. My esteemed parents voted for him every chance they got - from governor to POTUS.

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William's avatar

Great tune about Reagan. "Sweethearts" by Camper van Beethoven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLt4e-l4DxQ&list=RDdLt4e-l4DxQ&start_radio=1&t=0

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July Corner's avatar

But how many of us have to “choke” on it?

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daria (MID)'s avatar

Sadly, all of us unti more people flip to the Democratic Party and/or Republicans intervene, slash and burn the weed patch and kill all of the weeds and pests.

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David Herrick's avatar

A little Roundup should do the trick.

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daria (MID)'s avatar

Yeah, but its poison.

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Lanita Grice (WA, the state)'s avatar

So bad for the environment! I think burning at the stake is ecologically more appropriate, since the ashes can be put into fertilizer.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

Maybe they could be sprinkled in the forest. I don't want the food chain polluted. There would have to be scrubbers installed above the pyre, to protect the air quality - so complicated.

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Ellen's avatar

Yesterday, Nicole Wallace described herself as a "Biden Republican." I wonder how many are in that camp already and how many more will be joining it now that this white supremacist manifesto aka "America First document" is public. If I were a halfway intelligent Republican, the likes of Greene (who is more than a few cards missing a full deck), Hawley (unabashedly KKK) and those others (whom I just think of as the "elected dummies") would send me running as fast as I could away from that party: the TQP "America First" racist party.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

Geoff Duncan, Georgia's current Lieutenant Governor, has announced that he was planning to build/join the "Republican.2" party. He's been showing his discomfort with the current hot mess for some time now.

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joe denning's avatar

Nancy, if he is "planning" then it is too late. That train left.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

Joe, I'm not about to give him any medals. However, I'm one who believes we need a two party system, and if that has any chance of working, we need Republicans who aren't Trump-deranged. It remains to be seen whether the non-Failed45ers will continue the obstructionism, but we know that the crazies can't be dealt with, so we'll just have to wait and see. Anyone who could remain a Republican after the last five years is lacking in character and intelligence, in my opinion.

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joe denning's avatar

Nancy, you are so right. Take a little look at something else though.

I lived in a town that had a no-party system for its local elections. It worked quite well and has been in place all of my life and before.

Once the Board of Selectmen was asked what party they belonged to. It turned out that none of us knew the others party affiliation for state and national elections. One of us was a Republican, one was a Democrat and the rest were Independents.

It worked quite well and as far as I know it is still working.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

Actually, I can see a positive side of removing the "identity" from politics. Not seeing any MAGA

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William's avatar

I'd say depending on non-elected party machinations to control government is what has created the mess we now endure. Let's dismantle party politics altogether and focus on people who want to govern.

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daria (MID)'s avatar

Particularly those appointees who have zero credible experience OR they have a deep seated financial interest is the sector they've been appointed to govern.

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William's avatar

It was interesting how the Senate confirmed Billy Perry to lead the DoE when his presidential platform called for abolishing it. And then during his confirmation hearings he proclaimed he made a mistake - he did not know enough about the agency when he said those things.

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William's avatar

Ooops!

RICK Perry, not Bill.

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joe denning's avatar

Ah, well, he could not remember its name anyway.

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joe denning's avatar

We do this in some places especially at the local level of government. It works.

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John Christoforo's avatar

Republicans have  done us the favor of making it more clear than ever what the party stands for . So the question becomes what can we do to push back on their insanity.  Check out Movement Voter Project,  (movement.vote)  , an organization that has successfully strengthened progressive power at all levels of government by raising funds and then supporting the best and most effective local , grass root, community based organizations that are doing the door to door and face to face work necessary to turn out voters and organize and empower their communities. These already existing local  organizations are successfully working in underrepresented communities consisting mostly  of people of color and youth. I ( and many) are convinced that this may be the most effective way to help  usher in a progressive decade.

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Margaret Wyatt's avatar

We know members of Congress were part of January 6th. I also know Justice takes time, but it would be so helpful to have all of those traitorious Republicans removed before the next election.

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FERN MCBRIDE (NYC)'s avatar

... and filled their wallets, feeling nothing but richer under the thumbs of Trump and Putin.

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Nancy Fleming's avatar

You're so right. They all started the fire, and now that the flames are out of control, they all share the blame.

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H.H. Rose's avatar

147 House Republicans voted to overturn the presidential election results. All potential members, either publicly or quietly, of the American First caucus.

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LouAnn N.Y/ MA./ FL.'s avatar

BINGO!!!😡😠

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Ellie Kona's avatar

Ayyyy. Like when we asked how many Republicans would support trump for President? How many Republicans would support trump when they saw how ridiculous he was as President? How many Republicans would support trump when they witnessed his absurd Big Lie? How many Republicans would support trump when they were THE TARGETS of his insurrection?!?!?

Actually, hope springs eternal, reason reigns, even though "Good Old Republicans" is becoming an oxymoron.

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Hope Lindsay's avatar

I am sure Liz is on her way to be President, at least in her mind. I like her Hutzpah right now, but her blood thirsty ancestry is chilling. I don't think she has fallen far from the family tree.

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David Holzman's avatar

I'm not going to guess whether she has any presidential ambitions or not. (I doubt Jamie Raskin has presidential ambitions, although I think he'd be excellent, as I suspect he's too family oriented.) She DOES have a belief in our system of Democracy and a good sense of what takes priority (our system over her party's positions) and with that in mind, her ancestry doesn't worry me.

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MaryPat's avatar

I feel that chill.

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TPJ (MA)'s avatar

Liz Cheney in the White House means Dick Cheney back in the White House. Thanks but no thanks.

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John Ranta's avatar

Polls show that 60% of Republicans want Trump to run again, which is a good place to start to count the Racist Firsters. The problem for Cheney and the other non-deplorable Republicans is that they’ll never win another national election (nor most state-wide elections) if the GOP splits. This is the hold the deplorables have on the rest of the party.

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Sandra P. Campbell's avatar

We have to get rid of gerrymandering!

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janjamm's avatar

It is a central problem. In many gerrymandered districts today, even if every single Democrat voted, the Republicans would win. That's the power of gerrymandering.

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TCinLA's avatar

Yes we do. And we have to look hard in the mirror and ask why so many of us did what we did in 2010, which was not vote because we had been "disappointed" by Obama (I felt disappointed, and I will be happy to point out why, but I still voted). It turned out 2010 was the most consequential election of the past 50 years.

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Bill H (AZ)'s avatar

TCinLA:

Dems are fools at times and it showed up in 2010. Would trump had been elected if the "anybody but trump or Clinton" vote had not occurred? We would have had Clinton. That vote in three states which voted Dem in previous presidential elections since 88 in PA and WI and since 92 in MI put trump in office.

My opinion and others (including yourself) may disagree, 2016 was the most consequential election during my 50+ years of being eligible to vote. I am not well liked by Dems in Michigan and the Repubs dislike me even more when I start to talk economic policy.

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TCinLA's avatar

2010 led directly to 2016, and is why Democrats in office represent more people than Republicans do, which is why we can't have good things. Without 2010 and the results it had, there wouldn't have been a 2016. Both are important - 2016 was the election that educated anyone with a brain to what is really important that we had been taking for granted, and also illuminated the damage done in 2010.

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Bill H (AZ)'s avatar

TCinLA:

Are you talking about Gerrymandering which does impact Congressional Districts and state districts determined by how the districts are drawn?

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TCinLA's avatar

Indeed I am. That and the defeat of so many

democrats in 2010, giving control of the House to the Rs, meant that so much couldn't be done that they could claim in 2016 that Obama had "done nothing."

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Bill H (AZ)'s avatar

TCinLA:

I am with you then. I have seen this in Michigan with the Legislature and also Federally with the House. Repubs have controlled the State Senate since 1983 and the State House since 1992. Yet, Dems are responsible for crumbling infrastructure.

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TCinLA's avatar

Yeah, anything bad is our fault, anything good is their doing (not!)

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Reid (Seattle)'s avatar

Yes, as noted elsewhere, these nutjobs have cornered the market on small-donor Republican donations. The activist 40% or so of the white supremacy electorate are opening their wallets; McConnell and friends can see the writing on the wall. And Rs with even a shred of dignity left have left politics altogether, but they are mostly not speaking out because they want the perks that come along with being a former member of Congress (Heritage Foundation, anyone?). What a bunch of cowardly anti-patriots.

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MaryPat's avatar

"Racist Firsters"

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TCinLA's avatar

"Good Republican" - the guy who watches the scumbags kicking some poor old person in the street and turns away, thinking "she probably deserved it." And remaining silent.

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Cathy Mc. (MO)'s avatar

Excellent question

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Michele's avatar

My immediate neighbors are good ol' GOP and they despite Trumpet. Further afield we have people flying his odious flag.

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